Revive

In some places, droughts are pretty common. Whether you need to plant crops or flowers, getting drought resistant plants can be a good idea overall when it comes to keeping your garden alive and thriving during harder times.   If you grew up in the South, you probably know all about how droughts can cause a lot of problems to just about anyone you knew back then. When people barely have enough water for themselves, providing water to their garden can become more of a luxury, rather than a necessity.   When you think ahead about these things and plant drought-resistant plants, a lot of people might consider you to be overly cautious, but that’s not necessarily true. Drought-resistant plants have a lot of advantages and are extremely resilient, whether there is a drought or not. They don’t require much water, and they’re often very resourceful in surviving and thriving with just a limited amount of water – even if they only get watered very rarely.   Because of their...

Even if you’re new to gardening, you probably heard about two terms that are frequently used among gardeners: mat and thatch. These two terms refer to two types of soil condition that can occur at times, and that are often mistakenly used interchangeably. Despite the fact that the two conditions are similar, they are certainly not the same, and dealing with one of them will not help you with the other – and vice versa.  The utilization of great lawn care products can help resolve both issues.   Mat is the more common of the two – although both conditions can occur at the same time. In the case of mat, what happens is that an overgrown and tangled mass of living vegetation gets mixed up with the dirt of your garden, and the mass is usually associated with a spongy turf. Mat can cause problems when you’re considering starting your own garden, since the spongy soil will absorb a lot of the water and nutrients you add – seeing as it’s composed mainly of undecomposed roots and s...

When you talk to a roofing expert about some of the main upgrades you can consider for your roof, gutter guards and a sturdy gutter system will be among the first they mention. Also called “leaf barriers,” gutter guards basically consist of a filter-like material addition to the gutters, which has the role of filtering the water to prevent any large pieces of branches and leaves from ending up clogging your gutters.   Leaves and branches typically take a long time to decompose, and especially when they are mixed with dirt or mold, they can really do a number on your gutter system. Gutter guards have the role of preventing that, and of keeping the water flowing.   As gutter guards help keep your gutters from clogging up, they have a number of exceptionally notable benefits that can affect a great number of elements. They will extend the life span of your gutters and keep your roof in good condition. By preventing water from pooling or flowing in areas where it shouldn’t, th...

Aphids can be a big problem for gardeners looking to keep their plants healthy. These tiny critters are soft-bodied insects that cluster on new plant growth and aim to suck the juices away. Most plants will not be too badly affected by the insects as long as the infestation isn’t too serious. However, the presence of the insects in greater numbers can spell a great deal of trouble, particularly since some plants could develop yellow leaves that fall off, or even distorted growths.   Dealing with aphids and controlling their numbers is therefore essential for keeping your garden healthy. The short reproduction cycle of the insects and the larger quantities of nitrogen present on and around various plants can often spur the growth of aphid populations.   As a result, to control their growth, it is important to control the amount of nitrogen your plants are exposed to. Consider spraying your plants with water occasionally, to achieve that goal. Also, attracting beneficial in...

If you want a genuinely healthy soil, you have to consider what makes a soil healthy and why. The science of managing your soil and ensuring that it has the right nutrients and the correct pH balance for feeding and supporting the growth of specific plants can involve a great deal of fine tuning, before you get just the right conditions.   The presence of a healthy amount of nitrogen and various other important nutrients is essential for maintaining your soil’s good health. Although nitrogen itself is a double edged sword, since too much of it can actually harm your plants, you’ll find you can get an ideal amount of balanced nutrients by simply using the right type of organic compost and fertilizer. Long lasting fertilizers that present a slower release are the best, since they allow the soil to retain the most nutrients, and will prevent nutrients from being washed away by a sudden shower.   If you want your soil to be ideal for growing plants, a pH of around 5 to 7 is pe...

When planting your lawn, one of the most important things to consider is how the presence of pets – especially dogs – can affect it. In many places, dogs are taken out in the garden to do their business, and when they’re not properly trained or supervised, they can end up marking their territory on your precious lawn. This is often the main cause of brown spots in grass , and if left unchecked, the problem can usually degenerate in damaged and dead grass that ultimately has to be cleaned up and replaced.   Depending on whether you want to employ a preventive or reactive practice of dealing with this issue, there are several things you can do:   You can discourage your dog from going to your lawn or even getting close to it. You can do so by training them, using an electronic or a normal fence, or supervising him closely when you take him outside. Before you’re able to train your dog, you can also leave him on a longer leash, and use water or water-based organic compounds...

While a lot of people tend to focus on the intricacies of gardening in the spring, not everyone considers the importance of checking and repairing their sprinklers. In many cases, the use of sprinklers is paramount to the results that homeowners get with their gardening, and any malfunction – especially when it comes to the use of automated sprinklers – can end up creating a real disaster.   When you’re using automated sprinklers, there are many reasons why you have to check their functionality in the springtime:   That’s when the weather starts to get good enough for proper gardening. As you plant new crops, grass and plants, you will want your sprinkler system to be ready to provide them all with life-giving water at the right time and in the correct amount.  You want to avoid having brown patches on lawn right from the start of Spring. Automated sprinklers use heat sensors to determine when to sprinkle your flowers and plants. If the sensors are off or the spri...

Are you looking for the most stunning flowers you can plant in the month of May? The following advice should help you find the most suitable flower for your garden, and give you a few quick tips on exactly when the best time for planting these flowers might actually be.   A well-known annual that can be grown in home gardens and commercial gardens just about anywhere is the Marigold. This gorgeous flower can grow up to 36 inches tall, and it produces thick, yellow and orange colored blooms that will look stunning in your garden throughout the late spring and early summer.   If you’re looking for low-maintenance flowers that are also quite versatile, unique and beautiful all at the same time, you can’t ignore the cosmos flower. This beautiful bloom will tower over your garden, often growing up to 2-3 feet tall. It thrives in the month of May, and can be grown quite comfortably in that period, especially when the soil temperature falls between 70 and 80 degrees.  Be su...