Hope this video helps spark your inspiration for Spring planting!

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Like most people you are probably aware that there are drills that are used for making holes in wood or metal, but you may not know anything about dirt drills. The garden auger is a very handy tool that is used by gardeners to create the perfect planting hole for their plants.

Garden augers make quick work of jobs that would otherwise take a long time and a lot of effort. They are available in many different sizes and can be used for a variety of jobs. A garden auger can be used to drill a hole in the dirt for seeds, flower bulbs, bedding plants or trees.

Garden augers are available in many sizes so it is possible to use the right tool for the task at hand. Most gardeners are content with the smaller garden augers that are attached to an ordinary variable speed drill. The largest auger will likely need a very strong rotation force from something like a tractor shaft. No matter what size auger is needed, it will require some sort of power source in order for it to work.

Most of the garden augers are not designed to bore holes in dry, compacted, or rocky soil, but when used on previously cultivated soil they work wonders. Garden augers are welcome addition to any gardeners’ tool kit since they speed up a wide variety of tasks.

If you have a major planting job that requires holes up to several feet in depth and 18 inches in diameter you may need one of the biggest augers that are available. These heavy duty augers require heavy duty motors and are lifesavers when a big planting job lies ahead.

By using a garden auger you can quickly plant your flower bulbs, seedlings and bedding plants. The auger is used to create the prefect hole to drop in your plantings. The most common garden augers range is sized from just under two inches up to about three inches. These augers are ideal for just about any job the average gardener is faced with.

Boring holes for planting isn’t the only thing that garden augers are good for though. They work perfectly for removing weeds by the root. The auger even works on weeds with extremely deep roots that are impossible to remove with other tools.

The auger can also be used to drill small but deep holes around plants that require deep watering, aeration and fertilizing. Many bushes and trees, especially older ones require this extra care and the garden auger makes this task a snap. By drilling these holes as needed the tree will receive much needed nutrients, air and water, giving older plants a new lease on life.

The longest garden auger is a very useful tool that is used for running PVC piping for irrigation or electrical wire under sidewalks. Anytime you need to quickly and easily drill a hole in the ground, a garden auger is the right tool to reach for, saving you tons of time and effort.

My experience has taught me that it is best to buy tools from a well known manufacturer. I’ve always had great results with tools manufactured by the Yard Butler of San Diego, California. This manufacturer uses the highest quality steel when making their garden augers and if well cared for will last for many years. Yard Butler is a well known manufacturer of specialty gardening tools and his been in business for over fifty years.

I have noticed that many of the garden augers that are on the shelves of the big box home improvement stores are very poorly made in China and the inferior metal will often bend and break with the first use. Save your time and money and purchase a well made garden auger from a trusted name. It will save you money in the long run as well as easing the heavy work in the garden.

If you plan to spend some quality time in your yard this season, then you need some essential gardening tools to make your space picture perfect! You may have to cut grass, trim trees and shrubs, get the garden ready, or plant flowers. No matter what you need to do, some good gardening tools can go a long way. Let’s take a closer look at the tools that will make your gardening experience simpler and as easy as possible.

Yard Butler Store There are certain tools you will need to accomplish all your tasks. You will need some good digging tools. Spades are great for turning soil and a flat head shovel will assist in picking up disposable items. A garden fork is ideal for cleaning out the beds and loosening soil. Rakes are also necessary for your work. Metal rakes will help in leveling soil and removing unwanted materials. Metal is durable since it will not bend. Plastic fan style rakes will do the job for leaf cleanup. They are lighter to handle for that exhausting job.

Investing in a good garden hose is always a wise idea. This will last longer than cheaper ones. The length of the hose will depend on the size of your yard. Also, get a reel to store it on when not in use, so you can avoid getting kinks in it. A garden wand is great for watering seedlings or new plants as well as hanging baskets. They will reach difficult places and supply a gentle stream of water that will be softer for the delicate younger plants. Choose a wand with a brass shut off, plastic ones will break or crack easily.

Pruning shears are an important gardening tool. These are great for trimming back bushes and shrubs. Since pruning is an important detail for making your shrubs bushy, you won’t want to leave this off your list. Shears for hedge trimming will keep your bushes cut evenly and display a neat, controlled appearance.

A wheelbarrow or cart is a handy item, especially if you are going to be transporting dirt or cement. You can use them to carry around the yard all your vegetable and flower plants or your garden tools. This will save you a lot of unnecessary trips back and forth to carry all your items. Spreaders are useful in applying fertilizer to your lawn, since it provides an even distribution to all areas. It makes lawn fertilization a snap. And don’t forget a broom for clean ups.

You will also need topsoil, fertilizer, lawn seed, plant food, seeds and potting mix. You may also want to invest in pesticides if you have a problem with bugs.

Gardening is a hobby shared by many. Working out in the yard allows you to appreciate the warmer months. You will get a good work out and enjoy the fresh air. All you need are a few essential tools and your job will be easy. Once all your hard work is done, your yard will be the envy of all. Now all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your surroundings.

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There’s an appropriate tool for every garden project. Using the right tool will make your job much easier. When shopping for garden tools make sure they’re comfortable. Tools which are too heavy can quickly become tiresome while tools which are not heavy enough seem to be poorly made. The handles of well made tools are made from high-quality wood such as ash. The following are the tools which every gardener should own.

