Archive for the ‘Bush Garden’ Category
The Roses are universally favorite plants. The bright vibrant hues give gardens a splash of color. You can smell the heady perfume of roses during summer as they fill the air. With so many different varieties to choose from rose gardening is a marvelous experience.
While it’s true that there many roses that you can choose from, the type is not important. What is important is that you plant them where you can reap the benefits later on. Roses are hardy plants. With so many gardeners breeding new hardy varieties, roses can now grow in any type of condition. Difficult soil and garden problems are no longer a barrier to well grown rose gardens.
The key to rose gardening lies in buying plants that are at least two years old, that have been field grown and are budded. If your young rose plants are pruned then the heavy stems need to be 1/4 inches in diameter at the top. On the other hand if the rose plant is not pruned, then there should be three or more heavy stems that are 18 inches in diameter.
You need to plant your roses in a sunny, well-drained spot. You should trim of all the bruised and broken stems off. In rose gardening roses needed to be eased into the ground. You first dig a hole 6 inches deeper than the rose roots need, then make the hole wide and big all around so that the roots will not grow crowded or bent.
The bottom of the hole should have small rocks or pebbles in it. This rock formation will aid in the drainage for the roses. After the stones have been placed, mix one tablespoon of fertilizer over the stones. Above this lay good fertile soil until the level is where you will plant your rose plant. In the mound of soil make a small hole and carefully plant your rose bush in there. You will need to make sure that the hole has room for the roots. Then cover the roots with soil, firming the soil every so often.
Rose gardening requires that you feed your roses at regular intervals to ensure healthy growth. The first feeding should therefore be given in early spring, before the roses bloom. The second feeding will come after the first heavy blossoming is finished. The third feeding occurs in late summer. If you are lucky there might be roses that will bloom until about November. If this is the case, then feed your plants a fourth time around
While all this care does help in rose gardening, chemical pesticides are needed to prevent sucking and chewing insects from damaging your roses. This pesticide also works to cut down on the fungus that likes to grow on roses.
Rose gardening is a lovely pleasant smelling hobby to do. If you take care of your plant during the initial days, then you will be rewarded with big, vibrant blossoms that are a joy to behold.
Building your own birdhouse is an ideal activity which the whole family can take part in. The right birdhouse can attract a wide variety of birds and can make your garden come alive.
You may be surprised but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to birdhouses. There are several issues to deal with and various additions you can implement to increase the functionality of the birdhouse.
Read the following tips to help you build your perfect birdhouse.
Placement
If you don’t provide the right habitat for birds, it will be very hard to attract any remarkable birds to your birdhouse. Before building your birdhouse, a little research on your part can’t hurt. Observe the types of birds which regularly visit your yard and then you can make a more informed decision in whether or not you need to do some additional work to attract birds. If you would like to attract more species of birds to your yard, it’s easy to do so. Birds are naturally attracted to water so it’s a fantastic idea to add a birdbath to your yard. Adding more trees and fruit shrubs will also make a huge difference to the birds you attract. When you’re happy with the yard, it’s time to find a location for your birdhouse. Place it near a tree or bush, as it will be a good landing place for birds before they enter the house.
Which Wood
Pine, redwood, cedar and spruce are all suitable types of wood for building a birdhouse. Make sure the wood you are using has not been pressure treated nor has not been painted with a paint containing lead – otherwise the toxic chemicals found can harm the birds that visit your birdhouse. Also it’s best to use wood that’s at least inch thick. Not only will your birdhouse be strong but the thicker wood will act as insulation.
Ventilation
It’s important to allow sufficient ventilation for birds in the birdhouse. Either drill small holes inch large just below the roof, or an easier way is too simply leave a gap between the roof and walls.
Drainage
To ensure that water doesn’t build up inside the birdhouse, drill small holes in the bottom of the birdhouse and also make the roof sloped.
Protection
There’re a few natural dangers, which could harm the birds using your birdhouse. Firstly place the house no lower than 5 feet above the ground, so cats, dogs and raccoons will not be able to harm the birds. If using posts for the birdhouse, it’s recommended that you use metal posting. If you decide to use wood, you should wrap metal sheeting around the posts this will also protect the house from animals.
Also if possible, place the house away from swift winds and direct sunlight.
Cleaning and Monitoring
Some birdhouses make it really difficult for anyone but birds to get inside. When building your birdhouse, make sure there is a large enough space for easy access. The best method is to make the top or side of the birdhouse hinged so you can easily gain access to the birdhouse for cleaning and monitoring.
By keeping the above points in mind, you are well on your way to building a great birdhouse that’s going to attract a variety of marvelous birds. If you have children, get them involved too; no doubt they too will enjoy making a house for the birds!
