My Two Cents Pertaining to Alan Titchmarsh Garden Spades

Really, as a gardener we’ll find you considering buying a garden fork UK or alternatively checking out those Bulldog garden spades — but of course, it’s taken the majority of human history to reach these heights. Rakes and forks are comparatively new adaptations, but as you know, the concept of gardens is as old as man. What we think of as a common leisure occupation first began prior to Ancient Egypt.

In Egypt gardeners worked by a blending of practical reasons, spirituality, and pleasure. The critical fruit and nut bearing trees and similar food-bearing plants would grow around pools of fish. Admittedly they consumed the majority of what was produced but some plants were cultivated in the name of their gods. Additionally, other roots, important to the temples, were grown in places far from the gardens. Other cultures, too, were famous for the creation of early gardens. These include the Babylonians, the Persians, as well as the Assyrians, all of whom also incorporated building projects of significant size into places. As you might imagine, another example of a civilization who practiced this was the Romans — the Greeks, however, dedicated themselves to the food potential of their farmland rather than the visual. In that era, hoes and spades were the recent innovations that forks or rakes would become for times to come — and that’s before examining the kind of raw materials put to use. They were made of stone in the earlier years, but were made out of iron, bronze, and copper as time passed.

The chaos of Europe’s Middle Ages pushed several nations to put down the simple spade and other garden tools — except for the priests, who grew some flowers and herbs. Bit by bit we returned to engineering flower gardens to enjoy. This movement advanced throughout the sixteenth century, at which point gardens became increasingly established and systematic. Some superb specimens still stand — hedge mazes and knot gardens, which were drawn from complex patterns.

Such rules are no longer mandatory, so there’s ultimately nothing to worry about — enjoy yourself, and don’t be embarrassed about musing on how to fix some bothersome garden forks deformity or studying some Water Feature reviews. Humphry Repton and those like him glanced at the guidelines — so fixed now that they were essentially fossilized — and threw away any that obstructed their plans, mingling a naturalistic outlook with carefully selected statuary and similar decorative touches. Obviously, things have changed over the centuries, but gardens are still tended for many of the same reasons. Nonetheless, they’re always some of the most beautiful settings in the world.

Temple Garlands and Country Gardens — the Gardener’s Proud History

Let’s be honest, as a gardener we’ll find you looking to buy garden tools in the UK or perhaps checking out your neighbor’s Alexander Rose Garden Bench — but let’s not forget, it’s taken centuries to reach this level. Hoes and forks are relatively recent developments, but don’t forget, gardens are as old as the human race. What we think of as a popular leisure occupation was already developing over 16,000 years ago. Early gardeners were guided by a blend of pleasure, practical reasons, and spirituality. The necessary vegetables as well as other edible vegetation would mingle with pools for fish. A small part of the garden was set aside, sacred plants planted and tended in the name of their gods. Still other plants, treasured by the temples, were grown elsewhere.

Other civilizations, too, became famous for the development of ancient gardens. The list also includes the Assyrians, the Babylonians, to say nothing of the Persians, and they often incorporated buildings of noteworthy scope into gardens. The Romans also truly delighted in tranquil gardens, though the Greeks did not. They tended plantations purely for food. In that era, hoes and spades were the recent labor savers that rakes and garden forks would be for times to come — and that’s before looking at the kind of raw materials used. They made them out of copper, bronze, stone, iron… the ages of history correspond well to the primary materials being employed. Progress was abruptly stopped during the Dark Ages. Gardening suffered, but even then, the churches practiced what had been learned.

Slowly we returned to the pastime of cultivating flower gardens to enjoy. Rules began to evolve, a formalized structure overseeing how the garden should, in the end, turn out. You’ve only got to appreciate the work invested in a hedge maze or knot garden for that to be obvious.

So if you’re investigating ways to fix some vexatious lawn rakes deformity or reading some lawn rake reviews, don’t forget that as time went on men like William Kent, Humphry Repton, and Lancelot “Capability” Brown relied on accessories like your own to create stunning designs. Humphry Repton and those like him examined the conventions — so codified now that they were practically stagnant — and threw away any that obstructed their vision, mixing a natural outlook with carefully selected statuary and similar decorative touches. Nowadays, their appearance may have altered but we still tend plants as our ancestors used to. You’d be hard pushed to discover a more picturesque place to be than a garden paradise.

