Welcome to GardenSmack

Your #1 Gardening Resource Website.

17 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Benefits of Using Solar Yard Lights

For more than a decade now people are more focused in finding ways on how they can save the environment. There are some people who have switched from the incandescent bulb to something that are made of halogen or LED light fixtures. Even companies that have been selling conventional lights have environment friendly lights as well. When you are thinking of installing lights in your backyard it would good to check on the solar yard lights that are available in the market. Due to the increasing demand of these environment friendly lights manufactures try to make sure that they come up with modern designs.

These solar lights are still popular in some households but you would now see so many halogen bulbs and LED lights being sold but the solar powered ones are still considered to be ideal not only inside your home but outside as well. Installing these lights is really very easy. You don’t need to be an expert to be able to set this, up which means you don’t need to hire an electrician to get the job done. Everyone should be responsible enough to make sure that they do their part in saving the environment.

You would hear so many things about the depleting ozone layer and companies have made their contribution in coming up with energy efficient products. The only way that we can make this work is to do our part in making sure that these products are patronized so that the demand would be higher and once that happens, the price of these energy efficient items may be lower. Saving mother earth is not the task of one but it is the duty of everyone. We have to see to it that everyone is doing their part in making sure that we preserve what we still have.

16 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

3 Helpful Tips For A Tree Nursery Georgia Company

Are you looking for the best tree nursery Georgia has to offer? There are many qualities that you should look for in a reliable tree nursery. First of all, you want to make sure that the nursery has highly rated trees. This will help you determine the quality of trees being offered there. The higher the rating, the better quality the trees may be. Most tree nursery Georgia companies sell wholesale and in bulk. This is the best way to get the most for your money. Most of the larger tree nursery companies also have a wider variety of types and sizes of trees allowing you to purchase large or small ones for your own tree business or landscaping company.

Advice On How To Find A Reliable Tree Nursery Georgia Company

Secondly, it is also great advice to find a tree nursery that has competitive pricing and that is a bit larger of a nursery. The larger companies will be able to cater to your needs a little bit more. They will have a wider variety and selection of trees, taller trees, and be able to offer the option of shipping the trees for you. This is great because you can order quality trees for your small or large tree business from a reliable and quality tree nursery Georgia company. You will no longer have to sacrifice for poorer quality trees because of where you live.

Lastly, it is important to find a tree nursery that has the capability to meet certain deadlines. If you need a large quantity of trees at low wholesale pricing, you will be more likely to get the trees you want, at the price you like, by the date you need them. These are all very important qualities to look for in a tree nursery company that you can trust.

16 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Reasons to Use Garden Lighting

If you have spent a lot of time and money to beautify your garden, using a bit more of your time and treasure to make sure it’s properly illuminated will be beneficial as well and offer you a great return on your investment. There are many ways to incorporate lighting in your garden, so in this article I’ll give you a brief run down of the types of lights that you can get and the different reasons why you’ll want to use these garden lights in your project.

First, why use garden lights at all? There are generally three main reasons. The first is beauty – you want your garden to be visible to any onlookers at night. The second and third reasons are more practical than aesthetic – you want to protect your garden and visitors from any interference, and you want to provide security for your home and yard at night. (This can best be accomplished with motion sensor activated lights).

The most common kind of garden light used today is that which is powered by electricity. You can either have this light connected directly to the main line, or you can use low voltage lights that have had the voltage “transformed” or “stepped down” to a less powerful and safer level. Most homeowners will be satisfied with low-voltage lights, though main lights may be needed if you’re looking for brightness, which you would if you were installing flood lights for example.

Another popular variety are solar powered lights. These can save you money over the long run because they are powered by the natural renewable energy resource of the sun. In addition, they are easy for you to install and help protect the environment from the further burning of fossil fuels.

For more detailed information on garden lighting designs and varieties, please check out the Concrete Pavers Guide.

15 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Are Professional Sprinkler Systems Worth It?

Are professionally installed water irrigation systems (sprinklers) that are built into the ground worth the cost?

This is a good question that many homeowners want to know.  Getting one installed can be several thousand dollars and many people want to know if they are, in fact, a good investment.

The answer to that question is “yes” but having said that it depends.

In order for a professional sprinkler system to be worth it you need to have a fairly large lawn and have a desire to keep it in immaculate condition. When I say “immaculate condition” I mean you have a desire for your grass to be perfect to the point you could win “yard of the month” within your neighborhood.

If you are that person then the answer is definitely, yes, you need to invest into one of these systems.

People do not realize how much time watering their grass takes until they do not need to do it any longer. A large front yard can take at least twenty minutes to properly water and depending on conditioners you might have to do it every other day.

Additionally, we people hand water their own grass their is usually a lot of waste and over-watering taking effect.  We all have seen it;  excessive runoff going into the street and a soaked front lawn is usually the result of someone trying to moisten their own grass.  Many people do not realize this but an over-watered grass is almost just as bad as one that gets too little water.  It also makes it a good place for insects to breed.

