Scotts 20-Inch Push Reel Mower

With soaring gas prices, what better way to save money this summer.

The Scott's classic reel mower is light, maneuverable, and economical. The business end of this push reel mower is solid, sharp, and everything a reel mower should be, with five heat-treated, knife-sharp steel blades that can be adjusted for nine grass heights with very easy wheel tabs. With its 10-inch wheels, radial tires, and 20-inch cutting width, this mower should enable you to cross whatever terrain and reach whatever hard-to-access rogue patches of grass you desire. There's no soft cushion on the handle, which is too bad, but otherwise, the Scotts Classic is a durable, well-constructed, simple device.

Available at Amazon.com.

Stonescaping Idea Book

The right kind of stone and how you incorporate it in your landscape and garden can make all the difference. Stone, a broad term that includes pavers, fieldstones, bricks, rocks and boulders, and stone veneer, can be used to create a distinct yet practical component to any yard. And with the variety of natural and manufactured stone products widely available today, incorporating stone in the landscape is no longer out of reach.

Stonescaping Idea Book showcases a wide range of inspiring and practical ideas for using stone in all types of landscape settings and for all budgets and regions of the country. Along with tried-and-true designs for inviting walkways and beautiful walls, new ways of using stone in gardens and patio spaces are also presented. You’ll discover ideas for creating graceful streams, waterfalls, or even simple fountains that will help transform your backyard into a private retreat. And you’ll find a wide range of outdoor living spaces that family and friends can enjoy for years to come. As the examples in the book demonstrate, there is a world of stone to explore; this book will help get you started on the right path.

Available at Amazon.com.

How to Build Walks, Walls & Patio Floors

With the newest edition of Sunset's bestselling Walks, Walls Patio Floors, homeowners learn a lot more than how to pour a perfect concrete slab (though they learn the best way to do that, too.) Following clear instructions and step-by-step photography, they learn how to plan, design, and build their own outdoor paradise.

Available at Amazon.com.

Five Tips to Enhance Your Pool Deck Before Summer Arrives

With summer just around the corner, it's likely your pool will be getting used more frequently. If it needs some freshening up, the Concrete Network offers five easy tips to spruce up a pool deck without having to tear out and replace it. Oftentimes, just simple fixes can give your pool deck a fresh, new look.

One of the biggest trends in outdoor design today is a decorative concrete pool deck, a colored, textured and inviting area surrounding the pool that does more than provide a an area for sunbathing and barbecuing. Concrete pool decks are now given nearly as much attention as the interior design of the home.

Below is a sample of the many tips you can find on enhancing an existing pool deck before summer arrives:

1. Planters and foliage. With the addition of colorful planters, pool decks can be given a fresh, new look. Exotic foliage surrounding pool areas can transform plain backyards into tropical oases. Exotic plants and flowers can also soothe the senses with exotic aromas.

2. Storage containers. Hard to come by storage space can be easily remedied with a lightweight storage container. Pool supplies and toys can be conveniently stored in these containers that often double as a seat bench when closed. Pool decks will look clean and free from clutter.

3. Liven up the mood with music. Outdoor, all-weather speakers can bring the party outside. Wireless speakers offer relatively easy installation, and often they can be concealed in planters, or are made to look like rocks that fit in with the surroundings.

4. New furniture. Tables, lawn chairs and other furniture pieces can provide a comfortable sitting area for guests to dry off after a cool dip in the pool. Lawn chairs provide a nice seating area for relaxing and reading by the pool.

5. Apply a decorative stain. A plain, gray concrete patio can be transformed into a colorful work of art with decorative concrete stains. Although a more advanced tip, contractors can be hired to complete a project in just one weekend. Custom colors can be created to match the existing home's exterior or the surrounding landscape.

These are just a few of the many factors to consider when enhancing your pool deck. Browse through the site's concrete pool decks section for many more tips and tricks.

Read more about concrete.

Established in 1999, The Concrete Network's purpose is to educate consumers, builders, and contractors on popular decorative techniques and applications. These include stamped concrete, stained concrete floors, concrete countertops, polished concrete, and much more. In 2007 The Concrete Network Website had over 11 million visitors researching decorative concrete.

