African daisy plants are not suitable for every location, and may not be to everyone’s taste. In the right place though, they are an important ingredient in dry and Mediterranean gardens.

Agapanthus is one of the loveliest and easy to grow perennials available to the gardener in a dry, Mediterranean climate. Used in a certain way, it can be stunningly exciting as well.

Growing annual flowers is not easy in dry climates because of the water shortages. Here are some tips for enjoying flower color, without using too much water.

While the quality of artificial grass products have definitely improved in recent years, and while there is a place for them in certain public situations, the home gardener should think twice before installing a synthetic lawn.

When choosing a landscape tree for your garden, don’t focus too much on showy blooms or edible and decorative fruit. The Ash has none of these, but can be one of the most beautiful additions to your private landscape.

If you're looking for a group of plants that look good 12 months in the year, are appropriate to a number of design situations, and are easy to look after, then read on.

Good design and sound horticultural practice are necessary to successfully create a fine garden. A good attitude is crucial too.

There are many reasons for attracting birds to the garden. On of the best is the educational potential for children.

Despite the reputation for littering, trees and shrubs that drop their leaves are an integral part of the garden composition. An approach from a Mediterranean gardening point of view.

To get the most from bedding plants, they should be suited to the style of the garden as a whole. Here are some tips for matching them with the rest of the garden plants.

Bougainvillea can be the icing on the cake for your garden. It is not suitable for every situation though, and should be considered carefully before being planted.

You can spend a lot of money on design, construction and plants and still end up a few years on, with a very poor garden. The reason may be found in what was not done before the process got underway.

Junipers can be such an important part of the garden in a dry climate, that it’s a pity to get poor results because of some easily avoidable mistakes.

When choosing bushes for a dry climate and Mediterranean garden, give a thought to the Natal Plum,Carissa macropcarpa. It has to be one of the most useful and versatile shrubs available.

The limiting factor in growing annual flowers in Mediterranean gardens is their high consumption of water. Catharanthus roseus, (Madagascar Periwinkle), can be grown on about a quarter of the water needed by most annuals.

In mild winter climates, Chinese Hibiscus has to be one of the most useful landscaping bushes available, as it combines screening functions with spectacular flower color.

Due to the many crucial garden tasks that have to be carried out in the spring, it’s best to get the feeding out of the way as early as possible at the onset of spring.

The only decision you should make in the garden center concerns the quality of the plants in the pots. What constitutes a good plant, and what should you be looking to avoid?

When choosing which shrubs to include in your garden, your starting point may be based on your favorite likes and dislikes. As counter intuitive as it may sound, this approach is mistaken. Instead, you can think like a professional garden designer, by allotting a specific design role to each element in the garden, including the landscape shrubs and bushes.

 The shape and size of a plant's foliage, or its leaf texture, is a major consideration with regard to designing with plants.

Perhaps you associate Chrysanthemums with cut flowers. You should know though, that there are some excellent perennial “Mums” that have landscaping uses as well.

If you are looking for a plant to cover a wire fence, then considering plants according to their growth habit will help you make the right choice.

While plants climbing up a wall can be spectacular, be careful that they don't make YOU climb up the wall instead!

Growing a climbing rose involves some work and expense. When trained according to the espalier technique, the results can be spectacular.

Nothing can spoil a garden more than the random, haphazard use of color. How then does a professional garden designer approach the question of color?

Designing color in the garden is not only a question of creating harmonies and contrasts. It is also a matter of understanding the varying properties of the different hues.

The purpose of adding compost to the soil is to improve and develop it over a period of time. Spreading fresh manure, or compost that has not properly decomposed, is liable to have the opposite affect.

Understanding the real reason for DIY composting, can make you a better gardener!

Many water-conserving plants have fallen into disrepute in recent years, because of a relatively high failure rate. The answer is to know how to grow them

When making a roof or balcony garden, do not forget, as many people do, the weight limits that the building codes stipulate for each situation.

To supply the best possible conditions for your container plants, you have to use an artificial, or soilless growing mixture. The question is, which type is best?

There are a number of factors behind successfully growing container plants, but supplying adequate drainage has to be one of the most important. That is why you should consider installing a professional drainage system, especially if you garden in a dry climate.

Plants growing in pots and containers are especially dependent, on a consistent and efficient feeding regime for their growth and development. Here are some guidelines for the home gardener.

Growing plants indoors is particularly relevant in conditions where gardening outdoors is difficult, such as in a hot, dry climate.