How to prepare any rose for winter always depends on temperature. In general, if in your area during winter the temperature drops to minus 10 degrees F or lower then any rose bush will need some protection.
Note: If you live in a area that has a mild winter then most of the following will not apply. However, the advice on fertilizing and watering in general does. (In mild winter areas a rose never really goes dormant though does require a season of rest).
Whether you have a hybrid tea, floribunda, tree rose, miniature or climber the goal is always the same… To protect the crown and roots of the plant from the worst of the winter cold and possible mid-winter thaws and re-freezings.
In the case of climbing roses and tree roses you will also need to protect the upper parts (long canes for climbers and top flowering crown for rose standards) as well.
Preparing a rose for winter will always start in spring ( yes, I did mean spring). Any rose that has had a long and well tended growing season will be better able to tolerate the worst any winter has to offer.
Throughout the growing season be sure to water a rose deeply (allow the soil to dry to a depth of 2 inches or so before watering again, the root system needs air too) and fertilize regularly which will encourage a deep and healthy root system as well as healthy canes and flowers.
Roses store nutrients in their woody canes and so the bigger the plant the healthier it will be. Maintain a routine of pest and disease prevention as well as careful pruning to remove spindly growth and damaged or diseased canes.
About mid to late August stop fertilizing though do continue to water deeply (never let the roots of a rose completely dry out). About late September stop cutting blooms and allow a few rose hips to develop which will be a signal to the plant that it’s dormant period is approaching.
Once you have had a few good frosts, leaves will start falling. Apply a dormant spray such as lime sulfur or a dormant oil spray. This will kill pests and fungal diseases that might try to over-winter on the plant or surrounding soil. It can also help nudge those final leaves off. Rake leaves from around your plants and throughout your yard to prevent the spread of disease or a place for pests to hide.
Continue watering only as needed until the first hard frost and the ground is frozen. At this point cover the base (crown) of the plant and the surrounding soil (about 12 inches around the base of the plant) with a thick layer of straw, leaves or mulch and then cover with a few inches of soil. Do not remove soil from around the plant to cover the crown, that soil is needed to insulate the rest of the surrounding roots. Instead, use soil from another part of the garden.
Climbing roses require the same protection listed above and in addition will need to have their long canes protected as well. Carefully remove the canes from the trellis, fence or wall they are tied to, lay them on the ground and cover with a thick layer of straw, leaves or mulch and a few inches of soil just like the base of the plant.
Tree roses are a special case in that not only do you need to protect the base and “trunk” of the plant but the top flowering crown as well.
There are 3 ways to over-winter a rose standard if it is planted in the ground. One, is to dig the plant up keeping a good sized root-ball and “heal” the plant into a large container then move it into a shed or garage for the winter. As spring approaches the plant is brought back outside and re-planted in the ground.
The second method is to carefully remove some soil from one side of the plant and bend it until it is laying on its side and then covering the entire plant with a thick layer of straw, leaves or mulch and 3 to 4 inches of soil. This method can be tricky for the novice gardener as there is a danger of cracking or breaking the plant at one of its grafting points.
The third method may be the easiest for a ground planted tree rose. First, wrap the entire plant in a thick layer of straw and burlap taking care to fully protect the plant from top to bottom. Secure everything with either clips, string, twine or wire and after taking a few measurements construct a ply-wood box (with an open bottom) to place around or over the plant.
Rose standards that are planted in containers are the easiest to care for. After following the advice for preparing a rose for winter listed above, simply move into a shed or garage where the temperature will be milder than the temperature outside. Check the soil now and then to make sure the roots do not dry out (water lightly when needed) and move back outside once the danger of frost has past.
Late winter – early spring: When there is no longer a danger of a killing freeze uncover your roses and water deeply if needed. Once new growth starts to appear is when you’ll want to prune. Remove any damaged or spindly canes and prune back healthy canes by 1/3 to 1/2. Then fertilize and follow all the steps necessary to promote healthy vigorous plants for the entire growing season.
Good Luck and Happy Gardening!
Bramble Fruits: Blackberries, raspberries, dewberries and all their relatives bear the best fruit on year-old shoots. Determine if your plants are spring-bearing or overbearing. If spring-bearing, remove the spent canes as the crop finishes in early summer. At this same time a good crop of new canes should be growing from below.
Use a cane hook or a heavy knife to remove all but three to five of the strongest, best-placed ones by making a clean cut at the stump. It is a good idea to spray these cuts, if possible, with tree-wound dressing. If the new growth is overly vigorous, top it at a convenient picking height. If not, tie to prevent wind whipping over winter. Early next spring as buds begin to swell, cut back to picking height; strong side shoots will break, and these will bear fruit.