The site excels at connecting buyers with local contractors in their area through its Find a Concrete Contractor service. The service provides visitors with a list of decorative concrete contractors throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is fully searchable by 23 types of decorative concrete work and 202 regional areas throughout North America.

Photos courtesy of Davis Colors; photo by John Siskin.

Source: PRWeb

Landscaping with Stone

Landscaping with Stone is a combination landscape design and project book in one. The first section provides readers with a framework for incorporating stone in their landscape designs, including a look at the different types of stone used in landscapes, sources of inspiration, and ways to think about stone in relation to other landscape elements. The second part of the book provides readers with tips on working with stone, from transporting to cutting and setting. There is also step-by-step instruction on some of the most popular stone projects, including patios, walls, and rock gardens.

Available at Amazon.com.

Landscape Planning: Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener

Landscaping a property can be an overwhelming task. How much will it cost? How long will it take? What plants will grow best in a particular location? Is it a do-it-yourself or a professional job?

Landscape designer and horticulturalist Judith Adam provides every crucial step in designing and implementing a landscape plan: from assessing specific needs and planning a budget and timeline, to making the best choices for a successful garden. From her years of experience, Adam describes 200 of her favorite plants, shrubs and trees. This revised edition includes a new chapter on low-maintenance and self-reliant gardening that helps the home gardener get the most out of the space with the least amount of work.

This new edition of Landscape Planning includes:

• 25 fully illustrated step-by-step projects
• 27 fully illustrated Ten Best lists, such as ten best drought-resistant shrubs; ten best plants for autumn display
• A property assessment survey, budget questionnaire and sample four-year plan
• Hardscaping: ideas for steps, sidewalks, fences and lighting
• Softscaping: working with plants, shrubs, trees and lawns
• Techniques for planting, irrigating and fertilizing plants and controlling pests
• A list of tools that every gardener needs
• Plans for a low-maintenance garden -- and much more.

This comprehensive guide is a must-have for homeowners and avid gardeners alike.

Available at Amazon.com.

Water Garden Idea Book

Water gardening is making a big splash in today's landscapes. Called the fastest-growing part of the landscape industry today, the installation of water features in the landscape is a multi-billion dollar market. It's easy to see why. Splashing fountains make hot days seem a bit cooler. Basins of water reflect the blue sky, puffy clouds, and colorful fall leaves. Naturalistic ponds and waterfalls attract birds and butterflies to backyards. And tiny tabletop fountains offer soothing sounds that drown out neighborhood noise.

Water Garden Idea Book brings these ideas to life, providing more than 300 photos of all types of water features--with tips for design and placement so that they become striking focal points or soothing and subtle additions for any setting. From ponds and streams to pools and water stairs, fountains, containers, and bubbling urns, Water Garden Idea Book has it all. Special emphasis is given to siting all types of water features and how to install a water feature yourself. Extensive resource list is included.

Available at Amazon.com.

How To Make A Simple Easy Compost Bin

Patti, the Garden Girl, shows you a simple and easy way to make a compost bin for your organic lawn or garden.


How To Make A Simple Easy, Compost Bin

Patios and Walkways Idea Book

Adding a patio or walkway is about more than just carving out a space for a 20-foot by 20-foot square of brick pavers or connecting the front door to the backyard with flagstone. They need to be stylish and work hard as well, since they are exposed to lots of people, pets, and weather of all sorts. This book provides hundreds of inspiring photos for all types of patios--from terraces to courtyards, pool decking to multi-level versions--walkways, and transitional areas around the home. It also takes a close up look at the wide variety of materials--including brick, concrete pavers, and stone--that can be used to construct patios and walkways. In addition to the photos, sidebars and illustrations give sage advice and more detailed information on materials, design, and practical considerations.

Available at Amazon.com.

Top Tips for a Healthy Lawn

Whether you’re on the golf course or in your own backyard, spring and summer are all about enjoying the outdoors. The right tools and techniques will help turn your lawn into a golf course-quality green space all year long.

