Photo: Via Flickr

This guide to fast-growing trees tells you about some of the most popular and readily available varieties. It is a great starting point when it comes to choosing the right ones to grow in your garden. There are lots of ways you can use trees to enhance your home.

Grow Your Own Fruit

If you like growing your own food and have space, planting an orchard is a great idea. Fruit trees are very pretty. In the spring, the blossom smells wonderful and they are a great source of food for the bees.

In the past, many fruit trees like cherries had to be planted in pairs to produce fruit. One female and one male, but, in most cases, this is no longer necessary. You can now buy hybrid varieties that can produce fruit even if you only plant a single tree. This means that you do not necessarily have to have a big garden to be able to grow a wide variety of fruit. Many of these trees can produce fruit within just a year or two of being planted in your garden.

Photo: JC Webb Studios

Create Truly Private Spaces in your Garden

For those homeowners who have other houses located close to them, privacy can be a big issue. If you are overlooked by neighbor’s planting a hedge can be a great way to solve this problem. There are plenty of fast-growing evergreen trees available. Most are perfect for this job especially those that can be cut and trimmed liked boxwood which always creates a modern design to your home. Once established they do not take a lot of looking after. All you need to do is to cut them off at the top once they have reached the desired height and trim them back once a year.

Photo: Private Newport

Create Separate Areas in your Garden

If you have a big garden, dividing it up into separate spaces is a great way to improve your home backyard design through gardening. It is nice for the children to have somewhere they can kick a ball around without worrying about damaging your plants. You can use fast-growing trees to create a hedged off play area and do so within a few seasons. Fast-growing cypress is a particularly good choice because they create a dense hedge that will stop balls from escaping and doing damage to delicate plants in other areas of your garden.

Create Micro-Climates

You can use the same method to create little micro-climates within your garden. This is particularly useful if you live somewhere that is very windy. Some varieties of evergreen tree can grow even in areas where there is a strong prevailing wind. Typically, they do not grow as fast, but once established and are tall enough they can become really effective windbreaks. You can learn more about using them in this way by clicking through and reading the in-depth article you will find there.

Photo: Reuter Homes

When winter lets go of it’s frosty grip, it makes us want to jump into the garden and start spring landscaping as soon as possible.Trimming the hedges and decorative bushes, buying seedlings and plants, and perhaps even thinking ahead by looking at water timers in order to prepare for spring and soon a long hot summer.  If it’s your first time landscaping or you want to try something different this year, follow our easy landscaping ideas that may give you some creativity and help with your green thumb at gardening:

Start with a Plan

Before you go digging up your garden and purchasing new plants, make sure you have planned ahead exactly what you want to do to update your home’s curb appeal. Envision your backyard in an ariel bird’s eye view where you would like your patio, fire pit, garden and shrubs to be. Then, sketch it out and put it on paper to preserve your great ideas. Try different plans and create a blueprint to help your put your dream yard into action.

Photo: K&D Landscape Management

Know Your Climate

When designing your landscaping, know what plants will work best and thrive in your geographical location. If certain flowers need daily watering, they may not be such a good idea in a hot and dry location. Do your research to find out what would work perfectly for your garden. Palm trees are a great way to spruce up your yard but may not be so great in a place with cold winters. It doesn’t mean you can’t use them – plant them in large pots that can be wheeled into the garage in the colder months.

Photo: Executive Landscape

Build a Pergola

An easy DIY to make an instant impact on your garden and turn it into an outdoor oasis is by building a wood pergola. There are tons of online tutorials and plans that can make pergola building easy and affordable. These are great on wood decks or stone patios as they offer shade, privacy, and can also be used for climbing plants and a draped curtain on top. For more easy backyard ideas, check out our other post to see 20 beautiful gardens and terraces. Don’t forget to add a nice outdoor lounge so you have a place to relax and enjoy your handiwork.

Photo: Natural Landscape Group, Inc.

Think About Maintenance

You must keep maintenance in mind when landscaping your home. Certain plants and building materials need more maintenance than others, making it important to plan for the future. A wooden deck may need a new coat of polish every few years while a stone patio only needs a quick pressure washing after every season. Lush flowers may need pruning, daily watering, and replacing every year while evergreen shrubs can last for years with only a few trims. Keep those things in mind, are you a green thumb person or do you want to landscape your home and be done for good? The choice is yours!

Photo: Designscapes Colorado Inc.

Summer is coming up fast, which means lots of fun in the sun and nighttime campfires. The one thing that always sends people packing back inside are mosquitoes! Keep these pests at bay by planting these 8 plants in your garden! Growing plants such as rosemary and lavender is a great and all-natural way to keep mosquitoes away. If you’re worried about harsh chemicals from sprays, going all-natural is the way to go! Take a look at our list of 8 plants below and pick out your favorite!

1. Rosemary

Not only is rosemary a great herb to use in the kitchen, it also keeps nasty mosquitoes away! Rosemary is a hardy plant that requires little water and lots of sun.

2. Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal flowers look great as a groundcover and they can also be used in the kitchen! It works well in many fish dishes if you’re looking for a special boost of flavor. Butterflies love Pennyroyal – they just can’t seem to stay away!

3. Lavender

Lavender is also an all-natural mosquito repellant! Lavender is an easy plant to grow, and requires well-draining soil and lots of sun. It also makes a great tea!

4. Basil

We all know that basil is the star in every tomato sauce, but did you know that it repels mosquitoes, too? Basil will thrive if you live in a hot and dry climate, and it needs well-draining soil and lots of sunlight.