If your plants are overbearing, you should leave the fruit-bearing canes until the end of summer to encourage that choice early-fall crop of berries. This makes tending the brambles over summer somewhat difficult, because you have to work around the old canes while developing the new ones.
Blueberries: Prune these so there is about the same amount of well-spaced one, two, and three-year-old wood, nothing older. This year’s growth bears no fruit. Second-year branches bear the main crop, third-year branches also bear very well, but are becoming too woody. Older wood will fruit, but when old wood is present, not much vigorous new growth breaks and the plants tend to deteriorate.
Grapes: Consult your County Extension Agent for specialized instructions that match local conditions. Generally speaking, the standard grapevines are trellis-grown with a main trunk and two or four permanent lateral arms that produce carefully spaced and limited year-old
fruiting branches. The Southern-type grapes, muscadines and scuppernongs, grow rangier.
They have a lot more vine and longer year-old fruiting canes. Vinifera (European wine grapes) vines are pruned to a stump, from which come several fruiting canes in the spring – possible
as these fruit on the current year’s wood. All grapes are pruned in late winter when the plants are at maximum dormancy. Avoid summer pruning as much as possible. A spring-pruned grape may bleed to death.
Roses: In spring, cut hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas and polyanthas back to healthy, undiscolored wood with sound pith. This may mean cutting almost to the graft union (be careful not to cut below it) but keep as much healthy wood as possible. Retain three to five sturdy well-spaced canes and remove spindly, crowded or injured ones. If side branches are present, save only those growing toward the outside of the plant, and shorten these to two or three strong buds. Until midsummer, pick your roses with short stems, and when you cut a spent flower or take blooms for the house, cut to the uppermost leaf with five leaflets that points toward the outside of the bush. This retains the maximum number of blossom-producing buds and keeps the plant open in the center.
In the fall, before putting the roses to bed for the winter, pull the canes loosely together and tie them with a piece of soft cord; if you live in a very windy area, reduce the canes to about 30 inches after the leaves are dried by repeated frosts. Fall pruning is touchy, as it may stimulate growth during winter.
Treat shrub roses as you would any flowering bush. Each winter consider the removal of one or two of the oldest, woodiest canes in the center of the clump and with a sharp spade remove crowded or weak new shoots. During summer reach in with the clippers to nip back new basal shoots to two or three leaves.
Garden Climbers: Honeysuckle, wisteria, trumpet vine and the like all need attention from time to time. Do not wait until the plant is a hopeless tangle. While it is young, train into a neat, well-spaced pattern. Then, every year or two, during the plant’s dormant period, prune out twiggy growth, overcrowded shoots and dead wood. During the growing season immediately clip off any tendril that pulls away from the support or hangs downward.
Clematis are a special case. Some bloom best on new wood, some on older wood and some on both. In late winter it is advisable to prune out some of the tangle to achieve a neat appearing plant. After new growth is well along in early spring, prune out any dead or weak wood. As flowers fade during summer, nip off overly vigorous or badly placed tendrils. You may not have the largest flowers possible using this method but you have a large, vigorously blooming specimen.
Selecting a summer vacation destination can be a difficult task. When searching for summer vacation destination options, you are likely to see that there are an unlimited number of options available. To select the perfect destination, you are urged to think about what you want and need out of a vacation. If you are a thrill seeker or you live for excitement, you may want to consider vacationing at an amusement park.
In many areas of the world, an amusement park is often referred to as a theme park. If you are searching for popular amusement park destinations, you may always want to consider searching for theme parks, as well. Theme parks differ slightly from amusement parks. The only difference is that there is often a theme present. This theme may involve popular cartoon characters, a particular style of music, animals, or other popular topics.
Once you have made the decision to select an amusement park as your next vacation destination, you will have to find the park that you want to vacation at. To enjoy a vacation on a budget, there are many individuals who consider visiting an amusement park that is located near their home. If you are interested in making more out of your amusement park vacation, you may want to examine parks located in other areas of the world.
One of the many concerns of vacationers, maybe even yourself included, is the amount of activities found at an amusement park. Amusement parks come in all different sizes. If you are interested in traveling a long distance to reach the amusement park of your dreams, you may need to make other accommodations. To eliminate additional plans, you may want to consider vacationing at an amusement park resort.
Amusement park resorts are resorts that have an amusement park, as well as other additional facilities and accommodations. Onsite hotels, golf courses, spas, and restaurants are just a few of the many facilities that can be found at an amusement park resort. The additional facilities and activities are often what make these resorts so appealing. In addition to enjoying amusement park attractions, you could spend the day at the spa or on the golf course.
