Gardening Articles

A hedge is a traditional garden surround, a living boundary, more permanent than fencing but needs more space and a bit more upkeep. A hedge can provide a year-round backdrop for other plants, a dense, evergreen barrier or an informal flowering boundary, or even a neat dwarf edging to beds or paths, all depending on the type of plants you choose to use for your hedge.

When choosing the plants for your hedges always make sure the plants like the conditions in your garden. Make sure they are suitable for the soil that you have in your garden and that they will like the place that you choose for your border, in sun or shade, because they will grow in that place for many years.

In order to create a nice background in our garden we need shrubs that will offer something to see even over the winter months, when everything else is sleeping. To do this effectively you should know that half to two-thirds of your shrubs should be evergreen. Include in your garden shrubs with a variety of different leaf colors and textures as well as good flowering shrubs and the effect will be guaranteed. This way your garden will never loose its interest.

Himalayan laurel or Spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica) is grown for its bold, variegated foliage and adaptability to shade, so use it to brighten up a gloomy corner. Though it has a tendency to revert, it does not take much effort cut away green shoots as they appear. This is a dioecious plant, having separate male and female plants.

There is a difference between pickles and chutneys. Pickles are pieces of vegetables or fruit stored in vinegar. Chutneys are mixtures of chopped vegetables and fruits cooked in vinegar. In both cases it is the acid conditions produced by the vinegar which inhibit the actions of spoiling micro-organisms.

Most pickles and chutneys improve their flavor if left to mature for a few months, and will keep for several years if unopened. If you open a jar of pickles or chutney keep it in the fridge after you open it.

Pruning is one of the tasks that you have to do in your garden in order to keep it tidy. When pruning it is important to use the appropriate tool for the task and to make sure your pruning tools are sharp so that the cuts will be cleanly, easily and safely. If you are using a blunt blade this can leave a plant with a ragged wound that is prone to infection or that can cause die-back. If you are working with powered tools, such as hedge-trimmers or brushwood cutters you must take extra care.