The bamboo plant is actually a type of grass that is found mainly in the tropical regions of the world. As such, these plants have acclimatized to areas with warm weather and high rainfall. They are beautifully simple plants and for this reason, many people choose to grow them indoors. Bamboo is a relatively easy plant to care for if you follow a number of tips.

How Do You Take Care Of These Things?

To ensure that your bamboo remains healthy, you must first realize that they need high humidity and warmth. If you keep this in mind, the rest will follow.

When you have purchased your bamboo, situate it in a spot that is sheltered, but has a balance of light and shade. This will allow the plant to acclimatize to living indoors. Do not fertilize the bamboo when you get it home as it was most probably already fertilized in the nursery.

The amount of water that your bamboo will need will depend upon the microclimate in its position. If you find that the soil dries out fast indoors, a deep soaking water is the best option to prevent it from stressing as a result of not enough water. This may not necessarily mean it has to be watered daily; each plant has to be treated according to its individual needs. If the leaves of the plant are curling, it will need more water: drooping leaves suggest it is getting too much.

A great way to care for the watering needs of your bamboo is to “mist” it. A pebble tray is also a wise choice. Misting will replicate the conditions that the bamboo would experience in nature. A pebble tray is a simple tray filled with pebbles and enough water so that the pebbles can just be seen above the surface. The pot containing the bamboo is put on top of the pebbles making sure that it does not touch the water.

It will become easier to care for your bamboo once you have had some practice. There may be times when you will have to place the bamboo palms out into your garden to allow it to obtain the necessary amount of sunlight, or alternatively you can place lights near the plant to replicate sunlight and help the plant achieve photosynthesis.

For Bonsai enthusiasts, the ficus tree is the tree of choice. It is easy to grow, cultivate, and shape compared to most exotic species and does well when “miniaturized.” Most students are introduced to the art of Bonsai through the ficus tree.

Of course, the ficus is not the only tree used when making miniature Bonsai, but it is the favored one. They just have distinct advantages over other types of tree. They are generally more resilient than other species, they take to “miniaturization” well, and they are fairly easy to trim and manipulate during the art of Bonsai.

Choosing a good ficus to start with is important, whether you’re a master or a beginner. Getting a good tree from the nursery will start your Bonsai experience right. A strong, healthy tree is paramount to success and the people at a reputable nursery can help you. Their job is knowing plants, so if you need a good one, they can point it out. When you’ve got the right ficus tree to being with, you can then start the Bonsai process.

Your first order of business once you have a new ficus tree is to re-pot it. Transferring it to its new, permanent home is where the Bonsai art begins. Find a pot that is the right size for your intended use of the tree (very small for table top use, larger for corner or shelf display). The size of the final container will decide the size of the tree, with a smaller container restricting the ficus tree’s growth to the size you wish it to be. The pot will also need to match the dcor of the room it will be in as well as facilitate proper watering and fertilization of the ficus.

Once the pot has been chosen, allow your plant to “dry” for a couple of days. By not watering for a day or two, the soil will dry out and the tree itself will begin to strengthen its roots for deeper growth. Transferring to another pot is much easier when the soil is dry and the roots are stronger. Prepare the new pot before the transfer, putting the base soil and rocks in and having the potting mix and other items ready. After transferring the ficus tree, gently pack in the new soil around it, but don’t use too much. The amount of soil you use will determine how large the tree will grow.

The art of Bonsai is a learned skill and the master understands the symmetry between pot size, soil composition and depth, tree care, and the elements that make for a well-designed Bonsai masterpiece. Don’t expect your first Ficus benjamina tree to be perfect, but do expect to learn a lot in the process of doing it. Soon you’ll be able to choose the right ficus tree for your expectations in designing your next Bonsai creation.

A popular and enduring garden decor theme is the “enchanted” garden.In them you will find delightful expressions of whimsy such as faeries and water nymphs, frogs of all description and gnomes, surrounded by a bright and cheerful display of many varieties of wildflowers.

Many of the “old” religions viewed gnomes as those who tendered the earth and took care of its wealth. Many people now have gnomes in their gardens and they can be found in many styles and characters. Some gnome statues also have solar lights and these provide charming illumination in the enchanted garden. It is thought that having a gnome in your garden will ensure that the plants grow healthy, though its “lucky” properties. No enchanted garden is complete without at least one gnome!

