The second step is to determine what role you want your firepot to play in your home. Will it be an accent or feature piece? If a decorative accent is your goal, then simply look around the room to see what color scheme you currently have in place.  Whether your scheme is neutral, warm, or cool, Handmade Firepots is sure to have the perfect option for you.  Choose a piece that is within your color family and select the size you want.  It’s as easy as that!  One of my favorite firepots, the Arani Black Pearl, is great for a more neutral color scheme. While the colors are simple, the intricate details and manner in which they blend provide a very elegant addition to your home.

On the other hand, if your goal is to establish your one-of-a-kind firepot as a focal piece for a room, then a contrasting color combination may be just the thing.  This is the best way for your firepot to standout against your current décor without taking away from it or making it look out of place.  For example, if your room is purple, I suggest looking for firepots in shades of green.  The two colors will play off each other in a lovely way while tying the whole room together.  I chose to utilize another one of my favorites as a highlighted piece in my living room, the Pele Blue Pearl.  My décor is primarily black and white, so the firepot’s vibrant blue hues have just the right amount of pop; turning an otherwise boring room into a vivid space to relax in.

Originally posted 2010-09-08 12:53:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2010-10-05 11:02:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Ants

Ants don’t really have any negative effects on your grass, but they can become a nuisance to the homeowner. They build ant hills in the yard, they seem to always be around when you want to relax under some shade tree, and some can even afflict a painful sting (such as fire ants).

Fire ants are more commonly found in the southern part of the country. If you do find yourself having fire ants, I’d recommend that you take measures to rid yourself of the pest. So, how can you tell if you have fire ants? Unfortunately it can be somewhat difficult because they look much like ordinary ants. They’re anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inches long and reddish brown to black in color. Again, sounds like your ordinary, basic, ant. Where they stand out is their aggressive behavior and characteristic mound-shaped nests (which are usually 12 inches or more in diameter and height).

Armyworms

Armyworms can strike in most regions of the country, but have a tendency to migrate towards the Midwest and southern states. With warm-season grasses, they seem to prefer bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass, while amongst the cool-season grasses they go for the bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, and bentgrass.

The name Armyworm comes from the notion that the worms “march” in quantity over an area, feeding on lawns in large masses, leaving a trail of destruction, and then moving on to greener pastures. The larvae stage of the armyworm is about a ¼ inch to 2 ½ inch caterpillar with a green/brown/black color. They have a light stripe running down each side. The adult stage is a brownish-gray moth with a wingspan of about 1 ½ inches.

Billbugs

Billbugs are not actually bugs, but rather belong to the weevil family. In their larvae stage, they typically have a white, legless, body accompanied by a brown head. When they reach their adult stage, they become 1/4 to 3/8 inches in length with a dark grey to black coating. In their adult stage they also feature a snout-like beak with pinchers on the end.

There are different varieties of Billbugs and each variety establishes itself in different regions of the country. Bluegrass Billbugs generally can be found in the northern states, from eastern New England all the way out west to Washington. These varieties of billbugs prefer Kentucky bluegrass, but will also occasionally infest Perennial Ryegrass, Red Fescue, and Tall Fescue. The Denver Billbug likes to hang out in the western part of the country in states such as Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. Like the Bluegrass, they also prefer Kentucky bluegrass. Finally, you have Hunting Billbugs which are generally a larger variety and have two line markings on their thorax. These are found more in the southeast part of the country and prefer bermudagrass and zoysiagrasses.

Chiggers

Chiggers for the most part are harmless to your yard, but they can be a big annoyance for the homeowner. Usually active during the late spring and early summer months when grass is at its heaviest, Chiggers will bite their host by inserting their mouthparts into a skin pore or hair follicle. Usually the victim will have no idea they’ve been bitten until some time later when a small, reddish welt appears on the skin accompanied by intense itching…sort of like you have a case of poison ivy.

With the naked eye, most chiggers will remain unseen. At the larvae stage they will be orange, yellow, or light red and only about 1/150 to 1/120 inches in diameter. At the adult stage they are usually bright red, have hairy bodies, and travel rapidly. They also will get to the humongous size of 1/20 inches in length.

