Garden problems: Where is summer?

photo credit: traveling.lunas

I don’t know if you’re having a challenging summer like me but over all I have no summer. I live in a zone 5 climate and should be having 80-degree days and humid 60-degree night temperatures.

Instead, I am lucky to have two days of sun in a row; the nights are cold dropping down in the low 50’s and there’s too much rain. Most gardens around here are either not growing or they are more than a month behind in time.

When I realized that this was not going to be the best summer I moved my gardens under glass and switched most of my other plants to containers. I now have one of the largest container gardens I have ever had. The plants that need a more controlled climate and warm nights are in a greenhouse or on enclosed patio. (Normally open at this time of year.)

It’s been a learning experience, growing most of my garden under glass, but at least I have a garden.

But I must admit the herbs and perennials are doing ok out in our cold damp summer. They aren’t quite as showy as some years but they are growing and disease doesn’t seem to be affecting them.

So how are your gardens doing and have you had to make changes to adjust to any climate problems?

Technorati Tags: container gardening, gardeing under glass

Children love to learn, especially if it is through doing. Science is a very important aspect of our life so teaching children science is important.
photo credit: mrkathika

Taking a walk with your child is a very good way to teach them about science and nature. Stop and look at the animals building their homes or the frogs changing from tadpoles to frogs.

Children love to learn and the more interesting you make it the more they will soak up. Nature as a wonderful way to teach your child about science and the live butterfly garden will do just that.

Children are attracted to the live butterfly garden because they get to experience nature first hand. With it they are able to see the life of a caterpillar and more importantly let the butterfly go after a few days.

One of my friends buys her nieces a live butterfly garden every year. The girls love to watch them change from caterpillars to butterflies and then about three days after the butterflies emerge from their cocoon they all get together and make a big production about setting them free.

Her niece’s are not only learning about the nature of butterflies but they are learning a wonderful lesson about letting go of the things they love. Plus they will have the happy memories for a lifetime.
photo credit: scyllarides

They have live butterfly gardens at my son’s preschool and every day that was the first thing he would show me. He talked about it for weeks.

So what does a live butterfly garden entail?

A live butterfly garden is a kit you can buy that includes five to six caterpillar larvae surrounded by the food that they will need to grow and it comes with a mesh net.

Then what?

The larvae turn into Caterpillars and the children can watch as they build their cocoon and emerge into butterflies. The whole process takes two to three weeks so make sure you don’t buy it in the winter because after about three days you’ll need to set the butterflies free so that they can get food.

The butterfly garden offers children a close up of the entire process but it is not the only way to teach your child. Teaching your child about nature should be fun and exciting but it does not have to cost a thing.

Technorati Tags: butterflies, butterfly garden, container gardening, gardening

Gardening is creating with plants, whether they are flowers, vegetables or herbs. And making your gardening arrangements unique and artistic just adds to the fun and your backyard garden areas.
photo credit: bestfor

A Tilting Clay Pot Garden saves space so is perfect for apartment dwellers, balconies and small patios. It also makes a great garden accent or focal point. And its fun to create!

You will need a pot stand that should stand 5 to 6 foot tall. It can be wood or metal, but I myself prefer metal because the pots will be heavy once filled with soil and plants. It is possible to buy a stand at a garden center but it’s just as easy to assemble one.

You can use a strong dowel (mop or rake handle works well) or rebar. You can pick a piece of rebar up at a junkyard. An old section of metal pipe will also work. If you use a straight dowel or bar, you must drive it into the ground about one foot.

To build, insert the pot stand into the first pot. I usually us a 12 inch pot as the bottom pot.

Fill the pot half way with rocks and gravel. This will weight the pot down and add stability to your Clay Pot Garden. Add soil and pat the soil in place.  Next, place your second clay pot on the rebar pole.

Turn the second clay pot in the direction you want it to face and fill the pot with gravel, rocks and potting soil. Continue this process until you have all six pots in place. As you create you clay pot planter the clay pots should get a little smaller. It just has a better look this way. Also rotating the direction of the pots add interest and more color once the pots are filled with plants.

Once all the pots are in place and filled with soil its time to plant your plants. This planter look great with any plant variety and can easily be changed each year or even each season by changing the plant selection.

Flowers, herbs, a mini garden and a mixture of all are equally beautiful. I will suggest a vine in the bottom planter that will vine up the pole and add more color and greenery to the planter.

An herbal spice kitchen garden works well if located near the kitchen door. And the very popular Pizza garden or Barbeque herb garden works well too.

Care of your Clay Pot Planter

Water this planter from the top down.

Water very slowly, making sure the water soaks slowly into the soil, especially the first couple of times you water.  The plants need time to get established in the pots.

If you water too quickly, the water will just run over the side of the pot before soaking in! I quite often will lightly mist the planter before I water the planter. It seems to help set the soil.

One other addition to this planter is to give the planter an aged look by mossing the pots. This process is called The Moss Milkshake Method. It adds interest and an artistic look to the planter.

The Clay pot planter will save space, add color to your garden and patio area and will get many positive comments

Technorati Tags: container gardening, creative gardening