Make a Garden House

A Good Summer Project

If you have kids, or even if you don't, a fun summer project is to make a garden house.

1. You can use an old table, or better, the top of an old bird bath that isn't used anymore for the base

2. Fill it with a bit of growing medium, but keep it shallow

3. Plant various succulents and moss, and add some broken tile for a walkway

4. Lastly, the house can be made with paper mache or to keep longer, plaster of paris. Just make 4 "walls" which are poured squares, and cut out ares for the windows and door. When dry, just wire together.

5. For the roof, we just made 2 squares and wired them at the top when dry and set it down over the walls

The great thing is that you can do it any way that works best for you. Give it a try and have some fun!

More gardening tips and plant information can be found at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine

Free Desktop Wallpaper

Liven Up Your Desktop!

This week I wanted to do something fun - so come and try out the 43 different, and beautiful, wallpapers I have made for your desktop!

They work great for both PC or Mac, and there are all different seasons, plants, and flowers. Say good-bye to your drab computer desktop!

To the right you can see just 4 examples, but to see all 43 wallpapers go to:

Free Desktop Wallpaper

at Weekend Gardener Web Magazine - weekendgardener.net/wallpaper/main.htm

Leave a comment and let me know if you liked them or not!

Have a great day!

Spilanthes oleracea 'Peek A Boo'

Try something different this summer!

If you want a real eye-catcher - try an Eyeball Plant (Spilanthes oleracea 'Peek A Boo') for your containers or yard.

These are very unique plants that show off weird 1-inch (2.5 cm), golden yellow flowers with deep burgundy-red eyes on long, pendulous stems.

To add to that, the foliage takes on a bronze-green tone in full sun, adding a lot of interest.

Here are some growing tips:

Bloom: All summer and into early fall

Hardiness: 45°F (7.2°C)

Plant Habit: Spreading, Trailing

Characteristics: Colorful, attractive foliage, heat yolerant, low maintenance, frost tolerant

Spacing: 24-32 inches (61-81.3 cm)

Height: 12-15 inches (30.5-38.1 cm)

Width: 24-30 inches(61-76.2 cm)

Exposure: Sun

Uses: Accent plant, border, dried flower or craft, filler, garden bed, hanging basket, landscape, mixed container, small container

For more gardening tips and plant ideas go to: http://www.weekendgardener.net

Easy Cuttings

Instead of buying more plants, you can always propagate your own. It's fast, easy, and inexpensive to do.

Here are a few plants that will root from cuttings stuck directly in the ground:

Ageratum
Coleus
Fuchsia
Dahlia
Impatiens
Wax begonia
Geranium
Iceplant
Felicias

All you have to do is take a 2 to 4 inch (5 – 10 cm) cutting and insert them directly in loose soil where they are to grow.

Keep them moist until they establish - moist, not soaked, otherwise you will rot them!

That's it.

Container Gardening Idea

This week I thought it would be fun to give a summer container gardening idea.

1. Stipa
(Stipa lessingiana)
Grow 14 to 16 inches (35-40 cm) tall, and 24 to 28 inches (60-70 cm) wide. Wispy, fine-textured grass adds a soft touch to mixed containers or any planting. Heat and drought tolerant.

2. Dichondra
(Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls')
Velvety silver leaves with trailing habit

3. Helenium
(Helenium amarum)
Grows 12 to 14 inches (30 to 35 cm) tall and 15 to 16 inches (38 to 40 cm) wide. Bright golden daisy-like flowers and fine-textured green foliage. Compact mounded habit, making it great for mass plantings or as a border plant. Tough, vigorous plants that do well in high heat, with either high or low humidity, but tolerate cool conditions as well!

4. Ageratum
(Ageratum houstonianium 'High Tide')
Forms a dense, mounded hedge of color, growing taller and more vigorously than any other ageratum. Grows 14 to 16 inches (36-41 cm) tall and 12 inches (31 cm) wide. Looks best in full sun with an occasional removal of dead flowers to promote healthy growth

5. Angelonia
(Angelonia angustifolia)
Perennial often grown as an annual. Angelonia looks a little bit like a miniature delphinium. Show 8 inch (20 cm) tall spikes of small, blue, purple, pink or white flowers. Plants grow 1 to 1.5 feet (.30-.46 m) tall and about 1 foot (.30 m) wide. Excellent bedding and container plant; provides long-lasting cut flowers. Easy to grow and likes moist, well-drained soil

For pictures of each plant and their growing tips, plus 15 more container ideas, go to:

Container Gardening Ideas

available at www.weekendgardener.net/container-ideas/main.htm