The cacti family includes approximately 1500-2000 species varying in size, shape and form. The majority of cacti are drought resistant plants from central and south America. Cacti are often called succulents, because they have the unique capacity to store water in their thick, fleshy stems or modified leaves. All cacti have aureoles, cushion like structures found on the stems from which leaves, spines and bell shaped flowers grow in a variety of colors. Cacti stems are often covered with wax, bristles or silky hair. Cacti require only a minimum of care but should not be abused.

Cacti monitoring tips:

Light: Cacti prefer direct sunlight, but will survive in high interior light levels.

Water: Apply water about once a week. Allow the surface soil to dry out between watering.

Temperature: Maintain day temperatures of 70-75F and night temperatures of 62-65F.

Fertilization: Generally, fertilization every three to four months is adequate.

Uses: Cacti are especially attractive in dish gardens and terrariums. Large specimens are also decorative as table or floor plants.

When common thrift is not in bloom, its clumps of narrow six inch high evergreen leaves could easily be mistaken for grass. In the spring, however and through most of the summer in cool locations, the plants send up stems 10-12 inches tall bearing 0.5 to 0.75 inch globe like clusters made up of numerous tiny pink, rose,lilac or white flowers, in growth is fairly rapid.

Common thrift’s billowing mounds of foliage make a delightful irregular ground cover in beds, edgings and rock sandy soil, particularly near the seashore.

How to grow

Plant in early spring or early fall, setting seeds but are most easily grown from divisions made afterly die, it is a good idea to dig up plants, divide them and thrive in rather poor, dry soil, flower production will be reduced if the plants receive too much fertilizer and moisture. Mulch to keep out weeds.

The coffee plant was first used by the Arabs about 1450. In their native Ethiopia, coffee plants will grow to trees of 15 feet high. As an indoor pot plant, it will grow from one to six feet high with evergreen, dark green, 3 to 6 inch leaves with a wavy margin. A three to four year old plant may produce clustered white star like flowers indoors.

Plant care tips:

Light: Provide high interior light levels for growth. Don’t place in full sun as leaves will burn.

Water: Plant soil should be kept moist, but not saturated. Leaf tips will turn brown if soil dries excessively.

Temperature: Maintain room temperature of 66 to 82 Fahrenheit. Avoid placing in areas where temperatures fluctuate radically.

Fertilization: If the plant is actively growing, fertilize once every 2 months. Otherwise, apply once every 3 months.

Uses: Display coffee plants on desks or tables or use larger specimens as floor plants.

England is such a beautiful country, and it allows us the luxury of having some of the most wonderful gardens in the world, thanks to a climate that provides both sunshine and rain fall in abundance! Unfortunately, too many of us are not taking advantage of what we have got! A quick mental stroll through your friends and families gardens will tell you that not many people make the most of their gardens. All it really takes is a bit of determination to stay on top of things, and it is quite straight forward to maintain a delightful garden. The first thing you need to get on top of is cutting the lawn on a regular basis. You just have to remember to do this once or twice a fortnight in order to keep it looking nice. On top of this, you should try to cut plenty back, and keep the garden simple, because it can get out of control very quickly!

Another thing that you absolutely must have is a decent garden shed. You need something to keep all of your gardening tools in, and it can also be a lovely addition to your garden. With a nice garden shed you will be amazed at how much more time you will want to spend out there!

There is a great company called York, who build delightful garden sheds. One of the york timber garden sheds will look great in almost any garden and they are affordable too. Make the move to get one of these sheds and you will find yourself to be more green fingered in a matter of weeks! It’s all about creating an environment where you can thrive as a gardener.

Using mulch in your garden is one of the many ways to help insure your plant life thrives. Mulch acts as a barrier to protect the soil from airborne contaminants, whilst also retaining necessary moisture. As mulch breaks downs organically, it contributes the nutrients in the soil, thereby contributing to further plant growth. It’s a classic example of the “circle of life” we all know so much about.

Normally we purchase our mulch from the DIY centre or garden store. But did you know you can make your own for next to nothing?

Mulch consists of garden and yard waste, a bit of water, and a few weeks of waiting. Your only investment is a leaf shredder and some containers to store it in. Large plastic storage boxes are a great tool for this job. In fact, while you can make your mulch outside in the corner of your lot, using a plastic box will hasten the process and give you a better product.

