I went out early this morning – the sun was shining, birds were signing and other than that, it was very quiet. What a way to nejoy the first fresh cup of coffee! And no – I didn’t bake muffins before I went out, it was way too nice outside.

Here are some pictures I took this morning:

This is a photo of side of my house - the walkway constructed from slate stones I found at a garage sale and the finished little rock garden I built beside it. The entrance to the open garden is a grapevine trailing over a wooden trellis the David made. The entire cost of this section was under $200

I am going to include here 2 pictures of my little themed rock garden – if you want to see the progress photos, they are at this link:

How to Build a Rock Garden

I used large rocks I collected while visiting Northern Ontario, added some interesting little lizards and faces from local dollar store and small plants - just a little more than rocks and the mulch keeps everything nice a clean. I didn't want to use small rocks between plants, because the rock garden is on a slope and I didn't want them falling onto the walkway.

That awesome half face is my favourite - and yes - it was a garage sale find! As a last step, I added solar lights - they were on special at Canadian Tire for $19.99 for 10 of them!

Here you can check out how the rest of my oasis looks – as I mentioned in my previous stories – I wanted to create a garden that would return every year – well, at least 80% of it, so all I have to do is add a few annuals for extra colours. Most of my gardening is done by trial and error so don’t be afraid to try whatever you think you would like to have in your garden – it ultimately works just fine!

I have two of these low chairs on side of the pool - they are very old - I figure about 20 years - but hold up nicely and are great to do a little sun-tanning after a dip

I am not sure what that gorgeous deep burgundy bush is called - I liked the look of it what I bought it about 5 years ago. It adds great colour to the flower bed (it also has thorns so I don't trim it much) The Black-Eyed Susans are just starting to bloom, so the colour contrast is great!

We used to have a gazebo on this deck,. but after the second canvas got torn in a wind storm, we decided to just add a railing and use an umbrella over the table for shade. And this is an example how my garden is a continuous work in progress - I am working on figuring out how to best build steps from used bricks that were given to me. It will work eventually - I am sure!

Is this not spectacular? We put a trelis and front right side of the deck and I added this beauty. It looks tropical and grows like crazy - you gotta love it!

Walking out of the garden is as pretty as walking in – here you can see what it looks like in the opposite direction from the first photo.

Our house has a side walkout, so it was important to create an enjoyable walk to the garden - and I think I did it! The steps from the house are at the end of the walkway and we put a little bistro table with 2 chairs at the bottom of the steps - great place to have a morning coffee, because this is the east side of the house is here and on a sunny morning..... no more words needed here

You can probably tell by now that I have a real passion for my garden – it is not big, it has a lot of less than perfect spots, but it is great to see results of your work – trust me!

Send me your comments, suggestions and if you can – your pictures, I love getting your input!

]]> http://www.mama-knows.com/gardening-tips/my-gardening-update.html/feed 0 http://www.mama-knows.com/gardening-tips/how-to-build-a-rock-garden.html http://www.mama-knows.com/gardening-tips/how-to-build-a-rock-garden.html#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:15:46 +0000 Hanna Trafford http://www.mama-knows.com/?p=6207

It it surprisingly simple to build your own rock garden – give it a try!

I have always loved rock gardens. Not because I knew that they are a great addition to any landscaping, or because they can really add to colour and structure, but mainly because my grandpa built great rock gardens in the house I was born in. He constantly worked in the garden – as soon as the last frost showed up, so did my grandpa. Sometimes there were still patches of snow and he would be out there with rake, cleaning up whatever he could. From him I learned that building a rock garden is surprisingly simple. And that if you are not happy with what you are seing – just change it. Personally, I am now on building my third rock garden. With changing the landscape in our garden, plus using plants that grew way too much – I now decided to build a rock garden alongside a walkway to our backyard. It seams like a great way to make an interesting border – so we will see what happens.