Solar Fountains Are Not Challenging, but They Are Certainly Cost-Effective

Contradictory to popular notions, Solar Fountains are one of the cheapest means to ornament your terrace or garden, if you designcreate them on your own! You don’t require a lot - infact there are singular four things you require - a solar panel, wall part for ornamentation (or a bamboo spout), dc pump of low voltage, and a terracota bowl.

Homely to apply steps on Solar fountain DIY are:

    1. All you need to start off your designing for your solar fountain is a 1 watt solar panel. It produces adequate energy to keep your fountain up and running!
      DC pump that you select for your water pump have to have 2 essential features: they have to be submersible and they have to be little voltage.
      Openings are literally continuous - some choose to create their solar fountains attractive by making a Japanese themed shishi odoshi fountain, some do it by adding fairy figurines to the lion-figure wall fixture.
      Plug In all the parts - Link up the solar panel to dc pump. Uniting it is fairly simple - just draw one end through the shishi odoshi and the other end to pump spout. Commanding the flow of water can be finished by using a water pump that has governable input. And that’s it there is to making a solar fountain!
  • Solar fountain conception is truly homely if you observe the teachings listed above. They are definitely one of the most pleasing paths to economize money on your energy bills and have a ornamental ingredient in your patio.

    On Gazebos and Event Tents for Your Back Garden

    Easy-to-erect garden gazebos allow for impermanent protection in your garden for barbeques. Popup gazebos are also excellent for wedding parties and other spring and summer get-togethers where being outside is much preferred to being inside. So what to check for in respect to searching for an instant popup gazebo?

    An important issue to look for is that the gazebo has passed British criteria. If that’s the case, you can be reassured it’s been through the pertinent health and safety verifications. Nevertheless, it’s certainly a wise idea to verify this by oneself with a number of areas to look out for:-

    Matters of Health and Safety
    Your instant popup gazebo critically needs to endure a downpour. Is the shape of the popup gazebo given to water pooling? The material ought to be effortless to keep clean so one can get mud and juice smears off. The cloth ought to have a plastic covering to make it effortless to clean. Verify that all materials have a fire rating, as a big likelihood is that a barbeque will occur close to the popup gazebo at some point in time. And should the event tent collapse? Textiles need to be lightweight to prevent physical injury in this event, still the structure ought to be robust enough to make this situation improbable.

    Matters of Usability
    How effortless is the instant popup gazebo to put up? Does it have removeable panels, so that one can choose what side the door is? Are the fasteners easy to open and close for example zip? How many parts will the popup gazebo have? Are any of the pieces potentially easy to mislay? If that’s the case, can the parts be replaced easily? Will the instant popup gazebo include a holdall making it easy to transport?

    These are the sorts of questions to ask and issues to look for in regards to buying a popup gazebo.

    Great Reminders Apropos Marijuana Seeds for Sale

    While buying medical cannabis seeds, grade and trustworthiness makes all the difference. You should dodge being hustled while on the lookout for a vendor who boasts swift shipping and potent hybrid seeds. Let us discuss the things you should remember so you can dodge the typical risks and choose an approved seller for your collection. As always, the online suppliers nurture advantages over brick and mortar stores; best of these being range and fineness of stock. Consequently, you may purchase the variety you like at your chosen potency, instead of sorting through the few that may be available locally.

    There is, naturally, the issue of risk. We’ve found it’s tough to place absolute trust in the outlets locally — through no fault of theirs. For one thing, the domestics might be careful while offering their cannabis seeds, but there is still the chance that they might be followed or get caught. Remember that you could possibly be identified.

    Between obscuring the paperwork and guaranteeing there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the packaging, net merchants offer an amazing layer of discretion. Usually, this includes cash deals with tracking rather than making payments by electronic transfer. On the other hand, if you plan to make use of bank transfer, don’t panic — the records will be burned.

    You’ll appreciate now the need for a seedbank that won’t let you down. We know you’ll want frequent batches of seeds — and knowing that your supplier will be in business for the foreseeable future definitely doesn’t hurt. You ought to select yours by their renown. This prestige will appear as online columns and happy testimonials, a snap to get hold of in the modern age. Since your vendor is ready, decide on your strain. Significant aspects of your choice range between weeks flowering, harvest months, yield, individual plant heights, not to mention THC levels, so don’t skimp on your considerations. It shouldn’t need pointing out that you’ll have to take into account how to grow your plants. Hydroponics or soil — you might find a type that grows well in either, but it’s more possible that your selection will be restricted if so.