You begin by collecting your mulch material. Look for fallen leaves, twigs, small branches, grass clippings, and anything else you can find that’s organic. Run the leaves and any twigs or small branches through the leaf shredder. Reducing them in size will cause them to compact. Compaction is a necessary ingredient to good mulch.

With all your material prepared, toss it into the box, add enough water to make it damp, then stir the contents with a stick or shovel. Put the lid on the box and put it on a shelf as high as it can comfortably go. Making mulch requires heat so if your shelving units get any direct sunlight, that’s even better. Within 3 to 5 weeks you should have excellent mulch to place around your plants, shrubs, and trees.

Living in a flat in the centre of Newcastle certainly has its benefits, but gardening isn’t one of them. When you live on the fourth floor of an apartment building there just isn’t an opportunity to grow your own vegetables or plants. But with a mini green house, you can do some gardening in the heart of the city. Want to know how to make one? Read on.

Cardboard boxes make a cheap and easy planter. Perhaps you have some used packing boxes left over from your last move. You’ll need them to be at least 6 inches deep; more if you want to grow root vegetables like carrots. Heavy plastic sheeting, some heavy metal wire, packing tape, and light plastic sheeting are the other supplies you need.

Begin by lining the cardboard box with the heavy plastic. Make sure it extends out of the box and overlaps the side by an inch or two. Use packing tape around the outside edge to secure it to the box. Next, cut four pieces of your metal wire to be placed vertically in each corner of the box. They should be long enough to protrude 6-8 inches above the top edge (higher if you plan to plant tomatoes.) Secure them with packing tape, but don’t panic if they don’t seem sturdy. The soil will hold them in place.

Once the box is filled with soil and seeded, cut a sheet of light plastic large enough to be draped over the greenhouse like a tent, reaching the bottom of the box. Water the soil just as you would outside then lie the cover over the top, supported by the corner rods, and you’re done. In no time at all you’ll have your own mini garden growing up a storm.

Topsoil is the number one most important thing in your garden without a doubt, those top 6 inches or so of soil will and do make or break your garden and how it looks and performs. It is one of those things that people wrongly thing is not important and will over look without consideration. A lot of people will focus on the cosmetic appearance of their garden and then wonder why they are having problems. Below are some of the most common problems seen as a result of poor quality topsoil

Lawn areas starting to go brown at the first signs of sunlight
Lawns starting to fill with moss and other pests
Certain areas of your garden seen to retain water easily or are sinking
Some flowering plants and shrubs are not performing in the way they should be
Your plants, are not growing at the rate they have done in previous years

If you are experiencing any of these issues then there is a chance your Topsoil isn’t as good as it used to be. Years of taking from it and not giving it anything in return are leaving there mark. Not only that but the way we that most of us treat the topsoil in our gardens is nothing short of tragic.

There are lots of reasons why your garden may be looking a bit worse for wear, here are a few..

Pets and wildlife, the call of nature as it were
The kids use your lovely green grass as a sports field
Your lawn takes a pounding from all the garden parties and BBQ’s.

Given the right amount of care that your topsoil needs it is still possible to do all of theses things and still have a great looking garden. And don’t worry too much if your garden is showing the signs, a good service should put your topsoil back on the right tracks.

You can repair the damage or improve what you already have and what’s more it is not that difficult to do. The simplest way is to get more nutrients on to your topsoil with some compost or even some horse manure. give yourself a budget and then look to get the best one for that money. Looking around for a reputable supplier will help to make sure that this is so.

One thing to consider when buying topsoil is what it is going to be used for and what the problem is that you are trying to solve. By identifying the problem you can ensure you take the right measure. Do a little research into your issue and look at what measures are advisable for that issue. If you have a lot of moss then you need to look for a topsoil that has a good mix for drainage. If it is the opposite then again there is a special mix to help this particular topsoil situation. A good and reputable topsoil supplier will be able to help you with this and also advise you on how much topsoil you will need.

Often when we hear about organic products is to ask whether we are really better than many other products we consume. Surely, a crop free from chemical additives and a farm where animals eat healthy foods is able to return food tastier and certainly healthier to eat, although there is no evidence that these foods are biologically higher than produced by the method traditional.