Correct watering is usually the key to successfully growing plants in containers, especially in hot, dry climates. Here are some guidelines for the home gardener.

While Crape Myrtle is generally pruned in order to produce more and better blooms, do not forget that too much pruning can weaken a tree and cause its premature decline. In any case, Crape Myrtle has immense value as an landscape tree, irrespective of its fabulous floral display.

When choosing landscape shrubs and bushes, the home gardener is often overwhelmed by the range and variety available today. Here are some guidelines for thinking as would a professional designer.

When choosing landscape shrubs and bushes, the home gardener is often overwhelmed by the range and variety available today. Here are some guidelines for thinking as would a professional designer.

An example that illustrates how an understanding of the principles of design can be applied when choosing bushes for a plant combination.

Many excellent ornamentals are difficult to find in garden centers, often or not for the wrong reasons.

Reaching the level of the top professionals in garden design takes years of study and experience. There is nothing stopping you though, understanding their approach and mindset.

Drip irrigation is probably the most important tool at the disposal of the dry climate gardener, interested in conserving as much water as possible. Here then is a simple task for increasing the system’s life expectancy, two or three times over.

For drip irrigation to save as much water as possible, it is necessary to know how to use it. One means is to have a separate schedule for each different plant group.

Drip irrigation is an essential tool for managing water as efficiently as possible. In order to get the most from your system though, you should know how to lay and space the pipes, as would a landscape professional.

The immense benefits of drip irrigation are often lost because of a few avoidable mistakes. Here are some tips for getting the most from your dripper system.

If you live in a warm, frost-free climate, you may wish to consider planting the landscape bush, Duranta erecta in your garden. It goes well with a number of other shrubs, and has some characteristics unique to itself.

Finding a niche ground cover plant that is both drought tolerant and easy to maintain, is not easy. Dymondia margaretae is one such example that the dry climate gardener should consider.

Although the initial outlay for petrol garden tools is 2-3 times that of electric ones, in the long run, it makes more economic sense to buy gas-powered tools.

Growing landscape climbers, shrubs and trees by the espalier technique can add that special touch to your garden.

The dry climate gardener should always be on the lookout for reliable and useful plants. There is of course room for the more spectacular species, but it is a mistake, both practically and aesthetically, to try to make every specimen a “winner”. The “steady” plant is also important, and Euryops pectinatus is often one that perfectly fits the bill.

Feijoa is small tree or large shrub that has everything – appearance, excellent fruit and ease of cultivation.

The use of automatic fertilizer pumps undoubtedly brings with it impressive results at the start of a garden’s life. The problems however, start later.

There are some perfectly valid reasons for not using chemical fertilizers on your garden plants, although many of the commonly held objections are more myth than reality.

While adding organic matter in the form of compost is essential for the health of the soil, feeding plants growing in containers generally requires the use of chemical fertilizers. Here are some tips especially for Mediterranean climate gardeners.

To create a flower bed composition that really works, it is necessary to take factors other than flower color into account. Here is a tip that can put you in the right direction.

The naive gardener thinks of the flowerbed exclusively in terms of color. The professional garden designer takes into account other factors as well.

Here are five tips for cultivating flowering bedding plants while keeping WITHIN your annual water consumption budget.

Many home gardeners equate the growing of perennial plants with low-maintenance gardening. There are some excellent reasons for preferring perennials to annuals, but saving time and maintenance costs is not one of them.

In dry, Mediterranean and hot summer regions, it makes a good deal of sense to get the job of feeding the garden plants completed at the very onset of spring or even at the end of winter. There are two compelling reasons for this.

Due to the many crucial garden tasks that have to be carried out in the spring, it’s best to get the feeding out of the way as early as possible at the onset of spring.

An essential part of a viable garden design, is considering the costs involved in care and maintenance. Ignoring this is like buying a great sports car, only to find afterwards, that you can’t afford the insurance!

When looking for plants in a garden center or plant nursery, avoid the temptation of buying on impulse.

Cheap is dear is a well-known and well-worn expression. Nowhere is it more relevant than in plant nurseries and garden centers.

Using color effectively in the garden, as in the kitchen or sitting room, is largely a matter of getting the right balance between harmony and contrast.

While many homeowners want their garden to have a natural style, just sticking plants in the ground in a random manner is not the way to achieve it.

A design problem common to all gardens, but particularly pertinent to small private ones, is what to do with the different areas that surround the house. This question invariably arises in suburban plots typified by a front and back garden separated by the house, and an entrance way between the two.

