Category: lifestyle/lawn-garden

Create a backyard escape with the help of container gardens. Whether you’re looking for a visit to the desert, an English garden or tropical paradise, a few planters can help create the mood.

Reduce your workload and increase your enjoyment with a bit of planning and proper planting.

Select a container with drainage holes and one that mimics the color and feel of the location you are trying to recreate. Use troughs, stone or other containers made from neutral colors when growing succulents. The container should complement, but not overpower the simple beauty of the desert plants.

Keep things warm and natural when going for a more tropical feel. Wicker, bamboo and other natural materials work well with the lush foliage and vibrant colors of tropical plants. Add a few terra cotta, metal and basket type containers when creating an English cottage setting. Set them on your patio, steps or in the garden to create a focal point.

Keep your plants looking good throughout the season with the proper planting mix. Look for potting mixes with good drainage and water holding abilities, like Schultz Potting Soil Plus (schultz.com). Check the label as some mixes contain enough fertilizer to last the entire season and water-retaining crystals to reduce the need to water.

Use a cactus mix that provides the perfect growing conditions for cacti and succulents. The potting mix should retain the moisture and nutrients the plants need, while providing the excellent drainage that is a must for these plants.

Plant any orchids added to your backyard tropical paradise in a potting mix designed for these plants. Use an orchid mix that has excellent drainage and aeration, yet retains the moisture and nutrients these beauties need to thrive.

Check your planters daily and water thoroughly whenever the top few inches of soil are crumbly and slightly moist. Allow cacti and succulents to go a bit drier.

Mulch the soil in tropical, herb, vegetable and annual container gardens. Spread a thin layer of shredded leaves, evergreen needles or twice shredded bark over the soil surface. Use fine pebbles for cacti and succulents that like things hot and dry.

And don’t forget about garden accents. A wattle fence and arbor of twigs and branches work well for an English garden setting, while a water feature can enhance a tropical paradise themed garden, and some southwest garden art can complete the desert scene you’re going for.

So start your vacation this year with a trip to the garden center. Invest in a few containers, the right potting mix and plants. Then plant your way to the retreat of your dreams.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books. For gardening tips and videos, visit her website: www.melindamyers.com.

Don’t let a sore back, bad knees or lousy soil stop you from gardening. Elevate your garden for easier access and better gardening results.

The simple act of creating a raised bed improves drainage in heavy clay soil. Add in some organic matter to further increase drainage and improve the water holding ability for sandy soils.

And if your soil is beyond repair or you don’t want to wait, a raised garden allows you to bring in quality soil and create a garden right on top of the existing soil or even paved areas.

The quality soil and easy access will allow for dense plantings without pathways. This means greater yields, up to four times more, in raised beds than in-ground gardens.

Raised beds also help conserve water. You’ll concentrate your growing efforts in smaller areas and that means less water wasted. Increase the benefit by using soaker hoses or drip irrigation in order to concentrate water application to the soil nearest the plants, right where it is needed.

Make your raised bed a comfortable height. Elevating the garden minimizes bending and kneeling. Design raised beds in corners or edges suited for sitting or areas narrow enough to set a garden bench alongside for easy access.

Design raised gardens so they are narrow enough for gardeners to easily reach all plants growing within the garden. Or include steppers or pathways if creating larger raised garden areas.

Add a mowing strip around the edge of the raised bed. A narrow strip of mulch or pavers set level with the soil surface keep the area tidy and eliminate the need for hand trimming.

Select a material suited to your landscape design. Wood, brick and stones have long been used to create raised beds. Consider using materials that are long-lasting and easy to assemble, like Lexington Planter Stone (lexingtonseries.com). These stone sections can be set right on the ground, fit together easily, and can be arranged and stacked to make planters the size, shape and height desired.

Start a raised bed garden by measuring and marking the desired size and shape. Remove the existing grass and level the area. For taller raised gardens edge the bed, cut the grass short and cover with newspaper or cardboard prior to filling with soil. Be sure to follow directions for the system being installed.

Once the raised bed is complete, fill it with quality soil. Calculate the volume of soil needed by multiplying the length times the width times the height of the raised bed, making sure all measurements are in feet. Convert the cubic feet measurement to cubic yards by dividing it by 27 (the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard). For a 4 x 8 feet raised bed that is 2 feet deep you would multiply 4 x 8 x 2. This equals 64 cubic feet. Divide by 27 and you will need just a bit more than 1 cubic yard of soil. Don’t let the math overwhelm you, most topsoil companies and garden center staff can help you with the calculations. Just be sure to have the raised bed dimensions handy when you order your soil.

The best part is that this one time investment of time and effort will pay off with years of gardening success.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books. Visit her website: www.melindamyers.com for more information and gardening tips.

BPT — While cooler temperatures slowly fade, gardeners across the country eagerly await the arrival of spring – and the chance to get outdoors and grow something. If gardening is your passion, you don’t have to wait until the weather is perfect to get started. In fact, working ahead by growing your own seedlings is a great way to ensure your garden is successful throughout the warmer months.

