Author: Wright Holdings, Inc.

First, what makes up brewed coffee, besides caffeine? Nutrition experts agree that coffee grounds contain magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and trace amounts of calcium. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the ingredients necessary for garden soil. They coincide with the figures you see on most garden fertilizer bags. So coffee does have what plants need to grow.

There seems to be some debate about whether or not coffee produces nitrogen. Most agree that coffee grounds contain 1.5 to 2.2% nitrogen. However, some feel that the nitrogen is not available to the soil or the plants until the grounds themselves begin to decompose.

Others say you must compost the coffee grounds with other plants to release the nitrogen in the decomposition process. They recommend adding nitrogen to the soil if using only the grounds. The rotting grounds attract nitrogen-consuming microbes, thus, the need to add nitrogen if using only coffee grounds as a fertilizer.

So to be on the safe side where fertilizing is concerned, you may be better off tossing your coffee grounds along with other compost into the garden in the fall and winter to allow them time to be of best use for spring planting.

When I emptied coffee grounds on top of the soil last fall and spring, I did not include it in a compost. I did use 8 to 10 cubic feet of a peat and compost mixture in the spring that I emptied all over my garden, which is 13 by 33 feet. I turned the soil about 6-8 inches deep before planting. I’ve never had tomatoes produce so much in my four years of gardening.

How does the acid in coffee affect things? The coffee you drink is acidic, but the grounds afterward are closer to neutral on the pH scale. Some argue that they retain their acid level until combined with compost and its microbes, which neutralize it. Either way acid is great if your soil is low in it (alkaline). In the West, where I live, soils are alkaline and getting closer to neutral or increasing the acid content is a good thing for my strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and radishes. Keep in mind that you have to use quite a bit of grounds to make any real difference in the pH scale.

Coffee grounds have other benefits aside from being a fertilizer. They boost the heat in soil better than most composting materials, including manure. These high temperatures kill seeds from weeds or vegetables that may have made their way into the compost pile. If you are thinking about raised beds, consider lining the bottom edges with coffee grounds to prevent weeds from sneaking in.

Other benefits to using coffee grounds in the garden include its ability to attract earthworms, thereby improving soil structure. It even keeps cats from pooping in your garden. (Our neighborhood stray poops along the outside of the garden instead!) If tomato blight is a concern, there are some who think the copper in coffee grounds keeps this at bay.

Coffee grounds are also good at keeping away pests for both inside plants and outside flowers, like hostas, roses, lilies, peonies or those grown from bulbs. The caffeine discourages slugs and snails. You can add about 2 cups of grounds to a 5 gallon jug of water and let it steep overnight. Use it to water plants and don’t be afraid to water the leaves, too.

So whether or not coffee grounds include enough nitrogen to be used as a fertilizer, its pest deterrent qualities and attraction to earthworms has more than sold me on its benefits. If you aren’t a coffee drinker, just ask your local coffee shop if you can have their leftover grounds. It not only helps them dispose of waste, but it also helps create a more abundant, inexpensive and organic garden.

• flowers summer
• indoor herb garden
• Olive Tree Arbequina

Growing summer flowers can be a rewarding experience. Flowers add a lot of color and beauty to your summer garden, especially if you love summer blooms. You can plant summer flowers as early as the late winter or early spring. When summer hits it is time for summer gardening to get your summer garden in shape! If you are growing summer flowers, these summer gardening tips will help you have a beautiful summer garden. While July is typically too hot to add most vegetables and flowers to the garden, some plants do surprisingly well when planted in the summer heat.

Summer Gardening Tips: Summer Flower Seeds

One of the best summer gardening tips when growing summer flowers is to start with seeds. There are many different types of flower seeds that grow into an array of different summer bloomers. Also, they are usually less expensive than starter plants at garden centers and nurseries.

On average you should start summer flowers 4-6 weeks before the last frost in your area. You can also plant summer flowers that grow into perennials, but be sure to check the summer gardening tips on their specific care needs, such as whether they need to be divided every year or if they spread over time.

When planting summer flower seeds, one of the summer gardening tips is to make sure you have good drainage. Summer flowers prefer well-drained soil and will wilt quickly if there is too much water or rainfall around them. Also furrow planting summer seedlings helps with this problem and ensures a better success rate when growing summer flowers because ground moisture won’t be a problem.

Tips and Ideas for Summer Garden

Plant Hibiscus: Hibiscus trees love heat and will quickly take root when planted in July. Plant in nutrient rich, well-draining soil. Deeply water the tree so the roots remain moist for the first two weeks after planting. Hibiscus flowers only last a day, but new flowers are quick to take their place. Hibiscus can also be planted in pots.

Plant Beans and Squash: While most vegetables should already be producing in July, add corn, cucumber, lima beans and summer squash now for a late summer, early fall harvest.

Plan Your Watering Routine: Although water restrictions have now been lifted, still conserve. Set lawn sprinklers for early morning–6:00 a.m. or earlier, three times a week for 15 minutes. This will enable the water to reach the roots and help reduce evaporation once the sun comes up.

Eliminate Snail Damage Naturally: Snails love to eat their way through tender vegetable leaves, which can damage or kill the plant. Place natural barriers around your garden to keep the snails away. Since they move by sliding on smooth surfaces, place crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth (an abrasive sedimentary rock) around plants. Mulch is another good snail deterrent because it is made of rough wood chips.

Keep Deadheading Flowers: Summer is the time of year when flowers want to grow. Give new buds the maximum nutrients they need by removing fading or dead flowers daily. This way, plants will focus their energy on new growth.

