How to Arrange Dish Garden

                        Dish gardens are grown with cacti, succulents, foliage plants succulents such as cacti succulent crassula cacti succulents, echeverria, Sansevieria. Foliage plants such as Arabia, Dieffenbachia, miniature Varieties of coleus dracaena of Duranta, tradescantia, peperomia, spider plant and wondering Jews can be used.

               It is essential to group the plants and thrive under the same conditions of light and water requirement. The size of the plant should be in proportion to the dimension of the dish or tray used. Normally, ceramic or clay tray (with drainage holes) of any size or shape is suitable. Small pieces of nylon mesh should be used to cover the drainage holes and brick pieces, a course soil mixture of red earth, cow-dung manure and brick earth granules in equal proportions and miniature rock or white stones or marble pieces can be used.

               Glass containers like an aquarium when used should be watered sparingly as there is no drainage outlet.The rock, stones or drift wood can be placed firmly in position according to the layout; tall plants should be kept at rear or centre of the dish so that they will not block the view of smaller plants. A place where the plant will receive two to three hours of bright sun light is ideal for keeping the dish garden healthy. Watering is done only when the soil has dried up. If plants in the dish garden grows out of size then pruning is essential once in a month to keep them at the desired heights. Spraying liquid fertilizer (2 gm urea for 1 litre of water) is also essential.

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Pinching plants help branch out

When new gardeners hear about "pinching" plants, they're understandably puzzled.

Just where do you pinch them? And why?

The "where" is the growing tip. You can literally pinch off the tip between your thumb and forefinger, or - if you have a lot of plants - you can speed up the job by using scissors or grass shears to remove many growing tips with one cut.

The "why" is that cut stems branch out, resulting in a more compact plant with many more blossoms.

Chrysanthemums are one of the classic plants that gardeners pinch, often several times during the spring and early summer. Mums that aren't pinched back tend to topple in autumn under the weight of their blossoms. (Some of the new varieties, which have been bred for compact shape and better branching, are an exception. Pinch only the mums that grow tall and straggly.)

Gardeners who want to grow prize-winning dahlias like to pinch out all the side shoots and buds, allowing only one big flower to form on each stalk.

Annuals like snapdragon and lisianthus also respond well to pinching, resulting in bushier plants with many more flowers.

It's always good to pinch off growing tips of any annual that tries to bloom before it's well established in the garden, no matter how eager you are to see those first flowers. Over the long haul this summer, only strong plants with good roots will deliver top performance.

While pinching and shearing are great gardening techniques for producing more flowers, compact shapes and stronger stems, these procedures are not for every plant. If astilbe is cut back, for example, it may not bloom at all. The same goes for goatsbeard, foxglove, gas plant and queen-of-the-prairie.

Source

How to make a Bottle Garden

Bottle Garden always attracts interest. True bottle garden has a stopper of some kind on the top. It is a sealed environment. Moisture in air recirculates when it condenses. So you do not need to water plants.

The plants you use will depend on the type of bottle garden you make, do not use flowering plants. Clear glass is better than coloured glass and heavenly tinned glass. No chemical fertilizer should be used. If you cannot find a suitable bottle, try a sweet display jar.

Other materials required for arranging bottle garden are funnel, PVC pipe, Gravel, Charcoal teaspoon, for long stick, sieved mud, dry leaf mould, brick pieces and white pebbles.

First charcoal, gravel sand brick pieces are spread on the bottom of that clear bottle up to5cm. Then sand mould and sieved mud all are taken in equal proportions. They are mixed well, and then mixed soil is introduced through with the help of PVC pipe and funnel. The mixture should be filled up to 10cm in thickness. The bottle is gently shaken to settle down the soil. The level should not exceed half the capacity of the bottle.

Tie the spoon to end of one stick, using the spoon make small hole in the mud and balancing the plants between spoon and fork for planting carefully. You will have to remove some of the old mud from the roots before you put plant in the bottle. Planting should be carried out with at most patience and steady hand .Watering should be done very carefully using the PVC or plastic pipe and funnel until the soil get wet. Don’t make the planting media too wet .Any dirt sticking the side of the bottle should be wiped with cotton fastened to a bent wire. You should expect some condensation each day, but it will tend to clear and reform this shows that a balance has been achieved.

Bottle Garden doesn't need watering for a very long time.

Plants which grow best are sanseveieria, chlorophytum, asplenium nidus, philodendron, marantas, ferns etc.