    And so we come to this point; and in this article you’ll see the majority of what you need when you buy cannabis seeds. We think you’ll affirm that this is certain to actually reward the effort.

    Build Own Solar Panel - Nine Rules for Separating the Gems from the Junk

    Buying used solar energy panels is a good way to reduce the high price of going solar at home. However, like anything else you buy used, you may shop rigorously to make your bucks go as far as possible. So what is the easiest way to judge used solar panels, how does one build own solar panel? These tips should help you to separate the gems from the junk.

    1) History matters - two panels of equal type, size and age will generally perform differently based primarily on their use history.

    Panels with higher numbers of cells can collect more energy and that corresponds to a higher wattage rating for that panel, BUT…

    This describes the amount of energy per square in. the cells will produce. This matters because a smaller panel with a higher potency rating can regularly output the same wattage as a larger panel with a lower potency rating.

    If you are going to power a controlled number of circuits, or even a single appliance, you have to know how much energy it uses and ensure the allotted panel ( s ) will handle it.

    2) Even new solar energy panels are only warranted to produce some number less than the stated wattage ( for example, a 200 watt panel may only be guaranteed to 180 watts ). This means it is better to use a panel that has a higher capacity than the application requires.

    Like the panels, inverters have a potency rating to think about. An inverter with a lower potency rating will lose more of the energy produced by the panels than one with a higher rating. The capacity of a high potency panel can be proscribed by a low potency inverter.

    It’s also helpful to test the individual cells inside a panel in certain circumstances. Sometimes an under-performing panel can be improved by re-wiring around a bad cell or two. If the price is right, this could be a smart move.

    3) Look for free panels that can be used for parts. If the cells are good, these can regularly be re-assembled into a new panel.

    4) if you intend to convert your home to solar power yourself, get a top quality instruction guide. It will definitely save thousands of bucks over the price of having it done professionally, and lead you step by step through the assembly and installation process, plus provide glorious info on where and how to find the components you want - including used panels.

    Garden Sheds Need Not Be Too Pricey when You Buy on the Net and Take Advantage of the Super Choice

    There are lots of sound reasons why you might need a shed and luckily there are sheds to suit just about every need. Cheap Garden Sheds can be purchased just about all over but what you will learn is the price will change enormously. You should not have to forego the shed you wish because it is too overpriced though. A shed is something you purchase once and utilize for a long time and when you have a look on-line you can discover cheap garden sheds at some pretty silly prices. I do not mean silly and cheap as in quality but as in price. You’ll find you can obtain the shed you need for the price of the one you were close to settle for a lot cheaper and if you own a garden that you tend to every day you will most likely require to look into Cheap garden sheds as a place to place the fertilizer, tools and water hose etcetera.

    Protecting your tools and having them easily accessible is a really good idea. You can find sheds online that are the identical sheds you’d buy in the store. As A Matter Of Fact, you can even go to the garden store and shop even spot them to find if it’s what you need and then go online and purchase it for a whole lot less. The difference in cost is significant!

    The Finishing Steps to Building Your Log Cabin: Roofing, Sid

    The Finishing Steps to Building Your Log Cabin: Roofing, Siding
    and Interior

    After the rafters are in place, you will be ready to put on the
    roof boards. These boards can be 5/8-inch by 6- or 8-inch
    tongue-and-groove boards. There are some exceptions to this
    which are covered in the next section.

    For siding, probably the most practical and easiest material to
    use as the exterior finish is wood. It has the advantage of
    coming in many different shapes, colors, and textures. It can be
    stained, painted, or left natural.

    As noted in previous articles, I have not specified that
    sheathing must be used. Plywood or one of the composition
    sheathings or diagonal sheathing boards may be used–in fact,
    should be used if you plan to use the cottage year-round at some
    time in the future. It should also be used if you are going to
    use plaster or plasterboard on the inside.

    The sheathing helps to stiffen your structure. One of the most
    common types of siding is the lapped bevel. Cedar is one of the
    popular woods from which this siding is made. It comes in 4-,
    6-, and 8-inch widths. The thick butt edge is usually 7/16 inch
    thick. The 10- and 12-inch widths have an 11/16-inch butt.

    The minimum headlap for 4- and 6-inch widths is I inch; widths
    over 6 inches should have I inches headlap. Hot-dipped
    galvanized nails should be used for applying the siding to the
    studs. If sheathing is used, try to nail through the sheathing
    to the stud.

