Patio Affair

A source to all things patio

   Apr 13

Great Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Before starting a landscaping project, there are many factors that must be taken into account. It is important to have a garden that has a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. The addition of plants, shrubs, trees, and pools can help create this. Go over some of these backyard landscaping ideas.

Today landscaping plans include making use of water resources. There are several options when it comes to water resources, and these always add a touch of serenity and elegance to any garden, whether these are large or small. Touches added based on water characteristics can be had virtually anywhere in a garden, and these can get attention, and add beauty to your garden.

It may also include backyard landscaping ideas such as pools and other water resources. A good idea for those who already have a pool is to add a feature like a beautiful natural stone or rock; it may also be a waterfall coming from the rocks at one end of the pool; this will have a special effect on the garden.  Also consider the wide range of energy saving tips about the use of water.

Furthermore, garden ponds are also interesting, and can be incorporated into the garden easily. If you do not want to integrate the use of marine animals, then the pool should ideally be just a little below ground level. In addition, stepping stones could also be placed around the pond, and these can lead unto different directions around the garden. These will add to the flow and beauty of the garden together with some small shrubs which can be planted in and around the stones.

If you choose to add fish, plants and water to your garden, you need to consider the harmony of colors, and whether these plants and animals complement the rest of the landscape or not. The favorites are koi and goldfish because of their bright colors. Algae can also be put as these are attractive in appearance; most of these are also edible. There are several different types of aquatic plants such as lotus plants and water ferns. Also think about planting blueberry bushes are other types of plants to add some nice vegetation to your garden.

It should be borne in mind that even small landscaping ideas can improve your backyard immensely, so make sure that plants complement each other based on their characteristics; this is to produce a picturesque effect. There are several different options in landscaping that require little maintenance; you can also choose to be versatile by having rock gardens, butterfly gardens or bird gardens. The idea is to have a unique design for the garden which will not be identical to those of your neighbors.


   Apr 10

Vertical Gardening Ideas: Building a Vertical Flower Garden

How can you make your nondescript home come alive? You could paint it pink, orange, green and purple, but that may look a little garish. You could decorate it with stylish furniture, paintings and curios. These are certain to make your house beautiful, but you may still have a nagging feeling that it lacks ‘life’. If you feel that way, then you are right. Life only comes from life, and there is nothing better than flowers to make a drab and boring house come alive. That explains why the Beauty of fairytales didn’t mind living with the ugly Beast. His castle was surrounded by the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.

If lack of space is your problem, then there is absolutely no need to worry. You can use the walls, balcony, patio or deck railings and windows of your house to create a vertical garden that does not only make your house beautiful but also adds a touch of elegance. So what if you are not a multi-millionaire? You can still live in a house that looks like it belongs to one with a few vertical gardening ideas.

When building a vertical flower garden, the first thing to do is to select a place that gets plenty of sunlight and fresh air as these are vital for any plant’s health and growth. For flowers, this place should ideally be in the front and the sides of the house where they are visible to everyone. What’s the use of a beautiful rose in the backyard which hardly anyone can see? The entrance, balcony, railing, windows, and even the staircase are good places for a vertical flower garden. Of course, you can enjoy your own garden out the back of your house too, or on your patio or deck railing.

After that comes the selection of flowers. If you are a novice gardener, choosing the right flowers can be daunting. Let’s face it: most people are ignorant about flowers, although they occasionally buy a bouquet or two once a year. You may not be one of them, but you may still be unfamiliar with vertical gardens. Fortunately, there is no dearth of flowers that can be grown in planters and containers on the wall, balcony, arched doorway and railings of your house. The only thing is to get the combination right.

Vines are ideal for a vertical garden. Grapes, berries, bougainvillea, climbing roses and wisteria fall in this group. You can let them climb up your wall, balcony, pergola or arched trellis. You can adorn your doorway, windows and staircase with jasmine, bromeliads, daisies, ferns and petunias. Build a vertical wall garden to plant your annuals in. It is a good idea to mix perennial and seasonal flowers, with the former in the background and the latter in the front. When these flowers are in full bloom, the colors that will be a treat to your eyes and the fragrances that will hit your nostrils will make you feel good to be alive on any day – including your worst day.

Now your home feels more alive and your garden – or patio – feels more a part of your home. You can get more ideas for bringing your home into your garden at gardenboundhome.net, including ideas for adding strawberries (using a hanging planter) or vegetables to your vertical garden.


   Apr 09

What is the Best Time to Control Grubs?

Probably the best time to control grubs is in the last week of April or the first two weeks of May. When you are trying to apply grub control, you want to make sure that they are actively feeding. This way the poison can have the desired effect on them. Since most types of poisons are systematic, this means that they will be absorbed by the plant, and then as the plant is ingested by the grubs, it will also kill the grubs. Most of the time the half-life for the poison in your lawn is 121 days, but it depends on the type of poison that you are using. There are two other ways to try and control grubs. These involve using natural predators that do not harm your lawn. The first way is to use a treatment called Milky Spores. I believe that this is a type of fungus that attack and kill grubs without harming your lawn. The second type that you could use is called nematodes. Nematodes are parasitic worms with elongated bodies that keep grubs from further damaging your lawn. None of these non-chemical methods have actually been proved to be highly effective. They help to control grub populations a little, but they have a hard time eradicating them.