Chinch Bugs

There are a variety of Chinch Bugs that attack lawns within the country, but the two that are most commonly found are the hairy chinch bug and the common chinch bug. The common chinch bug can be found more in the southern region of the country, ranging from South Dakota across to Virginia, and further south around mid-Texas to mid-Georgia. The hairy chinch bug resides more in the northern range of this area and extends all the way up throughout the northeast.

Chinch Bugs will go thru 5 larvae stages, each stage changing in color and markings. In the final form, their adult form, the wings will be completely visible, with white markings, and will rest flatly on their backs. They will range anywhere from 1/8 to 1/5 inches in length at this stage.

Cutworms

Cutworms are the caterpillar stage of the “miller” moth. These are the moths that you see at night, during the summer months, hanging around your front porch lights.

The larval stage is when cutworms will occasionally infest lawns. During the day, the larvae will hide out in the soil and thatch, but at night, they will come out of hiding and conjure up injury to plants in a variety of ways. Solitary surface cutworms will cut off the plant just below or above the soil line, severing the stems. This is where the name cutworm originates from, the manner in which they cut down plants as they feed. Climbing species will go so far as to climb on the grass and dine on the leaves of the plants. Subterranean species will remain in the soil and feed upon the roots and underground parts. Finally, Army cutworms work as a team, consuming the tops of plants and then “marching” on to other areas.

Leafhoppers

Leafhoppers are tiny wedge-shaped insects that fly or hop short distances when disturbed. They range in size from 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and can range in color from green, to yellow, to brown, and sometimes even gray. Found on the East and West coasts, Leafhoppers can reside anywhere within the country.

Mole Crickets

Mole Crickets get their name because of the similar features and characteristics that they share with actual moles. Mainly, they feed on grubs and they dig tunnels thru your yard. The damage caused by Mole Crickets is nothing to brush off. In Florida alone it’s estimated that Mole Crickets do more than $30,000,000.00 in damages each year. Definitely a little more than just regular pocket change! So if you live in the Southeast or Southwest, such as Southern Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Gulf Coast or the Eastern Seaboard, it would be a good idea to keep an eye out for these pests. Along with the geographical location, mole crickets have also shown a fondness to grasses such as Bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine, and bahiagrass.

When they do reach the Adult stage they will be plump, winged, and about 1 to 2 inches in length. Their forelegs will grow enlarged, and robust, and are used to help the mole cricket with their digging. With wings, mole crickets have been known to fly as far as 5 miles during the mating season. They are nocturnal in their feeding and like the adult cutworm (Miller Moth) they are attracted to light. Flying along with the attraction to light can lead them to your home during the night. Once they land and begin looking for food, it’s more than likely you’ve found a new friend. Sort of like a stray cat…once you feed it, it’s there to stay.

Sod Webworms

There are four species of sod webworms that will perform damage to a lawn. They are the Vagabond, Bluegrass, Larger, and Striped sod webworms. The Vagabond webworm will rarely cause significant damage because they feed mainly during the late fall and early spring when turf is more actively growing. Bluegrass, Larger, and Striped are more of a problem because they will cause most of their damage during the summer as they finish their feeding late in the spring in late May to early June. Once feeding completes, they will burrow deep into the thatch or soil to begin the pupal stage. After a couple weeks, an adult moth will emerge at night from the cocoon, mate, and begin to lay eggs. The female will randomly drop eggs as she flies low to the ground. The larvae from these will hatch within 7 to 10 days and begin to feed immediately throughout the mid to late summer (July to early August), for 6 to 10 weeks they will continue to feed and then enter the pupal stage again, once complete, a 2nd generation of adult moths will emerge. The 2nd generation of adults will mate, lay eggs, and have larvae that will begin to feed in the fall. So where the Vagabond webworm goes thru 1 generation within a given year, the others go thru 2.

