Do you love the beauty and color of flowers but cringe at the thought of the maintenance required for their upkeep? If your colorful blooms have a tendency to turn brown and crunchy from neglect in the hot Austin sun, there may be some flowers made just for you. Flora native or adapted to the Austin area thrive where others perish, resisting drought, pests and other hazards. Just choose your plants wisely and you can have fabulous landscaping for your property with little work.

There are many benefits to growing native plants. In addition to saving on water and fertilizer you save on time by choosing plants that thrive in the unique climate of Austin Texas. Your gardening is also more enjoyable when you are not fighting mother nature in an attempt to grow plants that are not suited to the Texas Climate. It is also nice to help maintain the original ecosystem of your locale by promoting local plants and flowers.

Perennials are an essential part of a vibrant landscape, and a beautiful choice for any Texas flowerbed is Cedar Sage. A shade lover, Cedar Sage has bright red spiky flowers that bloom spring through summer and can bring a pop of color to an otherwise gloomy spot in your yard. Sage comes in several other varieties, too, including Majestic Sage, Mealy Blue Sage and Mexican Sage bush all of which produce beautiful flowers and require very little water, just like Cedar Sage.

Trailing Lantana is another great choice, especially when used as a ground cover. It is very tolerant of poor conditions, highly drought resistant, and its lavender flowers are very attractive to butterflies.

Purple Cone Flowers, also know as Echinacea, require a little more water than the previous plants, but they are nonetheless exceptional specimens for an Austin garden. These daisy-like flowers are a Texas native and produce violet or white blooms. Preferring sun or partial shade, they can be planted almost anywhere.

Mexican Honeysuckle is another low-water plant. It displays its orange flowers spring to frost, attracting hummingbirds with its sweet smell. It only requires an occasional pruning to encourage full growth.

Ornamental grasses are another option for sprucing up your landscape, and there are many hardy varieties to choose from, such as Big Muhly, Little Bluestem and Dwarf Fountain Grass. Some grasses can be quite invasive, so be careful where you plant them, because they will thrive and take over.

These are only a few of the many ideal plants for your Texas landscape. There are a multitude of choices available out there, so next time you go to a nursery, make sure you do your homework first or ask the people running the nursery which plants and flowers are native to Texas. The city of Austin has worked to promote a green and environmentally friendly city. The city of Austin has a Grow Green plant list featuring native and adapted landscape plants that thrive in Texas. By planting smart you can save water, fertilizer and time.

Ki works as a realtor in the central Austin real estate market helping individuals looking for homes as well as investors looking for cashflow properties. His site provides a free search of the Austin MLS along with a blog covering news and statistics on the Austin Texas real estate market.

Tips For Going Green and Organic Gardening

The words “going green” have become synonymous with organic gardening. If you are thinking of “going green” one of the ways to do so is to convert your yard or garden into an all natural state. This simply means you will substitute all natural ingredients, in lieu of manmade chemicals, into your yard or garden for plant enhancement. You will find some tips in this article which will help you make the switch to “going green” or helping clean up our earth’s environment naturally.

It is important for you to understand, that no matter how small of a contribution you make to cleaning up our environment, you are helping yourself, your children and your children’s children. In other words you are leaving them a legacy of a world that is a little cleaner and healthier for them.

Now let’s get on with the tips for making “going green” and organic gardening a little easier for you.

One of the first things you can do is to stop using manmade chemicals to fertilize your yard or garden. You don?t have to worry about the grass, veggies, flowers or plants not growing. Today it is very easy to go to your local hardware store or garden center and pick up natural organic compost such as Fulvic Acids and amino acids, to supply all the nutrition to help your yard and garden look its best.

A great thing about using organic compost, to enhance your organic gardening, is you can actually make your own organic compost. Instead of throwing your table scrapes, old newspapers and other paper products into the garbage can, you can place them into a compost pile or compost container and let them break down into an all natural fertilizer. You can also speed up the decomposition by making sure you aerate (by turning over) and adding water to the compost pile.

