Landscaping Ideas

Colorful Landscapes for Gardeners with Pollen Allergies

landscapeliving — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:42:44 +0000

Any sufferers of pollen allergies believe they can't enjoy creating colorful landscapes and gardens. With some planning and forethought, this doesn't have to be true. Pollen allergies are aggravated by the pollen produced by blooming plants -- flowers, vegetables and fruits. There is a wide selection of colorful landscape choices for gardeners with pollen allergies which won't result in an allergy attack.

If you have pollen allergies, rule out any plants which bloom in your climate. It should be noted that some plants which bloom in tropical climates grow well but never bloom in climate zones only slightly farther north. One great example, the beautiful rust and golden croton petra, blooms annually in South Florida and southern Texas but rarely, if ever, blossoms in any other area. Also, plants with very tiny blossoms do not produce a significant amount of pollen and bother only those with the most severe allergies.

There are numerous varieties of crotons from which to choose. The croton known as "gold dust plant" has green leaves speckled with bright gold. The more sun the plant gets the brighter the gold speckles. The fiddle-back croton has tiny fiddle-shaped secondary leaves on the colorful variegated primary leaves.

False aralia is another rarely blooming plant, seldom seen blooming outside the tropics. The multi-pointed leaves of some varieties are dark purple while others are red, silver, or variegated. Easy to grow, false aralia does well in sunny areas.

A great hanging basket plant or ground cover plant with a touch of color is the common spider plant or airplane plant. The traditional yellow-white and green striped variety or the newer variety with golden variegated leaves create beautiful arching bundles and multiply by offsets which each create a new plant on the end and will readily root wherever they are produced or can be transplanted or removed for potting. While these plants do produce tiny flowers on the ends of the offsets before the new plant begins, they are extremely low in pollen and work well as indoor or outdoor specimens.

Bromeliads are available in colors ranging from deep purple to silver-green. These plants grow best in the southern regions but can be grown in pots and taken indoors for over-wintering in any climate zones. The bromeliad family is easily identified because the leaves develop into a vase-like rosette which stores water. In fact, bromeliads should be watered not just from the soil but by placing water into the 'vase'. These plants do infrequently produce blooms but have very little pollen, making them especially great for those with allergies. When the plants do bloom, the unique blossoms last for weeks.

For deep purple foliage, choose Moses-in-the-bulrushes. This plant can be used as ground cover, specimen, and hanging baskets or grown in pots. The dark royal purple leaves add a sharp contrast to green foliage. The tiny blossoms appear at the tip of the stems and are so small that little pollen is produced.

Orchids can add a real boost of color to your landscape. While the foliage is rather plain-Jane green in most species, the blossoms which produce little pollen are absolutely gorgeous regardless of the species grown. Once blossoms appear, they can stay stunning for several weeks and, with proper care, can bloom frequently. In warm climates, orchids can be grown embedded in sphagnum moss attached to a board or in a wire basket. They do well hanging underneath trees so that partial light is available but little direct sunlight. Orchids so have to be moved indoors in all but the most southern climate zones.

A gorgeous tree to plant in your landscape to add color is the red maple or Chinese maple. The breath-taking deep red star-like leaves are stunning and, when mature, this tree can produce a nice spot of shade for lounging beneath. Avoid trees which produce heavy pollen including pine, oak, elm, alder, birch, cottonwood, poplar, sweet gum, sycamore, citrus, and pecan.

Allergies and Sensitivities Blog» Grow Great Grub: Organic Food ...

But then once you get past that, you start to realize it is crammed full of all kinds of information that would be helpful to both the novice gardener and the serious food-grower. A really, really exemplary sophomore effort by Trail. ... Not only is this book chockabock full of great tips, the photos are so beautiful that it makes me want to run out and try my hand at growing anything and everything possible. (Shiso? Never heard of it but… yes please! ...

Publish Date: 04/03/2010 19:23

http://www.sensitiveme.com/food/grow-great-grub-organic-food-from-small-spaces/

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Organic Gardening Tips – 4 Tips For The Conscientious Gardener

as lung problems, allergies or even cancer. If gardeners refrain from using these dangerous products then they are saving anyone who consumes their products from a lot of health hazards. 2. Look for non-toxic weed killers. ...

Publish Date: 06/27/2010 14:06

http://gardenorganicallyblog.com/organic-gardening-tips-4-tips-for-the-conscientious-gardener/

Helpful Allergy Tips For Gardeners

You've waited all winter to get out in your garden, so don't let seasonal allergies keep you from getting your hands dirty! Here are a few simple tips to keep allergies at bay this planting season: Try to do your gardening late in the ...

Publish Date: 05/05/2010 6:10

http://blog.maidbrigade.com/blog/house-cleaning-and-health/0/0/helpful-allergy-tips-for-gardeners

Know It In A Minute: How To Garden With Allergies

How you can still enjoy gardening with allergies Useful tips for allergy sufferers who enjoy gardening.

Tags: Landscape Garden Ideas

Purchasing an Above Ground Pool

landscapeliving — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:57:33 +0000

: Image by casers jean via Flickr

When you decide to purchase an above ground pool for your family and your backyard , you can find lots of supplies that will help you to keep your pool safe and clean for years to come . These above ground pool kits will give you some great ideas of what supplies are needed to buy , even before you make a final decision on your above ground pool.