Spittlebugs

Out of all the pests we’ve looked at to this point, I’ve got to say that Spittlebugs have a distinctive honor that all the other pests could only hope for. I mean after all, wouldn’t you want a name that’s derived from the foam or “spit” that you create when you eat? Come on, who wouldn’t want that?

Right after hatching the spittlebug nymph is in search of food. The spittlebug nymph will make its way to the leaf joint of the plant. At this point, it will begin to eat and froth. When they eat, the nymph will face its head downward and puncture the plant stem with its needle-like mouth. Sap will begin to pump into the body with excess being expelled through the anus. As it is passed out, it is mixed with a substance that is secreted by the glands on the abdomen. When this mixture is forced out, the pressure and exposure to air will begin to form bubbles. The tail continues to move up and down throughout this entire ordeal allowing the bubbles to continue to come out. As they emerge, the nymph will use its legs to pull the bubbles forward to cover its back. After some time, the nymph will be completely secluded within the bubble mass, or spittle, that it has produced.

Ticks

Ticks are pests that actually cause a greater risk to homeowners then to their yards. Each and every year, ticks have been known to spread illnesses such as Lyme disease and Spotted Fever to thousands of people across the country. Though they cause little lawn damage, the effects that they can have on you, or your pet, is reason enough to stop a moment and take a closer look.

Ticks are less of an insect and more of an arachnid, such as a spider. They have a one-piece body, crablike legs, and a harpoon-like barb which will extrude from their mouth and attach to a host (such as yourself or your pet) for feeding. Feeding proceeds slowly and may go unnoticed for a considerable amount of time. In fact, some ticks will take several days to complete feeding.

With the more than 800 types of tick species that exist throughout the world, they can be broken down into two groups, “hard” ticks and “soft” ticks. Hard ticks have a hard shield just behind their mouthpart and have a flat, oval shape. The mouthpart of the hard tick is visible at the front of the body. Soft ticks lack the hard shield found on the hard tick, and have more of a tough, leathery, wrinkled shape. The mouthpart is situated underneath the body and is not visible at the front of the body.

As mentioned, ticks are known to carry and transmit a variety of diseases to their host. The 5 ticks that you most likely will encounter that can spread disease are the…

American Dog Tick

Lone Star Tick

Deer Tick

Brown Dog Tick

Winter Tick

White Grubs

Out of all the pests we’ve looked at, white grubs may be the most damaging lawn pest in the country. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Japanese beetle grub alone is estimated to cause $234 million dollars in damage each and every year. And remember, this is only one species of the white grub. From the Japanese beetle, to the European chafer, or the masked chafer, or the Black turfgrass ataenius, white grubs are the immature or larval stage, of many different species of the scarab beetle.

During the summer, late June to early July, the adult beetle will emerge from the ground in search of food and for a mate. The female will spend 2-3 weeks in July laying anywhere from 40 to 60 eggs in a burrow about 3 inches into the ground. This is where the life cycle of the white grub starts…at the egg. The egg is creamy white in color, oval in shape, and about 1/16 inches in length. When laid in the soil and given time to absorb water, the egg will swell and become slightly more rounded.

Depending on outdoor conditions, such as soil moisture and temperatures, the eggs will hatch in about 2 weeks, and emerging from the eggs will be the larvae, or c-shaped white grub. The grub will have a thick creamy-white body, with short legs and a brown head. At this stage is where the majority of damage will take place, as the young grub will live in the soil and feed on grass roots close to the surface for a large part of the later summer months (typically August). At the end of summer, beginning of fall, the grub will molt (develop) into its 2nd and 3rd stages continually growing and consuming more and more roots. Damage often appears at this time. As the temperature continues to drop during the fall and winter, the grub will move further into the soil, and take refuge until spring arrives. When spring finally arrives, the grub moves on up and continues where it left off, feeding on the root…only this time for a shorter period of time. Now, a common misperception a lot of people have at this time is that the damage they see is from spring grubs…not true. Most damage seen in the spring is a result of feeding during the fall, not the spring.

Come late spring, the white grub will end its feeding and begin its third stage, or pupae stage. The pupae are slightly larger than the adult, and form in chambers 1-2 inches into the soil. At first the pupae will take on a cream color, but before it emerges as an adult, it will darken.