The growth of your plants is not the only thing you will be concerned with when you stop using manmade chemicals on your yard and garden. You still are going to have to kill the weeds which will try to overrun your plants and grass. The fastest way to combat these killers is to resort to the old fashion way of hoeing and pulling the weeds from the soil. However, thanks to technology and your local hardware store or garden center, it is possible to find organic weed killers such as a corn weed blocker. This weed blocker is made from corn gluten and is 100% all natural. Not only does it act as a weed killer, as it break downs, it will release nitrogen into your organic yard or garden.

In addition to the natural fertilizer and weed killer you are also going to need use a pest control. One of the natural pest controls is the smell of cedar or even the smell of garlic. These odors assault the pests, through the bug?s body resulting in flight or death.

In conclusion it is possible to ?go green? in your yard and garden without having to use harsh chemicals. Your organic gardening, even though a bit more trouble will be worth the time and effort you put into it.

Check out these organic gardening resources and this great book on organic gardening for beginners.

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Do you love the taste of fresh berries? There’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh strawberry jam or grape jelly on toast. Unfortunately, buying fresh berry products can be expensive. However, growing enough berries to meet your needs is fairly easy and affordable. In many cases, you can grow a wide variety of berries in as little as five square feet of garden space.

Soil and Climate Concerns

For the most part, berry plants require acidic soil. Get a simple soil pH test kit from any lawn and garden store to check whether your soil is acidic or basic - and add Miracid fertilizer or tea bags to the soil around the plants to make your soil more acidic. If you make your own compost and apply it to your garden, you’ll be adding most of the nutrients that your berry plants need. Luckily raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries all tend to tolerate a wide range of climates, so you should be able to grow them no matter how far north you are.

Selecting Plants

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find wild berry plants growing on the side of the road or at the edge of a field. If you have wild berry plants around your yard, watch the plants closely during the late summer and fall. This is usually the time when berry plants will make small plants, or suckers, that will take root in the surrounding soil. If you dig these suckers up and plant them in your garden, they’ll bloom into healthy plants the following year.

If you don’t have access to wild specimens, you can purchase all different types of nursery stock at your local garden store, and even in many department and food stores. Typically, berry plants are widely available during the early spring months. If you decide to purchase these plants, it’s important to make sure that there’s no sign of infection or rot on the stems and roots. It’s also best to buy plants that don’t already have developed leaves, as they may not survive the transplant process.

Organic Pest Control

When it comes to berries, the most common pests you’ll encounter are birds. In order to protect your berry garden, it’s best to enclose them in a fence or net. If you place all your berry plants in one area, you can easily fence them off and put a net over them for protection. As you might expect, the net needs to be high enough so that birds can’t reach through to the berries nearest the net. If you love to have birds around and don’t want to permanently scare them off, you may also want to place a few berry bushes in other parts of the yard for them to feed on.

Every year, commercial farms produce millions of pounds of berries. While you may savor the taste of many kinds of fresh berries and jams, the price of these products may be outside of your budget. Growing your own berries also gives you access to affordable fresh fruit that hasn’t been exposed to pesticides - so you can be healthy and save money.

The author maintains a blog about gardening and lawn care. He has also written content for http://HobbyLawnCare.com

You flunked science in school. You can’t pronounce all those chemical names on the fertilizer bag. You don’t know the difference between nitrogen and nicotine but you want a green lawn or better looking plants.

Everyone you talk to tells you that you need to adjust your soil’s “ph balance” but you simply don’t understand what they’re talking about.So what is this “ph balance?

First of all, don’t be ashamed of being “green thumb challenged”. This isn’t rocket science. You can grasp the concept enough to beautify your lawn or garden even if you never understand in intimate detail how it all works.You don’t need to understand internal combustion engines to be able to put the key in your car’s ignition and drive do you? This is no different.