The area I am talking about is a natural slope – and that is a great place to put a rock garden. It also gets good sun – about half the day, from early morning to noon. If you don’t have a naturally sloping spot to build your rock garden, that is not a problem. There are a number of ways you can still do it. Building a raised bed or a natural mount called berm are couple of options. All you have to do is to remember that most rock garden plants need sun and good drainage.

To build a berm, start with a pile of rocks, covered by a layer of sand – that will ensure good drainage and the sand will keep the topsoil in place. Cover your berm with a good layer of top soil and you are ready to start being creative.

Start with collecting rocks – you can search through your area or purchase them at various landscaping outlets. Make sure that you dig the parger ones about one third into the ground – that will make them look more natural.

Select your plants: I went to a garden centre and picked what I thought would be suitable and look nice in my rock garden. I had a specific purpose in mind – I wanted to get really creative and include faces and other artsy elements in my rock garden. Youc an see from the picutres what I mean. Most of the items came from a dollar store and couple of them I found at garage sales. All I did is pictured what a particular piece would look like in my rock garden and pretty soon I had a theme going.

I have taken these pictures a week ago and have since added other plants and few more rocks I found where I had my “old” rock garden. I am not at all owrried whether or not all the plant I put in will do well – I am just going to watch them and those that are not exhibiting joy at being where they are will be moved.

Hope you start building your own rock garden soon and I would love to hear your comments, suggestions and experiences – even more – I would love to see your pictures!

Here are fedw more picutres from my rock garden building developments. Am I having fun? you bet!

Since I am considering this to be “work in progress”, I will be updating the story and pictures each week. Enjoy and please send me your comments and if you can – your pictures

Here are a few pictures from my own garden – taken just couple of days ago:

This was the third time I planted Clematis – the previous efforts resulted in dried out plants – probably because of exposure. I planted this one 2 years ago, right next to the walkout from our house and it likes it there. And I love the beautiful and abundant white blooms!

This is where it is growing beautifully – and we have since replaced the trellis to allow the plant to start expanding its beauty upwards

Aside of roses, peonies are one of my most favourite plants. This one is quite old – I think I planted it about 10 years ago. But is is incredible showing off with over 100 blooms every single year. When it starts blooming, I hope it won’t rain too much, because those huge blooms fill up with water and lay down on the ground – and that is pretty much the end of them. It would be nice to have flowers like this all year!

This is my second peony plant – also planted about 10 years ago. This one is a beautiful burgundy shade and it must be a different kind becuase the stacks are stronger and the blooms don’t fall on the ground as easily. Again – I wish it would bloom year round!

This entire side bed is pretty much carefree – I filled it with perennials. When lupins finish blooming, black eyed susans will start and then other perennials so there are always a few blooms there. The colour is added by the shrub that stays dark red all the time – I do not remember what it is called, I bought it because of the colour and it really works well. And of course – hostas – they do really well for me and I have given lots of them away to friends as well.

I just couldn’t resist buying this hanging basket – a beautiful combination of black petunias and white geraniums – stunning!

Great colour addition to any garden – I got two matching hanging baskets with incredible dual shade of red geraniums

This was a little shrub, about 2 feet tall when I bought it – I am pretty sure it was tagged as “Flowering willow”. It grew beautifully and it always looks like it is blooming. The white and pink colours are actually new growths and everyone who visits my garden admires this beautiful tree. And I suspect that it keeps bugs away -we cut a few branches and had them in a house for a few hours and could smell a funny, almost musty odour coming from them – so it could be an added benefit!

You may be taking and second look at this picture, wondering what it is. It my favourite tree, planted about 14 years ago from a small shoot off my friends large tree. It is a linden tree - the national tree of Czech Republic where I am originally from. I remember my grandma collecting the blooms, drying them out and making this incredible tee that she sweetened with honey. One year soon, I will start collecting the blooms to – just for the old times sake.

