Jul 102021
 

The weather is getting warmer and there are going to be lots of warm sunny days ahead. As it gets warmer you are going to want to have friends over to grill some hamburgers, drink some tinto, or make that special salad that you have seen in a magazine.

That is all well and good but you haven’t had a peek under the cover of the grill from last season…that is if you have had a cover on it in the first place. What you are going to need to do is get the grill ready for the first barbeque of the season. So, how to clean your BBQ is the first thing to ask.

This is easily done and all the prep that is needed is that you need to take a deep breath and then take the lid off here you will see perhaps all of the burnt off bits from the grill you did last year…yuk!

You will need to scrape off all of the fat and burnt bits and then get hot soapy water and a little elbow grease to scrub the plate. I actually remove the grill part and especially if there are stubborn marks behind soak this in the tubs in the laundry as this is a bigger tub and you are able to fully submerge the grill. Leave it soak for about half an hour and most of the stains and cooked on food will then easily come off.

When you have the grill looking clean you just continue to clean the top and the see through glass (if you have a see through panel) and if you can’t see through it now is the time to give it a little TLC.

As the grill is outside I like to get a little olive oil on a cloth and wipe this over the grill. This helps stop the grill from getting rusty and will stop the food from sticking on the grill. I then light the grill up and do a mini safety check making sure no animals have bitten through the leads and there is no gas leak. I then heat the grill to the hottest setting for 15 minutes and then I turn it off. That is how to clean your BBQ without any mess.

If you haven’t got a grill cover for your barbeque now is the time to protect it, as a cover protects against not only the elements but also keeps animals from getting on the grill.

Lastly, use the time before you have guests around to make sure the gas tanks are full and ready to go before you invite your friends over for the first barbeque for the season.

Jul 072021
 

Our whole life in the garden is about learning. New flowers, new insects, animals and wildlife. Today I saw a pair of beautiful ducks in the garden pond for the first time!

Recently I’ve been reading up my old gardening books and so today I want to share my thoughts on Drip Irrigation – How to install a simple watering system.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your garden watered without wasting too
much time and money, you’ve probably gone through a lot of options in your
mind. Maybe you’ve considered a sprinkler, a hose, or a good old-fashioned
watering can. All of these methods might be convenient, but most of the
time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any more. If
you live in a drought stricken area like I do, you know that every bit of
water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system. I haven’t
regretted this decision at all.

When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two
varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips
small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, and allows it to soak
in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the
water just comes out at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. These
pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set
up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it
(although it is ideal for you to get a pipe designed for this type of use,
I’ve found that the hose method works acceptably).

The underground system is a bit more of a pain to install and maintain.
But if you’re really into the aesthetic aspect of your garden and don’t
want any visible watering system, then you might consider it worth it.
It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench
is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water
direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can
impress your neighbours by having a beautiful garden without ever going
outside to water it! They’ll be baffled.

To choose between the two systems, you need to take several things into
account. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is always
changing, you probably won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to
dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Even
if your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you
really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it really bothers you to the
extent that you’re willing to work for a few hours to get rid of it, then
by all means bury it. But otherwise I would suggest staying above ground
if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.

One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its
efficiency. Instead of spraying large amounts of water willy-nilly like a
hose does, it makes the most of your precious water by putting it exactly
where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant
watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you’re not around
to water it.

So if you’re looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient
alternative watering method, you should go out to the gardening store
today and purchase the necessary items to install a drip irrigation
system. I think you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to maintain a
garden after you have it.

More on gardening gifts later this week, when I write my next post. Drip Irrigation – How to install a simple watering system. Please bookmark us and leave a comment.

Jul 042021
 

Since buying our new house the garden has started to really take shape. Today I reflect a little on design, patios and concrete gardens and what you need to know.

To hear the word concrete you may not think that it would be something to want in your yard but in fact, concrete landscaping has come along way in the last 10 years or so. Now concrete landscaping is all the rage and it is very pretty too.

You can use concrete landscaping for many different parts of your yard. Most people use concrete landscaping ideas and designs for the walkways and paths that wind through their gardens. This is more for those with larger yards but even if your yard is small it could do with some concrete landscaping. You could put down a lively patio that you and your friends could it at to have drinks or tea. There is nothing more fun than a little party out on the patio on a nice day.

Stone walls are another form of concrete landscaping that has really caught on like wildfire. Walls are what will frame the whole home. They are the gorgeous and steely frame to the glorious painting that is your front and back yard. There are many other reasons to have concrete landscaping such as walls as well. These walls are perfect for keeping your pet in the yard. If you have a dog that is prone to run away then look into this kind of concrete landscaping. These walls are also very good for keeping intruders out. The harder your home is to get into the less likely burglars will be to bother trying. So look into this type of concrete landscaping today and talk to a professional about it.

You can also use concrete landscaping to keep your soil in place. If there is a part of your yard that is prone to slipping then you can build a retention wall expressly for this purpose. The best thing about concrete landscaping is that while it can be functional you can make it look as if it is just there for looks. There is so much that you can do with concrete landscaping because concrete is so easy to work with. You can use concrete landscaping bricks or you can use whole solid slabs. You can even get custom made concrete landscaping stones that are in unique and creative shapes and patters. Take some time and see what all is out there in terms of concrete landscaping, you might just be surprised.