Everyone knows that including faeries in your garden will increase your chances of receiving little “gifts” from them, if they like you. Some faeries are known to be “naughty” creatures, but most of us now disregard this element, especially if you have read William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

A most popular and decorative enchanted garden feature, faery statues come in a huge variety of styles, sizes and colours. As with the garden gnome, a faery statue that incorporates solar lighting is both a practical and attractive addition to the garden. Some faery statues come complete with a crystall ball or a gazing water dish.

A third popular enchanted garden design element is the angel and these too come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some angels are child-like, such as cherubs, whilst others are depicted as more “adult” in appearance. Whichever you choose, they are sure to be “at home” in an enchanted garden.

One style of angel statue that you may consider for your garden is one that has a solar light in the form of a ball, upon which the angel rests her head. At night, the light emits an almost ethereal glow, suggesting a halo around the angel’s head.

Yet another also uses solar lighting, yet this time the angel is holding a ball in in the palms of her hands in a gesture of offering. The illumination at night adds to the ethereal quality of the statue.

Many cultures, particularly Asian, perceive the frog as a symbol of prosperity and luck, or of fertility and abundance. Coupled with non-dangerous desert plants such as flowering cacti, one’s particular garden becomes a home for positive vibes. As such, any enchanted garden will benefit from the careful placement of a frog statue or two used surrounded by Euphorbia and many other desert plants in the Cactus family.

As with the other elements, there are many frog statues and solar lights from which to choose. Different colored plastic lenses can add to the mood of the garden at night.

It is vital that, in any landscaping project, a pest control program is included. Unwanted insects and other problems will be attracted to the newly created environment because of the seemingly inexhaustible food supply, nicely damp soil and ideal breeding ground. Here are a few ways that you can maintain control over these pests.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes thrive in moist conditions and they will breed in any puddle. They can be eradicated using repellants, but a better alternative is the mosquito magnet. Repellants contain chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment. Mosquito magnets kill mosquitoes without the use of these chemicals. The magnet releases a gas that resembles human breath to a mosquito and it is attracted to the machine, where is succumbs to dehydration.

Regardless whether you use a magnet or another way to get rid of mosquitoes, you should follow these rules to reduce the amount of mosquito breeding in your garden:

* Rid your garden of any pools of still, stagnant water.

* Clean any areas that collect water, such as a birdbath, daily to kill any mosquito larva.

* Keep any ponds or pools aerated and in the case of swimming pools, maintain the chlorine or salt level at all times.

* Any aquatic plants in ponds will attract mosquitoes, so check them regularly.

* Fish and other aquatic animals will eat mosquitoes, so fill your ponds with these.

* Drip irrigation will water your plants, but the soil surface will remain relatively dry.

Earwigs

These creatures are readily seen in gardens that have accumulated piles of lawn cuttings, leaves and foliage. Here are a few ways to rid your garden of these pests:

* Make it a regular occurrence to clear the garden of such debris.

* Some mulch can result in an infestation of earwig, so check your mulched areas regularly.

* Use the drip irrigation as in the case of mosquito control to maintain a dry soil surface.

* Include “bird friendly” features in your landscape. The birds will be a natural controller of the earwigs and other pests.

Controlling Animal Pests

Most gardens will seem attractive to animals. Some areas prevent the killing of these pests, so it is best to discourage them from entering your property.

Here are some tips to discourage animals such as groundhogs, moles and rabbits from coming into your yard:

* Maintain your fences and ensure they are pest proof.

* Rid your garden of areas where the animals may hide out, such as tall grass, weeds and leaf piles.

* Use objects such as pinwheels as “scarers” around your fence to discourage the more timid animals.

* Use traps that will capture the animal humanely, allowing you to free them into the wild.

Live Animal Traps

These are as they suggest, a trap that captures the animal alive, allowing for it to be released some distance from your home. There are a number of these traps available, but the best are the havahart traps. They are easy to use and come in a number of sizes. They are safe to use around children and pets. You can purchase these online from the website havahart.com.

Organic Pest Control Methods

Common organic products, most of which came from plants sources and are readily available and you may even have at home, can be mixed together to make anti-pest formulas that are powerful enough to kills pests but are not harmful to humans or to the environment. Such organic products include insecticidal soap, Neem oil, horticultural oil and seeds of various plants eg Pyrethrims. With some knowledge you can easily make your own at home.

Cuttings that have successfully developed into small plants will need be transferred from small pots to 5 inch pots as they grow. Ideally, this should be performed just as the roots reach the side limits of the pot and before the plant becomes “pot-bound”.