First the basics - pH is the measure of one aspect of a soil’s water make-up. Chemists have their terms for it - usually alkaline or acid. But let’s call it sweet (alkaline) or sour (acidic). The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. Zero means your soil is very, very sour (acidic) - like pure lemon juice! This sourness (acidic) scale decreases as the numbers on the scale get larger. As the numbers on the scale increase from 0 to 14 or any increment in between (like 5.5), the sweetness (alkalineness) of the soil increases too.

Think of the scale like a glass of fresh squeezed lemon juice. As you add water the sourness (acidity) becomes weaker and weaker until it is neutral. Then as you add sugar, it becomes sweeter (alkaline) and sweeter.

At a 7 your soil is neutral. From 8 to 14 it then becomes increasingly sweeter/more alkaline. Simple right? Okay, now are you comfortable with food? Good.Then let’s use food to describe the range of pH in soil.Some wonderfully simple food terms commonly associated with certain ranges in soil pH are:

* Extremely acid: less than 4.5; lemon=2.5; vinegar=3.0; stomach acid=2.0; soda=2-4
* Very strongly acid: 4.5-5.0; beer=4.5-5.0; tomatoes=4.5
* Strongly acid: 5.1-5.5; carrots=5.0; asparagus=5.5; boric acid=5.2; cabbage=5.3
* Moderately acid: 5.6-6.0; potatoes=5.6
* Slightly acid: 6.1-6.5; salmon=6.2; cow’s milk=6.5
* Neutral: 6.6-7.3; saliva=6.6-7.3; blood=7.3; shrimp=7.0

* Slightly alkaline: 7.4-7.8; eggs=7.6-7.8
* Moderately alkaline: 7.9-8.4; sea water=8.2; sodium bicarbonate=8.4
* Strongly alkaline: 8.5-9.0; borax=9.0
* Very strongly alkaline: more than 9.1; milk of magnesia=10.5, ammonia=11.1; lime=12

Keep in mind that your plants, like your kids or yourself, prefer either sweet things or sour things.You may like sugar in your iced tea. Your kids may love those sour gummy candy treats. Ugh. Well, your plants are no different. Some plants, like blueberries and azaleas, love sour (acidic) stuff. Lilacs however like a sweeter (alkaline) soil. Most plants, like most people, prefer a neutral range of pH is somewhere in the 6.2 to 7.0 range, or the “milk, potatoes and fish” range on our food scale.

The only real thing you need to know is what kind of soil pH the plants you want to grow prefer.You can find that out by asking your local garden shop or by looking at the tags often placed on the plant with the name, growing zone and price of the plant.

Plant your bush, shrub, tree or flower in soil compatible with its tastes and make sure the soil maintains that pH and you’ll look like a master gardener! But how do you test your soil’s pH? You can buy a kit at any garden center or you do the basic home “taste test”. Don’t worry. This is chemistry so easy your kids can do it.

To determine if your soil is sweet (alkaline) or sour (acidic) simply get a tablespoon of soil you want to test. Next, add a few drops of vinegar to the soil.If it fizzes your soil’s pH is greater than 7.5 - meaning it is sweet (alkaline). If it doesn’t fizz, use another tablespoon of soil and make sure it is moist - but not wet. Now, add a pinch of baking soda to it. If it fizzes, your soil’s pH is less than 5.0.If you get nothing from either test then your soil is in that wonderful neutral zone and just about anything you plant should be happy!

So why do gardeners and farmers talk about pH so much? Because if a soil’s pH solution is too sour (acidic) plants won’t be able to utilize the nutrients they need. If soil is too sour (acidic) plants will also tend to take up more toxic metals (from rainfall, the application of sewage sludge to fields in the case of farmers etc) out of the soil and eventually die of toxicity(poisoning).

Herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals are used on and around plants to fight off plant diseases and get rid of bugs won’t work in soil that is too sour (acid) either.