It takes some courage, but planting a flowerbed with one color can make for a stunning focal point in your garden.

The best way to derive inspiration from a garden design book, or from walking around a fine public park, is to relax, enjoy the sights, and try to understand the principles behind what you see.

The term flowerbed usually evokes images of dazzling color. In practice, the flowerbed often ends up as a disappointing eyesore. Here are some thoughts on how best to plan this part of your garden.

Why less is more when it comes to creating a successful garden composition

If you have a lawn surrounded by flowerbeds shrubs and a fruit tree in the back garden, do you need the same thing in the front? This article raises a number of important garden design issues.

Creating a satisfying garden composition is a question of applying correctly the universal rules of design.

Bedding plants are most effective in a garden composition when they combine well with the rest of the plants. This particularly the case when junipers form the heart of a planting design.

The need to save water in dry climate gardens, involves reducing the size of the lawn. This is best achieved by changing the way we approach garden design.

Throwing flowers around a magnificent old tree is not usually the best way to give it the dignity it deserves. Here are some ideas to enhance the splendor of the tree.

The gardener in a dry climate where water is at a premium, may look jealously at garden books from wetter climates, and dream of growing acres of lawn. In fact, reducing the amount of lawn invariably leads to better design solutions.

Not all shrubs and bushes are suited to being grown as a trimmed hedge. This article establishes the criteria by which suitable species should be chosen.

In order to manage water in the garden both responsibly and effectively, its necessary to understand that different groups of plants, not only require different quantities of water, but also need the water at different times.

In Mediterranean and other dry or semi arid regions, regular irrigation is an integral part of having a garden. Usually, the amount of water available to the home garden is severely restricted, but within known limits, the garden plants can nonetheless be grown satisfactorily.

Most home gardeners realize that watering too much is a bad thing. But do they know that what it really means is the opposite of what it seems to be? Here are some important tips for efficient and effective irrigation.

Installing a professional irrigation system is essential in dry climate gardens, not only to achieve the best results possible, but also as a tool in the correct management and use of water. Make sure to get a decent electronic water timer as well.

In dry climate gardens, a professional irrigation system is a pre-condition for successfully growing the garden plants and managing water responsibly. It also makes good design sense.

A professional technique for choosing landscaping trees, is to consider first their form and shape. Trees and shrubs that develop an umbrella shape are a category particularly suited to a small home garden.

The additional summer tasks that can mean you have a great lawn. The third of three articles on garden lawn care during the summer in dry climates.

Spreading a decent layer of natural mulch on the soil, is an essential part gardening in a hot, dry climate.

The essence of effective pests control is to do two things that seemingly contradict each other. One is to be constantly on the ball, and the other to try to do as little as possible!

A reluctance to use pesticides in the garden is the correct attitude to take. Sometimes though, it can work against you.

Most home gardeners are unhappy about using poisons to control pests and disease in the garden. What they should know is that the use of pesticides is largely unnecessary in any case.

There are many garden plants that could be extremely poisonous and nasty. Are you aware of all the dangers lurking in your backyard, for yourself and your family?

The gas-powered strimmer is one of the most useful tools at the disposal of the gardener, but it is also one of the most dangerous. Here are some essential tips for the safe and ergonomic operation of the garden strimmer.

Bringing in garden soil from an unknown source could ruin your garden. Remember that cheap is dear!

A clean, neatly trimmed edge plays a big part in growing a lawn to be proud of. Should you choose an electric or gas powered tool for the purpose?

There are uglier garden weeds than Wood Sorrel, (Oxalis) but not many as difficult to treat. Within a bed of ground cover plants for example, it can be disastrous.

Coping with weeds is of course a matter of knowledge and experience. The first thing though is to have the right definition as to what a weed is.

If you’ve never heard of the Dodder weed, this would be good place to start. For if it gets into your garden, it could ruin it!

If gardening is part of the school curriculum, or you just want to involve your children in the up-keep of the home garden, you should see how to get the most out of each of the main horticultural tasks.

Grevillea shrubs are not the easiest landscape garden plants to grow, but their immense ornamental value, combined with their tolerance of drought, make them vital ingredients in the dry climate gardener’s cookbook.

While ground cover plants are used in a variety of situations, not all types are suitable for every location. Here are some plants that are excellent for small, intimate spaces.

All to often, ground cover plants do not fulfill their promise and end up being a major disappointment for the home garden owner. The biggest single reason for failure is weeds growing out of control, so here are some tips for protecting your new plants.