This finally leads us to the last stage, the adult. As we saw with the start of the cycle, the egg, in late June to early July, the beetle will emerge from the pupae and crawl out of the soil looking for food and a mate. The adult is a robust, oval beetle with antennae’s that end in a large club of flattened plates. Adults are typically of the scarab beetle type.

Grubs are perennial pests of the cool-season and transition zone grasses. As they begin to feed on the roots of tender grass plants, the damage will first appear as a sort of drought stress. As they continue to feed throughout the mid-to-late summer months, this will eventually lead to areas of the turf dying off which will appear as large irregular brown patches in your lawn. Unfortunately, grubs usually go unnoticed until damage begins to show up in early fall, but by this time, it will be too late.

Author: Chris Harrison
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Image from http://theshopatvictoriagardens.blogspot.com

Originally posted 2010-08-23 13:08:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Don’t go overboard with your seed ordering after viewing all the colorful garden catalogs with their beautiful pictures of veggies or you may be the gardener in your neighborhood trying to give away zucchini. Grow what your family likes to eat. As a first time gardener, stay away from “exotic” veggies like kohlrabi or hard to grow veggies like cauliflower or head lettuce.

Grow hybrid vegetables. Hybrid vegetables are usually stronger and healthier than other vegetables. They often have higher yields. Many have a built-in disease resistance and they are more likely to recover from bad weather. Hybrids may cost a little bit more than other types of vegetables, but the cost is worth it. If you save seeds, remember that hybrids do not reproduce true to type meaning the new plant will be inferior to the mother plant.

Choose vegetables that have earned the All-America Selections award. All-America Selections is an organization that has been evaluating new vegetable varieties in trial and display gardens across the United States and Canada since 1933. Each year after the evaluations have been analyzed a number of the most outstanding vegetables are designated as All-America Selections indicating that they performed well under all types of conditions.

Draw a Plan

It is always a good idea to draw a plan of your garden. It doesn’t have to be a fancy diagram. Remember the tallest plants in your garden such as corn should be at the north end of the garden and permanent vegetables like asparagus should be at the side of the garden.

To read more or to see the original source of this post, visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu

Originally posted 2010-10-17 13:01:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

To help your lawn get through the long winter, you ought to consider giving it some fertilizer before the grass goes dormant. Doing so will help give it a leg up on defending itself against harsh temperatures and sometimes the cover of snow. Fertilizers heavy in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all good late summer or early fall fertilizers for your lawn. Also, you might consider mowing some of those leaves that land in your yard and then allowing the remains to settle into the grass. If your last few mowing have some leaves chopped up this way they should have plenty of time to decompose before the winter freeze sets in.

Early fall is also a good time to do some repair work on those patches of your yard that might not be growing so well. You can dig them up or plant some new seeds. This works particularly well for heavily trafficked areas as there is generally leas traffic outside once the temperatures start to drop.

Something else you might want to do is aerate your lawn, which means digging tiny hole in it to allow air to get down into the soil that holds your lawn together. Doing so helps the grass to breathe and opens up pathways for the nutrients in the fertilizer. To aerate your lawn, you just buy or rent an aerator, which is basically a simple hand held device that you push into the ground in many places all over your yard. A simpler approach is to put on some shoes that have cleats on the bottom and run around on your yard for awhile.

Finally, you should mow your lawn one last time after the grass stops growing and when you do, cut it lower to help keep fungus and other molds from having a place to live.

As for your garden; for the flower variety there isn’t much to do other than pull up the last of the weeds and cover those shrubs that need protection from the snow and ice. For the vegetable variety you should till it really well, then lay down a tarp over the top of it to keep weeds from getting started.

To read more, visit http://www.helium.com

Originally posted 2010-10-03 21:31:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Bearded iris can be divided any time after flowering; this is often done in July or August in the Midwest so the replanted portions will have plenty of time to develop new roots and become established before freezing weather arrives.

