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There are a number of ways that you can have your own personal garden even though you don’t have a large yard.

1. Place pots of flowers on one side of your steps. This tends to work excellently if you have each container around the same size and the flowers/plants the same or similar.

2. Hanging baskets on the porch. Getting one or many containers that have colorful cascading flowers, such as ivy geraniums, petunias, begonias, in one color or combinations of colors, can create a wonderful garden effect in your home.

3. You can place planters on both sides of your front door. Tall, narrow plantings usually do quite well. You can also consider, Topiary, sculpted green shrubs, or even a vine on an obelisk or similar standing structures.

4. You can put a group of containers on a bench. If you have a bench, table or shelf lying around, you should have a number of containers of varying sizes. The plants available can be of different colors as well as types.

5. A container on a pedestal in entryway. If your entrance is large enough, having an urn that is filled with flowers on a pedestal usually creates a very powerful impression.

6. Lining a patio. As long as your flowers don’t obstruct your pathway, having a patio that is lined with containers of colorful flowers is a wonderful addition to any home.

7. A grouping in the corner of a deck. Decks tend to be usually boring and devoid of any form of color. By grouping several containers of different sizes, shapes and types with a lot of colorful flowers, you create a much more exciting atmosphere.

8. Encircling a tree trunk. As long as there is enough light, making a “flower box” around a tree trunk and filling it with flowers, adds color and interest to an otherwise empty space.

9. Hanging on a wall. You can use wall brackets to attach containers to a wall and fill them with flowers that tend to oppose the particular wall color. This works well for grabbing attention from everybody passing by as long as you make proper use of the available space.

10. in an old wagon or wheelbarrow. If you collect antiques or have some similar items you can easily fill everything up with a collection of annual plants. This works well for some people but others can use alternative solutions.

11. Hanging from deck railings. A number of different containers are usually specially made to attach to deck railings that look wonderful when filled with flowers. The containers shouldn’t be extraordinarily large but should be shaped in proportion to each other as well as your home.

12. A windowbox filled with flowers. Regardless of whether or not you have no yard, porch, patio or deck you can have a window box filled with a number of different bright flowers for your viewing pleasure and that of a number of people who may be visiting your home.

Plant Website recommends MiniGarden.com, SiteKing.NET, and Williger.com.

Simply put container gardening is growing plants in containers instead of in the ground. It became very popular in the 1950’s in California when people living in apartments and other shared spaces begin growing plants in pots and containers to put on their balconies and entryways. Container gardening only needs a few things, which are:

• The containers themselves. You may have already decided which type of plants you want to begin growing. Picking a container that can hold the size of plant you want is important. However, choosing a container that works well with the colors of the plants and also with the place you are planning on putting the container too. You may need to move your plants from one container to a larger one as they grow. So, keep that in mind and maybe buy different sizes so whenever necessary you can transfer the plants to the larger pots. One other thing, there are pros and cons to any type of container you use, so depending on where you live and again the plants you have chosen will make a difference in the type of containers needed. They all need plenty of holes in the bottom for drainage. Here are a few examples of the different types of pots.
• Plastic will break down and dry out when out in the sun a lot. However, it is easier to move since it is lighter.
• Wood does rot and grow fungus. But, Redwood and Cedar are bit more sturdy and it does not happen with them as quickly.
• Terracotta dries out very quickly and will develop rings on them from calcium deposits.
• Ceramic pots are a good choice, however they are slightly heavier.
• Soil and nutrients. The best to use for indoor gardening is soil less potting mix. It will drain better and there will be no diseases or weeds. When you fill the container, leave about two inches between the top and mix, that way you have room for the mulch on top.
• Water and food. You will need to the water the plant based on the size and type. Those instructions will actually come with each plant and they will need to be followed. This holds true for the amount of sunlight they will need and shade and the time of year they grow best in. When you do water make sure all the soil is moist and when there is water coming from the bottom you know you have given the plant enough usually. Also, because the soil is very light your plants will more fertilizer. A slow-release or water soluble type works best.
• The right temperature and space. When you plant vegetables, flowers, or herbs you will put them one third closer than you would if they were in a garden. With trees and shrubs they should be centered in the pot or container. Any plant will need to be re-potted whenever necessary. Since you are container gardening, you will be able to protect them from extreme heat and cold. Move the plant whenever necessary to keep the temperature right.
• Pruning and preening. Making sure you trim your potted plants regularly and remove any dead or brown parts is important also. There will be less mess and your plant will do much better since there will be no bugs or fungus growing.

Creating a container garden will add color and life to any area. This is a hobby anyone can get into and as you can see it is not difficult to start.

Plant Website recommends MiniGarden.com, SiteKing.NET, and Williger.com.

Starting a rose garden does require hard work and you have done it all: conditioning the soil, choosing the right type of rose and have even planted them now you would like to keep your rose garden free from pest attacks and disease infestation to see your healthy roses bloom through out the season. While rose gardening may seem a bit of an uphill task, but following some simple steps, you can keep your plants healthy and your garden a happy garden.

