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I live in the midwest and would like to know what I can do now for preparing next springs gardening. Would it be wise to dig up areas now for planting in spring? Also, what perennials are good for Wisconsin?

I now live in St. Louis, but lived in Minnesota for 5 years, and whatever you are going to do you should have a plan executed by the endof October! I would stake out the area(s) you can use pegs and string, remove all grass(It’s just a thing I have about it coming back) and til the areas, dig at least 6-8 inches down, and loosen the dirt really well. Don’t worry about lumps and all, you can let the area sit over the winter, the gorund will be ready to plant in Spring.
my zone for planting in StL is 5, and I know you can plant alot of things under zone 5. You will want to watch your areas for amount of sun and shade as most perennials are pretty particular to those specifics. Full sun means at least 6 hours….part sun is anything less than that. You can spend the winter planning your flowers so you don’t "impulse" buy! You can plan your colors, heights, textures, and blooming times. It would be fun to draw it out on paper. There are alot of gardening sites and plant shopping sites that have great info. Some of your plants can be ordered on line and you can save money and time. This may be alot more than what you were wanting to do, and you can modify it. The most important thing for success is knowing your plants and that comes from research.
I have had to do alot of plants trial and error. Although the plant is zoned for your area sometimes they just don’t do well, so be patient, gardening is just that "trial and error" Good luck and have fun

I’ve just got into gardening, I was wanting a graph or information on when to plant things. I really like vegatable gardens. I was thinking about starting a winter garden, I just don’t know where to start. I’ll be really greatful for any help.

This question has gone six days without an answer. Here is my favorite gardening website:

http://www.gardenguides.com/

There are hundreds of thousands of websites devoted to gardening. A Yahoo search for "southern gardening" (include the quotation marks) and other similarly worded searches will turn up more site than you care to explore.

Good luck with your search.

I’ve just got into gardening, I was wanting a graph or information on when to plant things. I really like vegatable gardens. I was thinking about starting a winter garden, I just don’t know where to start. I’ll be really greatful for any help.

This question has gone six days without an answer. Here is my favorite gardening website:

http://www.gardenguides.com/

There are hundreds of thousands of websites devoted to gardening. A Yahoo search for "southern gardening" (include the quotation marks) and other similarly worded searches will turn up more site than you care to explore.

Good luck with your search.

I’d like to install a raised bed for vegetable gardening this year. I think this will allow me more control over the soil quality. What’s the cheapest and easiest way to go about it? Should I buy one of the ready-made beds available online?
In case I wasn’t clear, the soil is not my concern, it’s the actual bed itself. Should I try to build one, or buy one that snaps together?

If you are handy at building then you should build one yourself. When you buy prefabricated kits you are then locked into size and design. Building one yourself will give you much more flexibility.
Not sure if this post will help but I thought I would give you the option of reading. Good luck and the neat thing is you will be gardening no mater which way you decide to go.

http://naturehills.com/gardening/blogs/common_questions_answered/archive/2008/02/13/raised-bed-gardening.aspx

Have a tiny 20"x20" garden laid to lawn. From Asia, know nothing about gardening here.How do I grow a flower filled garden? I’ve heard that you need to prepare the garden in autumn/winter to have flowers in summer. Need advice from ABC please!

What you’re talking about is planting bulbs. If you plant flower bulbs in the fall, they weill bloom in the spring summer. But you can also plant seeds in the spring or even buy seedlings and plant those as well. This is a good website with tons of gardening information -http://www.gardenweb.com/

Does anyone know where I can buy Vermiculite for gardening other than online?

You should be able to get it at your local nursery. Also check hardware stores and places like Orchard Supply, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. If you go to their web sites, you can shop around for the best deal while saving time and gas, as well as money.

I tried to get into the hobby of gardening recently. I loved it until one day in my garden after removing weeds I saw the soil move by itself! I’m very superstitious and I fear that my house has being built on an ancient burial ground. I’m very scarred to go out into the garden now and I’m afraid something terrible will happen such as zombies. It makes it hard to sleep at night. I’m being very serious, how can I overcome this?

Sounds like you disturbed an earthworm or some other (very normal/natural) critter in the soil. Best advice is to just get back out there & get to know your local plants & animals. Get back in the saddle, so to speak.

Gardening Magazine – Centerpoint Classic Gardening Landscape Is An Amazing Tool!
If you are looking for some serious tips on gardening, Centerpoint classic gardening landscape should not be missed. One of the issues suggests that the bulb gardens are the easiest to take care and are also the most attractive. Bulbs can be classified into various bulb families and further categorized into several varieties within those bulb families. For example, the tulip, that is one of the kinds of bulbs, also has different exotic varieties. The Centerpoint classic gardening landscape offers a comprehensive guide to famous bulb flowers and the appropriate conditions required to grow them. For example, the Gladiolus needs proper sunlight and constant watering while in its blooming and growth phases.