Lift clumps of iris carefully using a shovel or pitch fork. If the soil is dry, water the bed thoroughly a day or so beforehand to make digging easier. The heavy, but shallow-rooted rhizomes are generally easy to see, making it fairly easy to avoid injuring the rhizomes when digging. If possible, lift the entire clump as a whole rather than breaking it up. Shake off the loose soil from the clumps. If your garden soil is fairly loose, you should be able to get most of the soil off the roots, but you can rinse off any remaining soil with a garden hose if necessary.

Separate individual rhizomes by pulling apart tangled sections. Inspect the rhizomes carefully for signs of iris borer damage and soft spots from disease. (If the plants had dark streaks on the leaves, then the rhizomes likely are infested with borers. The female borer moth lays its eggs on the leaves in the fall, and the young caterpillars tunnel down the leaves to get to the rhizomes, leaving tell-tale streaks behind on the leaves. The plump, pink mature caterpillars generally leave the rhizomes in August to pupate in the soil.) Extract and kill any borers you find, and use a clean sharp knife or pruning shears to cut out any damaged parts. Disinfect the cutting tools between cuts to prevent the spread of disease. Also eliminate any older, spongy growth.

Remove any damaged leaves, then cut the remaining leaves back to 4-6 inches long or 1/3 their original height. This not only makes it easier to work with the plant, but also helps reduce transpiration while the plant is becoming re-established. The leaves are often cut symmetrically on an angle, but there is no real requirement to cut them in a certain way.

Use a clean knife or pruning shears to cut the rhizomes apart. Make the cuts at natural divisions in the rhizomes, such as where it has forked. Make sure each piece is firm and light colored, at least 3″ long, has healthy roots, and has a fan of leaves on it. Trim any broken or torn roots (scissor work well for this).

To help prevent infection, rhizomes can be soaked for about half an hour in a 10% bleach solution, if desired. They can also be treated with sulfur dust or an insecticide and/or fungicide if pest problems are severe – but this is usually not necessary. Soaked plants should be held in a shady place until dry.

Allow the cut rhizomes to cure for a few hours or days – to allow the cuts to heal over – before replanting. The rhizomes can be stored in paper bags for a while, but survival is best when replanted soon after dividing.

Bearded iris should be grown in a sunny location with good drainage. If replanting in the same location, remove any debris and incorporate compost first. Space the divisions 12-18″ apart. Iris are often placed in groups of three divisions arranged in a triangle, with each fan of leaves pointing away from the other irises in the group.

To plant the rhizomes, prepare a shallow hole with a low mound in the center. You may add bone meal to the bottom of the hole, but since iris are not heavy feeders additional fertilizer is not needed in all soils. The rhizome should be placed horizontally on the mound, spreading the roots down the mound into the surrounding trench. The plant will grow from the end which has the fan of leaves, so point the rhizome accordingly in the direction you want it to grow. Then fill in the hole, leaving the top of the rhizome barely exposed or just covering it with no more than an inch of soil.

Bearded iris is susceptible to root rot if buried too deeply. Tamp down the soil and water thoroughly after planting. Keep the soil moist but not wet until new foliar growth occurs. Newly planted iris should be mulched their first winter (after the ground freezes) to prevent damage to the rhizomes from alternate freezing and thawing. Remove the mulch in early spring. Transplanted iris will only bloom sparsely the first spring after replanting.

Additional Information:

• Dividing Iris and Peony – a video by University of Nebraska Extension on U-Tube

– Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin – Madison

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=DividingIris

Bearded iris thumbnail photo from

http://www.allbestpictures.com

Originally posted 2010-08-27 19:42:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2010-09-01 19:13:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2010-10-17 23:56:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A couple of recent emails requested information on building a homemade garden trellis. Growing vertically is such a great way to save space and even increase yields for crops such as cucumbers, squash, pole beans, and other climbing vegetables.

