chemical

Tom Gilmour presents Termite Inspection, Pest Control Specialist Philadelphia ¦ Trenton Insect Control Service posted at Northeast Exterminating, saying, “Termites are pretty slow to infest and damage a house, but once you are aware of their presence, severe damage may have already occurred.If you think you do have termites, it’s extremely hard to get rid of them on your own.”

Tom Gilmour presents Commercial Services | Northeast Exterminating posted at Northeast Exterminating, saying, “Commercial pest control encompasses many more things than spraying for insects and rodent control.”

flowers

Hortois presents Growing Sedum or Stonecrop posted at The Compost Heap, saying, “Tips on growing Sedum and Sedum mats”

gardening

Dawn presents Creating a wildlife friendly garden – Decorated Shed – Beautifully Engineered Buildings posted at Dawn.

Medhat Youssef presents Garden bird feeders posted at Wholesale bird feeders.

Cindy presents Recycle a Plastic Jug into a Watering Container posted at My Recycled Bags.com, saying, “Tutorial on how to recycle an apple jug into a handy watering container.”

travelcat4 presents Take Care What You Let Into Your Eco Friendly Garden! posted at Eco Friendly House And Garden, saying, “Be careful not to let bugs and disease in on new garden plants.”

Mike Collins presents Four Reasons To Grow Your Own Garden posted at Saving Money Today.

Debra Justice presents A Labour of Love: The Bra Planter posted at A Labour of Love, saying, “The ultimate recycling project.”

Morgan Schwartz presents The Accidental Gardener posted at What’s Fresh, saying, “It is once again garden season in Omaha. Learn about Square-Foot Gardening—the easiest way to garden in a city—and take 10 Lessons from a City Girl turned “Gardening Expert.”"

Vera Lang presents Summer Crafts: Beach in a Pot posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, “Fun & Easy project to create a beach-feel on your deck.”

herbs

Ashley M. Jones presents 80 Incredibly Healthy & Healing Herbs You Can (Legally) Grow at Home posted at Pharmacy Technician Certification, saying, “DIY types with a bit of space to spare – even a windowsill will do! – may want to take their pharmaceutical pursuits one step further and create for themselves a garden full of traditional herbs and plants.”

lawn care

Brenda D. Chapman presents 10 Summer Projects to Enhance Your Yard posted at Construction Management Schools.

organic gardening

Jourdan presents Plan for World?s Largest Urban Farm posted at People for Green Justice.

patio furniture

Vera Lang presents Adirondack Chair Plans posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, “classic chairs, oh so comfy, and now oh so easy to make: ~ a DIY project with the best instructions.”

trees

Monte Stonewall presents 10 Most Devastating Wildfires posted at Fire Science Colleges.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form.  The next issue of A Gardening Carnival will be available on August 25, 2010.

Technorati tags: a gardening carnival, blog carnival.

Dana presents Selecting the right plants for a successful organic garden posted at Roscommon Acres.

Hortois presents Best Seed Merchants and Catalogues posted at The Compost Heap, saying, “UK seed companies”

Native Health Remedies presents Healthy Natural Foods That Heal posted at Native Remedies.

gardening

Hortois presents Good and Bad Environmental Companion Plants posted at The Compost Heap, saying, “Let plant selection help the environment”

Jess Drake presents Soil Myths 1: Turning the Soil posted at soilduck., saying, “Another of my soil-garden myths!”

Abigail Bailey presents Crochet an airpot planter from plastic bag ‘plarn’ « abigailscraftshowto.com posted at abigailscraftshowto.com.

Jon Pflager presents Full day, posted at The Creative Garden.

Aulbert West presents Things Every Great Garden Center Should Have | Bukisa.com posted at bukisa, saying, “A short list of things gardening centers should have”

Just Trying To Save Money presents Just Trying To Save Money: Garden posted at Just Trying To Save Money.

Cindy presents Homemade Hummingbird Food posted at My Recycled Bags.com, saying, “Refill your hummingbird feeder in your garden with homemade hummingbird food. By making your own homemade brew, it’s cheaper and you don’t have to use artificial coloring and additives that the store bought stuff has in it.”

Mike presents Discover the Ancient Art of Japanese Bonsai posted at My Japanese Bonsai, saying, “this blog is about Japanese bonsai gardening and how to grow and care for bonsai trees”

Candice Robin presents Diatomaceous Earth Humans and Parasites posted at Human Parasites Symptoms, saying, “Diatomaceous earth is good for humans and your plants too”

presents Easy Seedling/ Starter Plant Setup posted at Top LED Grow Lights, saying, “great carnival as I am for sure a brown thumb learning to be a green one”

house plants

Dani goldberg presents Hps Ballast lighting kits posted at Hps Ballast.

Wren Caulfield presents Decorating/Gardening on the Cheap: Pineapple Top into Interesting Houseplant posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking, saying, “Add a little green (and sometimes pink) to your environment with a new, free houseplant.”

