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SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Landscape artist and environmental activist Jamie Durie is on a mission to make gardening sexy -- and to save the planet one backyard at a time.
"Gardening is no longer a granny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbW3ayDWVQ sport," the Australian gardening celebrity told Reuters during a recent visit to Singapore, where he is landscaping a luxury housing compound.
"Gardens are now a reflection of your personality as much as the rug on your floor or http://www.fao.org/docrep/s8684e/s8684e06.htm the jewellery around your neck. They are a connection to nature, a sanctuary."
A self-confessed frustrated architect who "paints with plants", Durie is a bit of a pin-up boy for ga rdening.
A qualified horticulturalist, he is the founder of the award-winning PATIO Landscape Architecture Design (www.patio.com.au) and author of five books on landscaping. He was host to popular Australian TV garden makeover show "Backyard Blitz" and currently hosts long-running American gardening and outdoor show, "The Victory Garden", for U.S. network PBS.
Durie also trained with former U.S. vice president and environmentalist Al Gore to become an environmental ambassador.
Q: How can landscaping help the environment?
A: Any plants that you can get into the soil will help absorb carbon dioxide emissions, and yes, it is possible to have urban developments and sustain the environment -- that's where landscaping comes in.
Also, if you take care of your own garden, it encourages others to do the same and then we'll be saving the environment one small backyard at a time. That's why I try and make gardens sexy, an evocative space that provides a destination, not just something that you see from behind your kitchen window.
Q: So, is gardening fashionable now?
A: Certainly! People are becoming more creative and they recognize that gardens are as much a part of their decor as their living room. There's also a trend towards going back to nature, towards organic produce because of all the chemicals and hormones and gene splitting... that is more dangerous than actual warfare. Growing organic produce has never been more popular and it will continue to grow. We're in the middle of an organic revolutio n.
Q: What inspires your designs?
A: Everything. I travel extensively, so I often gain inspiration from the natural landscapes I see. You have to be receptive to your surroundings and keep your eyes open. One of my designs was based on a crack in the pavement. The bigger my library of concepts, the more I've got to give.
Q: Creating a beautiful garden can be very expensive and also requires space -- luxuries many people don't have.
A: That is true, but I want the homeowners of today to fast-track to what the older generation have achieved after years of working: the nice house with the big garden. See what gardens can do for you! They give you peace and tranquility. My advice would be to look at the value of your property and use that as a benchmark to decide how much to spend on your garden. If you're spending less than 5 percent, that's skimping, you can do better. And if you don't want to do it for you, do it for your kids. Do it for the environment. I t's your responsibility.
Q: Do you have any tips for city-dwellers who would love to have a garden but who don't have the time or the space?
A: Go to your local nursery and start taking photos of plants you find attractive. Go to the botanical garden on the weekend and see how plants are arranged. Fall in love with the plants and then take them home. By growing a plant, you're empowering yourself, giving yourself confidence, demystifying nature.
Perennials have long been one of the most popular classifications of flowering plant, and this is likely to continue for some time. There are many advantages to http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/gardens/ using perennials in the garden, not the least of which is their ability to regenerate year after year. The ability to plant once, and enjoy season after season of beautiful flowers, is one of the things that make perennials so popular with beginning and experienced gardeners alike.
Another great thing about perennials is that they are usually very easy plants to care for and to work with. Most perennials have needs that are quite undemanding, requiring little more than good soil, sufficient water and adequate sunlight. Even so, perennials also have their own issues, and one of the biggest issues is that perennials, due to their nature, are more prone to insect infestation and disease infection than are annuals, which hav e a much shorter life span. The very fact that perennials remain in the ground season after season means that infection can gain a foothold, even in the off season.
The best way to combat infection is to stop it from starting in the first place, and one of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to buy only the healthiest most vibrant plants. It is important to pay careful attention to the plants you buy at your local nursery, and to reject any that show signs of damage, disease or insect infestation. That is because healthy plants are better able to withstand any pathogens that may exist in the soil. A healthy plant will be able to withstand and fight off an infection that would kill a weaker one.