Join our gardening mailing list for more on design, patios and concrete gardens. Please leave a comment on this article below.

Jul 012021
 

If you live in an area that is slightly parched of water, you know better than anyone that one of the things that decides whether a tree survives or not is your ability to supply it with sufficient water. Unfortunately, many people don’t take this in to account when buying a tree. They will just go for the nicest looking tree, and then wish they could give it more water. If you do a little planning before you rush out and buy a tree, you should be able to find trees that can survive on lower amounts of water.

Usually the most adaptable plants are the ones that are indigenous anyways. If you live in a zone that is suffering a water crisis, usually the only plants that survive are the ones that have been there all along. This is because they are used to the conditions and know how to survive. Just take a drive through the undeveloped regions of your city, and look at what trees are green. Find out their names, and buy them. They might not be the most attractive trees, but you rarely have to make any modifications to your soil to get them to grow.

One of the trees that will grow almost anywhere without using much water is the “Scotch Pine”. Not only does it grow at a very fast rate of 20 or more inches per year, it is hardy and drought tolerant. It usually grows between 25 and 35 feet, and it extremely easy to get started. Most nurseries sell these trees, especially in areas with lower amounts of water. There are many varieties available. Many fade to a yellowish brown colour during the colder months, and this is usually what causes some people to dislike them and others to love them. However, there are varieties available that do not do this.

The US Rocky Mountain Juniper is an extremely hardy and easy to grow tree. Its bark also turns a browner colour during the winter, and rejuvenates in late spring. They are frequently used as windbreaks because of how tough they are. These trees are also great if you are trying to attract different varieties of birds to your yard. They provide great branches to nest in. Unfortunately the Rocky Mountain Juniper doesn’t grow as fast as other hardy plants like it. The rate is less than 10 inches per year.

Another one of the most popular drought resistant trees is the Russian Olive. This tree is impressive and will definitely turn some heads once it is fully grown. It is more decorative than the trees mentioned above, and will reach 20 or 25 feet once it is fully grown. They are able to grow in almost any soil, and attract birds with the berries they produce.

As you can see, there are many options for you if your water is limited. There are many others that I have not mentioned, and depending on your area you may be able to find a preferable variety. Do a Google search for hardy plants that will survive in your area, and you should be presented with a large list. If you can’t find that list, just go outside and see what is currently flourishing. That is the best indication of what you should buy.

That’s all I have time for today. Hopefully its useful in learning a little more on gardening in drier areas. If you are interested in finding out more on trees, water etc sign up to our mailing list. If would like to buy then click to today I’ve found a fantastic special offer on funny garden meerkats.

Jun 282021
 

Our life is a learning experience. At least in a top garden there is little that is unchanged. New flowers, animals and wildlife. Today I saw a woodpecker in the garden for the first time!

Recently I’ve been reading up my old gardening books and so today I want to share my thoughts on garden design. Starting a new garden – What to choose.

If you’re thinking about starting a garden, the first thing you need to
consider is what type of garden you will have. There are many different
choices and often it can be hard to pick just one, but hopefully you can
narrow it down. But by narrowing it down, you’ll make the gardening
experience easier on yourself and the plants. If all your plants are
similar, then it shouldn’t be very hard to care for them all. So here are
some of the main garden ideas for you to choose from.

If you’re just looking for something to look nice in your back garden, you’ll
want a flower garden. These are usually filled with perennial flower.
Perennial flowers are flowers which stay healthy year-round. They’re
basically weeds because of their hardiness, only nice looking. Different
areas and climates have different flowers which are considered perennials.
If you do a quick internet search for your area, you can probably find a
list of flowers that will bring your flower garden to life. These usually
only require work in the planting stage – after that, the flower take care
of themselves. The only downside to this is that you don’t have any
product to show for it.

Another choice for your garden is to have a vegetable garden. These
usually require a little more work and research than a flower garden, but
can be much more rewarding. No matter what time of the year it is, you can
usually find one vegetable that is still prospering. That way you can have
your garden be giving you produce almost every day of the year! When
starting a vegetable garden, you should build it with the thought in mind
that you will be adding more types of veggies in later. This will help
your expandability. Once all your current crops are out of season, you
won’t be stuck with almost nowhere to put the new crops. A vegetable
garden is ideal for someone who wants some produce, but doesn’t want to
devote every waking hour to perfecting their garden (see below.)

One of the more difficult types of gardens to manage is a fruit garden.
It’s definitely the most high-maintenance. When growing fruits, many more
pests will be attracted due to the sweetness. You not only have to deal
with having just the right dirt and fertilizer, you have to deal with
choosing a pesticide that won’t kill whoever eats the fruits. Your fruit
garden will probably not produce year-round. The soil needs to be just
right for the plants to grow, and putting in another crop during its
off-season could be disastrous to its growth process. If you’re willing to
put lots of work into maintaining a garden, then a fruit garden could be a
good choice for you.

So now that I’ve outlined some of the main garden types that people
choose, I hope you can make a good decision. Basically, the garden type
comes down to what kind of product you want, and how much work you want to
put into it. If you’re looking for no product with no work, go with a
flower garden. If you want lots of delicious product, but you are willing
to spend hours in your garden each day, then go for a fruit garden. Just
make sure you don’t get into something you can’t handle!