C. J. Stegall-Evans presents Confessions of a Reformed Plant Killer posted at Writing as a Sacred Art.

kids gardening

Vickie Heully presents June 2010 Garden Pics posted at vickieheully.com.

landscape

Bob presents Market Umbrella Stand posted at Wood Market Umbrella, saying, “The importance of your wood market umbrella stand, for safety and appearance.”

James presents How to Choose Outside Path Lights posted at Low Voltage Garden Lights, saying, “The place find the answers about low voltage garden lights and outdoor solar lights.”

organic gardening

Jess Drake presents Soil Myths 2: Mulch Ain’t Mulch

Rebecca Mercer presents Inch by inch, row by row posted at California 49.

patio furniture

Renee Benzaim presents How to Buy True Wrought Iron Designs posted at Wrought Iron Designs, saying, “With increasing recognition of the value of quality wrought iron designs, wrought iron furniture is again becoming important to homeowners, interior designers, and architects True wrought iron designs are forged and hammered to remove impurities and then hammered into the desired shape by the artist. If taken care of, they can last a life time.”

Kerry Fletcher presents July 4th Decorating posted at Examiner.

vegetables

Dominika presents Watering Tomato Plants Using Plastic Bottles in the Ground. posted at Vegetable Corner, saying, “You can make a simple DIY self watering system for tomatoes or other veggies using plastic bottles. See step by step instructions with a picture.”

Jessica Bosari presents Does Growing Your Own Produce Really Save Money? | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, “Growing your own only saves money when you choose the right produce to grow.”

The Backyard Grower presents Blueberry Benefits 2010 posted at Bobbie Whitehead.

Linda@NHE presents Why Are Beets Healthy? posted at Natural Health Ezine, saying, “Beets are one of those vegetables that have a bad reputation. They look odd, and when you mention them to some people, you get a grimace in return. They may look a little strange, but beets are packed with lots of health benefits…”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form.  The next issue of A Gardening Carnival will be available on July 28, 2010.

Technorati tags: a gardening carnival, blog carnival.

First of all, don’t throw that seed away, especially if you purchased it this year.  Seed can still be viable for a period of time as long as it is kept in the proper conditions.  You will want to store it airtight, in a cold and dark location for best results.  Here are some rough guidelines on vegetable seed viability:

• One Year–onions, parsnips, and parsley

• Two Years–leeks, sweet corn, peppers, and okra

• Three Years–Chinese cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, celery, celeriac, spinach, beans, and peas

• Four Years–cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beets, Swiss chard, cauliflower, eggplant, turnips, chicory, fennel, mustard, kale, rutabaga, pumpkin, tomatoes, sorrel, watermelon, and squash

• Five Years–garden cress, cardoon, endive, muskmelon, collard greens, cucumber, and radishes

• Six Years–lettuces

Hopefully that will get you started.  Be sure to come back and check out our Weekend Project this week.  We will be showing you how to make a simple seed saver that you can use to keep your leftover seeds organized and transportable.

When you are thinking about all of the beautiful Irises that you have seen, do you realize that you may have been looking at several different species of Iris rather just the more common Bearded Iris? There are also Iris species know as Japanese, Dutch, English, Reticulatas and many other species.  In fact there are close to 300 species of Irises that can be found. Today I am going to talk about the Bearded Iris.

Bearded Irises are one of the most popular perennials planted around the world. Colors come in all shades except that of pure red and green. They also come in varying heights ranging from 8 inches high to some growing up to 4 feet high. Wow!

Bearded Iris performs best in well drained soil.  They do not like to have their feet or roots wet. They are susceptible to root rot. In heavier clay soils consider planting them in raised beds.  Plant in full sun with the “boot” or rhizome just barely under the soil, in fact the rhizome can be partially exposed.  If they are planted too deep, you will not get any flowers the following spring.

This species of Iris grow from rhizomes (modified stem with fleshy roots) and need to split or divided every few years.  Plant the rhizomes about a foot apart with the bend of the root pointed toward the back of your garden. These are a very hardy perennial.

Iris rhizomes are usually available for purchase in late July thru October.  They should be planted as soon as you get them.  Most gardeners will start thinning their Iris beds in July and many are willing to share extras that they are thinning out.

Check with your local garden clubs to see if they host any Iris Festivals in your area, usually in late May and early June.  If there is a festival nearby take the time to enjoy a walk through the Irises. Iris Festivals are absolutely amazing, for you will see more than the common yellow and purple irises on display.

What are some your favorite Iris varieties that you have planted in your garden?

MomToCherubs presents Garden Progress posted at Simply Beck’s Bounty.

Reynold Austins presents Concrete Paver Designs posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Concrete paver designs are plentiful. There is a paver style for every personality; the possibilities truly are endless. It is worthwhile to invest your time and energy in soaking up some paving ideas to decide what landscaping route you wish to take – do you want circular pavers or rectangular, or something else?”

