There is nothing more relaxing than taking a break from gardening and settling down beside a gently splashing waterfall. However, it is not as soothing to think about the expense and back breaking labor it may take to install a full blown pond into your landscape. Also, the maintenance is not enjoyable to some people. There is an alternative! Water features do not have to be massive to have the same effects. If you have an interesting urn or basin, you?ve got what it takes to create your own low maintenance, inexpensive garden pool.

Begin with your container. Be creative when selecting a container. Don?t limit yourself to what you have already seen. Anything that is or can be waterproofed can work. Whiskey barrels, troughs, birdbaths, lotus bowls, your college ceramic project, basins, wooden boxes?almost anything goes! When choosing a container, keep in mind what you want to put in it. Research the plants you like and be sure your container is deep enough to house them. Plants like water lilies need at least 5 inches of water above the top of their pot, while floating plants like water hyacinths and water lettuces can be grown in a salad bowl! Do you want fish? If so then your pot needs to be large enough to house a small pump and filter set-up in order to keep your fish at optimum health.

The easiest route is to choose one that is already waterproof. Plastic, ceramic, or concrete containers without drainage holes are ideal. They require little to no alteration to get started. (Keep in mind, though, that if you live in an area where water freezes solid in the winter, concrete may crack.) Even wood boxes will work when lined with a EPDM liner. These liners are fish-safe and are available at home centers and aquatic gardening shops. You can also find a brush-on sealant made specifically for aquatic gardening.

Filters and pumps are only absolutely necessary when you have fish, but a small pump with a bubbler or fountain will not only make you garden more aesthetically pleasing, it will also keep it healthier by oxygenating the water. Before shopping for a pump, determine how many gallons of water you have and how fast you want to move it through your fountain, if applicable. Pumps, fountains and filters can be purchased at home centers, garden shops, and some pet stores.

Once you install your pumps, filter and fountain, you?re almost finished! After filling with water, let the garden sit for about two weeks to allow the chlorine and chemicals to dissipate. You can hurry this process along by adding a dechlorinator. Then you can add your plants. Choosing a variety of plants will make your feature more interesting. Look for different heights, colors, and textures.

You can also add your fish at this point. Smaller goldfish, like shibunkins, comets or fantails do well in containers as long as they have adequate oxygen, water quality and shade so that they do not overheat. All that is left to do now is to find a comfortable seat and place it nearby so that the next time you?re exhausted from weeding you can plop down and relax while you enjoy the soothing sounds and beauty of your new garden.

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The final decision as to what type of garden you will want is not reached at the snap of a finger, but can be achieved in one of two ways. The first, and most businesslike, is to write down all pertinent facts and figures concerning yourself, your family, the size of your property, the size of your house, its exposure, etc. The other, which is just as workable but perhaps a little more confusing and likely to cause you undue worry, is simply to carry your ideas around in your head and finally try to put them on paper in the form of a plan. These are not solutions of your problem but rather helpful guides.

The more orderly method is to make a check list and to give our thought reality we shall consider the requirements of a family living in a development of identical houses in Central New Jersey. Their check list should be used as a guide in making your own.

Topography – Fairly level Exposure – South ( that is, front of house faces south) Location – Central New Jersey Design of garden – Informal Existing vegetation ( trees and shrubs ) – None Garage – Single, attached Soil – Sandy loam, well drained Neighboring properties – Houses on both sides Age of owners – early 30′s Family – Father, mother, and three young children Parents like to work in garden Parents also like to relax in and enjoy the garden, and plan to entertain extensively out-of-doors. Size of property-75 x 125 feet Budget – calls for an expenditure of $750 a year for 6 years.

Analyzing the List

It is obvious that since this family intends to spend a great deal of time relaxing and entertaining their friends out-of-doors they will need a larger than average private area. The rough sketch will include ovals on the basic plot plan the majority of space in the area behind the house is labeled private.

Since the majority of space is devoted to this area, it is obvious that the service area must necessarily be small, perhaps just large enough to provide a few fresh vegetables and flowers that do not require too much care. The completed plan of a garden should serve our hypothetical family well. It provides them with a vast outdoor living room that will be excellent for entertaining and just enough service area to provide tomatoes, string beans, radishes, and flowers.

Now let us consider a neighboring family in similar circumstances who do not plan extensive outdoor entertainment. In their case the service area could be greatly expanded at the expense of the private area.The service area may occupy better than half the space behind the house is sufficiently large to provide all sorts of fresh vegetables and cut and specimen flowers, while the private area, though small, remains large enough to meet the relaxation needs of the family.

Give a great deal of thought and attention to compiling your own check list. Never fail to consider your future as well as your present requirements; plan your garden in such a way that it will mature to fit all your needs with a, minimum expenditure of time, effort, and money. Just like caring for spider mites on plants.

Since our list has shown us how to determine the relative sizes of the public, private, and service areas, we are now ready to begin developing the individual areas. Your next step is to consider each particular area and proceed to mold it into actuality.