There is a fundamental truth about gardening in general and that is wet plants are extremely attractive for fungal diseases. So you must keep the flower beds neat and tidy by regularly removing the dead and fallen leaves from underneath as well as clean the garden of all unhealthy debris. This simple exercise can keep fungal infections away. To prevent mold and rust from attacking your plants never water the leaves, stems or flowers. This can even damage the roses.

When you prune your rose bush, remember to clean up the central area. This will allow fresh air to circulate and keep fungal diseases at bay. Though rust is not fungal by nature but behaves much the same way and is considered very harmful for rose plants. These types of disease conditions can be rectified by using fungicidal soaps and pruning of the infected stem. Also keep the pruning shears clean as infected shears can carry the disease to healthy parts of the plants. You could also use simple craft glue to repair any cuts made during pruning. This will keep your plants safe from many other types of insects.

Insects like aphids, beetles and caterpillars are very fond of attacking rose plants. Easy prevention can be obtained with early season spraying of dormant season oil immediately before the spring blooms start. Of course, there are other ways of getting rid of insects also. To get rid of beetles and caterpillars, the easy way is to try the traditional method of picking them up by hand and throwing them into soapy water. The best time to do this exercise is early in the morning and is considered one of the best ways to keep your roses safe from insect attacks.

In case you find pulling out the insects by hand is not quite something you prefer, you could buy insecticidal soaps from your local garden store. If used according to the labeling instructions, these soaps can be very effective in keeping your garden safe from harmful insects. Before using these soap solutions, remember not to use any strong and harmful pesticides which could damage your garden, in stead of bringing relief. The other point to remember is that there are a lot of beneficial insects which live in your garden, and they could also get killed if strong pesticides are used.

One of the fundamental truths behind organic gardening is that pests are part of nature and they will be part of your garden too. One way to ensure insect-free gardening is to choose the specific plants which are suited to your climate zone and soil. The plants can themselves resist the disease attacks and ward off insect infestation. The other trusted way to keep your rose plants safe is to practice companion planting of garlic and onion near your rose bushes. These companion plants keep your rose plants safe from insects.

In the matter of rose gardening, you have to be a little alert. With proper vigilance, you can easily protect your plants from disease and insect infestation and see your garden bloom throughout the summer.

Rose Maven recommends MiniGarden.com, PlantWebsite.com, and Williger.com.

A certain part of the maintenance schedule of a plant will always include pruning. Pruning involves the removal of certain parts of a plant. Pruning is necessary in order to remove abnormal forms on all our plants and to encourage growth and get rid of dead branches. It not only keeps our plants trees and shrubs looking good but it also keeps them health as well. How and when we prune is also essential for the survival of a plant.

Most trees need pruning at certain times during the year. These times are usually when they are in a dormant season which is normally late fall and winter. Shrubs that blossom in spring should only be pruned when the flower fades while shrubs that bloom in summer should be pruned in early spring.

Pruning places undue stress on trees and leaves them susceptible to diseases and insects. Pruning wounds the plant but allows these wounds to heal. You should monitor how much your prune. It is necessary to prune branches that are unwanted but you must also try to protect the trunk or stem of a tree while you do it.

Different tools can be used to accomplish pruning chores. Hand pruning shears usually work well whenever you’re cutting stems. Lopping shears are able to cut branches that are as wide as 1 ¾ inches wide and they have long handles for a longer reach. Pruning saws tend to be able to remove stems which can’t be cut with hand pruners or lopping shears. Pole pruning shears are usually for branches that are somewhat hard to reach. Chainsaws may be used for branches that may be more than 3 inches in diameter.

It is essential that you know what you’re doing when you’re pruning. Pruning improperly can easily turn a tree that is healthy into a deformed and weakened one. Make sure that you only use sharp tools which are capable of making smooth and clean cuts. Never leave stubs and whenever it’s possible never tear off a piece of bark. You should remember that it is better not to prune than to prune wrongly.

An order exists on how to prune. The first thing that you should do is get rid of any limbs that are dead, broken or damaged. These limbs should be cut at their point of origin or back to a strong side branch or shoot. After this you have training cuts. By cutting back side branches, you can easily maintain a certain shape. Make sure that you also remove weak or narrow crotches.

Three different types of pruning exist for trees. Crown thinning is the removal of certain branches in order to increase light diffusion as well as air movement around the crown of a tree. Crown raising focuses on the removal of branches from the bottom of the crown of the tree in order to achieve clearance. Crown reduction focuses on the removal of branches in order to reduce tree height.

Three different types of pruning exist for shrubs as well as flowers. Thinning our permits growth from both sides of the branches by removing a branch at is source from its parent or the ground. Renewal pruning is about removing a couple of the oldest and tallest branches or slightly above ground level. Rejuvenation pruning tends to be performed on shrubs that are old and overgrown by removing a third of its oldest branches or at slightly above ground level.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for PlantWebsite.com, MiniGarden.com, and ContainerGardening.Net.