Reynold Austins presents Driveway Paving Prices posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Driveway paving prices for the labor work and material costs varies from region to region. The vast majority of driveways are made of gravel, or crushed stone with typical costs being $25-$30 per ton plus delivery which on average is $100 per load.”

flowers

GrrlScientist presents Pink Ranunculus posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “a stunning photo of a pretty flower”

gardening

Christina presents Global Interior Design London – Lighting a Garden for Safety Interior Designer Blog Entry posted at Global Interior Design London – Top Storage Solutions – Interior Designer Blog Entry, saying, “The Global Interior Design team have years of experience working on challenging home design dilemmas. You’ve reached the place where the Global Interior Design team share some of our top tips for homeowners, designers and decorators.”

Renee Benzaim presents What is a Worm Compost? posted at Compost Tumblers & Compost Making, saying, “Wormeries process compost faster and are easy to use. Just put the bedding in the bottom and the kitchen scraps, covered by bedding in the top, and add the worms in the middle. Some wormery compost making systems use vertical trays, some use horizontal trays and some don’t use any trays, but they all work quite well. Even dog poop can be put in a separate wormery compost making system. The worms will eat the poop and give you great castings for your ornamental garden.”

Lindsay presents Save Money Container Gardening with Recycled and Improvised Pots posted at Off the Urban Grid.

GrrlScientist presents How Will You Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day? posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “A list of things you can do to help birds and other native wildlife, from small day-to-day changes to becoming a citizen activist.”

The Backyard Grower presents Plant a Row 2010 posted at Bobbie Whitehead.

John presents Top 10 summer garden accessories posted at Become.com.

house plants

The Art of Doing Stuff – Karen presents Live Orchid Live | The Art of Doing Stuff posted at The Art of Doing Stuff, saying, “My name is Karen. And I’m an orchidaholic. I wrote this particular post because sometimes you just aren’t ready to let go yet.”

kids gardening

TaraV presents Five Ways to Get Kids to Love Gardening posted at Code Name: Mama.

Medhat Youssef presents Garden bird feeders posted at Wholesale bird feeders.

Host Bee presents Tip of the Week – Terrariums for Kids | Busy Bee Lifestyle posted at Busy Bee Lifestyle.

landscape

Samantha Marks presents The Benefits of Mondo Grass | Backyards And Gardens.com posted at backyardsandgardens.com.

Reynold Austins presents Pavers Over Concrete posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Preparing the base for your front or backyard is the most time consuming part of installing new pavers. For this reason, a lot of people always ask if it is possible, or indeed a good idea to install pavers over concrete.”

Reynold Austins presents Asphalt Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Asphalt driveway pavers are very much better looking than concrete and as such, a lot of people prefer them as they give the driveway a more homely look and feel.”

Reynold Austins presents Installing Paver Walkway posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Installing paver walkway, like all DIY work, requires a lot of prep work if the job is to run smoothly. A clear vision of how you want the walkway to be, with a simple diagram will be beneficial in preparing for the job.”

Reynold Austins presents Concrete Pavers Installation posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Concrete pavers installation is a lot of work, but can be very rewarding if you enjoy DIY. Whether you are installing your concrete pavers after work or over the weekend, your best bet is to undertake the work step by step.”

Reynold Austins presents Concrete Driveway Paving posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Building a concrete driveway paving is a beneficial addition to the appearance of your home. Concrete driveways are permanent, requires low maintenance, and can offer your kids a safe place to hand-out outdoors without having to go too far, not to mention the efficiency of having your own parking space!”

Reynold Austins presents Interlocking Concrete Paver posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “An alternative to the standard concrete or even brick paving is the interlocking concrete paver, which has grown in popularity over the decades – especially in the US. Paving the front or backyard has become a common home improvement job, so much so that many homeowners are now into DIY paving.”

Reynold Austins presents Installing Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Did you know that most people know as much as installing driveway pavers as they do about fixing a computer, which is oftentimes very little. Yet they have an incline that the job is really not that complicated to justify the cost of hiring a contractor.”

Reynold Austins presents How to Lay Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Pavers can help add personality to your home. They are aesthetically pleasing, and with a wide variety of colours and designs to choose from you are sure to find one that’s pleasing to you.”

Reynold Austins presents Interlocking Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Interlocking driveway pavers are stronger and more durable over stamped on concrete, bricks and asphalt. Interlocking pavers are extremely flexible in that there is a vast array of colours, sizes and shapes, and for this reason (as well as numerous others) they are a popular choice for homeowners.”

Reynold Austins presents Concrete Paving Stone posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “There are many benefits of opting to have a concrete paving stone landscape for your driveway, walkway, or backyard…”

vegetables

Olga Poltava presents First Fruits of My Labor posted at Olga’s Home & Garden Blog.

The Cheap Vegetable Gardener presents 2-liter bottle upside down tomato planter posted at The Cheap Vegetable Gardener, saying, “Quick and easy project to grow some upside down tomato plants”

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg presents Awesome Perennial Garden Plants: How To Grow Rhubarb posted at sustainablog

Mrs. Accountability presents Spring 2010 Gardening posted at Out of Debt Again, saying, “Spring has sprung in Arizona, and a picture of my green beans growing up around the sturdy sunflower stems from last year.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form.  The next issue of A Gardening Carnival will be available on June 30, 2010.

Technorati tags: a gardening carnival, blog carnival.