Junipers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from large trees to prostrate ground covers. Their drought-resistance, ease of care, and attractive appearance, make the ground cover species particularly essential for dry climate gardeners.

Due to water shortages, gardeners in dry climates are planting ground cover plants as an alternative to lawns. Disappointment often follows unfortunately, because of unrealistic expectations from the outset. This article may help you get better results.

In order to save water in the garden, the area set aside for grass has to be reduced. The use of ground cover plants is one practical and aesthetic solution.

Ground cover plants should not be seen as a substitute for grass, but rather, as having design value in their own right. Considering they need far less water than lawns, their use in dry Mediterranean climates is essential.

Growing roses is not as difficult as some people make out, but there are some practices that are vital for success.

Roses are still the “Queen of the Garden” but unfortunately, they are also heavy water consumers, a fact that makes them problematical for gardeners in a dry climate. Here are some tips for growing roses on less water.

Many home gardeners in dry climates are reluctant to grow roses largely because of their high consumption of water. Here are some tips for having your roses and some water to spare as well.

Transplanting a large rose shrub seems at first sight to be a daunting task, but this is not so if the correct procedures are carried out, and at the right time.

There are a number of aspects to success with roses such as designing correctly, and pruning professionally. It’s important as well, to know their basic growing requirements.

Climbing, vine-like plants are often an exciting element in the garden, but can be more trouble than their worth. This article shows you how to choose wisely.

Guava, being highly ornamental and easy to grow, can be an excellent choice for a fruit tree in a small, Mediterranean garden.

Choosing the right soil type can be crucial for the success of your plants. It might also save you a lot of water and money

While many species and varieties of sage are of great ornamental value, the Garden Sage, Salvia officinalis, is not only beautiful, but an immensely useful herb, culinary and medicinal plant as well.

Many home gardeners give up in frustration and let their flower bed go to seed. Here is an approach that may help you get back on track.

It is not often that a garden plant has interesting form, delicately textured leaves, striking foliage color, and keeps pests away from neighboring plants. The time has come to meet the aromatic herb, Artemisia arborescens.

Spring is the season for pruning many but not all garden plants. Knowing what, when and how to prune, is a critical factor behind the success of your garden plants.

Ideally, pest control in the garden is a case of creating a balanced eco-system. In practical terms though, it is sometimes necessary to act promptly when pests occur on the scene.

Hedges have lost some of their popularity in recent years partly because many home gardeners do not know how to grow them. Here are the principles behind successfully growing a garden hedge

Saving water does not have to mean a dull, colorless garden. Here are some tips for an amazingly colorful garden that is water wise as well.

Some lawn species can be so invasive, that it is sometimes worth choosing less varieties that are less beautiful, but less aggressive as well.

What causes iron deficiency in plants, and when and how should it be treated.

It sounds routine and boring. Yet checking your irrigation system well before the end of winter is a good habit to get into.

As far as watering the garden is concerned, winter in a dry Mediterranean climate can be a perplexing time for the home gardener. So should you be watering at this time of year?

Effective irrigation and efficient water management are about supplying suitable quantities of water to the garden plants, at the right intervals

The Jacaranda tree is probably unmatched for spectacular, seasonal color. It is not suitable though for every plot and location.

Home gardeners in a dry climate, sometimes think that saving water and having a stunning garden do not go together. Here’s an idea that can allow you to have both.

Junipers if used correctly can form the basis of an extremely satisfying garden composition. For gardeners in dry and Mediterranean climates, they are especially relevant.

The more we dig deeper into the hidden potential of the garden, the more value we extract from it. The beautiful Kumquat tree serves as a good example of this.

Growing a landscape bush as a small tree can turn an ordinary plant into a special element in the garden

A secret that can turn your garden into a special one! An idea particularly suited to a dry climate garden.

In landscape garden design, the low-growing bedding plants should have as much in common as possible with the trees and shrubs. With this in mind, Santolina is one of the best choices for a Mediterranean-style garden.

While there is no shortage of plants with colored leaves, the home gardener does not always choose them wisely. Here are some tips for getting the best out of them, and avoiding some of the pitfalls.

There are many things to consider when selecting the rose varieties most suitable for your garden. The starting point though is having a clear design direction at the outset.

Living and working in the Eastern Mediterranean, I've come to the conclusion that there's one tree amongst many that is unmatched in its suitability for a small home garden in a dry climate.

While it is tempting to be carried away by the spectacular flowers of a particular tree, remember that the blooms are invariably short-lived. Instead, it is advisable to choose a tree primarily for its landscaping properties.