Hope you have enjoyed this little walk through my garden and that it gave you a few ideas – please send in your comments, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated

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1. Make your lawn more eco-friendly: When seeding or over-seeding, reduce the percentage of Kentucky Bluegrass and replace it with hardy perennial and drought-tolerant seeds. Talk to your garden centre people who will recommend the right type for your area.

2. Choose the right plant for the right place: Select plants that are hardy for your growing zone and suit your soil, rainfall and hours of sunshine. The best tips is to choose the plants that are native to your area. They will be naturally resistant to pests and disease and won’t be nutrient hogs.

3. Think like Darwin: Go with the survival of the fittest. If plant died the first time you tried it, don’t replace the same thing – select a better option.

4. Look for healthy plants: At the nursery, check the plants are free of insects and disease and choose the ones with strong stems and healthy foliage.

5. Pick the right pots: Buy plants in biodegradable pots, such as those made from bamboo, coconut, rice or wheat fibres. If these are not available, shop at stores that have returnable and recyclable program.

6. Feed the soil naturally: A great organic garden is built on a good base. Recycle uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps (no meat or dairy products), leaves and grass and garden clippings by adding them to your compost bin. Once it’s cooked, use the finished rich, dark crumbly compost to feed your flowerbeds right through the growing season.

7. Reuse: Dig coffee grounds into garden beds to add nitrogen to the soil.

8. Mulch: A good layer of mulch is worth its weight in gold. Apply mulch to reduce weed growth, retain moisture in the soil and keep roots cool.

9. Practice prevention: Take the time to smell the roses. Once you are up close, you can spot early signs of disease and insect infestation before you have a big problem. And keep your beds free of dead or decaying plant material.

10. Work with Nature: Invite all things good into your garden by welcoming beneficial bugs and other friendly creatures.

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• For centuries, nature has supplied the human race with medicines. The knowledge our ancestors gained has been passed down for centuries, and it has served humankind well.
• But as human civilization developed, the focus shifted. It turned to laboratories and chemicals. With the development of antibiotics in the 1930’s it became more and more apparent that humans can create all the medicines needed to fight all infections and diseases. That proved to be true for a long time, since diseases that used to kill millions and been eradicated or brought under control.
• But now, we are starting to learn about and see some downsides of modern medicine. Antibiotics have been so overused that some strains of bacteria have become resistant to them. And many pills that we have been taking for aches and pains are turning out to have some dangerous side effects.
• As a result, there has been a rapidly growing interest in re-discovering the remedies that nature readily offers. And it is becoming widely accepted that that these remedies greatly assist the human body to heal itself, rather than merely stifling the symptoms.

• You have to ask: “can natural remedies cure all things that ail us?” the answer is :”no – not likely” And another question that needs to be brought up is” Are herbs and other natural substances safe and effective in every case and can you just blindly take herbs?” The answer is: “Definitely not” The fortunate fact is that most natural remedies tend to be milder and are less likely to cause harm – unlike most pharmaceuticals.

• Don’t get this wrong – the healing powers of nature’s remedies are not a reason to totally abandon modern medicine. It is without a doubt that advances in modern medicine have helped to prevent many diseases and treat a vast number of conditions as well. So the approach that makes sense is to complement modern medicine’s benefits with those that nature provides.
• Here is some information about the healing power of well known herbs – the most logical advice I can give you is that you get as much information as possible about the herb that is likely to help you and discuss it with your family practitioner. Hopefully he or she will also see the benefit of combining the best of both worlds

Check out individual herbs and their benefits:

Growing a Healing Garden

Hope you have enjoyed this information – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences – your input is very much wecomed and even more appreciated!

These little creatures were first discovered by Spanish explorers who called them “joyas voladoras” – translation: “flying jewels”. They are really something else – beautiful to watch and admire. But they are a whole lot more than just one of nature’s wonders. Their physical capabilities are truly amazing. They can migrate at least 2000 miles from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds. And can you believe that hummingbird can actually cross the Gulf of Mexico? If you think about it, it is astounding, that something that small can actually fly 500 miles without rest.

