Chantale Rivar Deditions

It doesn't matter if your garden is merely ornamental or you use it to grow your own fruits and vegetables - for a healthy garden this spring, you need to be making the necessary preparations now. But where to start? Well, reading this step-by-step guide towards growing a healthier and more attractive spring garden is as good a place as any! Put your green-fingers to good use now and reap the rewards next year of what you sow today.Give The Garden A TidyGarden debris can collect and mount up over November, December and January, so scoop up old leaves and stray branches with a fan rake to avoid damaging perennials in the soil or any young shoots above the ground. Grass, plants, fruits and vegetables will now grow free from obstruction and your garden will look a lot more welcoming!Compost: The Secret To A Healthy GardenThe role of compost cannot be underestimated when planning your spring garden. It encourages earth worms and other helpful garden creatures to come and aerate the soil, which in turn will fight off the kind of fungi and weeds that can turn a garden into a plant graveyard!There are many ready-prepared brands of compost available [more..]

Herbs can add a touch of magic to your garden with their supernatural associations and practical uses.Records show that herbs were in use in ancient Greece where they were valued as flavorings and for their fragrance. Certain herbs were also credited with mystical properties. Herbs were introduced into Britain by the Romans who also valued the reputedly supernatural powers of the plants, as well as their culinary and medicinal uses. In Britain, too, herbs became a focus of superstition, reaching their peak of importance in the Middle Ages when every village had its witch, and every witch her herbs and potions. Herbs were also used to combat the witches' powers; garlic, hyssop and wormwood all combated witchcraft and evil spirits.The medicinal qualities of herbs were even more important. In 1597 John Gerard, the London herbalist and apothecary, published his "Herball", a volume containing 1000 pages with woodcut illustrations of some 3000 plants. A rather smaller collection of some 400 plants was included in Nicholas Culpeper's Complete Herbal first published in c1640 and still available from bookshops today.For most of us today the main use for herbs will be as flavorings in cooking. A few plants within easy reach of your [more..]

Of all the plants you can grow in your garden, herbs are some of the easiest to care for. Of all the herbs you can grow mints tend to be some of the most reliable. Of all the mints, two very easy plants to find and keep alive in your garden are spearmint (Mentha spicata) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita). In fact, the most common criticism of these two mints is that they are vigorous growers to the point that they are generally considered to be invasive. Both mints are grown for the pleasant fragrant oil that is found in their leaves.Both mints prefers a nice loamy soil, with partial shade, and weekly watering. However, short of the desert or very deep shade, they should grow almost anywhere. Spearmint and peppermint are closely related, as peppermint is actually a hybrid of spearmint. This explains why they have a similar appearance and habit. Of the two I have found that spearmint has larger leaves and is more vigorous than peppermint.Spearmint and peppermint spread readily by underground rhizomes. I have found that you start with one patch, and then you will have more patches several inches away, and then more patches, etc. [more..]