Many home gardeners choose a landscape tree based on spectacular flower color or some other showy feature. The professional garden designer however, considers flower color at the end not at the beginning of the design process.

Shrubs and bushes provide privacy from neighbors and screen out unsightly views. Here are some good design reasons for growing them as trimmed hedges.

If you want to get the most from your bedding plants, look beyond the question of color, into the form, shape and texture of the plants, and how they fit into the overall garden composition.

There are a number of factors that determine the quality of a lawn, especially in a dry climate. Correct irrigation, an appropriate feeding regime, regular mowing at the suitable height, are all basic requirements.

While there are many essential, lawn care tasks, regular mowing is the key to successfully growing a beautiful grass.

While watering, feeding and correct mowing are pre-conditions for growing a successful lawn in a hot climate, the periodic removal of thatch could make the difference between a great lawn and a cabbage patch.

Growing a fabulous lawn is largely a question of carrying out the routine maintenance correctly. Sometimes though, extra measures are required.

The lawn’s appearance can be made or spoilt by the quality of the edge. Keeping a neat lawn edge is especially difficult in Mediterranean and other hot, dry, climates.

Although the use of pesticides may occasionally be necessary, it's better to make every effort to avoid them. Here are some tips to help you do so.

There are a number of reasons why a lawn succeeds or not. In dry climates, the most crucial factor is irrigation.

Mowing maybe a relatively simple and routine task, yet it is one of the most important factors behind the success or otherwise of your lawn.

During the autumn in Mediterranean and similar climates, you may be waiting for the lawn to go to sleep for the winter. Make sure though, that you do not, as there are plenty of lawn tasks to carry out at this time.

Artificial grass is not a viable, long-term alternative to a living lawn, but there are a number of objective arguments that are legitimately used in its favor. This article puts the differences between the two into perspective.

The relatively mild winter in Mediterranean climates not only makes laying turf possible in the autumn, but in most cases, the grass will survive the winter.. There are good reasons though for waiting until the spring.

If you want a have a great garden you've got to put a lot of work into it. This article puts the idea of low maintenance gardening into perspective.

Home gardeners in Mediterranean climates tend to forget that their plants need nutrients through the winter. Feeding in the autumn is probably the best time to ensure they receive what they need.

Home gardeners in Mediterranean climates tend to forget that their plants need nutrients through the winter. Feeding in the autumn is probably the best time to ensure they receive what they need.

Why you should consider growing one of the best and most useful shrubs for a dry Mediterranean climate.

Metrosideros or Pohutukawa, as an evergreen tree or large shrub, is both a useful screening plant, and a beautifully decorative landscape bush. Its tolerance of drought, pests and disease, make it a must for many gardens in dry, Mediterranean climates.

Gardeners in dry, Mediterranean climates should always be on the look out for water-conserving ground cover plants that are attractive and easy to grow. One such plant is the Morning Glory, Convolvulus sabatius.

If you mow your grass correctly, you’ll have a better lawn, and can save time by not having to collect and empty the grass clippings. You’ll be doing your bit for the environment too.

Despite the many benefits associated with mulching garden beds, its use is not always desirable. To get the most from a mulch, it’s necessary to choose the right type and to use it correctly.

Despite originating from China and Japan, Nandina domestica is suitable too in Mediterranean and dry climate gardens. Here’s how to get the best from this most valuable landscape bush.

Nandina domestica and Duranta erecta are two excellent landscaping shrubs suitable for Mediterranean and other mild-winter climates. The design effect of planting them together though, is not generally recognized by gardeners.

Nitrogen deficiency will significantly stunt the growth and development of your garden plants. Throwing on soluble fertilizer will give you immediate results, but at the price of polluting lakes, rivers and the water table.

There is a plant that takes along time to grow, but could make your garden a special one.

Oaks should be considered as serious candidates for landscape garden trees. In dry climate gardens, the appropriate species are an essential part of water conserving gardening.

Adding plenty of humus to the soil and protecting the soil’s surface with a layer of organic mulch, is necessary for gardens in all parts of the world. For gardens in hot dry and Mediterranean climates, it is absolutely essential.

As autumn is now well under way in the northern hemisphere, it would be opportune to discuss the question of color in the garden at this season, for in warm Mediterranean climates, this is a time of year generally lacking in color.

Decorative grasses and grass-like plants are so versatile in their potential to solve design problems, that they are suitable to most garden styles, and especially to dry climate gardens.

