Your garden or terrace is an extremely valuable space, a place where you can relax, entertain, eat, grow plants and try to escape from all the pressures of a hard working day. http://www.greenzonelife.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:28:04 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.greenzonelife.com/images/M_images/gzl.jpg http://www.greenzonelife.com Your garden or terrace is an extremely valuable space, a place where you can relax, entertain, eat, grow plants and try to escape from all the pressures of a hard working day. http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/garlic.html To produce large bulbs, garlic needs a long growing season, so where possible plant cloves in autumn. If you live in a very cold area or your garden soil is too heavy, delay planting until the early spring or plant the cloves in modules in winter. Place the modules in a sheltered position outdoors to provide them with the necessary cold period. Plant them out after they have started to... News - Latest Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:49:26 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/soil-nutrients.html The nutrients from the soil that plants are using to make food and help them grow are composed of mineral ions, absorbed in solution from the soil through the roots and used with carbon dioxide and water. The mineral nutrients are divided into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients, required in relatively large amounts, include: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S).Read more... (gardening/soils/soil-nutrients.html) News - Latest Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:07:46 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/lime.html Grow Lime tree in a place with full sun or in a greenhouse or conservatory if you live in a colder area because it needs heat in order to set quality fruits. It grows and adapts fairly well to sandy soils. Always keep the tree well drained, because extensive periods of flooding or overwatering can lead to rot and kill the tree.Read more... (indoor-gardening/citrus-trees/lime.html) News - Latest Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:58:13 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/aubrieta-deltoidea.html Aubrieta is an easy to grow plant. Plant Aubrieta in a place with full sun, even it might tolerate a light or partial shade. It will grow well in fair to poor soils as long as they are well draining. Keep the area around Aubrieta well-drained by adding a light layer of gravel on top of the soil. Water the plants only during the hottest, driest period of summer. Do... News - Latest Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:50:35 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/purple-saxifrage.html It prefers a place in full sun, with light, well-drained soil. It can grow on very rocky ground. It dislikes wet conditions so a gritty free-draining compost is a must. It can be grown outside in the garden in very dry spots, but is often best to be grown in pots of free-draining compost. If you are going to plant it in the garden, surround plants with a thick layer... News - Latest Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:40:24 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/bay-laurel.html It is grown mainly for its aromatic leaves that are elliptic, 8-10 cm long, thick, leathery, with a characteristic finely serrated and wrinkled margin and shiny dark green in color. Pick bay leaves early in the day and dry quickly, out of sunlight, under weight so they won't curl. Store in an air-tight jar and they will keep their flavor for up to a year. During the first two years,... News - Latest Tue, 26 May 2009 12:10:39 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/cobaea.html Cobaea scandens, known on its common name as Cathedral Bells or Cup and Saucer Vine is a perennial vine, often grown as annual because is too tender to survive frost in winter. It can grow up to 6 m tall and 2 m spread. In colder areas it may be grown in a large pot and kept outdoors in summer. It will behave as a perennial if you bring and... News - Latest Tue, 19 May 2009 03:03:29 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/asarina.html Propagation is easy by sowing seeds in early spring at 16 Celsius degrees (61 F), 10-12 weeks before last frost date, or if you live in warmer areas you can let it self-sows. Flowering usually starts within 3 months from sowing. You can also try to propagate Climbing Snapdragon by root tip cuttings in summer.Read more... (garden-plants/climbing-plants/asarina.html) News - Latest Tue, 12 May 2009 09:51:19 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/plumbago.html If you live in a colder area you can grow Plumbago as an annual outside, but bring into a frost-free greenhouse over winter for planting out next spring. When over-wintering as a houseplant, bring it indoors before first fall frost to a bright sunny room. Cut back stems hard in late winter to encourage new growth for the coming season. When over-wintering as a dormant plant, cut the stems back... News - Latest Tue, 05 May 2009 09:40:22 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/parsley.html Parsley needs a rich, well dug soil which does not dry out too often. It prefers a place in full sun, but if the soil is good enough it will do just fine in partial shade. Parsley is also an excellent plant for growing in containers. No special care is needed, just keep them in a sunny place, feed regularly with a liquid plant food and make sure the pot... News - Latest Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:29:24 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/passion-fruits.html Propagation of Passion fruit can be done by sowing seeds, by cuttings or bud-grafting. Seeds should be extracted from fully ripe fruits and fermented for 3-4 days then washed and dried. Sow them under cover in seed compost and keep the temperature to at least 20 Celsius degrees (68 F). When the seedlings reach 20-35 cm tall transplant them to their final growing position, outdoor in the open or under... News - Latest Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:07:49 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/sorrel.html Sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. It is one of those herbs that once established, will supply you generously with greens from very early spring to late fall. Once the plant has matured, it can be treated as a 'cut and come again' crop. This hardy herb can even withstand freezing prairie winters. Once established, the plant should produce greens for 8 to 10 years but is better to replace... News - Latest Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:34:48 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/herbs-routine-care.html Most herbs require little attention once established. The maintenance will consist of cutting back plants in spring and summer to encourage healthy growth and a bit of tidying up while the plants are dormant over the winter period. If grown in containers, herbs will require regular watering and fertilization during growing period and some repotting or topdressing when necessary. Read more... (kitchen-garden/herbs/herbs-routine-care.html) News - Latest Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:59:13 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/soil-water.html Different types of soil retain water in different ways. Clay soils hold the greatest amount of water but they have too many fine capillary pores so plants cannot extract enough water for their needs. Sandy soils contain coarse pores so the water held within them is more readily available for the plants than in clay soils, but they drain quickly and there is little capillary movement of water sideways and... News - Latest Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:52:37 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/actinidia-kolomikta.html Actinidia kolomikta, on its common name Variegated kiwi vine, is a species of deciduous, woody, very long-lived, vigorous twining climber, which ultimately grows up to 8-10 meters, with 15 cm heart-shaped leaves which, in mature specimens, have pink and cream variegated tips, which give the appearance of having been dipped in paint, or in some cases a half or more of the leaf may be white and pink, especially where... News - Latest Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:24:40 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/testing-soil-ph.html There are many easy to use soil testing kits that evaluate a sample of soil taken from the garden as either acid or alkaline. To be more accurate take a soil sample every 10 square meters and from the top 15 cm. keep the soil samples from different places separately from one another in different bags. If required you can take samples from a deeper level in the soil, this... News - Latest Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:56:41 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/shrubs-propagation.html There are many ways to propagate shrubs in order to raise new plants: taking cuttings, sowing seeds, layering, division and grafting. Taking cuttings is a simple way of propagating many shrubs and is mainly useful for cultivars, hybrids and spores. Layering and division are also used to some shrubs. Sowing seeds is an inexpensive but slow process. Grafting require some experience and skill than any other methods but for some... News - Latest Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:11:03 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/herbs-uses.html Nowadays fresh and dried herbs are widely available, but their aroma or flavor can not be compared to the ones that we grow and harvest from our own garden. We can enjoy their scents indoors as well as outside by using them fresh in flower arrangements or dried to make potpourri or herb pillows. Their main uses are in the kitchen where they become invaluable to enhance and enliven the... News - Latest Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:43:28 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/peanuts.html Grow your own peanuts by sowing seeds indoor, removed from their shells, in spring or outside in situ when the soil temperature exceed 16 Celsius degrees (61 F). When the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall, harden them off and transplant them to well-prepared beds in your garden or in your greenhouse, depending on the area where you live. Space the plants 25-30 cm apart and 60-70 cm between the rows.... News - Latest Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:55:51 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/greenhouse-insulation.html In addition to heating, your greenhouse may benefit from a proper insulation and the heating cost will be reduced considerably. The higher the temperature to be maintained and the colder the region, the more cost-effective insulation is likely to be. Choose your insulating materials carefully because some of them may reduce the amount of light reaching the plants. Here are some of the most used types of greenhouse insulations: double-glazing,... News - Latest Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:10:54 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/greenhouse-heating.html Having a greenhouse is a must when you want to grow plants that are frost tender or you want to start early seedlings. Maintaining a correct temperature in your greenhouse for the plants that you have chosen to grow is an important thing. There are some options from which you can choose in order to heat your greenhouse: electric heaters, gas heaters, paraffin heaters, solid fuel hot water systems. If... News - Latest Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:30:05 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/planting-bulbs.html Bulbs can be grown in containers: pots, tubs troughs and window boxes. They can be grown together with other spring flowering plants or alone. For planting bulbs in containers use soil-based compost. Plant bulbs close enough together so they are not quite touching and so the tips of bulbs are level with the surface of the compost. Place containers in a cool place in your garden for several months after... News - Latest Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:36:29 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/vegetable-in-containers.html If your garden is a small one or you want to extend your vegetable garden into the paved area, than you can grow you vegetables in containers. You can also use containers to grow your greenhouse vegetables or if your garden soil is infected with soil-borne diseases and is impractical to sterilize or to replace it. Compared with flowers grown in containers, vegetables need a richer growing medium and... News - Latest Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:52:15 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/lovage.html Lovage has a longer life then any other garden herbs and can survive for many years in the same place in your garden. However, it is not wise to grow this plant for such a long period in the same place, as they will loose vigor with age. It is best if you split the plants and re-plant the plump roots along with the stems at intervals of three to... News - Latest Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:45:51 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/twisted-willow.html It looks wonderful growing beside a pond or as a specimen in border because of its architectural shape. It is also a highly ornamental plant with a winter interest, because of the winter branch pattern, specially against a light background. Its branches grow upwards in irregular spirals, contorted and twisted in all direction. Young shoots are usually used in flower arrangements. Read more... (garden-plants/ornamental-trees/twisted-willow.html) News - Latest Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:09:29 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/kalanchoe.html Kalanchoe, a genus of about 130 species, is one of best known indoor succulent. The most common is Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Flaming Katie, Tom Thumb), with glossy, dark green leaves and tubular flowers that are usual scarlet in color but can also be white, yellow, pink, orange or red that appear from late winter to late spring. An other best known Kalanchoe, grown for its showy leaves is Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Devil's... News - Latest Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:32:49 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/bellis-perennis.html English Daisies are suitable for rock gardens, bed and borders, edging or grown in containers, for window and balcony boxes. It also makes a good ground cover. They flower from spring to early summer, but they will be in bloom all year, with sporadic flowering until frost. They like cool, moist weather, in a place with fertile soil, in full sun to partial shade. Read more... (garden-plants/annuals-and-biennials/bellis-perennis.html) News - Latest Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:56:42 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/mulberries.html Mulberries may be propagated hardwood cuttings of about 18 cm long, taken with a heel in autumn, in a prepared bed in ca cold frame. You can also root semi-ripe cuttings in summer. You can try to propagate mulberries from seeds sown in containers outdoors during autumn. Read more... (kitchen-garden/growing-fruits/mulberries.html) News - Latest Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:21:05 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/lettuces.html Lettuces vary in size from 10 cm to over 30 cm in spread, depending on the cultivar. They are mainly used in salads but may also be cooked or used in soups. There are several distinct types of lettuces: Cos - having long, substantial, well-flavored leaves with fairly loose hearts, Semi-cos - having shorter, very sweet, crunchy leaves, Butterhead - heaving smooth, soft leaves, forming a rounded, compact heart, Crispheads... News - Latest Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:25:20 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/meadow-gardening.html A common meadow generally peak in summer, but you can add plants that will prolong the season of interest, like spring, early summer and autumn flowering bulbs. Spring bulbs that can be easily naturalized in grass are: crocus (Crocus tommasinianus, Crocus vernus, Crocus chrysanthus), wild daffodils (Narcissus pseudo narcissus, Narcissus poeticus), snake’s head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) and tulips. Early summer bulbs that can be used to add interest to a... News - Latest Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:34:04 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/snapdragons.html Snapdragons are very hardy plants that can withstand a heavy frost and can endure cool weather. That is why they are widely planted for winter flower colors in mild-winter areas. In colder areas they will flower from spring to early summer but most varieties will also have a second bloom in fall. The gradual opening of the buds provides color for an extended period of time. Snapdragon flowers are very... News - Latest Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:28:11 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/propagate-bromeliads.html Many epiphytic bromeliads will only flower once and then will die, but before they flower they will form offsets around the base of mature rosette. Left them in place until they reach one third the size of the parent rosette, then remove them by hand or with a sharp knife and plant them separately. You can replant the parent rosette so that it can produce more offsets. Plant the offsets... News - Latest Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:51:11 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/soil-organisms.html In order to maintain soil fertility, certain soil organisms are essential. Those are the beneficial organisms and their presence in the soil is a must in order to keep our garden soil in best condition. Beneficial bacteria and fungi prefer well-aerated and acidic soils but will generally tolerate a wide pH. Some fungi, for example mycorrhizae - are able to live symbiotically with living plants, creating a relationship that is... News - Latest Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:59:57 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/ivy.html Hedera helix, also known as Ivy, Common Ivy or English Ivy, is a very ornamental, hardy - tolerates temperatures down to about -25 Celsius degrees (-13 F), evergreen climber growing up to 20-30 m tall and 5 m wide. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant that can easily grow on any vertical surfaces, but also as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It bears flowers from... News - Latest Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:45:18 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/sweet-orange.html Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) is a compact, evergreen tree, grown for its edible fruits. It can grow up to 9 m tall and 7.5 m wide and might tolerate some light frosts. It is probably the most popular of all citrus trees. The leaves are elliptical to oblong-ovate, up to 10 cm long, with narrowly-winged petioles. The flowers are white, sweetly scented, hermaphrodite - have both male and female... News - Latest Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:15:46 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/tarragon.html Tarragon is an edible perennial herb grown for it's aromatic leaves that are used in a variety of recipes, most notably in flavoring vinegar. French tarragon is the variety generally considered best for the kitchen, but cannot be grown from seeds. Russian tarragon can be grown from seeds but is much weaker in flavor. However, Russian tarragon is a far more hardy and vigorous plant, spreading at the roots and... News - Latest Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:19:58 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/horseradish.html HorseradishHorseradish (Armoracia rusticana), is a perennial plant, grown for its large, fleshy roots which are pungent, strongly aromatic. Use in the kitchen by mixing small amounts of horseradish with cream, sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, or cream cheese and dressings for sauces to serve with meat, fish and potatoes. It is best used right away, or kept in the refrigerator or other cool place. It can be stored in vinegar or... News - Latest Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:38:19 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/marginals-and-bog-garden-plants.html At the edge of the ponds and streams is the perfect place for marginals - plants that like to grow in shallow water. Those plants are important for pond wildlife. Bog garden plants like moist soil but with a good drainage, they don't like to stay in water or in waterlogged soils. Those plants are used to make the connection between the pond and the rest of the garden.Read more...... News - Latest Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:50:33 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/impatiens-balsamina.html Impatiens balsamina, on its common name Garden Balsam, Rose Balsam, Touch-me-not, Impatiens or Spotted snap-weed, is a species of Impatiens, an annual plant with a fast growing rate, that can reach 20-75 cm tall, with a thick, but soft stem. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant because of its attractive, showy flowers, used for mass planting, in borders, in containers or in above-ground planters or you can grow... News - Latest Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:17:48 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/grapefruit.html The grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) is a subtropical, evergreen citrus tree that is grown for its juicy fruits. Grapefruit trees have a rounded top of spreading branches and can grow up to 5-6 m tall. The twigs normally bear short, supple thorns. The leaves are dark green, long and thin with rounded teeth on the margins, and dotted with tiny oil glands. It produces 5 cm white four-petalled flowers, borne... News - Latest Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:20:46 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/fennel.html Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves that grows wild in most parts of temperate Europe, to heights of up to 2.5 m. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long. They are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform, about 0.5 mm wide. The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels 5-15 cm wide, each umbel section having 20-50 tiny yellow... News - Latest Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:15:46 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/rosemary.html Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an attractive, woody, half hardy perennial herb, with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves, 2-4 cm long and 2-5 mm broad, green above, and white below with dense short woolly hairs. The flowers are variable in color and can be white, pink, purple or blue and grow in small clusters at the leaf axils. Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use. Forms range from upright to trailing;... News - Latest Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:34:53 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/kumquat.html The kumquats are slow-growing, evergreen shrubs or small trees, that can grow up to 2.5-4.5 m tall, with dense branches, sometimes bearing small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green and the flowers are pure white, similar to other citrus flowers, borne singly or clustered in the leaf-axils. The edible kumquat fruits closely resembles that of the orange but is smaller and is often oval, 3-5 cm long and 2-4... News - Latest Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:47:31 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/pieris-japonica.html Pieris japonicaPieris japonica also known as Japanese Pieris, Japanese Andromeda or Lily of the Valley Shrub is a multi-stemmed, medium-sized, upright to spreading broadleaf evergreen, ornamental shrub, that can grow up to 3 m tall, but often remains smaller, with a slow growing rate, with upright irregular to upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming a spreading mound growth habit with age, with somewhat tiered branching to the ground.Read more...... News - Latest Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:52:31 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/campsis-radicans.html Campsis radicans, on its common name trumpet creeper or trumpet vine is a hardy perennial, deciduous, self-clinging, fast growing climber that will grow to heights up to 12 m. It will quickly cover fences and other structures so it suitable for pergolas, south walls and fences that you need to cover fast. It is best used in woodland gardens and natural areas where it has enough space to grow. It... News - Latest Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:16:27 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/japanese-maple.html Japanese maple is grown for its interesting growth habit and fine leaf texture. It also offers autumn interest by the leaves colors that range from bright yellow through orange and red. It can be grown as a single or multi-stemmed small tree, as a specimen or a focal point on the lawn or in borders, near a deck or patio, in containers or above-ground planters, specially the dwarf varieties, as... News - Latest Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:21:54 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/nandina-domestica.html Nandina domestica, on its common name Heavenly bamboo or Sacred bamboo, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen woody shrub, native from India, China and Japan. The species and its dwarf varieties are often used in landscaping because of their oriental effect and distinctive appearance by their bamboo-like stalks and delicate, ferny foliage that become vividly-colored in fall. An addition to their appeal are the large, erect panicles of creamy white flowers... News - Latest Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:53:02 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/plants-for-ponds.html Aquatic plants add color and structure to a pond and they are also essential for the well-being of the pond life. Floating plants leaves are shading part of the surface and discourage the rapid developing of algae. Submerged, oxygenating plants revitalize and oxygenate the pond water. The roots of aquatic plants also play a good part in removing minerals on which the algae feed so the algae are discouraged to... News - Latest Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:56:33 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/common-holly.html Ilex Aquifolium, on its common name Holly is a fully hardy, evergreen shrub that can grow to form a tree of about 20 m high if left un-pruned. Through pruning holly can be maintained as a shrub and it can be used to form an impenetrable hedge. It is an ideal hedging plant for many reasons: it is slow growing - so it needs little maintenance with pruning, it is... News - Latest Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:17:32 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/hyacinths.html Hyacinthus orientalis is the common garden Hyacinth, a hardy perennial bulbous plant, with long, narrow, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are folded lengthwise and dense clusters of star-shaped, fragrant, tubular florets that appear in early to mid spring. Flower colors include all shades of pink, peach, orange, salmon, red, lavender, white, yellow, purple