Tim Hallinan's Articles - Do It Yourself Article Directory

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Tim Hallinan's Articles


Plants-Flowers-Trees (4)	Gardening (12)
Landscaping (1)

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An Introduction to Annuals Annuals provide gardeners with an inexpensive way to add variety and long lasting color to the landscape. Though they will bloom all season long, annuals sprout from seed, flower, set seed and die within one growing season and need. Choosing The Appropriate Tree For Your Garden Before planting new tree assess both your needs and the existing conditions of your site. Trees, like all garden plants, have specific light and soil requirements which can influence its health. Trees also have specific space requirements. Some trees spread wide and need a lot of space, such as the beech, while others, such as the birch, grow tall and narrow. Unlike other garden plants, however... Creating a Butterfly Garden In order to attract butterflies to your garden you need to provide for them what they need. Generally, butterflies look for two things in a garden, food and host plant where they can lay their eggs. If these two things are present in your garden your chances... Creating Cutting Gardens Many perennials, annuals and even flowering shrubs not only make great garden plants but wonderful cut flowers as well. Shrubs such as hydrangea, lilac, viburnum, witchhazel and forsythia work well as cut flowers. Generally, however, shrubs don’t last as long as perennials or annuals. To make flowering shrubs last as long as possible... Creating Low Maintenance Gardens While no garden is maintenance free, it is possible to create a garden with relatively few demands. Careful planning, proper plant selection and thoughtful design are essential to... Creating Wildflower Meadows Noted for their low maintenance and wide diversity of plants, wildflower meadows are full of vibrant colors and interesting textures. The meadow approach to the landscape... Creating Wildlife Gardens Creating a wildlife garden allows you take part in your larger surrounding environment. Often gardens are completely shut out from the natural landscape around it and aren't welcoming to birds and other wildlife. Adding a few well placed and well chosen shrubs or trees can... Creating Woodland Gardens Often times site conditions are such that it's best to work with the existing landscape rather than make extensive changes. These types of sites often become very successful gardens. A shady spot beneath a stand of trees, for example, is... Designing an Edible Garden When considering an edible garden the first thing most people will think of is the vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are by far the most popular type of edible garden for the home gardener. There are, however... Gardening In The Shade If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to garden in the shade beneath the canopy of mature shade trees you will find many advantages not found in the full sun garden. Shade trees moderate temperatures during the hot summer months and provide gardens with structure, privacy and... How To Plan A Garden All great gardens have one thing in common, they were thoughtfully planned before they were built. To plant a successful garden you must have a clear understanding of your site’s conditions. A thorough site analysis enables the gardener to make informed decisions regarding design and plant selection. Determined in this site analysis are the following factors... Natural Gardens Natural gardens utilize native species of plants which are often quite easy to grow. These plants have adapted to certain site conditions and are generally self sustaining. They'll need little, if any, fertilizer and no more water than is provided by rain. Natural gardens consist of a rich and varied mix of plants. They introduce a diversity of trees, shrubs and perennials not found in some gardens. Natural gardens also provide... Perennial Garden Basics Perennials are any plants which live for more than two seasons and produce stems which die back to the ground each fall. They’re at the heart of most flower gardens and offer wide ranging benefits to the landscape gardener. Perennials are treasured for their ability to flower, spread and... Planning, Creating & Maintaining Rock Gardens Often there are those areas of your garden that just aren't suitable for lawn or have exposed ledge and rocks making it impossible to plant shrubs. These areas can easily be transformed into beautiful rock gardens by... Planting Hydrangeas For Late Season Color A common complaint among gardener is that late in the summer, before the fall foliage, there seems to be lull in garden color. There is, however, no shortage of shrubs which bloom in later in the season. Hydrangeas are Seaside Gardening Gardening along the coast presents even the most skilled gardeners with challenges not encountered elsewhere. Natural conditions along the coast create a very hostile environment for garden plants. Wind, salt spray, dry sandy soils as well as actual sea water can make gardening along the coast difficult. All of these factors can cause problems for landscape plants and effect how they grow. In fact... Spring Flowering Bulbs Bulbs are the earliest blooming flowers in the garden blooming as early as February or early March. Bulbs can be used in the perennial garden where they can complement...