There is no research aimed at demonstrating that organic farming is actually more healthy than to industrial production, and indeed there are experts who argue that the industrial production processes to ensure greater quality in terms of hygiene in food, considering the fact that often organic farms use manure as fertilizer or other natural fertilizers can be converted into real crawl of bacteria capable of causing serious diseases such as salmonella.

Biologically speaking what is true is that there are foods that should be better monitored and controlled, such as wine grapes from an organic farming can be deteriorated by the addition of products that are used to make wine, for example sulphite which facilitates the fermentation but can be toxic to the body. If we consider that the doses of sulphite wine provided for the construction of traditional ecological and wine are practically identical, it follows that the so-called biological wine uncorked on the table may not be very different from a traditional wine. And this is just an example of how often the processes of transformation of food and beverages are able to destroy the ‘organic origin’ of raw materials.

Production

The primary objective of an organic farmer is to try to keep your soil healthy, so that it can be born healthy plants, which give healthy fruits. The first rule to follow is therefore to respect nature, satisfy the natural cycles of plants and how to banish any chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides, herbicides and herbicides, fertilizers, or any type of colorant and preservative , finally, genetically modified organisms, the famous GM. Following these rules will get at least natural products grown in respect for natural cycles of the earth until you get to our tables, and using seed derived, also, from organic farming systems.

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When spring comes and when you have the chance to enjoy an outdoor space, garden benches, patio, terrace balcony and even, nothing is more pleasant than sunny moments to read a book with a cup of coffee or simply enjoy lunch Summer in the shade of your umbrella. Also it is important to maximize the space for it to become a friendly place of comfort that you inspire the sunrise! Brighten your space plants and flowers, welcome birds into your garden and of course Furnish the space with comfortable furniture and useful that you will appreciate every day a place of relaxation and inspiration in nature.

You can then create your garden space for romantic relaxing in the shade of a tree or under a pergola, barbecue and organize dinner with your family and friends, fill the area around your pool or build your children a space game they love.

Source of inspiration or be friendly, make your garden space of your main home during the summer and give yourself comfort in the great outdoors! Decorate the outside space to your taste, maintain it daily with a little gardening and a little store and protect your furniture when the weather turns gray or when winter sets in! Also invest in garden shelters, cabinets and chests furniture, covers for garden furniture or a winter cover to protect your pool.

Outdoor Living

Your garden furniture should inspire all the comforts of a flowers and green space where you can enjoy moments of serenity in nature. Install benches and chairs, loungers or hammocks and swings and soak up the rhythm of nature. Create shade with tents and arbors garden and install a pergola which can grow plants or flowers and vines to stay in the shadow of garden chairs. You can also place your tree in birdhouses. Remember also to prepare essential gardening tools to maintain your parks.

Side terrace

On a terrace, you can with the best comfort set table and chairs and enjoy your meal outdoors in the shade of an awning. The barbecue will be an indispensable and a garden bar. You can also insulate your space; decorate with lighting and so to prolong your dinner or cocktails after dark.

What a pleasure to grow strawberries in the garden. A strawberry is a plant that has leaves of three leaflets toothed. The rhizome allows the growth of stolons rooting on hand to give birth to new feet. The strawberry comes from the undergrowth and likes the freshness. Good lighting helps to give more strawberry but a rich soil and fertilized will do. There are several varieties of strawberry. The Rabunda offers good performance and a delicious-tasting flavor. The Bordurella is a kind of strawberry that produces no runners unlike others. The Humm Gento is a large caliber producing strawberry sweet taste of up to 50 grams. Even the biggest Humm Grande offers 75 grams of fruit. The Ostara or the Sans Rival have a high productivity giving fruit flesh is fragrant but very sensitive to drought.

The Guariguette is known for its strawberries lying but rather average productivity. The strawberry grows not in a garden. You can grow strawberries four seasons to get the same taste as the strawberry or the Mara des Bois another unique variety of strawberry flavor similar to that of the wild. The strawberry and the establishment of strawberries must be made between the months of August to October in Europe. A good regular watering should be provided. Sheeting must be very deep through manure or compost. There are special fertilizers for a plant that promotes and prepare the strawberry has a good shoot. The roots must be completely covered to the heart of the strawberry which must remain clear above the ground. Place a safety net to prevent attacks of birds. The main disease of strawberry is a fungal disease causing rotting of fruits and flowers that will be botrytis or powdery mildew. The collection can make the strawberries are full-grown.