Plant Shrubs: One way to easily fill out a yard is by planting shrubs. Use them as groundcover or low hedges. Easy-to-maintain, low water users are Lily-of-the-Nile, Star Jasmine, Indian Hawthorn, New Zealand Flax, Rosemary and Mediterranean Pink Rockrose. All will need regular watering until established.

Fill In Your Flower Garden: Add summer-to-fall bloomers like alyssum, marigolds, petunias, red sage, verbena, vinca and zinnias to your garden as other plants slow their flower production. Flowers that do well in shade are amethyst, begonia, coleus, geranium and impatiens.

Replenish Mulch: To help cut down on water use, add a 3-inch layer of mulch around plants and trees. The mulch keeps water in and roots cool even during the hottest times of the day.

Unlike plants and trees that enjoy the heat, begin your gardening day early before temperatures rise to unbearable highs.

• lifesaver succulent
• summer gardening
• Buddleia

If you have a green thumb and are considering sprucing up the garden, have you decided what you are going to plant?  Are you looking at a vegetable garden that will provide you fresh produce to eat or are you looking at a more decorative garden such as a flower garden?  Garden flowers are bright and colorful and when in bloom throughout a garden, can make you feel positive and happy. Rex Begonia Plants are excellent houseplants.

It is commonplace to give flowers for many different occasions; birthdays and anniversaries to funerals and get well soon.  Garden flowers are very versatile in that respect and if you are ever worried about what gift to give, a hand grown bunch of flowers from your own garden will certainly do the trick.  Garden flowers are also a great decorating idea.  Arrange a colorful bunch of flowers in a decorative vase and place it in a dull room, it will make an instance improvement on the atmosphere in the room.  Perfumed garden flowers such as lilies and roses in a dull room can brighten it up and leave an aroma that is hard to ignore.

There is a huge variety of garden flowers available, some bloom all year, others only for a season, so it is important to know your flowers so you can have a blooming garden all year round.  There are two types of flower gardens; annual and perennial.  Annual flowers only live for a season.  These flowers grow from seed, bloom and die in a single season.  They need to be replanted each year in spring and they include petunias and marigolds.  Generally an annual flower can bloom from spring through to fall.

Perennials live for three or more seasons and when planted will normally not bloom in the first year if grown from seed as they have not reached maturity.  The lifespan of a perennial flower can be approximately three to five years and after this time may need to be replaced with a new plant.  Perennials, unlike annuals only bloom for a very short period; anywhere from a week to three weeks once a year.  Perennial flowers include African lilies, columbines, English daisy, summer daisy and daffodils.

As you can see, some preparation is required to create a beautiful flower garden.  You will need to do some research to learn which garden flowers are perennials and which are annuals so you can have an all year round flowering garden.  If you have a creative mind, you could plan ahead and arrange a garden by colors to reveal an artistic, intriguing garden when it is in bloom.  Remember to plan ahead and learn about your flowers so your idea will bloom, but also remember that if you’re not a planner at heart, just plant your flowers and see what beautiful creation you end up with, it will be just as beautiful as one that has had hours of planning.

Perennials Vs Annuals – What Are the Advantages of Each?

If you are a new homeowner, planting your flower gardens, bushes and trees are something you thought about from the time you first looked at your new home. You probably have a picture in your mind of what you want your flower gardens to look like.

There are pros and cons to perennial plants or flowers and annual plants and flowers. Those that are perennial will come up year after year, and usually cost more. Annuals are often planted as seeds and nursed into full flowering plants that require weeding and need to be re-planted each year.

You might decide to plant a combination, but those that have little time to work in the yard always choose perennial, because they practically grow on their own and don’t require much more than cutting them back at the end of the growing season. Typically, the flowers aren’t as vibrant as annuals, but there are some perennial plants that can bloom all season and be beautiful and vibrant, such as roses and day lilies and includes seasonal flowers such as daffodils, tulips, lilac bushes, peonies and daisies.

Annuals cost very little, if you plant them from seed. If you want uniform placement, you might consider starter plants to give you instant color and give them an advantage over the weeds. They are cheaper plant initially, but they require more work, such as constant watering, weed pulling and dead-heading. For those that like to garden, they may not mind this hobby. You can find a wide variety of annuals and for those on a budget, annuals are the choice.

The main advantage to perennials is that they can easily adapt to weather conditions and are hardier than annual plants. They are normally planted once, but bloom year after year. Some perennial plants only bloom every other year and newly planted perennial plants may not bloom the first year or two. You have to carefully consider placement, since it is harder to transplant them, once they have taken root. The other great thing about perennial plants is that you can add a few plants a year to your landscape until you get all of the color you want. It is considered a landscaping investment, when it comes time to sell your home.

With annuals, the main advantage is the varieties and bright colors you can get. The affordability is another factor and you can change the look of your landscaping every year, to something different. The main disadvantage is that they are not as hardy and the growing season is not as long as perennials, in most cases. If you have an extremely hot and dry summer, or if fall comes early, your plants may die. Because they aren’t as hardy, you may need to consider whether you have a sprinkler system and placement can be helpful in keeping them alive.

When analyzing the pros and cons of perennial plants versus annual plants for your garden, it might be best to make perennial plants a stable part of your landscaping and supplement it with hints of colors from annual plants, in case weather conditions are unfavorable. This will allow you to continually add to your landscape investment with perennials each year and add hints of plant colors and variety in strategic areas for a beautiful display.