Like Goldie Locks and The Three Bears you want your lawn to be water just right.  Not too much and not too little.

Professionally installed sprinkler systems allow you to control just how much water is sprayed on your grass.  You just need a little every single day.  They are programed to come on everyday at a specific time and they give your lawn just enough water to keep them lush, green and perfect .  If you live in a place where water is more expensive than other parts of the country you will especially like the fact that your water bill is lower.

Last but not least do not try to install your own irrigation system.  They are a lot more complex than they look.  It requires special tools and a precise knowledge set to do.  Get someone who knows what they are doing to do the job.  If you need somewhere to start ask a neighbor who already has a sprinkler system installed who he used.

14 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

How Can I Tell If I Have Grubs In My Lawn?

Sometimes, it can be very difficult to know if you have grubs in your lawn, and it can be even more difficult to prevent them. But you can tell if you have grubs in your lawn in a few different ways. First, you’ll start to notice yellow spots in particular areas of your lawn but not all. The spots should start to appear in the late spring as the grubs hatch and start to eat your lawn and your lawn roots. You can dig around a little bit in the soil and find out that there are grubs there and that they need to be sheeted. Another sign, is if you have gophers that are eating your lawn. They are actually after the grubs. Getting rid of the grubs in your lawn, may also help you to get rid of the gophers. A third thing that you can do, is to see if there are birds pecking holes in your lawn. They can also be after the grubs that are living there. As a preventative measure, sometimes you can thatch your lawn with a thatching rake or a power rake. Grubs like to live within the layer of thatch. As you are raking it up, keep your eyes open for lawn grubs which may be in your lawn. You will typically see them as you are raking up the thatch.

One way that you can control grubs in lawn, is to keep your lawn as healthy as possible. Grubs do most of their damage in unhealthy lawns, or in unhealthy spots of your lawn such as areas that have poor drainage. If have a super healthy lawn, you can survive most grub attacks.  This means that you should be watering your lawn regularly, putting down fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks, and mowing your lawn at the proper height.

11 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Points To Consider When Designing A Garden Pond

There are a few points that you might like to consider when thinking of creating your own garden pond. The pond should firstly be located in a place where your fish will be happy and where you can maintain it easily. Think also, about the times of year when you won’t be able to go out into your garden and locate the pond so you can watch from a window. Also, garden fish ponds are best kept away from trees so their leaves don’t fall into it and alter the water chemistry.

You are going to need an electrical outlet that is close by for your pump and filter and also if you are going to install a water feature. You will need to use a hose too so need to make sure these things are to hand when you plan your pond’s location.
First place your pond liner into the dug hole. This will either be made from PVC, or rubber and comes in different thickness. If you are going to be keeping Koi fish then you should build a very large pond so this will need to be budgeted for. Koi fish grow very large and need at least 1,000 gallons of water to keep them happy and healthy. If you had planned a large planted Koi pond then perhaps you had not considered that Koi are voracious plant eaters and you will be forever replacing the plants. If you do want to keep plants you may be better keeping goldfish, as they don’t eat quite so much as Koi, and are also smaller.

Your fish are going to need some shelter from predators and the sun so should be kept with plants if possible. Add some rocks or pebbles around the perimeter of your pond to help keep it looking natural and in keeping with your garden. A garden pond should enhance your original garden, not take over, so if your garden is only small, then don’t build a huge pond, even if you can afford it, it won’t look right.
Add fish and plants a few days after adding water. This will give your pond a chance to warm up and settle. Add a few fish to start with as the pond will need about 6 weeks before enough beneficial bacteria have grown to neutralize toxins, such as fish waste and uneaten food. Always add dechlorinator to pond water to eliminate any harmful metals and chlorine in the water from the tap. Fish do not do well in tap water which has not been pre-treated.
Keep a contingency fund available just in case you need more money. It would be a shame if you had to stop building your pond half way through because you ran out of money.
Garden ponds give much pleasure throughout the year as they continually change with the seasons, so give proper commitment to the installing of yours and reap the rewards for years to come.

11 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Spend More Time Outdoors With Patio Umbrella Lights

Enjoying a meal or a few drinks outside is a wonderful way to relax, and enjoy your friends, and family, but once the sun goes down it can be difficult to see anything, especially if you do not have patio umbrella lights. Of course you can try to attach an old set of Christmas lights, but they are not made to fit, and can be more trouble than they are worth.

Choose from battery operated patio umbrella lights, led patio umbrella lights, or solar-powered lighting, which eliminates messy electrical cords. One of the advantages of battery-powered lighting is you do not have to depend on the elements. If your backyard area does not get a lot of sunshine, led or batteries would be your best option.

Having a string of lights attached to the ribs of your umbrella looks great, but one of the best ways to light up the great outdoors is with a single unit led light system. It is cordless and clamps to the umbrella pole. The system fits almost any size market umbrella and has a rechargeable battery that can last for up to 8 hours.

