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Attractive groundcover can repel deer, too!

Groundcover: Can it really be practical as well as attractive? In a previous column, I discussed the pros and cons of adding groundcover around your trees. In fact, I asked you to imagine yourself as a tree and think how you'd feel about groundcover invading your space! But I believe that judicious planting of groundcover has many advantages for you, and even for your trees in some cases. Areas with groundcover don't need mowing and provide a welcome contrast from a wide expanse of lawn. Additionally, groundcover can grow in shady areas where grass can hardly survive...

Avoid these landscaping hazards!

Reports tell us that the majority of personal-injury accidents occur in the home. If that's the case, then garden and landscape-related injuries can't be far behind! About 230,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries relating to various lawn and garden tools annually. That sounds like the kind of statistic that deserves to get our attention, so today I'll mention some potential outdoor hazards and how to avoid them. But first let me stress that working on your landscape is an extremely healthy pursuit and great exercise, too. Proof? I'll bet you haven't seen too many...

Bird bedding, herb gardens and groundcover

I love e-mail. Even with all the spam and the worries about viruses, it's still a modern marvel. For instance, almost as soon as this column is published, I start receiving e-mail from readers commenting on what I've written or offering helpful suggestions for other readers. As an example, in a recent column ("Planting berries attracts birds to your garden") I advised against putting out lint from your clothes dryer as potential nesting material for birds. Reason? The possibility that the lint was infused with detergent chemicals or bleach that birds might find unpleasant or even harmful...

How To Make Birds, Bats and Butterflies Welcome In Your Garden

Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)... It's my guess that you'd agree with Dorothy on this one. There are some critters you just don't want to invite into your landscape. Lions, tigers and bears are probably right at the top of your "keep out" list, closely followed by some more likely interlopers such as deer and coyotes. I'll have some ideas for turning away unwanted visitors in a future column. But today I want to talk about ways to attract wildlife guests that are both beautiful and beneficial: birds, bats and butterflies! Sorry about all those B's! Let's start with birds. Providing bird...

Compost: the free gateway to super soil

Is it really worth starting your own compost pile? Aren’t you simply creating a smelly eyesore that’s just a glorified trash dump? The answers are yes and no. YES, it is worth starting a compost pile, even a modest-sized one. And NO, your compost doesn’t have to be either smelly or an eyesore. With most of your must-do landscaping chores behind you for the season, this is the perfect time to get started on your compost pile. It’s a real investment! If you already have your own composting system, no doubt you’re an enthusiastic advocate of the concept. But if you’ve been putting off the idea...

Container gardening opens up new landscaping options

When it comes to getting creative with your landscaping, don't overlook containers! Perhaps you haven't really considered container gardening because you think of it as only for apartment-dwellers and others who have little or no land in which to grow plants. However, I believe that creative incorporation of container gardening into your landscape can add an exciting element with comparatively little effort on your part. I have suggestions for plants for your containers, but let's start with some of the benefits of container gardening... Move ‘em around!...

Container water garden: a fun and easy project!

A water feature is a charming addition to your landscape. But with water comes the potential problem of mosquitoes! If you aren't able to live by the ocean or beside a lake or river, you can always bring the water to you in the form of a water garden. Today I'll give you some ideas and resources for a water garden and hopefully show you that water does not always come with a "skeeter farm!" Unlike a rain garden, a water garden is a decorative feature that you keep filled with water, rather than allowing it to dry up between rain storms. Water gardens can vary from a large pond to a small pot...

Correct planting gives shrubs and trees a head start

Of course, YOU’D never say something like that. But maybe you’ve heard someone else say it, though not in so many words. The fact is that young trees and shrubs are at their most vulnerable when you are planting them in your landscape. You need to devote some TLC to this stage of their life, and the particular TLC you apply will depend quite largely on how you receive your new “babies:” bare root, balled and burlapped or container-grown. The other major concern with new plants is soil quality. Today, we’ll take a quick look at the three different planting methods. Adopt the correct method for...

Create a haven of privacy with the right trees and shrubs

Ah, privacy! If you live on a ranch in Wyoming or in a cabin in the wilds of Montana, that’s probably not a problem. But if you’re like most of us, you have neighbors quite close on each side of you and maybe overlooking the back of your lot as well. Even if you’re smack in the middle of suburbia surrounded by other homes, there IS some good news. You don’t have to build a 15 foot brick wall around your perimeter just to secure your privacy. After all, who wants to live in Fort Knox without the gold? Trees and shrubs can help to insulate your home and garden from noise pollution, wind and...

3 Shrubs that create privacy with a living fence.

The wide open spaces might sound romantic or even desirable to us. But, even though America is a vast country, most of us only own and occupy a small portion of it. One or two acres are now described by Realtors as "large lots" and most homes occupy much smaller lots. We can sometimes resent the lack of privacy that can occur when homes are built closer together, so today I will help you think of ways to use landscaping to define your boundaries and perhaps create an oasis of calm and tranquility around your home! "Fences make good neighbors." It's an old saying that still holds true today...

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