Soil with a pH from 5.5 and up also allows plants to get access to nutrients that help them fight off bacteria as well as allow them to grow. And basically that’s what soil pH is and why it’s important to farmers and gardeners.See? That wasn’t so hard now was it!

Find out how even those who are “green thumb challenged” can create a lawn the envy of friends and neighbours. Visit http://www.lawnperfection.com

Organic pest control and the effective control of garden pests depends very much on gardener attitude towards approach. The most basic approach has to do with monitoring. It’s very important for a gardener to constantly monitor his/her garden through a series of logs and journals, which keep the gardener constantly up to speed on any pest attacks and plant health. Here are some examples of items one should keep in mind for effective pest control:

Sudden insect attacks, specifically from aphids, can occur seemingly overnight. While aphids can chew down leaves and stems, injuring plants, the plants can be smothered by the secretions left by the insects. What’s worse, certain types of fungi can grow on the insect secretions, which can suck essential vitamins and nutrients from the plant itself. There are organic ways to handle such garden pests, so further reading and study is needed beyond what’s included in this article. However, be prepared for this before any planting is done, as sudden attacks can destroy plants without swift action.

Lawns are especially susceptible to attacks, especially from caterpillars and other root-feeding insects. Why? Lawns, particularly new lawns, have very shallow root structures and can fall prey to predatory insects. Much like the example given above, swift action is needed if this occurs. Without an effective organic pest control plan, these insects can destroy a lawn within days.

Powdery mildew, if left unchecked, can have adverse effects on plants as well. Much like the fungi mentioned above, this mildew can suffocate plants. Ensure that plants susceptible to this are rinsed down with a gentle stream of water to wash off any mildew that might be present.

One of the basic tenants of organic pest control is to “let it be.” While it may be tempting to jump in and be “hands-on” with your plants to keep them pest-free, oftentimes it’s best to allow the environment to do its own work. While fungi and other pests may be present in your garden at any given time, avoiding the use of chemicals will allow your pests’ predators to keep them in check. Spiders, ladybugs, and other forms of predators should be allowed to remain in your garden to fight off the plant-eating pests that you’re trying to keep away.

While this isn’t a comprehensive review of organic pest control techniques, this should be a good primer in some of the methods one should consider if contemplating organic pest control instead of some of the more established methods.

Joe provides an authoritative reference to organic pest control in his Organic Pest Control Guide. You can learn more about organic pest control ideas at his website.

What kind of landscaping equipment do you need to have around the house?

Everyone?s home could use a little landscaping and if you want to do some landscaping you are going to need to have the proper landscaping equipment around in order to do it. There are a few integral pieces of landscaping equipment that you simply cannot do without. There are other pieces of equipment that are great to have but not absolutely necessary. And some of the landscaping equipment can be quite expensive. If you are going to be doing something that is not one of your regular landscaping jobs then you might want to consider renting some of your landscaping equipment rather than spending too much money to buy it.

Some of the popular kinds of landscaping equipment that many people have without even realizing that is what it is are things like fertilizer spreaders and other applicators. These are not thought of as landscaping equipment sometimes but that is in fact exactly what they are. Do you have this kind of landscaping equipment? DO you use it? If you do not use these applicators you should start. By using these kinds of things you can make your yard so much prettier and healthier. Your lawn will be lush and full and you will not suffer from the weeds that plague you any more.

If you are planning on doing a lot of work on your yard you are going to need to get yourself some irrigations tools. This is especially important when you are going to be planting some new plants or trees. You need to have all of your living shrubbery and flowers getting the right amount of water at all times. In order to get this system working right you might also want to invest in some landscaping equipment like timers and sprinklers. This way you know that your yard is getting watered when it needs it even when you are not home. This is especially great for when you leave town and in the simmer when you are under strict orders about how much water can be used each week.