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From southern Illinois northward frost can be expected anytime after late September. Try to save the Swiss chard and New Zealand spinach by protecting them with small, movable coldframes. Your reward will be a plentiful supply of fresh greens until late autumn.

Don’t let early frosts catch the pumpkins and squashes on the vine. Cut them carefully about a week before the first frost is expected and allow them to dry in the sun before storing. If the onions are not yet ready to dig, bend over their tops so that they will ripen faster.

It’s not too late to sow winter rye in the bare spots in the vegetable garden. It will germinate and develop, even during winter thaws.

Planting narcissus and other spring-flowering bulbs – Daffodils that have just arrived from your nurseryman should be planted before October 1. Also, bulbs that have been growing in your garden for years and have become too thick can be moved now. If possible, reset them the same day they are dug.

Minor bulbs such as scilla, muscari, chionodoxa, crocus and camassia should be popped into the ground as soon as they are received. Prepare the soil in advance, if possible, so that it has time to settle.

Digging and storing gladiolus – As soon as the gladiolus foliage loses its greenness, the corms can be dug up. Dry them in a cool, airy spot for a week or two. Before storing, treat them with a fungicide to ward off disease.

Moving peonies and other perennials, shrubs and evergreens – When should peonies be moved? According to one authority, 9:00 A.M. on September 15! Timing isn’t really that critical, but after this date, the sooner the job can be done, the better. Most perennials have completed their growth by now and can be moved towards the end of the month.

If a great many shrubs have to be moved, a few can be transplanted now ahead of season if their leaves are first stripped. However, it is a better practice to wait until frost drops the leaves.

In most parts of the Middle West early September is the preferred time for moving evergreens. Be sure to mulch the soil heavily after thoroughly soaking it. If this is the last time the hose will be used this fall, drain it and hang it in a dry, cool place for the winter.

Caring for the lawn – If the lawn has spots that need leveling, there’s still time before the middle of the month to correct the condition with a top dressing. By next spring the grass will have grown through the new soil and the turf will appear more even.

Continue mowing the lawn until heavy frosts stop growth. Don’t yield yet to the temptation of giving the lawn-mower a vacation.

If snow mold was a problem to your lawn last spring, spray it now with a good turf fungicide. Be sure to apply it before the ground freezes.

Cleaning up weeds in the vegetable garden – If bindweed or Canada thistle infests the vegetable garden, it can be cleaned out when it’s cool and the soil temperature drops to 55 degrees. Check the soil temperature carefully, spraying when it is below 55, but before the foliage is blackened by frost.

Buying, identifying house plants and potting up herbs for winter decoration”Now, before the last-minute rush which begins when the weather turns cold, identifying house plants and buying new plants to decorate the house. They seem to do better if they have a chance to become acclimated before the oil burner or furnace starts up.

Grow some herbs in a sunny window to supply winter flavorings. Pot them up now, cutting off the old tops to force young growth. Chives, sweet basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram should be especially welcome.

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There are many grasses grown through out the country. it all depends on the climate and soil conditions your piece of real estate can provide. Here’s a quick look at 5 grasses used in the landscape.

Chewing Fescue produces a fine textured. brilliant. green dense turf. The needle-like leaf blades are distinctive, being cylindrical in shape rather than flat. With adequate care only, can its true beauty be realized, however it will stand hard usage: Chewings Fescue will thrive in partial shade. It is used extensively in choice grass seed mixtures. With Creeping Bent it blends admirably, in a proportion of 80% Chewings Fescue, 20% Creeping Bent.

Creeping Bent is well known for its exceptionally fine turf-producing qualities. Its fine-bladed leaves and vigorous root system makes it admirably suited for putting greens. bowling greens, and extra fancy velvety lawns. Bent lawns should be mowed close. The turf will benefit if aired often by means of puncturing with a spiked contrivance.

Creeping Red Fescue is quite similar in appearance to Chewings Fescue. In color it is slightly darker green and in texture a shade softer. It is rapidly becoming the a popular individual grass in the Northwest because it produces a durable turf of pleasing appearance. Considerable quantities of seed are now produced in Canada and the United States. It is used with increasing popularity in choice grass seed mixtures, and is used alone for lawn durability and beauty.

Kentucky Blue Grass produces a hardy turf of rich texture. The leaves are flat and its root system is vigorous like the weeping fig tree. For hard usage lawns, Kentucky Blue grass is blended with Red Top and Creeping Bent. A well-balanced proportion is 80% Kentucky Blue, 10% Red Top, 10% Creeping Rent. For some purposes or if desired, a small percentage of White Dutch Clover is often included. They are also best surrounding a weeping fig tree.

Red Top grows fast but its life is short. It is therefore used as a nurse crop in lawn mixtures. Since it grows quickly it occupies the ground until the slower growing grasses in the mixture, form a lasting springy turf. If you blend your own grass seed mixture do not include more than 30% Red Top.

For the best grass to be used in your locale check with your county agent.

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