Centerpoint classic gardening landscape is also a good resource for information on checking pests. Pest control is an extremely important task as it prevents the pests from taking over your garden. As soon as you get the indications that your garden has got infected with pest, you must act with no delay. Many people use chemicals to kill pests, however, with rising awareness about environmental concerns, gardeners are slowly shifting to organic remedies. There are also few plants that are naturally pet resistant. Whereas, some plants like Marigold attract specific insects like aphids that eat away the pests.

Is your garden located in a place with hot and dry weather. Centerpoint classic gardening landscape has ample advice on different kinds of annuals that can be grown in hot and dry climatic conditions. The African Daisy, the dust miller, the gold medallion and the creeping zinnia are the kind of annuals that if once establish their roots firmly can sustain even in hot and dry weather conditions. Some other types like the Cypress vine, the hyacinth bean vine, the blue daze and the fan flower can also put up with hot weather, but need extra watering to survive.

If you are an ardent rose fan, the Centerpoint classic gardening landscape has loads of suggestions to help you get that prized photogenic look for your roses. Few of them are as follows:

- It’s very important to choose a sun lit location for your roses
- Treat the soil with few inches of organic mulch mixed with highly rich organic compost
- It is recommended that the bushes of your rose plants must be at least 18-24 inches apart
- The holes that the bushes are planted in must be deep enough to facilitate free and unrestricted growth for the roots
- Bushes must be placed in the holes in a very gentle manner and the holes should then be filled with some loose soil. Once through, you should press down the loose soil with firm hands
- Adding bone meal into the soil can be very beneficial
- Each rose plant must be watered properly for the first two weeks. Thereafter, watering even once in a week is enough.

Working with roses can be quite a scratchy affair. Thus you need all the right tools to avoid those pricky thorns. A pair of leather gloves with folded-down cuffs will be a good investment. Make use of bypass pruners to avoid crushing the rose plants’ canes and stems. In case your rose garden is very old, you’ll have to employ loppers since the old canes would be too thick to be pruned with normal shears. Other essential tools you will require are a shovel with a long padded handle, a short digging fork, a tough wheelbarrow, kneeling pads, a watering wand, a leaf rake and a garden rake.

Refer your copy of Centerpoint classic gardening landscape, there may be many other tips that you can benefit from.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/center-point-classic-gardening-landscape-read-your-way-to-the-perfect-garden-753666.html

I’m thinking of setting up my own gardening business. What’s the going rate for mowing, weeding, clearing, planting, pruning, laying paths and patios, installing sheds, decking, fencing, outdoor lights, ponds etc?

Expect to pay minimum wage, of at least £5-35 per hour

Seriously I like gardening. I like growing corns and pomegranates, I like to plant things that can be eaten. Not because I am poor but when I plant things I like stuff that can be eaten.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

Is the largest and best gardening forum on the internet. There is a forum for ever topic imaginable. And unlike some places that I won’t name you don’t have to pay to see all of the posts and forums.

I need to buy plant and flower seeds in Bangkok. I can’t remember what you call people who sells gardening supplies. Really need help. Also if you can please put some gardening shops in Bangkok. All answers appreciated. Thanks a tonne.
sorry, i know i’m really stupid

Contact some ‘Plant nursery’ people.

I live in TN. So, far we have had about 2 weeks of warm weather (60s & 70s) before spring even set in. Last year, our winter ended right around this time also unlike past decade where cold weather ( < 60F) would last through April. So, should I wait a little longer or can I go ahead and start my flower gardening now?

Rather than relying on daytime high temperatures, you should check out nighttime lows to see if there has been frost recently, and if you expect frost to continue.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the soil, by putting a fresh layer of topsoil on it, and raking it in to the existing soil. If you believe in fertilizer, you could mix that in, too.

Some flowers are very hardy in cold weather, pansies, for example.

Gardening catalogue is an excellent entity for gardeners when they purchase things their heart desires. They can get anything the garden needs without leaving the house. The gardening catalogues would offer wider varieties at cheaper rates with fewer hassles involved. One may order things they want and have it delivered to the door; ready to use.

These catalogues are treasure troves of information for beginners and experienced gardeners. They would give detailed description about the plant types present for purchase, the growing and blooming season, and the maintenance which is involved. They would tell readers precisely about the nutrients which each plant needs and proper times for administering them. Catalogues give tips and various hints on things like controlling weeds and diseases which may infect the plants. Step-by-step planting instructions are given, such as the amount of sunlight needed, and the seasons best for the planting times. This would be kept in mind and catalogues would wait and then ship these goods so that they are received at the right planting time according to the zone one lives in.

The gardening catalogues would have all the equipment one could possibly require for almost any kind of gardening. If there is a hydroponics garden, timed water pump could be ordered or things like the artificial lighting. You may order pruning shears for the shrubs or some gas operated tiller for breaking up the dirt. Catalogues would give a larger selection of gloves, for making it possible about finding pair which is operational and also fashionable. Some other tools which could be purchased include hoes, rakes, spades, water hoses, shovels and the sprinklers. It is however not limited to them.