Landscaping equipment is important to any job, if you want to make your yard as great as you can then you need to get the best landscaping equipment. You can find everything that you need for any job online. The internet is hands down the best place to shop for any of your landscaping equipment needs.

Visit the garden landscaping ideas blog for more information.

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Before anything else, different gardeners seek to stay away from fall gardening as much as they can due to the winter frosts that ordinarily arrive quite early and have the ability to make things a bit demanding. Discovering all you can about fall gardening plus other gardening information will certainly prove effective to you in dealing with any hitches that may well develop.

Every person I know wants a perfect looking garden. A perfect looking garden will surely require more than just investing a great deal of cash. It will require sustenance as well as concern to accomplish the required shape. But, what is cost when compared to getting the exact form of garden you desire? How much do you authentically know concerning the fertilization process as a gardener? If you authentically don’t know much, then listen closely. Each and every gardener should

It is not adequate to get just about any form of glove for gardening as a gardener. Various men and women believe so, and are severely saddened when they find how erroneous they are. You see, the glove for gardening has got to fit you exactly on account of the fact that an extra large one will surely slide off whereas an undersized one will surely result in aches as well as cramps. Bear this in mind when out shopping for your gardening glove. Subscribing to gardening magazines has numerous rewards. Gardening magazines give gardeners the chance to share their thoughts and knowledge with other readers by submitting their own pieces of writing to be published. You can easily have your such articles included also, if you have them.

What you prefer to eat and even available space which you have for fall gardening are the determining factors behind the crops you will have to cultivate; it is authentically not unusual from spring planting. Embellishing your garden will surely make it much more attractive as well as exceptional; it is a sensitive way of giving it a personal touch, a form of mark which identifies it as your own distinctive work.

Insects ordinarily focus on unhealthy plants so gardeners have got to work on developing healthy plants which can get over minor insect wreck. Your yearning to learn all you can as regards to back ache and also the different solutions can be fulfilled on the Internet where you can access a number of websites online which provide elaborate and also complete clues as regards to it.

To finalize, if you authentically need to engage in organic gardening but you are fearful of weeds, it’s easy to prevent weeds from exasperating you into dispensing with organic gardening by using organic mulch and corn meal gluten that slows down weed outbreak when used early enough.

To read more,visit http://www.gardeningtips101.info

Yes, in fact it is. Fine gardening can mean different things to different people but to me it’s more than just a bunch of plants growing in a garden. It includes everything about gardening, combining it all into a garden that meets all your expectations.

My love of gardening does just come from the finished product, but from the hours of love that I spend planning and designing it - from the moment an idea comes to me to the pleasure of seeing it come to fruition. Anyone who steps into view of my garden should gain an appreciation for the art in it, not just the size or shape of the plants. It should be a place that is peaceful and calm, where people can enjoy spending their time.

A water feature - something that produces a soothing sound continuously - is a must for me. A nice lotus or water lily for some color, and maybe even a few fish. Some ferns and leafy plants around the pond, and this oasis is complete.

Under ideal circumstances a big tree sits in the corner of the garden, with a nice dark brown trunk just a little to big to get my arms all the way around. The green leaves and branches spill down to the ground with a satisfyingly controlled chaos. But a few saplings may have to do, with the knowledge they will one day be the trees I want.

Green is the target color, so a luscious lawn surrounds the garden itself.

I love the idea of a Zen garden, but prefer colors and lots of plants, so I would incorporate this feature into my fine gardening efforts by placing a path, naturally made out of rough hewn stone, zigzagging in a leisurely course through the garden.

And to finish it all off I’d have a little alcove, unseen from afar, that afforded the curious visitor a wide-angled view of the whole garden, with a sun shade, and a low-lying bench with a few plump cushions strewn carelessly about, and all of it surrounded by a profusion of welcoming flowers.

In the distance I would set about placing a few boulders, pleasing in stature and color to the eye, surrounded perhaps by a few flowers.