To bring home that message, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who has been named the Greatest Golfer of the Last Millennium by numerous media outlets worldwide and today is the world’s leading golf course designer, has joined with the turf specialists at Lawn-Boy to put together a series of outdoor-living tips available at www.NicklausTips.com.

Nicklaus sees a solid connection between lawn care and golf. “Many people put energy into their yards the way I put energy into the game and the business of golf,” he says. “I respect that.”

Turf expert Paul B. Latshaw, superintendent at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Nicklaus’ home course in Ohio, says, “Turning your attention to the turf in early spring makes all the difference. Just like in golf, a little work now will really pay off throughout the season.”

Here are a few pieces of expert advice for a championship season -- on the links or on the lawn:

Get your equipment into shape.

After sitting unused for several months, spring is the perfect time to check and change your mower’s oil, air filter, and spark plug or plugs. Check your blade to see if it needs sharpening or replacing. You may want to contact your local dealer to schedule a spring tune-up.

Use the right mower.

Today’s mowers combine professional-level effectiveness with lots of user-friendly features to make mowing easier on the body. When designing its new line of mowers, Lawn-Boy interviewed hundreds of homeowners and used their feedback to come up with innovative features like an easily adjustable handle height, a bag you can remove with one hand, and a self-propel system that automatically senses and adjusts to your walking speed. “In golf, there are dozens of technology and equipment choices. The same is true when people are trying to find the right lawn mower,” says Nicklaus. To find the right mower for you and your home, check out www.FindYourMower.com.

Fix bare spots.

You probably don’t have divots in your backyard, but you might notice a few unsightly bare spots that need fixing due to disease or pets. They’re easy to repair. Just clear away the dead-looking patches, sprinkle grass seed on the newly exposed soil, add fertilizer, and keep the area moist.

Aerate.

Golf courses aerate regularly to loosen the soil and to let water, air and fertilizer make their way down to the grass plant’s roots. Home lawns can benefit from this procedure as well. Mature lawns can often become compacted, reducing the ability of critical nutrients to reach grass roots.

And don’t forget to tune up for golf, too. A technique taught at the Nicklaus Academies connects right back to yard care. A great way to visualize hip turn for a good golf swing is to imagine you’re pulling the starting cord on your Lawn-Boy. The twisting action of your hips is just what you need for your backswing.

For more golf and yard care tips, visit www.NicklausTips.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to Prune Roses

Want to keep your buds looking their best? Pruning your roses helps create healthy blooms. Find out the proper way to cut stems to promote growth.

Plant a Seaside Garden

The seaside is a harsh growing environment, so making the right plant choices can be the difference between a lush landscape and a dried-up desert. Learn how to plant a seaside garden.

Shrub Roses Add Easy, Ever-blooming Color to Landscapes

Looking for instant color to dress up your deck or patio for that summer garden party or backyard barbeque? Or maybe you need a dash of color to brighten your landscape with long-lasting visual drama. Whatever your garden quandary, consider a low-maintenance shrub rose for nonstop color from spring until fall.

Shrub roses are easy to grow and cover any landscape with gorgeous color and flowers. They look beautiful spilling over the sides of a container, either alone or mixed with your favorite perennials or annuals. User-friendly and low-maintenance, they need little to no care for year-round color and nonstop blooms.Shrub roses are one of the hottest trends in gardening today, says Doug Jimerson of Better Homes & Gardens.

"Think of shrub roses as a flowering plant -- not a rose," Jimerson says. "The great thing about shrub roses is you don't have to have a green thumb to make them grow. They are so easy -- just plant in a sunny spot, water them and watch them grow. They’re the perfect plant for today's busy homeowners."

Jimerson recommends these four steps for a rosy garden:

1. Get Rich: Use healthy soil in a big hole for roses. Experts say to dig a hole twice the size of the container the rose is in. And be sure to provide ample space for the plants roots to assure healthy and beautiful roses.

2. Sun Kissed: For the most prolific blooms, plant Drift Roses in a location with plenty of sun. Hardy to zone 5, these ground hugging, ever-blooming shrubs are perfect as a border or bedding plant. Growing only about a foot around, they make a stunning low hedge or edge on a border.

