Archive for the ‘Garden Plants’ Category

Apr
12

Bonsai, literally “tree planted within a tray”, are miniature versions of larger trees. Depending on the sort of bonsai tree under consideration, their height ranges from a few inches to a couple of feet. Like regular trees, bonsai trees also can bear flowers and fruits.

There are two types of bonsai trees: indoor and outdoor. Although most bonsai are outdoor plants, certain versions have adapted effectively enough to survive within an indoor setting. These would be the tropical or subtropical kinds. Should you intend on raising these, be sure to put them in a spot where they can get some good sunlight from the mornings and shade in the afternoon. Steer clear of exposing them to  too much sunlight – many types of bonsai do not bear up well under intense heat. Indoor kinds of bonsai comprise the ficus, baby jade, sago palms, serissa, fukien tea, pachira, gardenia, plus some elm kinds.

Outdoor bonsai are further divided into two groups. The first group contains the evergreen trees, which contain the pine, the juniper, and the azalea. As the name evergreen suggests, these trees retain their foliage regardless of what the growing season is. They generally undergo a dormancy period during winter, which creates a yellow tinge around their leaves.

Deciduous trees include elms and maples. These trees shed their leaves throughout the fall and re-bud at springtime. Most elm species fall into this category, along with the apricot, hornbeam, and gingko. Like evergreen bonsai, deciduous bonsai also go through a dormancy stage at winter. Deciduous bonsai aren’t perfectly suited to being grown indoors – the degree of light and humidity are too different from those in their natural habitat.

There are lots of sorts of bonsai trees, nevertheless they do have one thing in common. All bonsai trees, with couple of exceptions, need to have certain attention if they’re to thrive. You might need to protect them from both excessive cold and heat, depending on the climate in your area. Also, levels of humidity need to be monitored, and as much as feasible you will need to offer the precise humidity level that your bonsai would need to grow. When you know what you’re doing, however, it shouldn’t be a problem for you.

Having care of the bonsai tree will not be a task for amateurs. Bonsai trees are unusual trees and they require unusual care. Most kinds of bonsai are not particularly hardy, particularly when compared to other varieties of plants. In case you are considering acquiring your own bonsai tree, or should you curently have one, you need to follow simple proven steps to boost your plant’s probability of survival.

Taking care of the bonsai tree requires specialized knowledge. If you are serious about growing your own bonsai plants, you have to take time to conduct a little research. Buy several books and read up about the subject. If you know anyone who has had experience in raising bonsai, you will need to try to discuss the matter with him or her as well. Taking care of your bonsai is hard enough; being ignorant certainly isn’t likely to aid you.

Be certain to discover a local bonsai nursery. Stay away from the bonsai trees bought from shops and malls. Even though they might appear to be in excellent condition and sell on the cheap, they are usually close to death and will not survive inside your house for long. Retailers, after all, are interested only in selling the bonsai, not maintaining it. It will be far greater for you personally to discover a garden center that sells seedlings or small bonsai plants. This will enable you to experience the joy(and hardship!) of raising your very own plant. Additionally, you will be able to size and shape the tree how you want to, which is not always an choice with the much more mature plants.

Don’t skimp on the tools that you require. For many of us folks, raising a bonsai is far more of a hobby than anything else. This doesn’t mean, on the other hand, that you should skimp on the tools that you will need to have to raise your plants properly. 1 example of bonsai tool is a concave cutter. A concave cutter is really a tool designed to prune the plant without leaving a stub. Shears, pliers, and branch bending jacks are common too. For shaping the tree, you’ll have to have aluminum and copper wires.

Having care of the bonsai tree demands~ a continuous learning process. Whilst this article seriously isn’t meant to become an extensiveguide to bonsai care, it should supply you with the idea that there’s very much to be learned so that you can have great results. Nevertheless, don’t be discouraged. If you truly love bonsai trees, learning won’t be complicated for you personally at all! And when you’ve mastered the art of raising a bonsai, you are able to enjoy a lot of beautiful days with your miniature tree.


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Apr
18

strelitzia

With its large, paddle-shaped leaves and bird of paradise flowers, this is one of the most beautiful of garden plants.

If you can grow Strelitzias you will have a real feature for your garden. They take a bit of establishing and don’t be fooled into thinking of this as a plant for full sunlight (which is what my gardening guide specifies). Recently, I saw it described more correctly as a plant for semi-shade, as can be seen from this photograph.

The photograph was taken in the botanical gardens of Harare, Zimbabwe. Having just arrived there from Scotland as a teenager, I found the impact of the warm climate and beautiful plant-life overwhelming, and this picture certainly brings across that flavor.

Enjoy!

Patricia


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Apr
17

Hibiscus – Some Tips

Posted by patricia under Garden Plants

hibiscus1

Thank you Leo!

Well, I live in the Far North of New Zealand, and our climate is probably similar to yours, except that we get more rain, I think, and it’s not quite so warm.

We can grow many subtropcals up here though, and one of my favorits is Hibiscus.  I have to say it took me a while to discover the secret of growing them, and I had a few failures first.  Then one day I read an article that gave me a real lightbulb moment about these lovely plants, and this  is what I found out:

Given the right temperatures, their two main requirements are good drainage and an undisturbed root system, because they are very shallow-rooted. For this reason they also need protection from the wind.

I think mine might have been getting wet feet, so now I make sure to plant them on a bit of a mound so the water drains away well – and I usually put plenty of mulch or stones around them to make sure the roots don’t get disturbed – especially by my chickens!

Patricia

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