Susan’s Gardening Tips

Attracting Birds With The Right Birdfeeders

Attracting birds to your backyard can be as simple as using the right birdfeeders! 

Birds are not all attracted to the same type of birdfeeders. There is sometimes overlap, where several types of birds may share a particular birdfeeder. But if, for instance, you also want to attract birds that eat insects, then you must provide a special birdfeeder for them.

Here’s the key… all birds will be attracted to birdfeeders that accommodate their needs and sizes. An additional factor is that the correct model of feeder must properly hold the kind of meal offered to the bird. The feeding tray that contains mealworms should not be too deep or too shallow. An example of a great bluebird feeder is  Read the rest of this entry

This guest article offers lots of information for creating butterfly gardens, including plants and flowers that attract butterflies. Take lots of notes…

Building a Butterfly Garden

With all of the new commercial developments being put up everywhere, we are beginning to see a loss of the natural butterfly habitats, like meadows. With the absence of these natural meadows, the amount of butterflies that we see around us are dwindling too. Luckily, butterflies are quickly enticed back if you create a butterfly garden where the butterfly caterpillars can have host plants to pig out on, and the adult butterfly has blooms to partake of the nectar. Butterfly gardens are a breeze to install and will allow you and your family an opportunity to appreciate butterflies in their natural situation. Read the rest of this entry

This guest article should give any beginning gardener encouragement to jump right in! It sets out the pros and cons of gardening – but most of us gardeners would agree with the author that gardening brings us contentment. Sure, there’s physical effort involved, and that’s a good thing. But it also keeps us mentally active, and relatively stress free. And, that’s a very good thing. So, beginning gardeners, take heart and read on…

Have You Always Wanted to be a Gardener? Follow These Tips!

Figuring out which gardening tips to follow can be quite a challenge. Even finding the time to sort through all of the different (and conflicting) hints and tips can be difficult. Remember, there is a lot more to growing your own garden than simply dropping seeds in dirt and watering them every few days. Gardening takes attention. It can be time consuming. As you work to grow your plants and flowers, you will learn that even though it is hard work, gardening can be quite rewarding. Here are some gardening tips to help you grow the garden of your dreams! Read the rest of this entry

This is a nice guest article about all the benefits of bird watching, and offers some great gardening tips for attracting birds to your backyard garden.

Birdwatching in Comfort in Your Own Backyard

The bird watching backyard craze has become very popular with a select group of hobbyists.  It has some very real advantages, as well as some drawbacks .  It has all the conveniences of your own backyard and none of the inconveniences of tramping through fields or forests in search of  birds to watch .  If there are irritating bugs or other less than desirable company, safety is just a few steps away… just go back inside . Read the rest of this entry

This guest article has some good tips about the best mulches, and explains proper mulching procedures…

How to Apply Garden Mulch

Mulch is a protective covering placed on top of the soil. It is better to use various organic materials for garden mulching, which are great tools for the organic gardener.

Mulching is well worth the time and effort it takes because it not only helps keep the moisture in your soil by preventing evaporation, it also helps inhibits weed seed from germinating. It will additionally protect the soil surface from the damaging effects of heavy rain and compressing. An additional benefit of using organic mulch is that it will encourage worms to populate, which will generally help improve and maintain a good soil structure. Read the rest of this entry

Selecting the best garden location is critical to seniors

Once you have decided what kind of garden you want, there are many other factors to consider. Mainly you need to choose the right spot for your garden. This is usually decided by several factors: How much sun, shade, and water is required.

The garden location you choose needs to provide an ideal climate. Actually, if you take the time to study various spots around your property, you will likely find places that will cater to the needs of most plants. A hot, sunny spot will be perfect for specific varieties, while cool, partly shady spots and deep-shade areas are ideal for others. Amazingly, you will find several micro-climates all around your property.

Take a few days to observe your property. Take temperature readings in various spots, note how many hours of direct sunlight hits each one, check out the moisture levels. You will be absolutely amazed at the results, when plants don’t have to struggle to survive. Basically, the less stress on a plant, the more flowers and fruit it produces… and the healthier it is. This also translates into the need for less (if any) pesticides. Read the rest of this entry

A family flower garden...

One of the most important beginning gardening tools is information… such as deciding what kind of garden you want.

There are three key questions to consider in deciding what kind of garden is the right choice for you:

1. What purpose will the garden serve?

Curb Appeal… This type of garden is usually in the front of your property, easily visible to passersby (and your neighbors).

Cutting Flowers… This is often called a “cutting garden”, and is dedicated to plants that do well in flower arrangements indoors. The size of your lot, however, may dictate that you integrate them into the rest of your garden. It requires a bit more planning, but it can actually add variety.

Food… Vegetables and fruits and nuts can be in a dedicated area of your property, or (just like flowers) they can be integrated throughout. In fact, this is often the best way to take advantage of microclimates on your property that are advantageous to specific plants… flowers, shrubs, vegetables, or fruits. Read the rest of this entry