    Rustic and drop siding as well as shiplap and matched siding are
    also popular. The first two should have a finished thickness of
    inch. The maximum width is 8 inches. Shiplap or matched siding
    should be a minimum of 25/32 inch thick. The maximum width is 12
    inches.

    Plywood is always a possible exterior finish. It is very
    important that it should be exterior grade–never use
    interior-grade plywood for exterior purposes. Cottage No. 2
    would look particularly attractive if it were finished with
    %-inch exterior-grade plywood.

    In this case I would nail the 8-foot length of plywood
    horizontally. The horizontal joints and nails would be covered
    with batten strips. Similar batten strips could be nailed
    horizontally every foot above and below the joint. This
    procedure would also keep the plywood from warping or raising at
    the edges.

    Be sure the vertical edge joints are joined at the mid-point of
    a stud. One of the best ways of finishing the exterior of your
    cottage is the use of vertical tongue-and-groove boards. This
    type of siding is usually nailed at the bottom to the sill, at
    the top to the plate and in the middle to a herringbone brace.

    In Hawaii the vertical siding is often used without any
    intermediate framing members. The roof load is actually carried
    by the siding. Shingles can also be used to cover the exterior
    of your cabin. I would suggest that you follow the instructions
    of the manufacturer for laying these.

    Usually the manufacturer recommends the use of sheathing. If
    plywood is used for sheathing, the shingles should be applied
    over l-by-2-inch nailing strips, and attached with copper or
    galvanized nails. Asbestos-cement shingles should be attached to
    the sheathing with barbed nails.

    Fiberboard sheathing is not acceptable as a nailing base for
    this type of shingle. Wood shingles should be attached to
    l-by-3-inch nailing strips which have been spaced according to
    the shingle exposure.

    There are many types of roofing materials that can be used on
    your cabin. To some extent, the choice of materials will depend
    upon whether the roof is pitched or flat. The table on page 120
    indicates whether you should use a roll or shingle type of
    roofing material.

    Asphalt shingles require a roof pitch of at least 4 inches to
    each lineal horizontal foot. When the pitch is this low, most
    manufacturers of roofing materials recommend that roofing felt
    or asphalt-saturated building paper be laid under the shingle
    roof. If your roof has any valleys, I’d suggest that you start
    your work by laying heavy roofing felt down the center of the
    valley.

    One layer of felt, 18 inches wide, should be laid face down.
    Then a second layer, full width, should be laid face up. After
    this is nailed down, you can start laying the under roofing felt
    or paper. Manufacturers’ recommendations vary, but you’ll be
    pretty safe if the edges overlap about 2 inches horizontally.

    Start with the lowest part of your roof. Let the edges of the
    paper overlap the end of the roof by 2 or 3 inches. This overlap
    should be cut later, a little under the first shingle course.
    The next layer of paper will overlap the lower one by 2 inches.
    Continue this process to the peak of the roof.

    When both sides of the roof are finished, lay one width of paper
    over the ridge pole. Short wide-head roofing nails should be
    used with this paper. When the paper has been put down, use a
    carpenter’s chalk line, which is impregnated with chalk, and
    snap the guidelines for the shingles. If your shingle exposure
    is 4 inches, you will want to snap chalk lines with this spacing
    all the way from the first course to the last at the top.

    You are now ready to start laying the shingles. The first course
    of shingles should be laid double and should extend % inch
    beyond the roof edge. The guidelines on the paper will align the
    overlap which each course will have. The last rows at the top
    will have to be cut; and a strip of granulated roofing paper, a
    metal cap, or a ridge piece, or shingles laid edgewise will be
    required to finish the top as shown in the illustration.

    Wood shingles are laid much as asphalt shingles are except that
    they are not butted on the sides. Leave a %-inch space between
    the shingles. The ridge piece can be made of wood strips as
    shown in the illustration.

    Roll roofing is one of the easiest types to apply. The
    accompanying illustration shows how this is done. You’ll note
    that there is an overlap that is cemented down and nailed. This
    overlap varies with the type of roofing felt used.

    One type has half of the width granulated, the remainder heavy
    felt. The granulated section is left exposed, and the felt part
    is cemented and nailed. This type can also be used on roofs
    having only enough pitch to drain the water, provided that the
    roofing boards are first covered with roofing mastic.

    Flat or pitched roofs can be covered with a number of materials,
    but one of the least expensive methods is to build up the roof
    with a number of layers of roofing felt saturated with asphalt
    binder. The illustration shows how this is done. A cold roofing
    compound or hot pitch may be used as a binder.