In addition, many perennials have been bred to be resistant to common diseases and pest infestations, so if these disease resistant varieties are availabl e it is a good idea to seek them out. Perennial growers have spent many years using selective breeding to choose those plants that are best able to withstand commonly seen garden problems.
After the plants are in the ground, it is a good idea to check them often for any signs of problems. The best time to examine your plants is often when you are weeding the plants or watering them. This is a great time to look at the plants for any problems. Note any plants with wilted leaves, holes in the leaves, spots on the leaves or flowers, wounds on the stems or other possible Sprinkler System problems. If you notice any problems, be sure to diagnose it accurately, using either a guide book or the eye of a more experienced gardener. Diagnosing the problem accurately is the first step toward curing it.
How you water perennials can have a big impact on their health. Overhead watering encourages water spots to remain on leaves, and these wet spots can be conduits that allow infection to spread from one plant to another. It is best to water deeply, using either drip irrigation or a soaker hose. Not only will this avoid standing water on the flowers and leaves, but it will also allow much needed water to reach the roots.
Of course, proper care for perennials does not end when the growing season is over. It is important to care for these plants the right way after Mckinney Sprinkler System they have finished bl ooming. It is important to trim and prune is variety of perennial according to the recommendations for the species. Some perennials need to be radically trimmed back, while other varieties should be trimmed only lightly or not at all. It is important to pay attention to the needs of each variety in your garden.
Although other aphids exist, the main two types of aphid are black fly and greenfly, these are small soft bodied insects anywhere from 1mm - 5mm long and are very destructive to many plans in gardens and forests alike. These small fast breeding creatures survive by feeding on the sap from plants and get this sap by piercing the phloem, where the sap flows through the plant. In doing this, aphids can carry many different diseases that are harmful and can kill your plants.
When growing peppers aphids can be a big problem and as aphids prefer heat much like your peppers and chilli's do, the problem is worsened. Greenhouses are a common place that aphids will survive well and can feed of many plants and reproduce at a rapid rate in a close area to each other.
So how do you get rid of aphids from your peppers and other plants?
Well thankfully there are many ways to get rid of these pests some of them better than other, so let's take a lo ok at some of the common ways to get rid of greenfly and black fly.
Soapy Water
Soapy water is a very popular way to get rid of aphids, mix up some soapy water or washing up liquid with water and spray directly on your pepper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBmN2PTUB7w plants. Although this way is not totally chemical free, it is a lot better than other forms of insecticide to get rid of the insects.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs love aphids, attracting ladybugs/ ladybirds is a good step to getting rid of aphids, this is not an easy task but very affective once done. Many say having milfoil in the garden attracts ladybugs. This option is more long term and it may be easier to buy ladybugs from a specialist dealer or consider a different option.
Hoverflies
Hoverflies are another aphid predator and are a lot easier to attract th an ladybugs. Planting plenty of yellow flowered plants or certain types of flower is effective in luring hoverflies to your garden, options may include marigolds, Iberis, umbellata, statice, buckwheat, chamomile and parsley.
Pyrethrum Plant
Pyrethrum plant is a daisy like plant that comes in many different colours https://www.lowes.com/projects/lawn-and-garden/install-an-underground-sprinkler-system/project and helps with getting rid of aphids because it produces a natural insecticide within its leaves and stem, putting one of theses plants next to your pepper plant will effectively kill many of the aphids close by.
Insecticides
In my opinion insecticides are a bad choice in getting rid of aphids or other pests on peppers or pepper plants but if it is necessary to do so then be sure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBmN2PTUB7w to wash your peppers thoroughly before eating. There are many different insecticides to get rid of aphids and the choices are endless, read the label carefully and follow instructions stated. There are natural insecticides available but these do not last long and your pepper plant may need constant spraying to exclude all aphids.