Be very careful when repotting that you do not remove too much of the soil around the root ball and that the plant is placed straight and upright in its new pot. The plant should then be treated as per repotted plants.

The use of a portable potting tray

A portable potting tray is very useful for people who do not have a greenhouse or potting shed. It can be made from 6 inch boards: the ideal size is a base of 24 x 15 inches, sides and back 9 inches deep and the front around 4 inches.

Seed raising of house plants

There are a number of house plants and in door plants that are easy to propagate from seed. These include Aloe, a succulent plant with medicinal qualities, species of Asparagus, some of the Begonias, many examples of Cacti, Clivias, Cyclamens, members of the Eucalyptus family, varieties of Fuchsia, Grevilleas including G. robusta, Opuntia, the Phoenix palm, Primulas, Ricinus, Rochea (another succulent), hybrids of Saintpaulia and Solatium capsicastrum.

The best compost

Seeds, including those above, can be sown in top quality rich potting soil.

If you decide to use compost it should be sterilized by heating it for approximately 10 minutes in a sterilizer at around 180 degrees F, then allowing it to cool before use by spreading it out on a level surface.

Cheshunt Compound sterilizer, which can be purchased at any seed store can also be used to sterilize compost. It is a powder that, when dissolved in water, can be lightly sprayed over the compost either before or after sowing the seeds. It is safe to use for both humans and the smallest seedlings. You can also sterilize equipment such as seed boxes and pots this way, rendering them pest free. A good compost for seeds can be made by adding peat, sand and fertilizer to sterilized loam.

Seed compost preparation

All ingredients to make the soils for repotting houseplants should be carefully mixed after being sifted through 1 inch mesh. In repotting plants, fill the bottom of the pots or seed pans with the larger pieces from the siftings to cover drainage holes before filling them with the finer compost. It should then be pressed down slightly with the fingers and then made moist by placing the pot in a water tray, making sure that the water does not come above the rim (the water has to come up through the compost). Once the surface of the soil appears moist it should be taken from the tray of water and allowed to drain for some time before any seeds are sowed. Seeds should be sown sparsely then covered with more sifted compost. Covering depth of the seeds is dependent upon the size of the seeds; generally, the smaller the seed, the finer the cover and larger seeds should have a coverage in proportion to their largest diameter.

Once the seeds are sown and covered, panes of glass can be used to cover them and sheets of paper can be used as shades.

Tilting the glass to afford air

Turn the glass panel over each day to prevent condensation dripping on to the soil as this can promote decay. Once the seedlings appear, remove the paper shade and begin ventilation. This can be achieved by raising one side of the glass slightly ( a plant label between the panel and the pot works well).Continue this until it is safe to remove the covering completely.

It is rather surprising the number of people who will purchase an indoor plant from a nursery and then leave them in the plastic pot they came in. So, what’s wrong with that? Simple! These pots were not designed to be permanent homes for the plants. Indoor plants require appropriate containers that allow room for their root system to expand and develop.

The Terra Cotta Pot

The most commonly used indoor plant pot is one that is made from terra cotta, meaning “baked earth”. This style of pot is made from clay that has a high nutrient content. The clay is formed into the desired shape and fired in a kiln. If left unpainted, the pot is a rich orange color.Such pots can be given a unique painted treament by you. Alternatively, you can purchase from a wide range of pre-glazed pots. Most pots have a central drainage hole in the base of the pot, so you will also require a matching saucer to catch any overflow of water from the pot.

Sturdy, Strong Ceramics

A ceramic pot does not come unglazed as it does not have the same attractive qualities as a terra cotta pot. The glaze adds to the strength and durability of the ceramic as well as being decorative. There is an enormous range of styles, sizes and colors of ceramic pots available for purchase from a number of specialty stores including nurseries and craft stores. Because many of these pots do not come with a drain hole, it is wise to choose them only for plants that do not require drainage.

Resin or Plastic Materials

Worried about breakages? A great alternative to terra cotta or ceramics, resin or strong, flexible plastic pots are made using special molds to create a huge range of styles, shapes, sizes and colors. Resin’s flexibility and ability to be colored in an almost infinite range of shades allows you to choose a pot to suit your home’s decor.