Here are a few interesting facts about these beautiful birds and some of their most common species:

• If you were to compare hummingbird’s energy to humans, you would learn that a hovering hummingbird has an energy output per unit weight ten times that of a person running 9 miles per hour. If a person was to do the same amount of work per unit of weight, he or she would expend 40 horsepower.
• Hummingbirds are like bees – they carry pollen from one plant to another while they are feeding. And one single bird can visit 1000 – 2000 blossoms in a day.
• There are about 300 different species of hummingbirds, most living in central and South America. Only 16 species of hummingbirds actually breed in North America.

Here are some the most common species:

Allen's Hummingbird

Berylline Hummingbird

Black Chinned Hummingbird

Blue Throated Hummingbird

Board Billed Hummingbird

Broad Tailed Hummingbird

Buff Bellied Hummingbird

Costa's Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird

How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden:

All you have to do is to remember that hummingbirds will stop to drink, so by providing plants rich in nectar, plus a source of shade and water, you will witness hummingbirds hovering around your garden regularly.

While they are mostly attracted to tubular blooms. they also love orange, pink and yellow blooms. And single blooms will provide easier access to the nectar than multiple blooms.

Hummingbirds are not continously flying – they like to rest as well, so shrubs and trees will give them a place to rest and to nest as well.

They need eight times their body weight in water on daily basis, so a small garden fountain with a small spray nozzle of a dripper near your flower bed will attract them.

They are also very territorial – while the male establishes the territory first, females will chase intruders away from their plants or feeders. Remembering that, you should plants your hummingbird-attracting plants in various parts of your garden to allow the birds their own spaces.

You can fill a feeder with simple sugar syrup – but never use honey, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners or food colourings. To mix your own syrup, mix one-quarter to one-third cup of granulated sugar with one cup of water. Bring to boil and let cool before filling your feeder. The more feeders you provide, the happier hummingbirds will be!

Hope you enjoyed this information and I will be looking forward to your feedback – it is always very much welcomed and appreciated!

Anna's Hummingbird

Here are the top 10 tips on what to do:

1.      All Garden Plants: Continue watering during dry spells in the fall to help roots store energy for winter, but stop fertilizing after midsummer to discourage new growth that might suffer winter damage. Any weeding done now means less weeding in the spring.

2.      Lawn: When grass stops growing (around mid to late October), feed it high nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen is the first number in three part formula you will see on fertilizer bag description. This will increase root growth and gets grass off to a green start next spring. Make the year’s last mow shorter than normal – about 2 inches to discourage winter fungal growth.

3.      Newly Planted Evergreen Shrubs: Insert sturdy wooden stakes in the ground around the shrub and attach burlap with staples to create a screen. Place stakes far enough away so that burlap won’t touch foliage. The burlap will shade foliage from winter sun and protect it from the drying effects of wind.

4.      Perennials: No need to cut down all dead stems and seed heads. These provide shelter and food for birds. But – if plants were infected by diseases or insects during the summer, cut them down to about 3 inches above ground. This will discourage diseases and pests from overwintering and resuming their destruction next season.

5.      Newly Planted Perennials: When the ground begins to freeze and plants are dormant, lay a 2 inch layer of shredded leaves over crowns. Late winter’s alternate freezing-thawing cycle can heave the perennials which haven’t had the time to grow strong root system, out of the ground.

6.      Tall, Narrow Junipers and Cedars: wrap jute twine – gently, not tightly – around and through the shrub from bottom to top to keep branches from splaying our and breaking under heavy snow.

7.   Broad-leaved Evergreens: Spray with and antidesiccant in late fall, when daytime temperatures are just above freezing to protect foliage from burning in winter’s strong winds and sun.

8.      Climbing Roses: After leaves fall, tie the long canes (branches) to a fence or trellis to prevent them from whipping around in the wind.

9.      Tender Roses: When the top few inches of ground freeze, mound weed-free topsoil or coarsely shredded leaves over the bottom 12 inches of the plant. Next, apply about 2-3 inches of wood chips, shredded leaves or small evergreen branches over the root zone.

10.   Container Plants: Compost plant that won’t be overwintered indoors, remove potting soil and store empty containers upside down in a sheltered area or indoors to prevent frost damage.

Hope you have found this information helpful, please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences – your input is always welcomed!

Soothe a Jellyfish Sting Fast:

Steadily pour a can of cola overr the affected area. The high acid of the beverage will help to deactivate unfired nematocysts (stingers left by the tentacles) That will prevent further injection of venom into the skin and reduce the severity of symptoms until youa re able to seek medical treatment.

Clean corrosion From Car Battery Terminals:

Harsh cold weather can rust  car battery posts, pouring a can of cola over the terminals will ensure that your car starts right up. After you pour the cola over terminals, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then scrub with a wire brush. To finish, wipe leftover residue with a damp paper towel and tighten the battery cable ends.The fizzing bubbles and acid work together to eat away at the corrosion.

Remove Bloodstains From Clothing:

It is best to do this before the stains set in – pour a generous amount of cola over the spot and let sit for about 5 minutes, then launder as usual. The carbonic acid seeps into the fabric fibres and loosens blood particles so they easily dissolve in the wash.

Pest Proof Your Garden:

Use leftover cola to deter snail and slugs from your garden. Fill wide, shallow jar lids with the cola and place them strategically around your plants. The creepy crawly creatures will be attracted to the sugary scent. And once they slitther into the lid for a sip, the acid content of the cola will poison them.

Keep Drains Running Smoothly:

When you get a drain cleaner from the store, you are not only paying a good dollar for it, it is also containing chemicals (sulfuric acid and lye) that can wear and damage old pipes. A safer, more cost-effective way to reduce clogs is to pour a 2 litre bottle of cola down your drain and let it sit for about an hour. Then run hot water for about 1 minute to flush and repeat this process once a month, As the cola travels through the pipes, the combination of effervescence and phosphoric acid in the it scrubs the residue to prevent blockages.

Make a Great Barbecue Sauce:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of ketchup with 1 cup of cola and stir until thick. You can double this recipe of you need alrger quantity of sauce. Brush onto meat , grill and that’s that.

Give Compost Bin an Instant Boost:

If you compost pile looks like it could use a boost, you can give it a jump start. To speed up the breakdown, give your bin a doze of 1 litre flat cola every two weeks. If you have a small bin, reduce the cola to just a can. the cola will enhance the compost’s acidity while the sugar in the beverage will increase organic matter of the soil.

Erase Smudges From Sunglasses:

Do you have sunglasses that have lenses covered with dirty fingerprints? You can simply pour a few drops of cola onto a paper napkin or towel and wipe the lenses. The citric acid in the cola loosens dirt and grime for spotless, finger-print feww eyewear. Then just go over the lenses with a clean napkin dampeped with water to remove any residue.

Make Skunk Odor Disappear:

It can happen to anyone – your dog decides to chase a cute looking creature with white striped on its back – and you end up with a problem. You can always use the proven tomato juice, but what if you don’t have it on hand? Pour a can of cola directly onto your dog and massage it into the fur. Keep him outside for about 30 minutes to allow the cola’s acids to break down mercaptan (the odor-causing substance). Then shampoo and rinser as usual. Just one word of caution – use this method on darker coat dogs since cola colouring can be hard to get out of lighter animal fur.

Turn Wilted Grass Green Fast:

This happens all the time – kid’s pool left sitting on the lawn or any other object that will result in grass under it to wilt. To help the grass blades bounce back to life, combine a can of cola, cup of ammonia and 1/4 cup of dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake well to blend the ingredients and then thoroughly spray the faded spot. The high level of carbon dioxide give the lawn much needed food and water. Meanwhile, the ammonia enriches soil with nitrogen to promote speedy plant growth and the dish soap softens the soil to allow the roots to absorb the nutrients.