Natural Ways to Control Garden Pests

Organic Alternatives
There are many natural ways to control garden pests and maintain a healthy garden without using chemicals

One of the easiest ways to get rid of the pests is them to pick them of the plants by hand(make sure you wear gloves). Aphids can be removed by removed by rubbing with a small soft brush or with your fingers, Caterpillars can just be picked off.

Lay planks or boards between rows of vegetables- snail will gather underneath then and can be picked off daily and disposed of in a bowl of salty water.

Recipes
There is an enormous range of organic detergents you can make yourself. But remember, don't spray unless you have to. Even safe, organic sprays are designed to kill the target, so do your homework and make sure you're killing the right insect.

Barrier Bands : Barrier bands wrapped around the trucks of trees will help prevent crawling insects from reaching the fruit and leaves. Make the band from old cotton sheet or a piece of socks. The insects hibernate in the band. Remove it regularly to dispose of the catch.

Beer traps(Snails) : These are very effective against snails. Mix up one part beer to two parts water and add a little brown sugar. Pour into a saucer nested into the soil so the lip is level with the ground and remove the snails daily. Alternatively, fill an old bottle with the same mixture and sink it to the ground level, emptying occasionally.

Chilli mix : This works well on ants and caterpillars. It is made from blending 2-3 fresh chillies with water and pure soap. This mixture also acts as repellent in kitchen. Also try blending2-3 chilli pepper, half an onion and a clove of garlic in water, boil steep for 2 days and strain. This spray won't damage plants and freezes well for later use.

Chives : Chives can be grown throughout the garden as an insect repellent and work particularly well in well planted at the base of fruit trees. Make up a garden spray by steeping a handful of chives in boiling water for an hour.

Citronella oil : Citronella oil is an effective personal insect repellent when rubbed on the skin. Unfortunately its strong odour is likely to repel more than just insects !!!. This will help prevent crawling pests like caterpillars and Mites from reaching the fruit.

Herbs : Herbs act as natural insect repellent – plants them throughout your garden and use them in herbal spray's.

Hot water : Hot water has a fatal effect on many insects. Soft bellied insects can't survive temperatures over 45°C, and beetles will die at 54°C. These temperatures won't harm even the most delicate plant.

Marigolds : Marigolds are excellent, planted throughout the garden. The pungent secretions of certain marigold special mask's the odours that repeal many harmful insects.

Milk : Milk is a versatile garden spray. Make up simple solution of one part milk to two parts water.

Onion : Onion is an effective repellent. Pour 500ml of boiling water over 1kg of chopped onion and stand for 24hrs. Stain and dilute with 20 litre of water. This is particularly good for the control of sucking insects like aphids, thrips mites ans scale. To use, pour about 600ml around each of the effected plant and repeat every 2 weeks until clear.

White Pepper : White Pepper dusted on vegetables will repeal caterpillars

Salt : Salt can be sprinkled directly on pests or used as a spray. Mix 50gm of salt with 4 litre of water. Particularly good for caterpillar control. Overuse can cause salinity problems.

Pure Soap : It is an essential ingredient for many sprays. Mix with 9 litres of water to make up a spray - effective control of aphids and caterpillars

Washing Soda : Washing soda is effective against fungi and mildew. Mix 250g of washing soda with 11 litres of water and 125g of soft soap. Don't use this mixture in very hot weather.

Garlic : Garlic is renowned for its insecticidal properties. Make up a good all-round spray by soaking 50g of chopped garlic with a tablespoon of mineral oil and 250ml of water. Allow the mixture to stand for 48hrs and filter. To make a spray, add 3 tablespoons of this concentrated solution. Garlic is also effective planted throughout the garden.

Grease : Ordinary axle grease smeared around the base of trees will prevent crawling pest like caterpillars and mites from reaching the fruit.

Secret of Training Indoor Plants

What is the place of room plants in schemes of decoration ? Most of the people would like to grow plants inside their house but most of them fail because they do not choose the correct plants and techniques.

Potting Mixture

One part of red soil, ½ part charcoal, ½ part cow dung, one part of sand. If moss is available add two hand full ( or coconut husk cut into very small bits) are mixed together.Before filling the above potting mixture into the pot two layer of broken bricks or pot bits are placed inside the pot and potting mixture is filled with the plant and watering is done and kept in shade for 10 to 15 days.

