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Grow a cutting garden and enjoy flowers indoors and out

If you feel guilty when you cut flowers in your garden, worrying that you’re destroying nature or leaving gaps in your flowerbeds, it may be time for you to plant a cutting garden, says the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN). A cutting garden is designed to provide flowers for indoor arrangements, and it will give you a new perspective on removing flowers from your garden.

Choosing the Right Flowers and Plants

As with any garden, the first step in planning your cutting garden is to select plants that grow well in your part of the country. Ask the experts at your local garden center for their suggestions, and keep in mind your soil conditions, the amount of sun or shade your garden receives and how much it rains.

Selecting a Color Scheme

After you’ve decided which plants will thrive at your site, choose a color scheme, whether bright and vivid primary colors, soft and muted pastel shades or dusty earth tones. Since the purpose of a cutting garden is to grow flowers to use indoors, think about how flowers of certain colors will look when you place them in main rooms of your house.

Finally, plant flowers and plants in such a way that no one will notice that you frequently forage for new material for your indoor bouquets. One way to achieve a continuously balanced look in your cutting garden is to group your plantings by color, so that when you clip several blue flowers one day and several yellow flowers another, the overall appearance of the garden is still one of continuity and growth.

You can also fill in around your flowers with shrubs and larger, bushy plants that can easily spare a few leaves or berries, as well as plant a mix of perennials, annuals and bulbs so your garden will bloom all year ’round.

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Why is it when 97% of the world’s insects are considered to be either beneficial or harmless, your garden attracts only the remaining 3%  that are considered PESTS? Although it may seem this way, there are both “good” and “bad” insects in your yard.

There is a constant battle going on to maintain a balance between these two groups. Toleration of some pests should be allowed as they provide a food source for the beneficial insects, allowing them to thrive in your yard and keep the pests in check. However, even in the best of gardens, uncontrolled outbreaks do occur. Preventing an infestation of bugs is an important part of gardening. By taking several precautions and putting forth a little bit of effort in the beginning, you will hopefully be rewarded with (almost) pest-free veggies and flowers.

Why are some bugs in your yard a good thing? A vast majority of the insects in your yard provide many services that improve your garden and lawn. Insects help pollinate the blossoms, which lead to more fruit, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. Insects improve the soil condition by crawling through the surface layer. Droppings and dead bugs increase the fertility of the soil. Earthworms and centipedes also help aerate the soil during their travels. Insects keep the numbers of bugs in line by capturing and eating other types of insects

Learn to identify and manage three basic types of garden pests:

Soil Insects: This type of pest feeds on the seed in the ground or small tender vegetation. They will also attack larger, established root crops (such as potatoes and carrots). Examples of soil insects include cutworms, white grubs, slugs, and mole crickets.

Sucking Insects: These insects have a mouth type to pierce the skin and to suck the sap from the plant. Sometimes the hole made by these critters is so small that it is unable to be seen without a magnifying glass. Severe injury or even death can occur once your plant has fallen victim to these sucking insects. A badly infested plant will become yellowed, wilted, stunted or deformed. Examples of sucking insects include aphids, leafhoppers, stinkbugs, spider mites, and squash bugs.

Chewing Insects: This group causes the greatest amount of damage to gardens and yards. They chew off all parts of the plant including leaves, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Chewing insects include Colorado potato beetles, tomato hornworm, cabbage looper, webworms, leaf miners and various caterpillars

There are even parasitic insects that live off “bad” bugs, eventually killing them! The braconid wasp larvae infests the tomato hornworm and uses it as a food source. Insects act as janitors for your yard. They search out any dead plants or animals and feast on them, which provides a cleaning service for you. Most important of all is the insect population control created through fighting among themselves.

Surveillance of your garden
Plant your garden in a location so you can constantly see it. If an insect attack occurs you can take care of it early.

Choose resistant plants
Your local nursery or Extension Office can help you select some plants that are less tempting to the pests in your area. Other information sources are seed catalogs and plant reference books at the library.

Proper conditions
Plowing and cultivating you garden brings soil insects to the surface. Birds and other predators can then feast on them as a snack.

Fertilize
Follow an organic fertilizing program and provide the proper amount of water. Strong and healthy plants will be less likely to come under attack by pests.

Practice “clean culture”
Remove debris, including old or dead fruit and veggies, before planting the next season’s crops. By either burning, burying or removing the debris, you will rid the area of insect infestation or disease. Keep surrounding weeds under control.

Encourage beneficial bugs
Do not use an indiscriminate insecticide. Try to use target-specific sprays.

Rotate crops
By moving your plants around yearly, any bugs specific to certain crops will be forced to relocate. Garden pests can be placed into three separate groups: soil insects, sucking insects, and chewing insects.

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With all the sets of rattan garden furniture available today choosing the right sets should not be very hard. The finest collections are often sold as one set, but you may be able to mix and match varieties of this type of furniture upon request.

Recommended Collections

One of the top collections of rattan garden furniture sold today is the Cube Garden Furniture set. This set is meticulously constructed in such a way that it is likely to last a lifetime. It often is sold with four chairs, one table and two footstools. The rattan in this finely crafted collection is often coloured black and the comfortable cushions are normally a contrasting color, such as white.

Smooth and elegant in design, this rattan garden furniture set is likely to look amazing regardless of where it is placed. An additional very beautiful example of a recommended rattan garden furniture collection is the Arizona Rattan set, turns out to be one of the more popular choices. This set often includes chairs, sofa, and coffee table.