In order to avoid disappointment with your garden, it’s important to be aware of the types of plant, that for different reasons, can spoil your plot, and ruin your dream.

Patience is not only a value in itself, but is the main reason why some gardeners achieve enviable results and others do not.

The use of pesticides in gardens is unwelcome and from every point of view, should be reduced to a minimum. However, there are circumstances when their use is both necessary and justifiable.

To use pesticides against mole crickets is the easy way out. In order to reduce their damage in the long term though, it’s better not to rush in with the poisons.

Virtually all horticultural experts today adopt the holistic approach to pest control known as Integrated Pest Management or IPM. This article explains what it is, and how it can be applied.

As spring approaches in the Northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern, the home gardener should be alert for aphids preying on their garden plants. Here are some eco-friendly tips for controlling them.

If the damage caused by a pest is not too serious, then it is often better to do nothing at all, rather than apply chemical pesticides.

Despite the fact that some birds may nibble a bit at the fruit on your trees, attracting birds to the garden is vital for effective and sustainable pest control.

Most home gardeners are unhappy about using poisons to control pests and disease in the garden. What they should know is that the use of pesticides is largely unnecessary in any case.

Many home gardeners are deterred from purchasing a gas-powered lawn mower or garden strimmer, because they think it entails expensive and complicated maintenance costs. In fact, as this article points out, a gas-powered tool usually turns out to be a far better buy than an electric powered garden tool.

Handsome in form, suitable to many conditions, and easy to grow. This is why Phormium is such a fine plant in dry climate gardens.

It is absolutely necessary that the garden plants have an adequate supply of phosphorus. It is not always straight forward to apply it effectively though.

Pistachio trees and shrubs are sometimes seen in public parks and gardens. They should be chosen more in private, dry climate gardens as well.

As fashion drives some of the best ornamental plants out of the garden centers, spare a thought for one of the best – Pittosporum tobira.

With manufacturers of fertilizer products proclaiming that compost is not fertilizer, you may be confused as to the best way to feed your garden plants.

Do not be fooled into believing that the trace elements are any less important for plant nutrition than nitrogen or phosphorus. This article shows the dry climate gardener in particular, how to ensure that the garden plants receive what they need.

Spring is the best time for feeding your plants, and in most cases, adding organic compost is the best way of doing so, especially in dry climate gardens.

Roses can be such a magnificent part of the garden, yet the home gardener is too often disappointed with their performance. Correct procedures at planting, go a long way in ensuring decent results

Despite the inconvenience of planting roses in the winter, the benefits of bare-root planting far outweigh this drawback. Read on to find out why.

The full potential of a great lanscape or fruit tree may never be realized if it is planted in an incorrect location. Avoid making this needless but potentially costly mistake.

Even if some of the fruit that grow on trees and shrubs are not meant to be eaten, they can add significant color and interest to your garden, especially at time of the year, when these are in somewhat short supply.

Correctly pruning a Pomegranate tree is a question of whether you are growing it as a landscape tree or just for fruit. Read on if you want to get the best of both worlds!

The problems surrounding the application of potassium fertilizer, demonstrate that plant feeding cannot be separated from the health of the soil. In dry climates where soil salinity is increasingly acute, the issue is of particular importance.

Successfully preventing weeds in the garden is a matter of choosing the right method for each situation. Here are some essential tips.

Methods of weed control that are beneficial to the garden plants and to the health of the soil.

Damage caused to trees and shrubs from pruning can often be fatal. Here are some guidelines for pruning that takes the future health of the plant into account.

The way your garden trees grow and how long they will live, are to a great extent a reflection on how they have been pruned. Considering that the tree is the single most precious item in the garden, it is worthwhile knowing a few things about pruning.

Pruning is the key to successfully growing shrubs and bushes. When it comes to flowering types, the techniques are somewhat different as compared to purely landscaping species.

Pruning at the right time is crucial for the growth, development and long-term health of your garden plants. This is what you should and should not be doing in the spring.

To get the best out of your plants in the fall, it is often necessary to carry out some pruning. There are some traps and hidden dangers though. This article will help you avoid them.

Different types of pruning are suitable for different purposes and plants. Here are some tips for shaping landscape bushes.

The mild winters common to Mediterranean climates means that pruning woody plants in general, and roses in particular, ought to be carried out differently than in cold, temperate climates.

Being clear as to why we prune roses, should help you get better results from your roses.

Pruning, however necessary it may be, always exacts a price from the trees and shrubs in terms of their long-term health. Here are some tips for minimizing the damage.