3. Feed Me: Drift Roses aren’t fussy eaters. Give them a good dose of slow-release or timed fertilizer, which releases nutrients to the plant when the plant needs it most, and you’re set for the season.

4. Cover Up: And remember to mulch your roses. Mulching helps to buffer the cycle from wet to dry, keeps the feeder roots from drying out, and helps to establish the roots quicker. And less watering is required.

New Groundcover Roses Perfect for Your Landscape

This year try planting Star Roses’ new Drift Roses for a dramatic groundcover effect in your garden. They combine wonderfully with perennials intermixed with other upright shrubs like coreopsis, veronicas or lambs ear and even hostas.

Choose from four cultivars that bloom from spring to early frost. Ranging from scarlet red to bright soft peach, they provide the gardener with a complete range of color solutions for landscape use or in containers.

Two favorites in the collection are the Peach Drift Rose and the Pink Drift Rose. The most floriferous of the series, Peach Drift’s small bright apricot-salmon blooms have dark green, semi-glossy foliage and grow up to 2 feet in height. Pink Drift’s low growing mound of semi-double deep pink blooms, reaches 1-1/2 feet in height with a 3-foot spread.

Make no mistake that these are not finicky miniature roses. These hardy groundcover roses are true low spreading, dwarf shrub roses that grow only about a foot high by 1-1/2 feet wide and are covered with blooms that open to 1-1/2 inches. Drift Roses are perfect in small gardens, splashing your landscapes with visual delight.

Appealing to today’s busy gardener, these low-maintenance roses are highly disease resistant. They require no spraying except in the most humid regions of the Deep South. Bred to be “chemical-free,” Drift Roses resist rust, mildew, Japanese beetles and black spot while blooming for months on end.

Whether planting for a shock of ever-blooming color in a spectacular landscape or seeking easy, carefree ways to solve a gardening challenge, think easy-care Star Roses for long lasting, maintenance-free color.

To find out more about these and other Star Roses, or to find a garden center near you, visit www.starroses.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Make a Garden Look Bigger

Want to make your garden appear bigger? Use this simple garden design trick that combines plant colors to create the perception of a larger garden space.

Garden Design Tips from Better Homes and Gardens

Great-looking garden design doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. If you don’t forget about the basics, it’s easy to create a professional look like you see in gardening magazines.

Better Homes and Gardens magazine editor Justin Hancock reveals his time saving tips and money saving tricks for backyard beauty:

Add Instant Impact Easily

Hancock says one quick and easy way to achieve instant impact in the garden is to plant en masse, filling-up flowerbeds and bolstering borders with super-sized color-bearing shrubs like azaleas, shrub roses and hydrangeas.

“Planting several of the same variety of a plant in one area is a fool-proof way to create a big impact, even if you have a little space,” says Hancock. “And it’s less intimidating to work with one color instead of having to mix several different shades.”

Do opt for repeat blooming shrubs. Planting long season bloomers eliminates the necessity to plant annuals to maintain continuous color in the landscape.

Water Wisely and Feed Well

“No matter what kinds of plants you grow, your garden will look its best if you keep your plants healthy,” says Hancock. “Regular maintenance -- watering and feeding your plants appropriately will also save you time and money,” he says. Keeping plants healthy and hydrated is your best defense against poor performance.

Do save time and money fertilizing. Look for a long lasting, slow release plant food like Dynamite All Purpose fertilizer. Dynamite’s slow release formula will do the work for you. It releases just the right amount of nutrients that plants need for a full nine months, eliminating the need to feed more than once a growing season. And because it features a release technology awarded the Gulf Guardian Award by the Environmental Protection Agency, home gardeners can rest assured they are fertilizing well without harming Mother Nature, as this particular fertilizer reduces nutrient run-off and keeps our waters clean.

Minimize Your Lawn; Maximize Your Style

Today’s style conscious home gardeners are trading in their square-shaped lawns for a more curvaceous, stylized look that ultimately saves time and money.

“Most gardeners I know want to cut down on how much time they spend mowing the lawn and how much money they spend watering it,” says Hancock. To accomplish this, Hancock says to think outside the planting box, “Get rid of lawn in areas where it’s tough to mow or the grass struggles. Replace it with easy-care perennials and groundcovers.”