“Planting seedlings indoors before transplanting them into the ground is a great use of time and money,” says Darin Brockelbank, owner of Metro-Greenscape, landscape design and outdoor specialists, and members of the Porch.com home improvement network. More than 1.5 million professionals participate in the network, offering services for more than 90 million projects. “Growing seedlings is something homeowners can easily do on their own and save their money to hire professionals for larger projects.”

Starting your own seedlings offers many advantages, including the ability to get a jump-start on spring planting. Growing your own plants from seed is less expensive than buying small plants and provides access to a much wider variety of plants. The pros at Porch.com offer these tips for starting seedlings to get your garden growing:

• Selecting seeds

Some seeds can be planted and started indoors, while others need to go directly in the ground outdoors. As you’re choosing seeds for your garden, read the packets thoroughly to ensure the seeds you’re buying are appropriate for indoor planting. Be aware that many vegetable seeds need to be planted directly in the ground.

Most packages will also include information on what time of year to plant, so follow the guidelines for best results. In general, start seeds about six weeks before the last frost date. Check the Farmer’s Almanac Frost Date Calculator to find out when that is in your area.

• Choosing containers

Seed starter kits are available for easy planting, but any container will do as long as it is about 2 to 3 inches deep and has drainage holes. Egg cartons and paper cups are inexpensive and easy options; be sure to poke drainage holes in the bottoms. Fill your containers with a good soil mix – never use regular soil from your yard. Seeds need just the right texture and mixture of nutrients to succeed. Covering your containers with plastic wrap or plastic lids will help keep soil and seeds moist.

• Setting the environment

In order to germinate, most seeds need a steady temperature of about 78 F. You can create localized warmth for seeds through use of electric heaters or heat mats placed under containers. You can also try placing containers atop warm appliances, such as a refrigerator, as long as they will also receive ample light in the location. Once seedlings push through the soil, you can move them to a windowsill where they’ll get more natural light.

• Caring for seedlings

It’s important to provide seedlings with constant moisture, but don’t let the soil get soggy. If you used plastic wrap or covers, remove them from containers once seeds have sprouted. When leaves appear, begin fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer. Pay close attention to the dosage amounts recommended on the fertilizer packaging; seedlings are fragile. Check on seedlings daily until you’re ready to plant them outdoors.

“If your plants begin to bud before you transplant them to the outdoors, wait to move them until they are fully bloomed,” Brockelbank says. “If you transplant them while they are buds and cool weather hits, they could get frost bite and die. When it’s time to transplant the seeds, make sure the soil is no cooler than 60 degrees.”

Of course, not everyone with the urge to grow a garden has the time to invest or the green thumb to achieve it. If you find yourself lacking the resources to plant and care for seedlings, Porch.com has plenty of professionals who can help you get – and keep – your garden growing.

“The hardest part of planting seeds indoors is caring for them before they are transplanted,” Brockelbank says. “Once they are transplanted, the plants should be very low maintenance.”

WASHINGTON — They decided that the tomato plant would go in the middle and then they gently placed the other vegetable seedlings in select areas of their new garden, courtesy of the Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital.

Just two blocks away, the Muhammad family was as ecstatic as their children, Zahir, Ameer, Kaleem, Nailah scrambled about their new four-by-four foot garden, breaking up the soil, placing the cucumber, basil, bell pepper and the bean seeds in just the right location around their tomato plant. Then, they planted the sign that made it officially their garden.

Mignon Bowie/ Howard University

The new gardeners proudly display their soil-covered hands as they christen their garden along with, from left, Stephanie Purnell of Howard, their father, Antonio Evans, mother, Michelle Phillips-Evans, and Dr. Michal Young of Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital.

The two families are part of the 50 Washington families with pre-school and elementary school age children who received free gardens this spring from Howard University.

Physicians, College of Medicine students and other volunteers planted gardens on Saturday, June 15, 2013. The project is called “My Garden,” a free program sponsored by Howard University, and designed to teach children and their parents about the importance of healthy eating and the joy of watching fruits and vegetables grow. The gardens are low maintenance and only need water and sun, and will be maintained by the children.

College of Medicine Dean, Dr. Mark S. Johnson said that the “My Garden” project represents one of the basic tenants of health care. “All health care starts with a healthy diet,. Unfortunately, sometimes families, particularly children, don’t have enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. The problem is even more significant in some of Washington’s food deserts. While this won’t fill all of a families needs when it comes to vegetables, it will help. And it’s a fun, educational experience for children and adults,” Dr. Johnson said.

The Fulton/Chester-Johnson family in southeast Washington was also one of the many families visited last Saturday. Sirahn Fulton, the family’s three-year-old girl, was very enthusiastic about getting her garden started. She didn’t talk much, but her eyes widened with excitement as she dug into the soil and with the help of her parents and grandparents, planted her vegetables. She took special pleasure in placing her own sign that proclaimed the area “Sirahn’s Garden.”

Dr. Michal Young, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health and Dr. Millicent Collins, also in the Department of Pediatrics, passed out brochures to the families, informing parents on how the vegetables were beneficial to healthy diets and provided the family tips on how to keep their gardens safe from pesky insects.

Washington families with pre-school and elementary school children interested in receiving a free garden next spring, can send their name, address, preferred email address and the names and ages of their children to Project Coordinator Ionnie McNeill at: ionniemcneill@yahoo.com.