On the subject of pruning, there’s one thing that gardeners in a mild winter, Mediterranean climate must understand.

Gardeners in Mediterranean and other mild winter climates are sometimes tempted to prune their trees and shrubs in the autumn, when the weather is still warm. This can sometimes prove a costly mistake.

Pruning at the right time is crucial for the growth, development and long-term health of your garden plants. This is what you should and should not be doing in the spring.

Many people today want to replace or seriously reduce the amount of lawn in the garden. Organic gardeners dislike the mono-culture aspect to lawns, and the almost inevitable reliance on fertilizers and pesticides that this entails.

To avoid disappointment from your rose bed, it’s important to know how to care for the plants in a Mediterranean climate, especially during the winter.

Rosemary might be a relatively easy plant to grow, but do you know how to care for the plant when it gets old?

Despite the large number of species and their wide geographical range, most Sages require similar growing conditions. Most are suitable for dry climate gardens.

While Sage is usually associated with herb gardens, there is a wide variety of species that are excellent purely as ornamental garden plants. As many Sages are also drought resistant, they are a crucial plant for the gardener in a dry climate.

Garden plants whose foliage color is some variant of silver, grey or bluish-green, are an important resource for the garden designer. The home gardener too should learn how to use them wisely.

Slow growing plants are often synonymous with water-conserving ones in many gardeners’ minds. Some Species of Rhus though, develop quickly, requiring modest amounts of water at the same time.

Saving water does not have to mean a poor, miserable garden. On the contrary, the limitations imposed by the water crisis in dry climates, opens the way for fresh and exciting design ideas to replace the old worn-out clichés.

Many social ills among young people can be traced to the unrelenting power of peer-group pressure and low self esteem. Can gardening projects in schools go some way in resisting these twin evils?

Many social ills among young people can be traced to the unrelenting power of peer-group pressure and low self esteem. Can gardening projects in schools go some way in resisting these twin evils?

Other than the clear benefits of creating a beautiful landscape, and growing locally produced food, a school garden should be seen primarily as an educational tool of the first order.

The surest method of getting the best results when setting up a school garden is to involve the children as much as possible.

From a strictly professional point of view, the school garden would best be maintained by a landscape gardening company. From an educational angle though, this would be missing out big time. On what lines then, should the children be organized.

An ornamental plant of distinct shape and form should almost always be included in a planting scheme.

Successfully growing roses has much to do with preparing the soil properly, and maintaining the plants correctly. It all starts though with clearly understanding the roses’ design function in the garden composition.

Choosing a tree, especially one close to the house, is the most critical gardening decision you will have to make. Here are some pointers to help you get it right.

Plumbago auriculata is one of the most useful landscaping shrubs available to the Mediterranean and dry climate gardener. It is often planted in the wrong place however, which gives this fine plant a bad name.

Landscape shrubs and bushes are a vital part of garden design and composition. In order to use them most effectively, their design role should be clearly understood.

How do you cover space at a height of about 50-70 cm? Small ornamental shrubs are often the answer.

Virtually all horticultural experts today adopt the holistic approach to pest control known as Integrated Pest Management or IPM. This article explains what it is, and how it can be applied.

If you’re planning to spend a lot of money setting up a new garden, or re-planting a run-down border, you may wish to consider hiring a reputable company to conduct a far-reaching soil test. It might make the difference between success and failure.

If you are one of those people who would love a Bougainvillea in your garden, but are put off by its thorns, mess, and untidiness, then you may wish to consider planting Solanum rantonnetii as a replacement.

Spring is the season for pruning broadleaved, evergreen trees, and cold sensitive species of tropical or sub-tropical origin. While pruning, the home gardener should treat the fruit trees as though they were ornamental landscape trees.

Saving water and having a great garden are often seen as being mutually exclusive. Here is a lawn care strategy for a dry climate garden that can allow you to have both.

The key to growing a great lawn is to carry out the “ordinary” tasks, like watering and mowing properly, and to remember to perform the special tasks on time.

Many a home gardener has been tempted to include rampant, climbing plants in the garden. While these definitely have their place in some circumstances, they often turn into an unmanageable mess. In small spaces, it is probably far wiser to choose less showy and slow-growing climbers like the Star Jasmine.

If anyone needs convincing about the need for sustainable horticulture, you can just ask one simple question. Do you care if your children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy gardens and gardening?

There are so many products on display at the garden centers, and so much advice being given, that no wonder many home gardeners are confused not to say bemused when it comes to feeding their plants. The purpose of this article is to show you that the decision you end up making on what to use in the garden, can really be quite simple.