Or replace grass with hardscape elements and free flowing flowerbeds to create an outdoor space that adds dramatic visual interest and unique style.

“One thing that’s great about free-flowing beds is that it isn’t a science -- you can create shapes that look great to you. You’ll end up with a personal look with loads of impact -- and less upkeep.”

Incorporate Art in the Garden

Garden planning is a lot like interior design. Every great indoor room incorporates decorative accessories that add interest and a finishing touch to the overall look. You can apply interior design elements to your outdoor design as well.

Do add architectural elements of surprise within gardenscapes in the form of garden art.

“Using architectural salvage is hot right now. Decorate your beds and borders with accessories such as an old metal gate you plant sweet peas on or using an old chair or table to put containers on,” he says. Design elements like these will add a powerful punch and a touch of panache to an otherwise traditional garden setting.

Hancock says that garden art doesn’t have to be high end or brand new. Look for unique artifacts in your own garage, at a yard sale, or a flea market.

For inspiration designing your outdoor room, visit www.bhg.com, www.sideplanting.com and www.florikan.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Fixing Bare Patches in Your Lawn

Are you tired of hiring lawn services to maintain your lawn? Learn how to fix bare patches, plant new seed, and keep your yard green and beautiful all by yourself.

How to Have a Beautiful and Fruitful Garden

Many gardeners who love their ornamental landscape are not sure if they want to give up space for a vegetable garden that needs to be replanted every year. Fortunately, there are dozens of incredible edibles that add beauty and style to the garden -- and provide a bounty of fruits and herbs.

Monrovia, a leading plant grower, offers these suggestions for easy-to-grow edibles:

Fruit trees make a beautiful addition to the garden or in a container on a patio. Citrus, with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrance, can provide an abundance of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes. Nicholas Staddon, new plants director for Monrovia, suggests the Variegated Calamondin Orange, with stunning green and cream-colored foliage. Even the fruit is variegated with a pale green stripe. The Moro Blood Orange has bright red-fleshed fruit with a delicious flavor; and the Meyer Improved Lemon produces a crop of juicy fruit twice a year. Gardeners in colder climates can easily grow citrus in containers and winter them indoors.

Pomegranate trees have brilliant orange flowers and will yield a crop of big red fruit that are extremely high in antioxidants. Quince is a spectacular flowering tree that produces a tart fruit that makes fantastic jams. Try the Super Red Flowering Quince and enjoy huge bright red blossoms, or the Cameo Japanese variety, with delicate apricot-pink blooms.

Blueberries, according to Staddon, are the hottest edible for home gardens. Perhaps it’s because this delicious, antioxidant super-food is quite pricey in the supermarket, yet one plant can produce six to seven pounds of fruit. Blueberries are surprisingly easy to grow throughout the United States -- even in warmer regions. Monrovia suggests the Southern Highbush varieties like ONeal, Sunshine Blue, Jubilee and Southmoon. These are extremely tolerant of heat and humidity and don’t require a pollinator to produce fruit.

For the colder parts of the country, plant the Northern Highbush varieties, such as HardyBlue, Patriot, and Spartan, or the really cold hardy Half-High varieties Northblue and Northsky. These do require a pollinator, meaning that you need to have at least two different varieties with similar bloom times, planted close together. Blueberry shrubs have a fantastic array of white to blush-colored flowers in the spring and foliage that changes in the autumn from a pretty green to vivid red and gold.

For something a bit more exotic, try growing kiwi. This native of New Zealand is delicious and easy to grow. It’s a fast-growing vine, so plant near a trellis or arbor so it can climb and the fruit can hang down for easy harvesting. Grapes are another great vine for covering structures, and you’ll be rewarded with sweet, juice grapes for eating or for winemaking.

Herbs will round out your incredible edible garden. Just tuck in creeping Rosemary like the Huntington Carpet or an upright grower like Roman Beauty or Barbeque, and some lavender, such as Hazel Spanish Lavender or the dwarf Thumbelina Leigh English Lavender. Try growing a Sweet Bay in a container on your patio and use the leaves for soups and sauces.