    Regardless of the above directions, be sure to follow the
    manufacturer’s directions for applying his particular roofing
    material.

    About the Author

    About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
    http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
    http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
    collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
    cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
    of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
    building a log home or choosing a house plan.

    The Most Popular Flower Fragrances

    What everyone is astonished at a flower, is its fragrance. There are different flower fragrances as there are different flowers. But some of them are less popular than others. That comes from the fact that people prefer specific flower fragrances and are indifferent to others. The most admired flower fragrances are the following ones:

    Roses. Roses are regarded as the finest of flowers, as the “queen of the flowers”. That is because of their incredible flower fragrance. Rose fragrance is used for making of many perfumes. There are two main species of roses: the Rosa centifolia (found in the south of France) and the Rosa damascena, known as Damask Rose, which can be seen mainly in the Arab countries. Roses were greatly used by the Greeks and Romans. The gathering of roses should be at night, because the rose fragrance is stronger before sunrise.

    Violets. The flower fragrance of violets has a wide variety. There are different kinds of violets, but the two most common are The Victoria Violet and the Parma Violet. Violets were largely used in perfumery, as well as in medicine. The essential oils that violets produced can nowadays be synthetically superseded by various chemicals.

    Orange flower. They are grown in the south of France, Spain, Italy and the north of Africa. Orange flower is associated with brides, mainly because of its fragrance, and because of its beautiful flowers as well. Its flower fragrance is one of the most popular for making different scents. The oils extracted from orange flowers are called “neroli”, after the Italian Princess of Neroli. She was the first to start using orange flower fragrance on her gloves. The oil of “petit grains” is obtained by distillation of twigs and leaves.

    Jasmine. This is another pure flower fragrance. Jasmine fragrance cannot be mistaken with anything else, as it is highly specific and brings intense pleasure to the senses. Jasmine is gathered before dawn, when its flower fragrance is at strongest. Taking care of the gathered jasmines is essential. Jasmines have to be processed immediately after picking, because their flower fragrance and freshness soon fades away. Another thing is that jasmines have to be put in special baskets where their natural look is preserved for a while.

    Lily. Lilies are the most commonly- grown flowers in everyone’s garden. That is because they are easy to grow. Their flower fragrance is fresh and light and it brings to mind beautiful thoughts. In between June and August is the bloom of lilies in every garden. Their trumpet-like shape of the flower can be seen in various tints and nuances. Lily can be planted either in autumn, or in spring. The flower fragrance and the beautiful colours make lilies liked by everyone.

    Ylang-ylang. Ylang-ylang has beautiful flower fragrance and is almost inevitably used when making all kinds of perfumery. The flower comes from southern Asia. Ylang-ylang should be gathered when its buds have been opened for several weeks. After picking, the flowers have to be quickly processed so that they retain their flower fragrance. The flower fragrance produces sensual delight in women, as well as in men. Another thing to be known about ylang-ylang is that its oil can easily be replaced by synthetic materials in cheaper perfumery.

    Plumerias. Plumerias are a sort of trees. Their flower fragrance is irresistible, and their colours are various. The flowers from plumerias are used in the Hawaian leis. The Polynesian people value them very much, because they are durable and soft-scented. Their colours differ from white and yellow to red, violet, pink and other multiple pastels. Once picked, a flower retains its good look and flower fragrance for several days, if kept in water. Another specificity about plumerias is that the blooming of flowers lasts about 3 months, with new flowers being produced on the tree daily.

    Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click Flower Fragrances

    Growing and Caring for Rhododendrons and Azaleas

    Azaleas can be either evergreen or deciduous. Deciduous Azaleas are known as Mollis or Exbury Azaleas. They bloom in the early spring with vivid orange and yellow colors. They can be grown from seed if the seeds are collected in the fall and sown on top of moist peat at about 70 degrees F.

    Evergreen Azaleas are known as broad leaf evergreens because they do not have needles. They bloom later in the spring, and are usually propagated in the fall over bottom heat discussed in detail at http://www.freeplants.com Rhododendrons are also broad leaf evergreens and are also propagated over bottom heat in early winter.

    The best time to prune Rhododendrons and Azaleas is in the spring right after they bloom. These plants start setting next year’s flower buds over the summer, and late pruning will cost you some blooms next year, so get them pruned as soon as they finish blooming. It’s also a good idea to pick off the spent blooms so the plants don’t expel a lot of energy making seeds, unless of course you’d like to grow them from seed. But keep in mind that they don’t come true from seed.