5. Peppermint

Many bugs hate the smell of peppermint, which is great news for us since peppermint is an herb that is a must-have in any garden and kitchen! Use it to make tea, soothe mosquito bites, or add it to your lemonade!

6. Citronella

Citronella is a common ingredient in most store-bought mosquito repellants. It’s a tall grass that can grow up to 6 feet tall and works great in a climate without frost. If you live in an area with frost, you can simply plant it in a pot and bring it inside during cold weather.

7. Horsemint

Horsemint grows quickly and loves the shade. It loves sandy soil and its leaves can be used to make a delicious tea.

8. Catnip

For the cat lovers out there, planting catnip is a must! Catnip is a member of the mint family and is super easy to grow. It’s drought tolerant and not only keeps mosquitoes away, but also flies, termites, and cockroaches!

Photos: Deux Dilettantes, Wikipedia, Parfait Image, Everything Lavender, My Everyday Oils, Rawyaelgammal, Garden Guides, Img Arcade, My Medicine Woman.

If you enjoy gardening, it’s time to start your garden NOW! Many veggies can be sown in March, and it’s great to get a head-start for spring! Carrots, kale, peas, spinach, and turnips can all be sown outdoors straight away. Take a look at our complete list of veggies and herbs you can plant in March!

1) Carrots

Carrot seeds can be sown in light soil that’s free of stones.

2) Parsley, Dill, and Chives

These herbs can be sown either in containers, or straight into the soil.

3) Turnips

If you want to get a head-start on your turnips, you can sow the seeds directly into the soil.

4) Spinach

Spinach thrives in soil that’s loaded with nutritious compost. You can plant spinach outside straight away.

5) Parsnips

If your soil isn’t too hard, you can plant your parsnip seeds in rows. Make sure the seeds are about 30 cm apart.

6) Spring Onion

It’s called spring onion because it’s ready to eat in the spring! You can get them started directly outside and they make a fantastic addition to salads!

7) Kale

Kale is ready in the summer, so get it started now by planting seeds outside in a well-prepared garden.

8) Peas

Peas can be planted directly into the ground. If you’ve got a problem with mice or other small critters, you can start them off in containers before transferring them to your garden.

Photos: Img Arcade, Kids Quest Museum, Wikipedia, Grit, Gardening Know How, Img Buddy, Gorsia, Bonnie Plants, Away to Garden.

Aside from starting my own homestead and learning how to propagate hens and chicks, I have also taken an interest in growing succulents! Succulents are plants that have fat, fleshy leaves. They don’t need to be watered that often, since they store water in their leaves. Many succulent varieties come from dry areas of the tropics and deserts. Some succulents even have health benefits, such as aloe vera and the common houseleek.

(Common Houseleek)

Since all succulent varieties have similar needs, here’s how to take care of them:

1. Succulents need bright light. To figure out whether your plant is receiving enough sunlight, check the leaves. Some succulents will scorch if suddenly exposed to direct light. The leaves will usually turn brown or white as the plant dies out. A succulent that is not receiving enough sunlight will also start to stretch. It will have an elongated stem and widely spaced leaves. To fix this, you can prune the plant and provide it with adequate sunlight.

2. Succulents are actually pretty good at handling the cold. Since desert nights are cold, succulents thrive when nights are colder.

(Succulent cuttings)

3. Water your succulents regularly in summer, but in the winter, limit watering to every other month. Succulent plants are dormant in the winter. When your plant is over-watered, they are soft and discolored. To save it, you can check the roots. If they’re brown and rotted, cut away the dead parts and repot the plant into drier potting soil. You can also take a cutting and propagate the plant. To do this, take a sharp knife and cut away the part of the plant you would like to propagate. This could be a stem, or a leaf. Allow the cutting to dry for 24 hours until it forms a scab. Then, simply plant the cutting cut side down. You should see roots start to form in a few weeks. If you are under-watering the plant, it will stop growing and start to shed its leaves.

(Succulents in vintage teacup)

4. Succulents should be potted in a fast-draining potting soil designed for cacti and succulents. If you can’t find that type of potting soil, you can create your own by mixing a normal potting mix with perlite to increase drainage.

5. As for fertilizing, you can fertilize your succulents like any normal plants, but limit it only to summertime. Do not fertilize succulents in the winter.

(Purple Echeveria)

Photos: Cactus Jungle, Succulents and Sunshine, Hirondelles Blog, Etsy.

Old romantic urns are a must-have for any front porch or garden. They give your home an instant classy feel, and look amazing filled with lush flowers or crawling vines. In only a few simple steps we’ll show you how to turn that cheap plastic urn from Home Depot into something fit for any royal home.

Step 1:

Go to your local home and garden centre and get yourself some plastic urns. The bigger they are, the more dramatic they will look.  Next, stock up on spray paint and acrylic paint. The spray paint used in this project is a faux concrete paint for texture. You will also be needing black and mossy green acrylic paint.

Step 2:

Put on a mask and spray paint the urns. Apply 2 coats of the faux concrete spray paint for maximum coverage.

Step 3:

Once the spray paint has dried, get out the mossy green paint and gently dab the urns to create a more natural effect. Mix the green and black paint to get a darker green to use on areas you would like to look more ‘mossy’. You can also try dipping the paint brush in garden soil, then in paint, and shaking off the excess to create a ‘dirty look’ on the urn.

Step 4:

Continue to layer the paint until a desired look is achieved. If you like, you can seal it with a clear matte spray paint.

Originally posted on: Designs by Gollum.