If you are looking for something more decorative, you can opt for a lighting system that wraps around the base of your umbrella and it is attached to the ribs. You can buy a battery system or opt for a led unit that will give you up to 30,000 hours. This will eliminate the need to buy new bulbs constantly. Some lighting systems even include a built-in stereo.

Most units are easy to install, and do not have to be removed every time you call it a night. Some are water-resistant, which means they need to be stored during wet weather. If you want something that you can handle a down pour, shop for a waterproof lighting system.

09 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Garden Deck Ideas for Your Garden Design

It is of uttermost importance that you have plans sketched for your garden decking design. Herein are just but a number of schemes to stimulate your craving. When making your plans it is vital to consider the link between your house and garden. Any good garden fencing and decking plan will take into account that.

Love it or not, a majority of deck design are founded upon squares. Deck boards are in spite of everything square in shape.  Nonetheless, with a little bit of foresight and creativity, you can soon convert those squares into all sorts of shapes. Anything that ranges from a normal rectangle to a complete circular deck can be done, either with creative planting schemes or by some normal design ideas with your future deck.

An initial deck scheme can be accomplished on any rough paper, then make a follow up through by a number of scribbles on a sheet of graph paper. This is important so that you can get the dimensions and proportions of your deck correctly. The detailed scheme of you decking project will consume a little bit of some time as well as your expertise. You will most likely require the assistance of someone who has the knowledge in this area.

Decking Materials

Once you have made a decision on the deck that you would love to build, the next stage is to make selections between the different decking materials to use from the ones accessible in the market. The selection of decking materials will not begin and end with the deck boards nut will also expand into the locations of fastenings, , balustrades, lights, deck frame, supports and stair types. Just to name a few!

Before making a purchase, ensure that you have done a thorough research on the different materials available in the markt.

09 August 2011 ~ Comments Off

Creating A Beautiful Backyard Design

Having a well-designed backyard is crucial to achieving a beautiful home. A nice backyard will envelop your home with a warm and friendly atmosphere. In spite of the size and design of your house, you can improve its appearance by choosing a backyard design that enhances its surroundings. The first step to having an attractive outdoor area is adding a pretty flower garden. The addition of colorful flowers or stunning trees or bushes is sure to improve any outdoor area.

Raised flowerbeds with different types of flowers look wonderful in the furthest part of a backyard area and you can put an eye catching outdoor decoration in the center to create a dramatic effect. A decorative birdbath or outdoor water fountain makes an excellent garden centerpiece. Statues of angels, garden gnomes or fairies are also popular centerpiece choices to go with your solar patio lights or walkway accessories.

If you have a spacious garden, you can create stone paths or plant hedges leading to interesting garden areas like the patio. Then you can create a flower garden around your patio area that divides it from your garden. You can find a wide variety of decorative garden ornaments such as outdoor patio lights and figurines at a home improvement shop.

Planting flowers can be a messy activity, so it is a good idea to be prepared for the task. You will need proper garden equipment as well as an old pair of clothes. You can purchase clothes for gardening at a garage sale or buy clearance clothes from a local clothing store. You also need to have a good pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands as well as a trowel, trimmer and garden wagon. You should make sure that your garden hose is long enough to reach each section of your garden for easy flower watering and clean ups.

You do not have to spend a fortune to get a gorgeous backyard design. If you are willing to spend your spare time designing and working in the garden, you will wind up with a stunning backyard space that you can take pride in.

29 July 2011 ~ Comments Off

Reasons To Use Plant Markers

Individuals that do, or do not, have a “green thumb” use plant markers as a means of plant identification.  In years past, gardeners were forced to make these themselves. Today, they can be purchased, and are available in both basic and decorative styles.

The most prominent reason that individuals use plant markers is simply to help them remember what they planted where.  Those that plant more than one type of flower or vegetable may quickly forget what went where.  This is easy to do, as once plants start sprouting, some of the varieties begin to look quite similar.

Identification is required in order to take care of each plant properly.  While some types may need similar care, others might have a completely different set of instructions that must be followed in order to ensure their health.

Proper identification is also important in order to treat common pests that can kill plants.  Some pest control products can only be used on specific types of plants. When used improperly, pest control products may kill some plants.  Always read the instructions on a pest control product before applying it to plants or soil.

Plant markers should be used as soon as seeds or plants go into the ground.  There are many to choose from, and shopping for them is easy, as there are no right or wrong choices. Any basic style will do.  However, those that wish to use decorative versions will find that there are plenty of attractive choices.

This is one the most simple and inexpensive gardening products on the market, yet is very valuable.  Plant markers can be used for both indoor and outdoor plants, and offer a solid benefit to all that use them.  Plant identification has always been important, and now we have an easier means of accomplishing this task.

Please visit us at GardenWow.com to check out our selection of herb and garden markers.