Galvanize Yourself

Galvanised metal containers are ideal for the person who is wanting to achieve a relaxed “country” atmosphere in their home. The galvanising process prevents the pot from rusting. Whilst there are purpose-built galvanised plant pots available, you may consider hunting around for a truly “rustic” piece such as a tub or bucket. The advantage of these pots is that drainage holes can be drilled as required into the base and a tray positioned under it to catch the overflow.

So you can see that there are many styles of “homes” for your new plants like for example the yucca plant, so be sure to purchase the pot at the same time as the plant and don’t forget the proper plant care. You won’t have any excuse then for not “re-housing” the plant!

You can easily add beauty to your garden by adding a retaining wall that adds architectural interest to your lawn or flowerbed. Constructing a retaining wall is a relatively easy task but does require a certain amount of effort. Your wall must be strong enough to hold back the pressure of soil, and yet porous enough to allow for drainage.

Walls are usually built of stone. In using stone for a retaining wall, there are two basic types of construction: dry wall, wherein earth is the filler between the stones, and mortar, which uses cement as a bonding agent.

The base of any retaining wall must be about 6 inches into the ground, below the average frost line. The width of the base should equal 1/4 the height of the wall. The wall can taper to a width of about 1/4 the width of the base.

At intervals of about 2 feet at about 6 inches from ground level, drainpipes should be embedded, Some walls are porous enough without drainpipes, but if mortar is used, these pipes will be essential.

In dry wall construction it is possible (although not advisable) to start at ground level without sinking the wall below the frost line. The cheapest way to construct a dry wall is to choose local stones; large ones for the foremost stones and smaller ones for the cracks. Large stones should always form the base of the wall and the sides of the wall should be as level as possible. Stones with rounded surfaces should be discarded. They typically do not form a high-quality wall.

The edges of the stones should overlap one another and should be left in good bond. You should avoid leaving vertical cracks and any small spaces should be filled with earth and small stones or pebbles.

The wall itself should slope slightly and lean back against the soil it is to retain. This will you’re your wall greater strength. In most cases, the wall will slope as much as 5 to 6 inches for each foot in height.

Using a retaining wall as a wall garden as employed in most landscape designs enhances the beauty and the strength of a dry wall . It may take on a mossy and aged appearance simply by green planting within the crevice soil. A greater degree of color can be obtained by planting flowering plants whose roots will serve the additional function of holding the wall together. A pool landscape surrounded by flowering plants like as azaleas, alyssum, evergreen candy-tuft, heather, phlox, garden pinks, sedum, snowy rock cress, and creeping veronicas; are excellent landscape ideas for this purpose.

Mortared walls entail somewhat easier construction than do dry walls. The mortar serves as the bond and it is not as essential to match the stones. For the masonry wall, a cement mixture of 1 part cement and 2 parts sand will make a good bonding agent. Mortar should be liberally applied to form a bed for each stone as it is applied. The chinks between stones should be well-filled with pebbles or gravel. A mortared wall is more permanent than a dry wall and is also easier to construct.

Trees and shrubs are grown and looked after in much the same fashion. The major differences rest in the height of course, the fact that trees have just one trunk, while shrubs have multiple stems or trunks.

What was once a limited selection has now blossomed into a large variety of different shrubbery choices, thanks to the creation of several hybrid models of shrubs. Many of these shrubs have been adapted to grow in certain regions and conditions and at varying times of the year, making them perfect for areas that were otherwise restricted in their shrubbery choices. Shrubs can be used to cover bare patches of ground where growing grass has become difficult, or in depths that make it possible for the shrub to act as a privacy screen.

Shrubs also make great boundary markers, without having to rely on more artificial constructs like fences. They also have great decorative appeal, softening the lines between buildings, and serving as a perfect backdrop for flower beds. They add color, shape and variety to any garden or yard, with many of them producing colorful blossoms during their growing season, or attracting birds to feast on their berries.

Planting shrubs does differ slightly from planting trees. Shrubs should ideally be planted in the spring, giving them a long stretch of time to get established and acclimated. In areas where the temperature is relatively constant year-round this is less of a concern, and shrubs can be safely planted in the fall or even winter.

Like with planting flowers, a chief concern before planting should be to maintain moisture in the roots of the shrub. Water them as soon as possible after bringing them home, and continue to mulch the ground around their planting and shade them from sunshine after first planting. Pruning is also vital, and the older the shrub, the more this will be required. As such you may wish to buy less expensive, smaller shrubs, not only to save yourself money, but additional work as well. Also remember to water well in the fall before the ground freezes in areas with cool winters, as the leaves will lose moisture throughout the winter months.