    Seeds from a red Rhododendron are likely to flower pale lavender. Cuttings ensure a duplicate of the parent plant. How do you prune Rhododendrons and what does pinching a Rhododendron mean? These are frequently asked questions.

    Pinching is a low impact form of pruning that is very effective for creating nice, tight full plants when you are growing small plants from seeds or cuttings. Typically a Rhododendron forms a single new bud at the tip of each branch. This new bud will develop into another new branch, another bud will form and the process will continue. If left alone this will produce a very lanky plant with a lot of space between the branches, forming a very unattractive plant.

    So if you are starting with a plant that is nothing more than a rooted cutting all you have to do is pinch off this new growth bud as soon as it is about 3/8″ long. Just grab it between your fingers and snap it completely off. When you do this the plant usually responds by replacing that single bud with two, three, or even four new buds in a cluster around the bud that you pinched off. Each one of these buds will develop into branches and eventually a single bud will appear at the tip of each of these branches, and of course you should come along and pinch each one of those off, forcing the plant to produce multiple buds at the end of each of these branches.

    The more often you pinch off these single buds, the more branches the plant will form, making a nice, tight, full plant. This is especially helpful with young plants such as rooted cuttings or young seedlings.

    But what about larger plants, how do I prune them? I prune mine with hedge shears!!! I just have at it and trim them like I would a Taxus or a Juniper, and guess what? The result is a very tight compact plant loaded with beautiful flowers. My Rhododendrons are so tightly branched that you cannot see through them, and that is the result of vigorous pruning with hedge shears. Sure you can use hand shears, and you’ll have a nicer plant because of it, but I just use the hedge shears because that’s the tool that I happen to have in my hand as I am going by.

    Keeping Rhododendrons and Azaleas healthy and happy is as simple as understanding what they like. First of all, they like to grow in a climate that suits their tastes. Many varieties of both don’t like it in the north, and to prove the point they will up and die as soon as extreme cold weather hits. Buy plants that are known to be hardy in your area.

    Here in zone 5 (northern Ohio) the following Azaleas seem to do well: Hino Crimson (red), Stewartstonia (red), Herbert (lavender), Cascade (white), Delaware Valley (white), and Rosebud (pink). Hardy Rhododendrons include Roseum Elegans (pinkish lavender), English Roseum (pinkish lavender), Nova Zembla (red), Lee’s Dark Purple, Chinoides (white), and Cunningham’s (white).

    How should you fertilize Rhododendrons and Azaleas? These broadleaf evergreens are laid back and like to take it slow and easy. Do not fertilize them with quick release nitrogen fertilizers, it could kill them. Instead give them an organic snack, like Millorganite or well rotted cow manure or compost. Millorganite is an organic fertilizer made of granulated sewage sludge.

    No, it doesn’t smell any worse than other fertilizers, and plants like it because it is plant and soil friendly. It won’t burn the plants, and it actually reactivates the micro-organisms in the soil. That’s a good thing. Most full service garden centers carry Millorganite.

    A long time ago somebody let the word out that Rhododendrons are acid loving plants, and people are always asking me if I think their struggling Rhododendron needs more acid. The answer is no. Your struggling Rhododendron probably needs a great big gulp of oxygen around its root system.

    Rhododendrons do not like wet feet. They don’t even like high humidity let alone wet soil around their roots. They like to be high and dry, and like an unobstructed flow of oxygen to their roots. You can accomplish this by planting them in a bed raised at least 10″ with good rich topsoil. They will be smiling from branch to branch.

    A few years back my friend Larry and I had several hundred small Rhododendrons that we were going to grow on to larger plants. We planted most of them in Larry’s backyard which is fairly good soil, but a little sticky. We didn’t have room for all of them so we planted the last 105 down the road from my house in a field we were renting. (Never heard of anybody renting a field? You should get out more.)

    This location had absolutely no water for irrigating and the soil was very dry and rocky. Other plants at that location often struggled during the dog days of summer due to the lack of water, but those Rhododendrons were as happy as pigs in mud. They outgrew the ones at Larry’s house by twice the rate and we sold them years earlier than the others.

    My point? Rhododendrons don’t like wet feet. They do well in the shade, but contrary to popular belief they do even better in full sunlight.

    You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

    Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com

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