My Gardening Blog

If you have your home in an area that has sparse rainfall and lengthy summers you might want to consider sowing your new lawn with drought resistant grass seed. There are a variety of different grass seeds obtainable that can thrive in dry surroundings and even remain green throughout the year. We’ve considered some of them for you to discover the best drought resistant grass seed for your lawn.

Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass seed is one of the best drought resistance seeds available to purchase. It will succeed in regions that are very dry and hot through the year though it also does well in hot areas with heavy rainfall. It is a superior all round grass seed for seeding your lawn. Bermuda grass can endure full sunlight but also needs a well drained soil. It can endure periods of very severe drought as it has especially deep roots. It is best cut to around one to one and a half inches for drought resistance and tolerance to traffic.

Zoysia Grass Seed

Zoysia grass has a gorgeous medium green color while in drought situations it will appear yellow. It is a very good drought resistant grass as it’s deep roots allow it to locate water at great depths. In colder weather it will become dormant and turns brown. Zoysia grass seed produces a quite slow growing grass that is moderately trouble-free to look after.

Tall Fescue Grass Seed

Although tall fescue flourishes best in moist environments it is exceptionally drought resistant and grows well in many different kinds of soils as well as clay soil that is poorly drained. Tall fescue grass seed is ideal for areas that have hot, humid and long summers and very cold winters nevertheless if you maintain it at about 3 inches throughout the hottest season it will tolerate drought conditions well. It’s a good idea to over-seed tall fescue in the Fall to guarantee even coverage of your lawn.

Conclusion

Drought resistant grass seed is a good option for seeding your new lawn, not only if you reside in a very dry region, but if you would like to have a healthy lawn that is easier to look after. In many districts hose pipes may sometimes be banned which means that lawns become brown and may die but if you sow the lawn with the correct seed combination you can maintain a lovely healthy, green lawn throughout any shortage of water.

On the whole then drought resistant grasses are ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to spend too long on upkeep but nevertheless wants a perfect green lawn!

A raised garden bed may well be a good idea if you have poor soil or unsuitable clay soil or find gardening difficult as a consequence of a physical problem. Even though it will take longer to assemble a raised bed, or at first cost more if you opt for a raised garden kit, it will more than pay for itself. Cedar raised garden kits are especially popular as they are resistant to water and very durable. A raised bed has various distinct advantages over regular gardening and will make your gardening a great deal easier, more pleasurable and more productive.

Advantages of Raised Gardening

• In a raised bed you will have complete control over the soil conditions so you can produce plants that may need particular pH’s and nutrients without difficulty
• The soil can be purchased free of weeds so you won’t have to waste time weeding.
• Plants in a raised garden are a lot easier to take care of and by and large develop better. The soil does not become compressed from people walking on it, so air and nutrients can get to the roots more easily.
• Raised gardens warm up quicker in the Spring so you can sow a lot earlier giving you a longer growing season.
• It is much easier to cultivate a raised garden than a regular garden as you can create the garden at a convenient height. For folks with physical problems, or are in wheelchairs this is often the only means that they can get pleasure from gardening.
• Raised beds are a lot kinder to knees and backs! You will not injure your knees or back from working in the garden.
• In a well prepared raised garden, drainage is superior to that of a conventional garden. You won’t have waterlogged soil and the plants will grow better.

Siting Your Raised Bed Garden

Before you settle on where to position a raised garden observe your garden for at least a complete day to check which areas get more sunlight or which are in shadow. Will you be growing sun loving plants or those which favor shade? Find  a section where you can have space around the garden to make cultivation easier. It would also be a good idea to have paths surrounding the garden to make moving near it with a wheelbarrow etc easy. If you are building a raised garden for a person in a wheelchair you ought to take care that access is easy from every side and it is the correct height.

How to Fill Your Raised Garden

Once the raised garden is installed fill it with high-quality soil and compost. A mixture of half compost and half soil is usually recommended. Top soil is frequently available to buy in bulk but be careful of the quality as there are no standards set down. Top soil can fluctuate a greatly in composition. Garden centers also provide soil in bulk and you can be confident that it is good quality. You can use top soil from your own garden but you will need quite a lot and it may not have all the nutrients required. It will also without doubt have wild plant seeds and perhaps stones.

For economy you might need to combine garden soil with purchased soil but ensure you mix it thoroughly and if at all possible have a soil test to make sure the pH and nutrient levels are satisfactory. Whatever option you decide blend in a small amount of sand to improve drainage. You might also need to top up the soil intermittently as it becomes compacted and add some organic matter on a regular basis. An excellent suggestion is to raise some ground cover plants for the duration of the winter for protection which you can then dig in in the Spring to increase the level of nutrients.

In Conclusion

Raised gardening has a lot of distinctive advantages over traditional gardening for all of us but particularly for the elderly or individuals with physical problems. Whether you decide to put together your own raised garden bed or pick from one of the many raised garden kits accessible you can be confident you will have many years of pleasant gardening.

Should you buy a solar garden fountain or a wired fountain? Both have their advantages and disadvantages but we have found that solar garden fountains are safer around children and pets with easier maintenance than wired fountains even though they do have the drawback of not working well through the winter.The power panels on solar fountains make use of photovoltaic cells to gather sunlight all through the day which is used to power the pump. As they require sunshine the pump will reduce speed and the water will stop through the hours of darkness or if the sky is overcast.

Setting up a Solar Garden Fountain

Solar fountains are straightforward to set up and nearly all will require no difficult installation. Solar fountains either have panels built into the pedestal or separate panels that may be sited some distance away. This allows the fountain to be sited in a sheltered setting while the panels are positioned where they can collect the sunlight. The separate solar panels can be placed on a hard surface, attached to a tree or fence or on a wooden post planted securely in the ground.

Storing Energy

Nearly all solar panels aren’t capable of storing power so they cannot be used at night. They will operate most effectively on sunny days and during cloudy days they will only pump water slowly or stop altogether. Through the winter it is a good idea to disconnect the solar panels as during very cold or icy weather conditions the pump may work if it is sunny and damage could arise. A few solar fountains may have battery backups to make up for short periods but the majority are really only intended to be operated on sunny days.

Ease of Use

Solar garden fountains are advantageous as they necessitate no wiring from a power supply and can be located some distance from the home. With separate panels they could even be positioned in out of the sun or under arbors.

Solar Pond Fountains

Additionally many solar fountains are specifically made for fish ponds and are also handy as they don’t necessitate cables from the house. You could set them to float on the pond or set them in place with rocks or tied to secure them.

Solar Garden Fountain Safety

Solar powered fountains are environmentally friendly with no poisonous emissions, hardly any noise and no substances that may leak and be a danger. Since there aren’t any cords they are safe for pets and children.

In Conclusion

Fountains powered by sunlight are cheap to run, very easy to take care of and safer than fountains with wires. While they have the shortcoming of working poorly throughout the colder months they will be, however, an excellent addition to your garden.