In the United States, three of the most popular amusement park resorts include Disneyland, Disney World, and Orlando Studios. If you are interested in booking your next vacation at one of these well-known resorts, you are encouraged to book your reservation well in advance. Without a reservation, you will still be granted admittance into the park, but reservations are often needed for hotels, fine dining restaurants, and golf courses.
While amusement park resorts are popular, they are often expensive. If are looking for a way to vacation at an amusement park without having to pay a large amount of money, you may want to consider traditional amusement parks. These amusement parks may offer onsite camping or hotel accommodations, but they are not considered resorts. If you are only interested in the rides and attractions at an amusement park, then you may be able to save money by avoiding popular resorts.
In the United States, well-known amusement parks include, but are not limited to, Bush Gardens, Sea World, and Six Flags. Many of these amusement parks are not considered resorts, just traditional theme parks. All Sea World parks focus on marine life. In addition to park rides, aquatic shows are available. Many Six Flags parks have a Looney Tunes theme. This theme is apparent as soon as you walk in the door and are greeted by popular cartoon characters. Many Bush Garden parks have a safari theme. In addition to park rides, many parks have onsite zoos.
Once you have found an amusement park that you’d like to visit, you can easily begin preparations to reach your destination. Once there, you and your family will have fun vacationing at a destination that is designed to bring out the thrill seeker in you.
South Africa is more than a place you merely see, its a country to experience with all five senses. It’s an emotional encounter that makes one want to return and so I have now on my 5th visit to this land of beauty and freedom. It is a land of contrasts where traditional African ways are blended with those of modern Europe.
Here we are more a traveler than a tourist as we set out on safari changing hotels each night. We follow the Garden Route, the premier tour route preferred by locals. Included in our group of 45 were a fighter pilot, 2 physicians, 2 psychoanalysts (who came in handy for me), mother/daughter, father/son, the uncle of Julia Roberts and one of my good friend whose passport stamps trump mine, Frank.
As we passed endless shantytowns of tin shacks, we understood why the unemployment rate was at 39%. This is the wealthiest nation in Africa, but its resources are stretched due to the influx of 50,000 refugees each year from neighboring nations.
We learn that when a man erects a hut on your front lawn, after 72 hours you must allow him to remain or find him a new place to settle. In a population 30% white and 70% of color, reverse discrimination occurs for jobs. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. Most speak Afrikaans, a language derived from the Bushmen and Dutch.
There is an indescribable warmth and friendliness in the people here. “Ubuntu” is their word for welcome. They have no word for stranger in their native tongue.
Day 2 – Cape Town rules with incredible natural wonders and trendiness. A cross between San Francisco and Rio, I could certainly reside here. We do a full day Peninsula tour including Camps Bay, Fish Hook, Simons Town, Hout Bay and more. Along the spectacular coast we saw whales breeching.
The highlights included a cruise to Seal Island, a hike among thousands of penguins and funicular up to Cape of Good Hope where the Atlantic and Indian oceans merge. There were many great Kodak moments. At night all scattered to the famous V&A Waterfront with its plethora of pubs and cafes.
Day 3 – We head to laid back Hermanus for a whale of a good time. The annual whale festival is on led by the world’s only “Whale Crier” who blows his horn at each sighting. Whales gather here every September to mate. The clear bays are nurseries for mother and calves.
There are about 5000 Southern Right Whales named centuries ago as they were the right whales to hunt. They have no teeth and swallow up to 400lbs of fish per day.
My supplier said we should see thousands gathered here in protected bays, but locals told me they were shy today and only a few surfaced. Nevertheless it was a great free day of festivities. The whole town goes whale-gaga and we loved mingling with the friendly locals.
Springtime is in bloom now with a kaleidoscope of geraniums, lavender, canola, starburst and colorful protea. My wedding bouquet was calla lilies. Here they grow like weeds. We spent the night in the charming tiny town of Arniston. Our hotel sat ocean’s edge surrounded by mountains that were dotted with lighthouses.
Day 4 – We depart through majestic mountains and Mossel Bay famous for their calamaris that are the size of steaks. Our destination was Oudtshoorn, “Feather capital of the world.” Since 1864 this is the world’s foremost supplier of all things ostrich; hide, meat and feathers. We visit a huge farm to witness mating and hatching. Some got to ride the oddball creatures.
Next stop was a wildlife center for an opportunity to get extremely close to various native animals. We had our photos petting leopards, lion cubs and a pigmy hippo named Humphrey. This was home to “Duma,” the famous cheetah from the movie of the same name.