Techniques after Planting

The plant should not be kept in direct sunlight when kept outdoors, only under the trees which gives shade all time throughout the day. The plant is taken into a room and should be kept in side near a window if possible. Not under a fan or where the breeze of fan come in contact. Plant is kept for three days inside and again it is taken out and kept in shade for two days. Again it is taken into the room where it is allowed to stay for one week then again it is taken outside the room and kept in shade for four days (see that no direct sunlight come in contact with). Again plant is taken inside the room and kept there for two weeks. After two weeks take the plant out side the room and place it in shade as before for four days again take the plant inside. Keep the plant that is a month or so after this, the plants will like to grow indoors.

Watering

It should be done very sparingly because at this stage plants will use water very less. If dust is settled on the leaf wipe it with a wet sponge or take it out and wash it by spraying water on leaves. Some popular indoor plants arephilodendron, sansevieria, Ficus Elastica, Pteris Cretica, adiantumferns, Coffee plant

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Preserving Dried Flowers and Plants

Making a herbarium
Dried flowers make wonderful decorations that will last a long time and can be placed around the house in attractive arrangements in bowls and vases. Summer is an ideal time to harvest the flowers for drying because most gardens are at their best. The basic method of preserving flowers are air drying, burying and pressing the flowers in a drying materials. The method used depends on the flowers being dried but with all the methods there are a few simple rules you must follow other wise you might be disappointed with the result.

Blotting Paper
Blotting paper is one way of drying . Although the initial outlay for a supply is more than that of paper. The blotting paper can be re-used time and again, if it is handled care and dried out thoroughly, after each pressing.

Technique
If you want to preserve the plants and flowers which you collect .Before pressing the plant and flowers make sure that there are no insects in them. Remove any foreign matters you find .Once the insects are pressed it becomes difficult to remove them with out damaging the flower petals. Unless the stalk is a thin one, it is best to snip off the flowers and press it separately. Place one more blotting paper on top of them. Place about ten or more old news paper folded on top. Keep the blotting paper on a flat piece of wood put news paper folded on top. Put this press in a dry very ventilated spot and check every three or four days, if the papers are little damp replace them with new ones. Take particular care with flowers you will find them generally to loose colour as they dry. But you can improve this by ironing them, place the flower between two sheets of blotting paper and go over it with a warm iron (medium setting) when flowers and plants are completely dry after one or two weeks stick them on to a sheet of thick paper with fevicol.

Air Drying
This is the simplest method. Tie the stems together with a sturdy string or rubber band. Hang the flower upside down in a dry, dark airy room, such as an attic. The flowers will be dried in two to three weeks when the petals will feel crisps and the stems are brittle. Use this method for plants with head of tiny flowers. Most grass, grains, shrubs, branches and thick stems may be dried upright in an empty jar.
Burying in a dry material. Fragile flowers and those with large, soft petals, should not be air dried because the petals shrink and destroy the flowers shape. Such flower's should be buried in a drying material that absorbs moisture but allows them to retain their shape. Prepare the appropriate mixture before you pick the flowers so that you can begin preserving them while they are still fresh.

Sand
Use fine sieved sand, clean and dry (heat the sand for sometime and let it cool it before filling the tin or box). Put a thin layer of sand in uncovered tin or box. Cut off most of the stems, leaving about three inches. Place the flowers face down on the sand tin or box, spacing them so their petals don't touch each other and add more of sand on top until the flowers are covered. Place the box in a dark, dry location until the flowers feel crisp. Drying time is from one to four weeks. This method retain natural colour well.

Borax and Cornmeal
Recommended a 1:1 mix of these two ingredients, put a thin layer of the Mixture in a uncovered box. Cut Off most of the stems leaving about three inches. Place the flowers face up in box, spacing them so their petals do not touch each other and more of the mixture until the flowers are covered. Place the box in a dry location until the flowers feel crisp.

Silica Gel
This is a ready-made, very absorbent, fine-grained chemical. It works faster and is less dusty than the first two materials, but it is more expensive and it dries flowers so quickly, you must be careful to avoid over drying. Use the same procedure described for the other two desicants, but place the flowers upright in the box or tin. The flowers will dry in two days to a week. Check after a few days and if more drying time is needed reseal box or tin lightly.

Glycerine Method
Glycerine is excellent for preserving magnolia leaves, all kind of eucalyptus leaves etc. Cut foliage while crisp and fresh, crush about two inches of the stem ends with a hammer for easy absorption, then stand branches in a solution of equal parts of glycerine and water for about two weeks.