and blue. Varieties of the Hyacinth flowers are: single, double or multi-flora Hyacinths.Those beautiful spring flowers can... News - Latest Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:53:59 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/water-garden-plants.html We use plants in any garden design, so the plants are important also in the water garden design. Plants with lush foliage and flowers enhance the pool and link it with the rest of the garden. Plants are vital to maintain clear water in the pool and to oxygenate the water if the pool contains fish. Plants should be introduced into the pool during their growing season and planted in... News - Latest Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:02:46 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/soil-ph-acidity-and-alkalinity.html Soil pH is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity of the soil on a scale that ranges from 1 to 14. An acid soil will have a pH value below 7 and an alkaline soil will have the pH value higher than 7. A soil that has the value of pH 7 is a neutral soil. Usually, the pH value of the soil is controlled by its calcium levels. Calcium... News - Latest Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:44:51 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/soils-by-structure.html Most of the time when we talk about our garden we mention the plants or the structures that we have in our garden, and almost never about the most important thing that make our garden exist: the soil. Soils are highly complex and dynamic materials that are made up of particles of weathered rock and organic matter, also known as humus, as well as plant and animal life.For a successful... News - Latest Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:51:40 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/globe-artichokes.html This plant is a perennial vegetable that have blue-grey leaves and thistle-like flowers. They also make a beautiful addition to a border by their architectural structure. They may grow up to 1.2-1.5 m tall and 90 cm spread. Globe artichokes are grown for their green and purple flower buds, which have edible, fleshy pads at the base of outer scales and the top of the flower stem. They are mostly... News - Latest Thu, 29 May 2008 12:58:19 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/camellias.html Camellias originate from eastern Asia, Indo-China and Japan and are long-lived, evergreen shrubs. They were grown for many years as subtropical plants in greenhouses and indoors as house plants, but many varieties will also survive in the garden. Grown for their beautiful flowers that appear early in the season, starting from late winter, Camellias are one the most beautiful and elegant shrubs that you can grow in your garden. They... News - Latest Mon, 12 May 2008 12:26:59 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/making-a-growing-bag-support.html Making a growing-bag supportGrowing bags become more and more used for growing short-term plants, such as low-growing vegetables, that will only be there for one growing season. Some gardeners also use growing bags for cultivating cucumbers, peppers, eggplants or tomatoes. After such a crop you can still use the growing bag for a second time to grow salad crops such as lettuce or radishes, because the growing bag will contain... News - Latest Thu, 01 May 2008 12:27:42 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/basil.html Basil, also known as Sweet Basil, is the common name for Ocimum basilicum, a popular, sweet herb of the Mint Family, grown for its flavorful foliage. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, where is grown as a perennial. In cold area is grown as an half-hardy annual because it is a tender herb, very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions... News - Latest Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:37:33 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/skimmia-japonica.html Skimmia japonica (Japanese Skimmia) is a genus of four species of slow growing evergreen shrubs and small trees, grown as garden plants for their foliage, flowers and showy red fruits. Their sizes when mature can reach 60 cm to 1.5 m high and 1-2 m wide. It makes an excellent choice near an entryway or garden path or as a foundation planting or for growing in containers placed on your... News - Latest Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:30:03 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/hibiscus-syriacus.html Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden Hibiscus, also called Rose of Sharon or Rose of Althea is a woody perennial, deciduous, flowering shrub that can reach 2-4 m in height. It is widely planted in areas with hot summers for its very attractive white, pink, red, lavender, or purple flowers. The flowers are large, solitary, showy, single or double and appear from mid summer to early autumn on current season's growth.... News - Latest Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:02:36 +0100 http://www.greenzonelife.com/news/latest/fritillaria-imperialis.html Fritillaria imperialis, on its common name Crown Imperial or Kaiser's Crown is one of the earliest plants to be cultivated for its red, yellow or orange-red flowers that appear in mid to late spring and last for 2-3 weeks. Plant them in clumps for maximum effect, in beds or woodland gardens. It grows to about 1 m in height, and bears lance shaped, glossy leaves, at intervals along the stem.... News - Latest Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:15:10 +0100