Learn More About When and How to Treat Lawn Grubs

The best time for most people to treat for lawn grubs is in the spring. Typically, if you wait until the end of the spring, most of the grubs will already have have laid their eggs. This means that you if you apply grub control, this will only affect the adults and larva, but not the eggs, since grub eggs are encapsulated and are more resistant to anti-grub formula. To get rid of the grubs in your yard once and for all, you need to treat the problem early in the spring, or as soon as you discover the problem. Another potential time to put down grub killer is in the fall. This is the time when grubs will eat much of the grass in preparation for the coming winter, when they have to burrow themselves under the ground to sleep through the winter. But if you put down grub killer in the fall, you will be able to kill as much of the grubs. You may also need to do two applications of grub control. This is because the eggs are invulnerable to most types of poison. By doing two applications, you make sure that most of the eggs have hatched and that you have gotten rid of the crane flies from your yard.


   Apr 04

Choosing Plants for Your Vertical Vegetable Garden

No matter what type of vertical garden you are planning, the varieties of plants that you can grow in it are virtually limitless. In fact, you can choose from almost every terrestrial plant, including vegetables, fruits and flowers. However, you should choose the ones that suit the seasons and climate of your geographical area. Here are some  ideas to help you choose the right plants for your vertical garden.

Back Row

First, choose the plant varieties that will form a backdrop to your vertical garden. Plants that spread and cover the entire wall are ideal for this. These include runner beans and pole beans. Their large, evenly spaced leaves that grow on strong vines can really turn the inanimate wall into a living thing. The pure white, delicate yellow, coral-red and regal purple flowers of these plants add beauty to your garden. Beans and other legume plants make the soil more fertile by fixing nitrogen in the soil so that you won’t need to bother too much about fertilizers.

Squash and cucumber grow well with beans, so you may also plant these. These plants are available as both as ‘bush’ and ‘vine’. You don’t want a bush on the wall so choose the latter. You may also add acorn or butternut squash if the back support is strong.

Middle Row

After you have made you selection for the living wall, consider growing heirloom tomatoes in front of it. If you don’t know what heirloom means, here is a definition from Yahoo! Answers: “Heirloom vegetables, seeds, and animals are those that have not been genetically altered. They are the same as when nature made them. They are naturally resistant to many pests and diseases. They are genetically pure. This purity imparts immunities that are not seen in modern, genetically altered things.”

Some really delicious heirloom cherry tomatoes include black, purple and Russian varieties. Plant these in deep containers with strong support. Tomatoes grown this way are safe from insects and diseases and yield an ample harvest. The ripe and ripening tomato fruits look beautiful against the green background of beans, squash and cucumber.

Front Row

It is not necessary to have plants exactly vertical at the front row. Here, you may plant red boiler potatoes or gourmet fingerling potatoes in potato bags. Flowers of potatoes in full bloom are amazingly beautiful. You may also grow radishes and carrots in front of the tomatoes in deep containers for these. Besides being easy to grow, these will be healthy addition to your food. If you have a railing, you can grow lettuce for salad. Cut the leaves young for a delicious spring mix salad.

This should give you some ideas to begin planning your vertical garden, whether it be on your balcony or patio, in your garden, or even on your window sill.


   Mar 30

What are the Disadvantages of Using Hydroponics?

The term “hydroponics” refers to a form of hydro-culture where plants are cultivated using non-traditional, soil-less methods. It derives from the Greek word for water, which is “hydros” and the word for labor, which is “ponos.” In short, it means farming in water. Methods for growing plants without soil have long been studied by agriculturists. Such methods are often considered great advances for humanity, as agriculture is one of the most important life-sustaining activities. As a matter of fact, hydroponics might eventually make it possible for humans to live in environments that were previously considered unfit for human habitation, such as outer space or the under the ocean. That might seem like the stuff of science fiction at the moment, but it’s true that growing plants in space or in the deep sea will mean renewable oxygen and food sources for those who visit these previously inhabitable places.

Hydroponics has enjoyed great success in areas like the deserts of Arizona or Israel, where it has led to high crop yields using a minimum amount of space and water. Hydroponics also means less waste when it comes to fertilizer and nutrients, as well as lower susceptibility to pests. But while progress has been very rapid and definite, there are still some disadvantages to the use of hydroponics.

These disadvantages, just like the advantages, are rooted in the concept of soil-less agriculture. While it is the minerals dissolved in the water contained in soil that plants need and not the soil itself, eliminating soil in agriculture means that plants are deprived of a “buffer.” That is, should the hydroponic system fail, the plants will quickly die off. With traditional agriculture, the soil provides some protection in case a farmer forgets to “feed” the plants or is prevented from doing so. Growing plants in a water-based medium also makes them particularly vulnerable to pathogens that attack plants that have been over-watered. Too much damp and moisture can be as damaging to terrestrial plants as too little water can be. Furthermore, the use of hydroponics requires special fertilizers and plant nutrients, as well as special knowledge in using them. It may be far more efficient than traditional methods, but then again, it isn’t possible to just toss a seed into the ground and walk away, leaving the rest to Mother Nature. Using hydroponics is rather like hatching chickens in an incubator. In the end, producing the fertilizers and plant-growing media like mineral wool uses up a lot of energy too.