Gabelmans Gardens

Get Your Bamboo Grove Started Today

Bamboo isnt called the magic plant for nothing. It can become a highly addictive hobby, and once you see how fast this plant grows you too will become addicted. It is nothing short of amazing. There are so many uses for this plant that there are still items that havent even been thought of yet. [...]

Bamboo Monster?

Bamboo Its not the monster people say it is In the past five to seven years Ive been growing this wonderful plant and I have to say, I absolutely love this plant for many different reasons. Not only is it the fastest growing plant on the earth today but it is probably the most important [...]

Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots are coming april 1 no foolin Every year I look for ward to springtime cause its out with the cold in with the new. By that I mean all the stuff I planted last year and the years before will start popping out of the ground. But my alltime favorite days of the [...]

Best Landscaping Practices

March 31st, 2010

BooMan Chu

In order to make a great landscape, there are certain
tried-and-tested practices that you can follow. Not only do
these practices help you create a beautiful landscape, they
also ensure that you do not waste any money and that you
are not harming the environment in any way.

Here are some of the best landscaping practices that you
can do in your own home garden.

1. Design your landscape in a way where water is retained
well. This doesn’t only go for water that comes from your
sprinklers but also storm runoffs.

By having this kind of set-up, you do not spend a lot on
watering your plants and you also help keep your
community’s water supply at bay.

2. Use fertilizers responsibly. Some people become
trigger-happy when it comes to using fertilizers on their
landscapes.

While putting in too much fertilizer can be detrimental to
the environment, using organic fertilizers or choosing
plants that are well-accustomed to the local environment
will help in curbing the problem.

3. Take it easy on pesticides and weed killers – just like
fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers can do more harm
than good if used irresponsibly.

4. Schedule watering of the plants. Watering the plants
early in the morning help in retaining the water much
longer than doing it at noon for example.

While considering the time for watering the plants may seem
like a small thing, it translates to something big when the
water supply is put into the equation.

The Different Types of Soil

March 30th, 2010

BooMan Chu

The soil is an essential part of any garden. It is where
the plants are cultivated, and if the soil is of a good
quality, the plants that grow there are evidently good as
well.

While one can’t find the perfect soil for the perfect
garden all of the time, combining different types of soils
can produce the same effect. Below is a list of the common
soil types and what they do.

1. Sand

- this type of soil is known for its lack of ability to
hold water. This can be good in a way since this quality
helps prevent the roots of plants from getting soaked in
water for a very long time.

The only downside is that one has to water the plants more
often than other soil types.

2. Clay

- gets very sticky when wet. While this type of soil can
hold nutrients very well, it is unable to let in air and
water very well which could be detrimental to plants.

3. Silt

- is somewhat of a cross between clay and sand. This type
of soil holds a lot of nutrients like clay and doesn’t
retain water well just like sand.

4. Loam

- is the most ideal type of soil because almost every type
of plants will grow on this. It is because loam is
formulated using a good balance of sand, clay and silt.

Just like silt and clay, it holds nutrients well. As for
water retention, it is midway between sand and clay since
loam can hold water pretty well without draining it as
easily as sand would.

Landscape Design

March 28th, 2010

BooMan Chu

A big part of the decision on whether or not a landscape is
good is its design. A well-thought out design is one that
is pleasing to the eye.

But if you’re planning to have your lawn landscaped but are
not sure on how to design it, this article will help you
get started with a few tips.

1. Get a contractor

- getting a contractor is the easiest way to go about
landscaping your lawn. They will provide you with the
information and the man-power so that you can have a great
looking lawn in no time.

2. Draw your design

- whether you get the services of a contractor or wish to
do the landscaping yourself, it is important that you put
the design of your intended landscape on paper.

It makes things so much easier instead of merely trying to
describe things as the latter method can make for subpar
results.

3. Organize your area

- regardless the size of your lawn, it is important that
you organize the different areas of it well. A landscaped
lawn isn’t only a vast tract of land with grass, trees and
bushes.

You should also consider areas such as the tool sheds, your
private area where you can relax and the likes.

4. What plants do you want to have?

- the plants that you choose to have on your lawn will also
determine the overall look of your landscape. Consider them
carefully, because majority of what others will see are the
plants that you have on your lawn.

Landscaping and the Environment

March 27th, 2010

BooMan Chu

Landscaping is an activity that can change the face of the
environment no matter how small the household’s lawn is.

Because of this, homeowners and contractors alike should be
aware of this fact and find ways of lessening the impact of
this activity.

Here are some tips on having an earth-friendly landscape.

1. Find plants that consume little water

- one of the main requirements of a landscape is to have an
ample amount of water for the plants. But since water is
becoming a scarcer and scarcer commodity, homeowners should
choose plants that consume little water.

Not only do they help save the environment, they also help
cut a homeowner’s water costs.

2. Use organic fertilizers

- artificial fertilizers contain chemicals that may
otherwise be harmful to the soil.

Organic fertilizers should therefore be chosen in favor of
artificial ones to lessen its impact on the soil and at the
same time, ensure that one has a healthy plant.

Creating a compost pit and using cut grass as mulch can
help provide organic fertilizers to a garden.

3. Have trees in your lawn

- trees provide shade in your lawn and if they are
well-positioned, they can reduce energy costs spent on
cooling and heating.

4. Find alternative sources of water

- while sprinklers are a great way to water a lawn, rain
water can be a good alternative too. So when designing a
landscape, find a way of irrigating it using rain water
from the household’s rooftops.

This helps a lot in cutting the costs on water used by
sprinklers.