First on the list you will want to purchase cleaning supplies to help to have a clean and sanitary pool , so that the water can stay sanitized, and your family will not acknowledge any problems pertaining to health as a result of using the pool at long intervals of time . So, any of the above ground pool kits that you're considering should have filters and pumps that will get rid of sand, dirt, and debris in your pool, and will pump clear, clean water in the pool perpetually.

Maintaining Your Pool

You'll also want to make sure that you have a way to keep the pool warm during the fall and wintertime months. So, you should consider above ground pool kits with items such as solar covers and thermometers .This will help you to manage the temperature of your pool, and will give you a way to keep the water in your above ground pool warm all year long. Above ground pool kits should also include pool lights , so that you can find your way around the pool at night, steps or a ladder lead into the pool, a pool lining to help give the pool its shape, and the pool itself should have a skimmer panel, preferably one that is made from stainless steel, so that it won't rust. In most cases, you can put the ladder at any location you want around the pool setting to make your pool setting unique.

Lighting For Your Pool

You can also place colored bulbs in the lights that will come along with your above ground pool kits, in order to make your pool area more fun and exciting. Make sure not to forget that pool kits do truly include your pool itself, so that it will be easier for you to utilize all of the items in your kit after setting up your pool. The water should be kept at a comfortable temperature, you should be able to use the filtering system to keep toxins out of your pool, and your solar blankets should serve as insulation for your pool when it is not in use.

You should have all the accommodations you need to make the pool ready for family and friends , so be sure to test everything before inviting your friends and family to enjoy the pool. Above ground pool kits can be found at places around your neighborhood like your local home improvement stores or if you like shopping online try online shopping at EBay or Amazon. Enjoy!

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Above ground pools come in a variety of styles and materials giving you the option of wooden, metal or soft sided pools. WIth the variety on offer you can choose the perfect pool to fit your garden and to meet your needs. ...

Publish Date: 06/20/2010 8:58

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Hottest Gardening Trends for 2010

landscapeliving — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:44:16 +0000

Every year brings along new hot gardening trends. While some people choose garden designs and accessories based on tradition -- and there is nothing wrong with that at all -- it is always nice to know what is expected for the coming seasons. Of course, until the purchasing actually begins to snowball, these anticipated trends are just that -- anticipated. But they are also based on the soundest market research garden product manufacturers and landscape centers can obtain from surveys and product tests. In fact, quite a lot of money is put into this research to determine what people really want and provide them with just those plants, items and products.

Accessories:

Mosquito Repellants: Once, keeping these pesky insects at bay required smelly sprays and candles. Today, electronic devices are available which really work quite well. During the coming gardening seasons, these will be among the hottest sellers on the market. In fact, these affordable electronic devices make great gifts for Christmas or birthdays and many will be sold well before the gardening season of 2010 begins.

Sparkle Garden Stakes: A few years ago, it was the gazing ball. Now, it is expected that sparkling garden stakes, sprinkled among potted or in-ground plants will be all the rage. They are whimsical and children love placing them in the garden. They are inexpensive pizzazz for a slightly ho-hum area in the landscape.

LED and Solar-Powered Lighting: Garden lighting will become even more popular because the prices have gone down significantly and the installation is incredibly simply and easy. The visual impact added to the garden during evening hours makes these affordable lighting options a must-have. New designs and shapes are highly anticipated. You'll find lilies and other flower-like lighting options new to the gardening scene.

Durable Metal Torches: The old-fashioned bamboo torches are out and stainless and other types of metal oil torches are in for outdoor cozy lighting. They are a bit pricier than the old bamboo torches but add elegance and panache to the outdoor setting.

Plants and Gardens:

Zen Gardens: Zen has been becoming more and more popular and in 2010 it will reach even higher peaks in popularity. The serenity and peace of these meditation gardens helps relieve stress experienced through the day and everyone is seeking ways to get rid of stress.

Organic: Everything organic will continue to grow in popularity. From compost to natural pest deterrents, people who have become conscious of the damage done to the environment by traditional fertilizer and pesticides continue to turn away toward natural solutions which often are much less expensive to use and certainly much safer.

Heirlooms: From roses to tomatoes, heirloom varieties will continue to soar in popularity. The beauty of heirlooms blossoms and taste of heirloom tomatoes make these choices not to miss out on.

Bigger is Better: As food prices have risen significantly and the economy changed, people will be growing vegetables that have never attempted kitchen gardening in the past. Even a few patio tomatoes can cut the grocery bill slightly and anyone who has the space and any available time is expected to delve into the pleasure and satisfaction of seeing their own vegetables grow from seedlings to mature plants ready to harvest.

Related: Gardening Trend Info

Gardening Trends for 2010: 'Smart and Green' - eXtension News

Horticulturist predicts six gardening trends. Released February 4, 2010. LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jennifer Smith starts each new year raking around and digging up what's likely to be “hot” in landscapes and gardens during the months ahead. ...

Publish Date: 02/05/2010 6:28

http://www.extension.org/

GardenDesignOnline: Garden Trends 2010

This picture of a modern vegetable garden pretty much says it all: Homeowners are heading back to the basics. The latest report on garden trends for 2010 from the Garden Media Group of Kennett Square, PA, says there's a significant ...

Publish Date: 01/11/2010 10:29

http://www.gardendesignonline.com/gardendesignonline/