Is there an ornamental plant which makes a most beautiful and unusual sculptural silhouette, requires virtually no care and attention, and is extremely modest in its water needs? The answer is yes! It is the Bottle Palm, Nolina recurvata.

When it comes to growing and particularly to pruning Crape Myrtle, it’s necessary to think somewhat outside the box.

Caring for the soil, ought to be the number one priority of anyone who owns a garden

There is far more benefit from growing herbs in a dry, Mediterranean garden, than just produce to cook with. Read on to find out.

A garden that is too time-consuming to look after, or expensive to maintain, is not going to stand the test of time. Here are some tips for the home gardener.

Essential late autumn gardening tasks in a mild winter climate

The problems associated with growing this most spectacular of plants, often deter the home gardener from planting it. Here’s how you can overcome at least some of them.

The Pomegranate is such a fine landscaping tree, and its fruit so tasty and beneficial, that it should always be considered for the dry climate garden.

We all want our garden plants to grow quickly, but having the patience to wait for slow growing plants goes along way.

The next time someone tries to convince you that you "have to" install an automatic fertilizer system to feed your garden plants, I'd like to suggest that you take into account the following points.

The tree is such an imposing, massive thing that some people see it as impregnable. Despite its size and splendor it would be more advisable to look on your garden tree as a big baby. Precious, delicate and vulnerable!

Trees can seem perfectly healthy, yet be slowly dying. Appearances can be very deceptive.

The tree cannot only make or break the garden, it can affect how members of the family function and feel. It is not enough therefore, to choose the right tree type, but also to avoid planting it in the wrong place!

If you garden in a mild Mediterranean climate, it is crucial that you do not prune your trees and shrubs at the beginning of winter.

If gardening is part of the school curriculum, or you just want to involve your children in the up-keep of the home garden, you should see how to get the most out of each of the main horticultural tasks.

In principle, the best way to save water in dry climate gardens is to reduce the area of grass. Here is a way of saving water in drought years, without killing-off the lawn.

A fear of poisonous snakes deters some people from creating a garden, while others choose to ignore the possible danger posed by snakes. Neither approach is justified and here’s how to avoid the pitfalls of both.

Viburnum tinus is usually a fine choice for a landscaping bush and for screening. Although native to the Mediterranean, it is suitable for many other regions as well.

When looking for plants in a garden center or plant nursery, avoid the temptation of buying on impulse. The first thing to remember is that a garden center is not a supermarket.

Water wise gardening is an involved and complex matter. But there is one rule that is absolutely crucial to saving water on the one hand, and having a beautiful garden on the other.

Saving water in the garden is easier said than done. Success depends on understanding the basic principles and then applying to your garden

There are many factors behind growing a successful lawn. Suitable irrigation is the most crucial of them during the summer in dry, Mediterranean climates.

We usually think of a weed as an unwanted plant in the garden. However, a far greater problem is caused by garden plants that escape into natural habitats.

Getting rid of weeds is a part and parcel of the gardening schedule. There are some weeds though that are so vigorous, that special attention is needed to deal with them.

If you have an unplanted part of the garden and wish to keep it clean of weeds, consider controlling them by mowing, as opposed to eliminating them with a weed killer. It may pay handsomely in the future.

While one should be reluctant to use herbicides at the best of times, there are two kinds that are especially worth avoiding altogether.

I'm going to focus this week on two actions other than watering, which are vital for the growing of a beautiful lawn in a dry climate. Feeding and scarifying.

The use of a pre-emergent weed killer may be tempting, but in the small garden situation, an organic mulch is far safer and more beneficial to the garden as a whole.

There are some drawbacks with drip irrigation systems as opposed to sprinklers, but the advantages are so overwhelming that the gardener, especially in a dry climate, should consider installing one.

While laying turf in the autumn is possible in Mediterranean and other mild winter climates, the temptation to do so should be resisted. It is far better to sow a temporary lawn for the winter instead.

It is commonly thought that the winter is not the right time for planting. This may be so in cold climates, but not in the mild winters of a Mediterranean one, where the benefits of winter planting far outweigh the drawbacks.

There are numerous benefits to the healthy growth and development of garden plants by hoeing the soil, but these are all matched by mulching. Despite its initial cost, mulching is preferable to hoeing.

Pruning trees and shrubs in the right season is essential for satisfactory results, no more so than in a mild winter, Mediterranean climate, where pruning too early or too late can cause serious long term damage to the garden plants.