Gardening catalogues give the gardeners to choose from a wide selection of seeds and the plant variants which could be found elsewhere. The plus-point about catalogues is all things being offered at once. One could look through things available and then pick choosing ones which you wish planting based on requirements, like the maintenance of plants, time, and climatic needs. Gardening catalogue would give the luxury of knowing every plant type at once, making it easier to lay the choice.

These catalogues, above everything else, are very convenient. If one does not stay near the nursery or any gardening store, it would be difficult to search all things needed to initiate and maintain a healthy garden. It should be faced practically; Wal-Mart doesn’t have everything needed for a garden. The gardening catalogues give more options allowing viewing things available on single settings. No matter whether one is in the market for equipment or seeds; a gardening catalogue would be the best way to go.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-catalogues-how-do-they-help-753648.html

I would like to take jobs as a gardening or landscaping consultant, working with homeowners as clients. I do not want to take measurements/draw landscape plans. That takes too much time outside of the meeting/appointment. I feel many people just want to pick my brain and ask questions anyway. But I feel I need to leave them with something, written notes, a list of plants, etc. I want them to feel they got their money’s worth. What would comprise a good product? I’d like to make up a form or sheet to use.

Garden Consultant eh?

I’ve done it before… but you’d better be well versed in all manner of garden products. What I’ve done is offered a ‘garden calendar’. All the things you recommend doing, you compile as a ‘to do’ list, at the appropriate times. Home owners are smart, but unless they know when to do it, they might not get the results they should. So if you suggest a water soluble fertilizer every other week, note it on their calendar. When should they trim their Forsythia? Note that too… Sort of instruction manual for their garden. Offer it at a small charge (print calendar pages on your computer), otherwise let them take their own notes.

I wouldn’t expect to have a whole lot of customers, but if you target younger home owners, without a lot of experience- you might do okay.

Good luck-

My other half is setting up a gardening services company and we’re currently looking at what his company logo should look like. It’ll be on advertising leaflets, business cards , a website and possibly on his pick up truck. We’ve done a dragonfly design so far but was wondering if anyone had any good ideas. We want to portray that he’s reliable ,efficient, knowledgeable in plants and horiculture and can take on work pople just don’t have time for.

Bob-a-job?

Its the old Boy Scout fundraising motto, and as such, older people may recognise it a representing hard work, initiative and traditional reliability.

She always shows up in my yard while I am gardening. She wears loose tops and bends over in front of me so that I can see her breasts. She never is wearing a bra either.

It is having an effect on me now, how do I handle?
We are both married and I know flirting. She is flirting with me, she fancies me. My wife even picked up on this. My problem is she is very attractive and my temptation is growing. An attractive woman really knows how to work it and make perfectly good husband have nasty thoughts.

First of all, I respect that you want to respect her, and respect yourself by not oogling her.
I would very sternly ask her to stop coming over. Or make it clear that if she would like to visit you that she needs to dress more modestly. That you are not wanting or desiring a "show". This will probably embarrass her enough to make her stop.
If you have a reason (i.e. faith, marriage, recovering sex addict) than be honest with her. Let her know that she is making herself into an emotional problem in your life by her dress and behaviour.
I’m sure she will try to be more helpful if you are honest.

I have just bought a tractor and going to gardening next spring.

Lettuce – onions – carrots – radishes – broccoli

How do you roll back the water hose,used for gardening ?

Good question. I’ve been having to deal with that pesky hose a lot lately, and there never seems to be a good way. I bought a nice big ceramic pot to coil my hose nicely into, but haven’t been using it lately. Sometimes I drape it over the gate. A lot of the time it just ends up in a big messy heap. Maybe the easiest thing to do is to just leave it in a long line along side the house. A sprinkler system or site specific hose connectors with quick connects would be ideal.

I’m wanting to do some gardening crafts this spring and the only thing i can think of to do is some stepping stones (i know how to do these). I don’t have a lot of money to spend, but i’m wanting cute,easy and cheap ideas to help spruce up my yard.
thanks for your input!

little homemade signs made out of scrap lumber are really cool that say things like Please dont eat the daisey’s or Welcome friends or You can find me in the garden or peck peck here peck peck there my feathered friends are everywhere or rise and shine it’s flower time oh there are so many I make a few homade clay pots to they are cheep and they last for a few years you would be surprised what you can do with a few bottles of craft paint and a old tooth brush or even a sponge you just have to play and have FUN-OH and I like bird houses too!

the north side of my house has a small garden area that used to have just hedge bushes…i dug them up and would like to have a cactus garden with indigenous texas plants…the main problem with this area is that it does not receive direct sunlight most of the year…will cactus grow there? is there something else attractive that will? do you have a link to a great beginner gardening website? thank you!

I live in Ft Worth I see cactus of all types but usually away from house. I would do mthe corner so it will get some sunlight a way out from wall. I found that Cannas doing well here most anyplace I put them. Just need water hot evenings and actually will come back again after winter and you can thin and start new spot. OURs got 6 ft tall with miracle grow, which we use for everything. Soak a little with roots then add to water for planting then about every 2 weeks , easy instructions on bag. Worth the cost. TEXAS A M has site under Texas gardens and lots others too.