For more great ideas on adding attractive edibles to your garden, visit www.monrovia.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

This Spring Take a Walk on the ‘Wildflower’ Side

Springtime. Time to start thinking about your flower beds and curb appeal. If you’re tired of the same old annuals, or too many choices leave you bewildered where to begin, this spring consider thinking outside the planting box. Plant wildflowers. Lots of them.

In a world dominated by red geraniums, pink begonias and yellow marigolds, wildflowers possess a simple grace and elegance that will enhance any garden or landscape. Wildflowers can magically transform a bare patch of soil into a glorious garden. They constantly color your landscape all season long. No matter your soil or sunshine, wildflowers are the answer to beautiful, bountiful blooms that keep the garden alive with a continual dazzling display of color.

Wildflower gardens are gaining popularity for a variety of reasons:

* They require little maintenance. Native plants are already well suited to your location.

* Wildflowers offer a diversity of unusual foliage shapes and sizes and colorful blooms.

* They can be grown in hard-to-maintain areas -- corners, along fences, slopes that are difficult to mow or water.

* Wildflowers attract a number of garden-friendly visitors, such as birds and butterflies.

Wherever you live, choose a location that gets six to eight hours of full sun and has good drainage. Most wildflowers can grow in heavy clay or less than fertile soils. The key to growing a hearty wildflower patch is to start with a good seedbed.

* Remove any existing weeds or grasses.

* Till the top 1 to 2 inches of soil. Tilling deeper than that will stir up thousands of dormant weed seeds and the wildflowers will struggle to get established.

* When planting wildflower seeds in a new garden area, don't fertilize unless your soil is extremely sandy; wildflowers don't need fertilizer. They are used to growing in average soils.

If you'd like to try your hand at growing wildflowers, you need to start with good seeds and the right mix for your geographical location. Ousidepride.com has done all the work for you offering a wide variety of wildflower seed mixes created specifically for your geographical region: Remember, a good wildflower mix contains both annuals and perennials. This gives the garden a wider variety of colors, heights and season-long blooms.

The Gulf Coast areas have special environmental conditions that makes this blend especially well suited for its conditions. This mix consists of perennials and annuals that adapt to moist conditions and tolerate rainfall as well as sunny conditions and extreme temperatures.

Midwestern Wildflower Mix is made up of 26 species chosen for their lasting blooms as well as their rugged ability to withstand the extreme temperatures of the Midwestern climates. The mix is approximately 50 percent annual and 50 percent perennial wildflowers.

Northeastern Wildflower Mix is designed specifically for the special needs of the Northeast. This attractive wildflower mix is made up of 19 species of which one third are annuals and the remaining are biennials or perennials.

Southwest Wildflower Mix is specifically designed for areas which have special needs, such as long, hot, dry summers or other similar conditions. This mix will do very well if planted in early to late spring, or as a dormant seeding in fall. The mix consists of annual and perennials.

Most people know a gardening guru-type, but the majority of gardeners are admittedly shy to try new plants, or blame themselves for less than stellar results. Wildflowers will change that and give gardeners fabulous flowers that get great results with minimum maintenance or fuss. This spring is the time to go “wild” right in your own back yard.

For additional information on OutsidePride’s unique wild flower mixtures that are specially formulated on the basis of climatic conditions (rainfall, temperature range, humidity) and elevation; blended to give the widest possible range of colors and periods of bloom, visit www.OutsidePride.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Expert Tips for Picture Perfect Azaleas

Long adored for their luscious blooms and stately stature in the garden, azaleas remain one of the most popular shrubs in modern-day landscapes. But to ensure that these super-bloomers operate at peak performance, there are a few tips that every well-intentioned gardener must know.

Buddy Lee, past-president of the Azalea Society of America, is best know for introducing American gardens to the Encore Azalea -- the only patented brand of azalea to bloom in spring, summer and fall. Here, he reveals his best tips for growing peak performing Encore Azaleas.

