How to grow that perfect lawn

 The need for proper preparation is often overlooked in the rush to get the lawn into the ground. There seems to be a subconscious need to get that bare earth covered with healthy green lawn. This article reminds us of the need for care right from the start. For a full "how-to on lawn care look at How to grow a Perfect Lawn. Click here

First Aid for Hanging Baskets

Let's face it: Our houseplants aren't the most important things on our to-do lists, and even the most attentive gardeners will sometimes forget to water the hanging baskets. The good news is that unless the plants are completely dead, they can usually be revived.

Begin by clipping off dead flowers and browning leaves. See! It looks better already. Now cut back yellowing stems and stems with a good many yellowing leaves to encourage the plant to send out new shoots. If your plant has trailing stems, you may have to detangle the stems first to determine which are worth keeping. Complete article here

Choosing and Planting Roses in Your Garden

If you enjoy roses, you can use them functionally as well as decoratively around your grounds — as creepers, shrubs, vines, climbers, hedges or just as beds of pure colour. Rose originators are enthusiastic and tireless, and every year new favourites appear. Most recently the headliners were the bright floribunda rose, Jiminy Cricket; the soft, pure-pink hybrid tea rose, Queen Elizabeth; the bright" yellow peace rose.

There are over 5,000 varieties of roses in the United States, and once you start growing your own you are apt to change your preferences from season to season.

In selecting roses, it is important to get healthy plants. Stems should be green and un-shriveled, roots moist and partly fibrous. The most expensive rose is not always the best rose; it may be only a newcomer, much discussed and, therefore, a favourite.

In general, there are two types of roses and you can access the rest of the article here