Back to pruning, it’s a common practice with shrubs to cut all branches to an even length, which isn’t the ideal way to improve your plant’s health. You should focus on removing the older branches on landscaping shrubs, even though they may not have anything wrong with them. This will keep your shrub young and healthy, and prevent any problems before they happen. Most shrubs will need to be pruned yearly, especially in areas with harsher winters where the branches will suffer from winterkill. Shrubs such as azaleas and magnolia should have their flower heads pruned after blossoming.

There are a variety of instances where outdoor projects will pop up that need to be completed quickly, especially when they involve an integral aspect of the house such as roofing. Depending on the time of the year and your work schedule or other duties, it may be very difficult to find the time to fit these projects in during daylight hours.

This will necessitate undertaking these projects at night, which will all but require you to find a good source of outdoor lighting suitable for the task. Thankfully there are a variety of outdoor lighting choices suitable for personal and industrial use. These light sources can keep the work running smoothly and on schedule, and most importantly, being performed safely.

Spotlights are a good choice of lighting for both personal and business uses. These lights can provide a large swath of light over an area, making it easy to perform even delicate work. They can also be shifted in their position to shine their light over a different area, should the work move to a different location.

For work that requires constant movement between multiple locations a more portable lighting source would probably be better. For work in a backyard area a floodlight that covers much of the backyard should be able to handle any work that needs to be done.

You may also consider having permanent light poles installed around the front of your house, along the street sidewalk, the walkway up to your front door and in the area around your garage or parking lot. These can help with any evening work that ever needs to be done in those areas, and also makes your home safer and more inviting at night.

Even when not doing work it’s important to have a well lit home at night. When you have children in your home especially, you’re bound to have all manner of toys and gadgets strewn about the lawn, walkways and driveways that may be tripped over if you’re not careful and don’t have adequate night-time lighting.

If you don’t want lighting of this nature on throughout the entire evening, you can go with motion sensitive lights or outdoor solar lights, which will safely show you the way around when you’re in the area and shut off once you’re gone. This can save you a good deal of money on your electric bills. These lights are also good for alerting your presence to someone else around your property if you can see them turn on from inside the house.

Pachira Aquatica, also known as the Braided Money Tree is a unique and stylish plant that can add an exotic taste to anyone’s home. This plant features multiple trunks which wind around each other and can reach up to seven feet in height. There is also a bonsai version which can grow as large as a foot in height.

On top of these winding trunks sits a plentiful patch of green foliage, creating a great contrast of brown trunks against green peak. It’s one of the more natural looking plants you can add to your garden, and will do well to offset the often bright, contrasting colors of a variety of flowers. The bonsai version is a great choice for an indoors garden.

Caring for bonsais takes some time and planning. If you’re planning on growing one from scratch you’ll really need to study up on the matter and make sure you know what you’re getting into, as it can be an exacting process. Acquiring an already developed plant would be your best bet, and the one most people will choice.

Even more than most plants, watering is very important. Not just the watering but also the soil and pot as well, as these will facilitate how well the bonsai can drain the water. The pot should contain at least a couple holes for drainage, and these should be covered slightly so as to let water drain through without the soil seeping out. Small rocks should do fine for this purpose. The soil itself should be a loamy mixture of small pebbles and soil.

These bonsais don’t need much water, once a week should do the trick, but this depends on the soil and pot. The soil should dry out between watering, and recognizing the proper amount of moisture in the soil will go a long way to maintaining a healthy bonsai. Too much moisture and the leaves will wilt and yellow, too much and they’ll become wrinkled and curled. In addition, you should also mist the leaves lightly with a spray bottle to give them some moisture and remove any dust particles.

Placing the bonsai in an area with a good deal of sunshine is perfect, but this should be indirect sunlight. More than a couple of hours of direct sun, or being in an area that is too hot in general is poor for the plant’s health like in ficus care. An area with a small bit of sun followed by shade is ideal, and this is most commonly found in the corners of rooms. You can freely move the plant around as needed though if a good permanent spot is proving difficult. The plant should also be kept away from areas that are too cool. If the bonsai is kept on a porch or deck, be sure to bring it in on nights where the temperature is expected to dip below 50 degrees.

Compared to some plants, Braided Money Trees have a fairly simple and easy maintenance routine. By following these few simple guidelines you’ll be sure to have a unique and striking plant for many years to come.