This particular set of rattan furniture is characterised by its soft, white cushions. This collection combines clean modernistic lines and sharp angles mixed with glass that would look stunning in any garden or conservatory. As mentioned already, today’s rattan garden furniture is made of the most durable and superior materials.

Furthermore, certain models of rattan garden furniture are UV treated. Therefore, they can be placed outside throughout the year without the worry of discoloration or damage to the materials used to create each piece. In fact, a majority of the collections sold today are sold supplied with an outdoor waterproof cover.

Oftentimes, the frames are made from lightweight aluminum that is coated with a protective material so it will never rust. Besides being able to resist the outdoor elements this furniture is simple to move from area to area and can be packed away compactly.

It makes entertaining and dining outdoors much more convenient and each piece is preserved for much longer times than otherwise. This is likely to save you money, especially if you purchase timeless works of art that are likely to not go out of style the following year.

By the way, in case you are wondering what rattan material is derived from; it comes from a special palm tree. This material is similar in texture and appearance to bamboo and a majority of this type of rattan originates from Indonesia.

Of course, you are advised to make sure that the supplier of rattan garden furniture sets you prefer offers the choicest selections. This is guaranteed if you know they only deal with manufacturers who adhere to the highest standards.

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You don’t have to be a chef or have a green thumb to grow an herb garden. Culinary herbs are extremely easy to grow. Once they get going, they add fragrance, texture and color to just about any garden or space. Harvest your culinary herbs to make everything from herbal teas, vinegars and flavorful recipes.

Herbs don’t require much space to grow. You can plant them in beds in a garden or you can grow them in a small container. Combining herbs can create a beautiful effect. Your bed or container is your canvas – and what you plant there can grow into a beautiful masterpiece.

Plenty of sun
Herbs love plenty of sunlight. When choosing a location for your herbs, look for an outdoor area or window that gets 5-7 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Well-drained soil
Whether you are planting your herbs in containers or a garden, start by testing your soil for nutrients and pH. It may be necessary to adjust your soil pH to the near-neutral pH of 6-7 that herbs grow best in. You will also want to add a layer of organic compost and minerals to the soil prior to planting.

Adequate water
Herbs like well-drained soil, but well drained soil needs to be watered more frequently. Don’t just water on a whim. Stick your finger down into your soil approximately 1″ to 1-1/2″. There is no need to water unless your soil feels almost dry to the touch.

Three rules of thumb for fertilizing your herbs
Fertilizer is often referred to as “plant food.” The most important thing to remember when feeding your herbs – use products that are organic. Remember, you are going to be consuming what you grow. If you don’t want to consume chemicals, don’t use them on your herbs.

Second rule of thumb – feed your herbs a balanced diet.
Fertilizer or “plant food” provides your herbs with the major elements they need to grow and thrive – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Your plants also need minor elements called micronutrients, which contain the minor elements required by your plants to grow.

Finally.
Feed your plants through their leaves (foliar feeding). Foliar feeding is 100-500% more effective than root feeding and offers quicker results. Look for organic foliar fertilizers and micronutrients. Spray all the leaves of your herbs every 1-4 weeks.

Harvesting and storage
Once your herbs are established it is important to cut them back on a regular basis. Never harvest more than 1/3 of each individual herb plant. The best time to harvest your herbs is in the morning, when the oils are still readily available in their leaves. Harvest your herbs before they flower. This will prevent them from putting forth seed and will encourage more vigorous green growth.

You can use your herbs right away, refrigerate them or put them in a plastic freezer bag and freeze them up to 6 months.

Whatever you do, enjoy growing your culinary herbs.
You will feel like a gourmet, each time you wander into your garden to clip a few herbs for your culinary productions. Even if you don’t cook much, snip a bit of fresh mint from your herb garden to transform a simple glass of ice tea into the most delectable treat. Or garnish a fruit plate, fresh vegetables and salads with your fresh herbs. Using them is as easy as growing them.

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Usage

There is a variety of stylish pieces and that are included in wicker garden furniture sets you can choose from in order to create a very cheerful and cozy atmosphere. They are used to provide seating and table settings for a variety of social occasions.

Among the inventory items included are chairs, glass top coffee tables, dining tables, and sofas. These are all are integrated in a certain way to create the look you want.

These contemporary pieces can be combined with other styles of décor to produce a scene that depicts your own creativity and sense of style. This is an action that is also done in order to impress your long list of important guests and it also provides comfort for your family members.

Selection

There is a quite an assortment of wicker garden furniture sets. Beware that some of them may be of very poor quality while others are known to be far more superior to others.

It is up to you to acquire the ones that are built from the strongest materials obtainable, but yet that are lightweight as possible to make them easily movable. This will help preserve each item for longer times and will also help make it easier for you to arrange them where you want.

The best models of today’s rattan are UV treated for placement outdoors all year round with not much chance of premature fading, splitting, or cracking of the rattan.  Almost all of these pieces are supplied with an outdoor waterproof cover that protects and preserves each piece when it is not in use.

Placement

Distinct models of rattan garden furniture can be combined in such a fashion to produce merely the right look. These contemporary pieces are often combined with different styles of furniture to produce a display, which will portray your unique and personal style.

The styles you choose depends upon your personal preference. It also may depend upon where you place each item, and of course how big or small each piece is and how large the area is where you will place it.

Wicker garden furniture quite often is used in outside areas. However, certain contemporary styles of this line of furniture can easily be applied to improve the appearance of any interior space.  For instance, sometimes instead of outdoors people very strategically place this type of furniture in a lounge area or sun room.

It depends upon your needs as well as the needs of your guests as well as how much space you have. Therefore, before attempting to place wicker garden patio furniture sets usually the display area needs to be assessed accurately.