Rare white tigers are bred here. There are only 300 left on earth. Many in our group partook in the worlds only “caged croc dive” where they were lowered by cage into the warm water and surrounded by chomping jaws. These Nile crocs are huge. One bite and could break your spine and shatter all your ribs. This place provided many thrilling encounters.
Our final stop was the famous UNESCO Cango Caves, Arica’s largest show cave. I nearly opted out of going as I’m not a cave woman. It was however, incredibly impressive as we walked chamber to chamber in massive dry caverns which are a mere 800,000 years old.
Day 5 – We arrive to lovely Plettenberg Bay. First tour is Monkeyland, the world’ first free roaming mutli-specie primate sanctuary. Here it’ all about rescue of previously abused monkeys, baboons, apes and lemurs of Madagascar. They tried to steal our belongings at our outdoor lunch.
Later we visited the Elephant sanctuary for a hands on interactive educational tour. I didn’ know African elephants could be tamed like Asian or Indian. We learned that no other creature is as understanding as the elephant which can learn, remember, meditate and conceive such things man can hardly perform.
We enjoyed a Trunk-In-Hand tour where we walked, fed and examined by touch its ears, tail, tongue and tear ducts. That was sweet. The trainers were Zulu-men. I departed giving them a thumbs up. With big grins they thanked me. I didn’ know this gesture in Zulu signified they were highly fertile.
We spent 2 nights at Whalesong Lodge overlooking the ocean and a favorite of all. Here a surprise wedding reception was arranged for us with cakes, local wines and more from our US supplier. After Frank made a heartfelt toast, we all sang “Going to the airplane and we’re gonna get married.” Dinners were on our own. Everything is so affordable here that we often ordered 4 courses.
Day 6 – We’ve traveled to Knysna, oyster capital of the world. There we boarded a ferry and sailed to Featherbed Nature Reserve. 4×4 Jeeps then took us to the summit of the Western Heads for breathtaking views of the sea.
From there we did a downhill hike through forest to the crashing waves on the coast. (It’s the most dangerous bay on earth for boats which sail these waters and thus are unable to even get insurance.)
A fresh seafood buffet greets us at the Food Forest set under a canopy of milkwood trees. In departing this little piece of paradise, I noticed the pier is black covered in mussels. Rare seahorses are bred here. These remarkable creatures mate for life and it’s the male that gives birth.
In the afternoon we joined Ocean Safari’s in search of whales, dolphins and sharks. For me, this was the highlight of the trip. It was so unique how they launched our boats like rockets into the Atlantic.
These research boats allowed us legally to get extremely close to whales. Our boat came upon two 50 ton whales mating. One was the size of Moby Dick that gracefully arced as the other slapped its flipper with a cascade of water. It was like seeing 2 motorcoaches rolling in the water. Another boat spotted 2 pods of 20 whales playing together.
This eco-adventure was a powerful experience that left us in stunned silence until our departure. Fighting the surf on our return to shore was like storming the beaches of Normandy (sans bullets) and very thrilling.
Day 7-9 – We set out for our longest drive of 4 hours to our game reserve. The scenery was unblemished under the African sun with rolling hills, indigenous forests, golden beaches and sand dunes that spilled into the sea.
We arrived to luxurious Kariega, a private reserve with an abundance of game that was a world apart. Set in 14,000 lush acres bordered by the Bushmans rivers, it was stunning. We passed the electric gates to see herds of gazelle, water buck, antelope and wildebeest. The landscape was a giant lawn for the omnivore wildlife to satisfy their appetites.
Five game drives were provided and at the sunset photo stops wine and beverages were added. Our ranger guides were excellent and these were the most comfortable safari jeeps made. Conservation here is paramount. In nature nothing is guaranteed.
I’ve known friends to spend thousands of dollars on African safaris and with rain they saw little of anything. The benefit of a private reserve is guaranteed sightings.
This was just a taste of what Africa holds but here we obtained the best photography ever within mere feet of lions, elephants, rhino and countless more animals. The Cape buffalo is the most dangerous animal on earth due to its unpredictability. It’s the only animal a Masai warrior will run from.
Several here had been semi-domesticated and suddenly approached our jeeps. One client reached out to pet it as if it were the barnyard cow. It remained calm but rage could occur within seconds. For free time we enjoyed a river cruise among hippos and hiked on marked trails. No where else have I been able to walk among wild eland and zebra in the bush like I did here!
Our farewell “Boma dinner” of traditional cuisine was set under the stars of the Southern Cross. The local staff sang and danced by a bonfire. It was a perfect end to our journey well done.