Check and Double-check Sun Exposure

“Encore Azaleas like more sun than traditional azaleas,” says Lee. “Planting Encore Azaleas in a location that lacks adequate sunlight is the biggest, but easiest mistake to make.” Encore Azaleas need a minimum of four to six hours of sunlight a day for optimal blooming. Lee advises that gardeners evaluate the amount of sunlight the azalea will receive over the course of a few days before planting. “Monitor sunlight periodically from morning to late afternoon. Be certain that the spot you select offers a steady stream of sunlight for at least four hours,” he says. Planting azaleas in areas that receive direct harsh evening summer sun should be avoided.

“When selecting a site for your azalea, don’t forget to take into consideration the shade-bearing trees planted nearby,” Lee adds. A sunny spot for your azalea may quickly become too densely shaded as trees mature.

Prevent Dehydration

“Watering wisely is something that we all want to be conscious of these days,” says Lee. “The good news is that it’s easy if a few careful steps are taken.” Lee recommends that gardeners apply approximately two to three inches of mulch around the base of new and previously planted azaleas to cover roots. This will hold in moisture, and will protect the root ball from sun.

He also suggests incorporating acidic organic media, such as shredded bark, with the soil to encourage good root development, an especially important step in areas with sandy or heavy clay soil. “Water thoroughly, when needed, once to twice a week, preferably in the early evening or afternoon when the sun’s intensity begins to decline. This is the best way to ensure maximum water uptake.”

Feed Well But Less Often

According to Lee, azaleas must receive adequate nutrition. “Having spent most of my life growing and breeding azaleas, I’ve seen the enormous effect an appropriate, well-balanced diet has on an azalea -- larger blooms, extended bloom seasons, enhanced disease resistance, lush foliage and overall performance,” Lee says, explaining that the best time to fertilizer an azalea is right after the spring bloom.

“Always make sure before you apply fertilizer that the azalea is well hydrated and that the soil is moist,” he says.

Dynamite Plant Food, the nation’s most-trusted source for sustainable, easy-to-use fertilizers, recently launched Dynamite Encore Azalea Food. According to Harman Gilbert, Lead Horticulturalist at Dynamite, the new 18-8-8 slow release formula provides the perfect blend of macro and micronutrients azaleas need to thrive and it feeds for a full nine months.

Lee says he’s excited about what the new food can offer. “I love that this fertilizer takes the guesswork out of feeding by releasing just the right amount of nutrients into the soil at the right time,” says Lee. “This smart release technology allows me to feed well but less often, which is convenient for me and better for the environment.” Lee adds that he trusts Dynamite’s fertilizers “because of their expertise in release technology for plants that have extended bloom seasons.”

Pruning, But Prune Wisely

Pruning is a tricky issue for many gardeners. “While very light pruning of small branches can be done most anytime on azaleas, heavy pruning and shaping, which will encourage vigorous growth, should be reserved for springtime,” says Lee. “Bear in mind that Encore Azaleas require very little pruning to retain good form,” he says. “If you think your Encore Azalea needs to be pruned, do so immediately after the spring flowering for maximum bud set.” Pruning at the right time is important, so if you wait too long after the first spring flowering, hold off until the following spring so you don’t disturb the azalea’s bloom cycle.

For more information, visit www.florikan.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Outdoor Kitchen Ideas that Work

No longer defined by simple picnic tables, folding chairs and a citronella candle, outdoor living is the hottest topic in home landscaping and among the hottest trends in home design. At the heart of outdoor living and entertaining is the desire to cook and dine alfresco. While homeowners have been grilling out for decades, the simple portable grill is increasingly being replaced by six-burner grills, grilling islands and full-scale outdoor kitchens. And the décor and accessories that accompany outdoor kitchens are no longer limited to picnic tables, folding chairs or Citronella candles. Outdoor furniture nearly rivals the style and comfort of its indoor counterparts, and outdoor accessories to create any mood and decorate all kinds of outdoor spaces are available everywhere.

Outdoor Kitchen Ideas That Work offers not only inspired design ideas but practical information homeowners need to create their own outdoor kitchen. An in-depth look at planning and designing outdoor kitchens is followed by a closer look at the individual elements that make up an enjoyable outdoor dining experience--from barbecue grills and cabinetry to outdoor appliances and all-weather dining tables.

Available at Amazon.com.