For detailed information about Coca-Cola, visit:

Coca-Cola Website

I hope you have enjoyed this information – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and much appreciated

1. To ripen avocados quickly, place them in a wool sock and set in a dark place.
2. To revive limp asparagus, try placing them in a tall pot with ice water in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3. Pickle juice should be saved and used for making coleslaw, potato salad, etc.
4. When making pickles, cut off ¼ inch from each end. The ends contain enzymes that may cause the pickles to soften.
5. Use a well-greased muffin tins to bake tomatoes, apples or peppers. They will keep their shape better.
6. If you cook your vegetables with a small amount of milk, it will bring out more colour
7. If you sprinkle salt into the water when you are washing vegetables, it will draw out insects.
8. When cooking onions or cabbage, boil a small amount of vinegar in a pan to remove the odours.
9. To prevent soggy salads, place an inverted saucer in the bottom of the salad bowl. The excess liquid will drain off under the saucer and the salad stays fresh and crisp.
10. To ripen a pineapple, cut off top, remove skin and slice. Place in a pot and cover with water, sweeten to taste, boil for 5 minutes, cool and refrigerate.
11. Oranges that need to be peeled for dishes should be soaked in boiling water for at least 5-7 minutes before peeling. This will make it easier to peel and remove all the white pulp.
12. If you sprinkle lemons with water and refrigerate them in a plastic bag, they will last a month or more
13. Salt will make grapefruit taste sweeter.
14. If you allow grapefruit to stand in boiling water for a few minutes, it will be easier to peel.
15. To make ripe olives taste better, soak them overnight in olives, place them in a brown be oil with a clove of garlic added.
16. To ripen fruit, place it in a brown bag in a dark place for a few days.
17. If citrus fruits are warmed in the microwave or warm oven for a few minutes, they will yield more juice.
18. Toss freshly cut fruit in lemon juice and it won’t darken. The juice of half lemon is enough for a quart or two of cut fruit.
19. Cook cranberries only until they “pop”- further cooking will make them bitter. And always use a teaspoon of butter to each pound of cranberries – it will eliminate overboiling and excess foam.
20. To eliminate the smell of broccoli, add a slice of bread to the pot
21. Cabbage odours can be container if you place a piece of bread on top of the cabbage when cooking in a covered pot
22. To keep cabbage red, try adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to the cooking water
23. To slip skins off carrots, drop them in boiling water, let stand for 5 minutes and then drop them into cold water
24. To keep cauliflower white during cooking, add lemon to the water. Overcooking tends to make cauliflower darker and makes it tougher.
25. The best way to remove kernels from an ear of corn is to use shoehorn.
26. A food brush will remove silk from corn.
27. Lettuce will not rust as quickly of you line the bottom of the refrigerator’s vegetable compartment with paper towels or napkins. The paper will absorb the excess moisture.
28. To keep mushrooms white and firm when sautéing them, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quarter pound of butter.
29. To shed fewer tears when slicing onions, cut the root off first, refrigerate before slicing and peel under running water,
30. When making stuffed peppers, coat the outside of the pepper with vegetable oil and it will retain its colour
31. Stuffed peppers should be cooked in muffins pans to retain their shape
32. To reharden potatoes, place soft raw potatoes in ice water for half an hour or until they become hard
33. When you store potatoes, place an apple with them and they won’t sprout.

I hope this information was helpful to you – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated!

Depending on where you live in the United States or Cananada water bills can range from $60 per month all the way up to an astounding $180 per month!

You can save quite a bit of money on your monthly water bill and put a bit more money back in your pocket through some very simple day to day actions.

For the record, we all have a responsibility to put forward our best efforts to conserve water. It’s a wonderful natural resource we need not only to survive but for our own health and the health of our kids – that should be everyone’s responsibility and focus.

More Garden Water Saving Tips