In the midst of all this natural splendor I’ll walk through the garden, feeling the satisfaction and peace that comes from a job well done.

Every gardener needs gardening equipment. At least that’s what we tell ourselves as we buy that new ultra-light shovel that’s on sale this week! The fact is, not every gardener has every tool they need and most of us make do with what we’ve got. Improvisation is the key here.

But if you are serious about growing a garden this year, there are several things you absolutely need to have. A shovel, a hoe and a rake are three of the basics. Pruning scissors are another valuable tool that you should add to your arsenal as soon as you can.

Over the year, I’ve amassed quite a collection of equipment, to the point of not having room for them all in my shed. But out of all those tools, my favorites are an old pair of comfortable gloves and my trusty kitchen knife.

If my pruning scissors aren’t handy, the kitchen knife takes their place quite well. If my shovel and hoe aren’t within reach, the tip of the knife usually does the job. And sometimes I don’t even go that far and just use my hands to dig the soil.

It may sound like a disorganized way of gardening, but every gardener knows that if you’re knee-deep in the garden, the last thing you want to do is drop everything to go find a tool.

Having said all that, some jobs really are easier with the proper equipment and it may be worth the time to fetch. One of my other favorites is the garden claw.

I’ve got two styles - one for standing work and one for kneeling. Stick the claw into the soil, give it a twist and pull out. It does an excellent job of loosening the soil and can really help with pulling weeds.

Really the key thing to remember about gardening equipment is that although we might want it, we don’t always need it. Besides it’s always a good thing not to get too attached to your gardening equipment, it makes life easier if you’re not always trotting back and forth between your work patch and the shed. Ultimately you’d not get too much done, (unless you’re using your handy garden claw!).

Spring is on its way and many people are looking forward to planning and planting their vegetable garden. There are so many options, it can be hard to know what to choose and from whom to purchase your seeds. Because there are so many online vegetable seed companies to pick from, the choices can be overwhelming. This article will help to point you in the right direction.

Buying vegetable seeds online can be a very good choice. Many companies do not package their seeds ahead of time, which helps the seeds stay fresh longer. Likewise, many stores will ship the next day so you are guaranteed quick delivery. You will also find a very large selection of seeds that you may not be able to find at your local store. Even greenhouses or nurseries cannot provide a comprehensive array of viable vegetable seed options. If you are looking for that rare organic tomato seed, chances are you can find it online.

Most online vegetable seed companies offer some type of warranty. Some say that if a seed does not produce within a certain time frame, they will refund your purchase price or replace the item. This is the most common type of warranty you will come across. Other guarantees say that they will refund your money if you are not satisfied for any reason. Regardless, make sure you understand the terms before you buy.

Prices are usually fairly comparable, but check a few things before you purchase them. See how much you are really getting. Some sites may be cheaper, but they may be selling a lighter weight. Also be aware of the quality of the seeds. For example, heirloom seeds produce the best tasting tomatoes. There are also a lot of different types of the same vegetable. Be sure you are comparing the exact same vegetable or you will not get an accurate picture.

Have an idea of the type of vegetables you would like to plant. Do you want an eclectic collection of classics and exotics. Are all organic vegetables your thing. Or do you just want an old fashioned vegetable garden with the staples of cooking in it. Whatever you choose, you can find a company that will cater to your preferences.

Make sure that you patronize a reputable vegetable seed company. If you are unsure about where to start, ask some of your friends where they purchase their seeds. If you know someone in the neighborhood who has a great garden, ask them where they get their seeds or if they have any recommendations. Another way to get tips is to join an online gardeners chat group. Gardeners are always willing to help someone who is looking for advice.

Starting a vegetable garden can be an immensely rewarding experience. Have fun with your vegetable garden, but dont forget the things we talked about. They can save you time and frustration later on. Buying your seeds from a reputable online company is a convenient and economical way to get your garden started.