Today I’ll share one of my favorite methods to construct a simple trellis in the home garden, but first here are the questions that were submitted inquiring about making a homemade garden trellis:

Complying with Organic Certification Regulations

Thanks Prana, I never gave much thought to whether the material used to support climbing crops needed to be untreated or not in order to comply with organic certification requirements. Like most organic backyard gardeners I follow organic practices but don’t go through the expense and formal regulatory process of organic certification that organic farmers must comply with.

After a little research it appears that the national organic certification regulations do spell out the types of building materials that can be used and do prohibit the use of treated wood in instances where the organic crop comes in contact with the treated wood or the soil that comes in contact with the treated wood. That rule applies to garden trellises, fences, and even greenhouses if you are seeking organic certification.

Here’s one more email and then I’ll share the simple solution that I use to build a simple garden trellises that’s great for supporting climbing fruits and vegetables in the backyard garden:

Dear Mr. Point: I enjoyed your various article on gardening. I am a retired Army Infantry Officer who truly enjoys gardening. Sir, do you have an example of a trellis for my summer squash. I have limited space. Your assistance is greatly appreciated Respectfully, L. Hampton

Thanks Mr. Hampton, and yes I do have an example of a homemade garden trellis that I use which may be helpful to you and Prana. The trellis is inexpensive, easy to set up, durable, and can be adapted to fit your particular needs, crops, and situations.

Using Fencing Wire to Construct a Homemade Garden Trellis

This garden trellis is made with the rolls of vinyl-clad fencing wire that you can purchase from home and garden centers. The wire makes an excellent trellis for plants such as pole beans, squash, melons, and cucumbers to climb.

It doesn’t work as good for tomatoes, but check out my tomato trellising video for a great solution to support tomatoes. I attach the wire to the top of an out building that I have in the garden and then anchor it to the ground. That gives me a trellis over 15 feet tall for plants to climb up on.

Another option would be to use tall metal fence posts and attach the wire fencing to that or even fashion some type of A-Frame where the plants can climb up one side and down the other for support. Use your imagination to create similar trellis applications around your own home and garden.

Nylon netting material can be used instead of the wire fencing but I like the wire fencing much better and think that it is sturdier and more durable. I set my wire fencing trellis up about four years ago and have been using it ever since.

To read more from Kenny Point, visit his awesome site at http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com

Originally posted 2010-08-31 19:58:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Verticillium and fusarium wilts are soilborne diseases that cause yellowing of the leaves, wilting and premature death of plants. These diseases persist in gardens where susceptible plants are grown. Once they build up, the only practical control is the use of resistant (VF) varieties.

Early blight is characterized by dead brown spots that usually start on the lower leaves and spread up the plant. Upon close inspection, you can see concentric rings within the spots. Although early blight is most severe on the leaves, it sometimes occurs on the stems and can cause severe defoliation. Certain varieties (Roma and Supersonic) are more tolerant of early blight than others.

Septoria leafspot is characterized by numerous small black spots on the leaves. The centers of these spots later turn white and tiny black dots appear in the white centers. The disease starts on the bottom leaves and may become severe in wet weather.

Blossom-end rot is a dry, leathery brown rot of the blossom end of the fruit that is common in some seasons on tomatoes. It is caused by the combination of a localized calcium deficiency in the developing fruit and wide fluctuations of soil moisture. The problem is especially bad in hot weather. Soil applications of calcium seldom help, though foliar calcium sprays may minimize the occurrence of the problem. Make sure the formulation is designed for foliar application or severe damage could result. Pruning causes stress to the plants that may increase the incidence of blossom-end rot. Some tomato varieties are much more susceptible to this condition than others. Mulching and uniform watering help to prevent blossom-end rot. Once the blackened ends appear, affected fruits cannot be saved. They are best removed and destroyed so that healthy fruit setting later can develop more quickly.

Poor color and sunscald occur when high temperatures retard the development of full red color in tomatoes exposed directly to the hot sun. Sunscald occurs as a large, whitish area on the fruit during hot, dry weather. It becomes a problem when foliage has been lost through other diseases such as early blight or on early varieties that normally have poor foliage cover as the fruit ripens.

To learn more about tomato gardening visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu

Originally posted 2010-09-30 16:01:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter