Decorative garden: flower meadow instead of lawn
In places where the ground is permanently dry, it is worth establishing a flower meadow, and not, for example, a lawn, which requires a lot of moisture. The flower meadow survives on dry and barren soils and, as if in spite of everything, blooms most splendidly in the rainless period. Only one condition needs to be met:the meadow cannot be troddenThe seed material is very diverse. Universal mixtures with a predominance of annual species are often found, thanks to which you do not have to wait long for the decorative effect.One thing should not be forgotten:if the soil conditions are not good enough, the plants may not reproduce(from seeds) and eventually become overgrown with weeds and grasses.
That is why mixtures should always be selected in terms of the growth conditions that we can provide to plants.In trade, you can easily find mixtures for meadows with a moist substrate, for rural gardens and for barren land . It is the latter that can withstand long-term drought best, and the care of this type of meadow is reduced to one-time mowing in the fall. Meadows on wet ground are usually mowed twice a year: the first time at the end of June and another - in late summer.
April and balconies and terraces
Beware of late frosts
Aura still plays tricks, so if we have already exposed potted plants to the open air, we have tocarefullyfollow weather forecasts In the event of frost return, place the boxes and pots against the building wall and cover them. In severe frosts, put them in the apartment for some time.
We sow vines
Annual climbing plants such as kobea, hops, runner beans,for plantings screen, must be sent by the beginning of April at the latest.
Water in moderation
The water requirements of the plants vary depending on the weather conditions. At this time of year, the substrate humidity should beregularly checkandwater plants according to their current needs. You cannot water the plants in reserve.
When to air?
Oleander, laurel and other potted plants that have wintered in a cool, butfrost-free room room , can already be exhibited at free air Plants that have wintered at temperatures above 5 ° C are not sufficiently hardened and therefore should not be placed on the terrace until May.
Beware of burns
Evergreen plants cannot be exposed to the sun right away, first, for 10-14 days, they should beputinsemi-shaded places.
Vegetable: a rugged bed
After the late winter pruning of fruit trees, there is a whole pile of shoots that can be used as filling material for the construction of a hollow bed. These beds are primarily used for growing fast-growing vegetables, such aszucchini ,cabbageandcucumbers ,lettuce ,chives , but also herbs.
The rugged bed should be placed on a sunny position. An area of approx. 300 cm long and 160 to 180 cm wide should be reserved for the assumption. At the very bottom, we place a fine mesh to protect the beds against voles.We mask the ends of the mesh with concrete tiles that are also part of the path.Then we put successive layers of organic materials, the last layer is mature compost mixed with garden soil.Cover the bed with dry straw to prevent snails from settling in the substrate. The illustration below shows that the individual layers are arranged in a semi-circle - then the same development conditions prevail over the entire surface of the flower bed. This, in turn, guarantees a better harvest.
Orchard: strawberries should be taken care of
As soon as the soil on the flower bed is sufficiently dry, we can dig the remnants of winter bedding around the strawberry bushes.
We do not tear off old dried or damaged leaves, but cut them out with a secateurs. Tamp the soil loosened by frost around the plants. In order for the strawberries to bloom luxuriantly and bear a lot of fruit, they should be fed. Plants are best supplemented with a full-ingredient fertilizer or a special fertilizer for strawberries , following the manufacturer's instructions. After fertilizing, cover the soil with a 3-5 cm thick layer of mulch. We can scatter mature compost, straw or fermented bark.
Early varieties are watered with lukewarm water and covered with foil with cuts, which should be removed at the end of April at the latest. This is a proven way to speed up your fruit harvest by up to three weeks.
Under glass: New plants obtained by artificial pollination
In nature, the useful role of pollinators is usually played by insects that transfer pollen from flower to flower. The effects of their work are completely random. If, on the other hand,by hand we pollinate selected flowers , we will have an influence on the shape and color of the flowers of the daughter plants. Artificial pollination is not difficult, especially in the case oflarge flowers hibiscusordaylilywhose female pistils and male stamens are quite stately and easily accessible.
1.Collecting pollenCut the stamens from the selected flower as soon as their anthers open and release yellow pollen.
2.PollinationShake off the pollen on the mark on the top of the pistil of the second flower. Do not touch the pollen or the stigma with your fingers, because the skin may contain spores of pathogenic fungi.
3.CoverCover the dusty flower with a foil bag, which will prevent the pistil from coming into contact with other pollen. We collect the ripe seeds and after sowing them, we can start growing new plants.