Grading Rake
The grading rake is essential for smoothing soil after it has been tilled. Ideal for finish work when preparing planting beds or a new lawn, it enables you to give your garden a finished smooth grade.

Cultivator
These modern gardening tools are available with patented tines to help in cutting the hard compacted soil smoothly. Some cultivators include a border edger. It is perfect for perennial gardens which often end up with compacted soil due to frequent maintenance. Cultivators are great for preparing vegetable gardens and annual beds.

Edger
This gardening helps flower gardens and shrub borders retain their shape. Over time lawn grass begin to encroach on the these gardens and as a result the gardens lose their crisp lines. Edging a garden a few times over the course of a season will prevent grass roots from taking hold in the planting beds.

Pitch Fork
The pitch fork is the perfect tool for aerating compacted soil and preparing garden beds. Pitch forks are also used to divide grasses and perennials. In addition to this these gardening projects the pith fork is often used to spread mulch in the spring.

Reel Mower
Engineless push reel mowers are great for the small lawn. They use no gas, don’t pollute and actually give a cleaner cut than a power mower. One drawback is that this type of mower tends to get bogged down a bit in taller grass so more frequent mowing may be necessary. The modern version of this type of mower is light weight and easy to maneuver.

Hand Pruners
For cleaner, more precise cuts, look for hand shears with bypass blades, which slip past each other when closed and cut the branch cleanly. Hand pruners are able to prune branches of 1 inch (2.5 cm) and smaller diameter. Select a pair of garden shears that fits comfortably in your hand.

Loppers
These are basically pruners with long handles which provide leverage and the ability to prune branches up to 2 inches (5 cm) thick.

Compact Pruning Saw
This is a very convenient and useful tool which is small enough fit into the middle of a shrub to cut a branch.

Over the winter, head out to the shed and take an inventory of your gardening tools. Be sure you have what you’ll need for next season’s garden projects. More than likely there’s a tool on this list you’ll need.

–  Tim Birch is the publisher of GardenListings.com, a Garden Resource site for the gardening enthusiast.

Basically a small garden will not require the same large equipment that would be of use in an extensive one. A ride-on mower is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn. Another point to consider is who does most of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by women.

Gardening is fun and rewarding, and may be considered a hobby, talent, or both, and sometimes it’s just luck. Gardening is not as easy as it looks and involves dedication, time and consistency and many trials and errors.

Look for gardening tools that have blades that can be sharpened or replaced, models with tension control, and with sizes that best fit your hands.

A trowel is a shovel-like piece of equipment which is used to dig up dirt and set small plants. There are many styles to choose from and type of handle on your trowel will determine how well it works. Easy grip, non-slide and non-slip grips are the best form of handle to choose.

A shovel has a scoop blade and is best used to move around dirt and garden soil. A spade has a flat blade great for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. The edge of a spade should be kept sharpened for clean and efficient cutting will cause the least amount of damage to plants.

A pitchfork is a gardening tool which has 2-6 prongs and a long handle. The sizes of pitchforks vary, depending on what they are being used for. The space between each prong varies as well.

A pruning saw is used for pruning trees and larger shrubs, while secateurs are for plants like roses. Pruning saws have a narrow curved blade that fits between stems or branches and easily and cuts them as you pull the saw backwards.

A gardening spade has a long, thick handle and a heavy flat blade. This tool is used to dig up and move pieces of dirt from one place to another. It can also be used to pack down dirt once the flower has been planted.

Forks are used for turning and aerating compost and breaking up lumps of soil. The cheaper ones are often not strong enough for heavy soil, so go for sturdiness instead of price

Pruning shears are tools which have a long handles and blades. This type of gardening equipment is used to allow gardeners to precisely prune rose bushes and other plants and unruly vines, etc. It can also be used to cut the grass at the edges of walkways and garden beds, in those hard to reach places. It is also used to trim the edges and remove dead leaves or wood on flowers

A chipping hoe is a handy tool for getting rid of small weeds. The Dutch or push-hoe is slightly more user-friendly as the action required to use it does not jar the neck and shoulder quite so much.

A wheelbarrow is one of the larger pieces of garden equipment. It is a cart with a handle and at least one wheel which is designed for easy transportation of materials from one place to another. Purchasing a wheelbarrow will save you a lot of time and effort, especially if you are off to the compost heap, and will make for a pleasant gardening experience.

These are the basic gardening tools for your gardening success.

When planning a vegetable garden the first step is always finding the ideal spot. Most vegetables require lots of sun so choose a location with a southern exposure. Ideally the sunlight is distributed as evenly as possible for the longest period of time. Southern exposure is perfect since the sun shines evenly on each side. North facing shady gardens are fine for ferns and other woodland plants but they are generally not suitable for vegetables and some flowers.

Its always best to plan a garden on paper before planting. Each type of seed will have individual planting requirements, such as spacing and planting depth. If you know before hand the size of your garden you’ll be able to determine the number of seeds needed and can plan accordingly. Alternately, if you already have your seed and know the spacing requirements, you will be able calculate the appropriate size garden.

New garden area are likely to be covered with turf grasses. Large garden areas can be tilled and the sod turned under. In small gardens, however, you should remove the sod. To do this cut the edges of the garden with the spade. Then cut narrow strips approximately 1 or 2 feet wide. Sod cut in this way can easily be removed.

Don’t throw the sod away, rather sift through the newly tilled garden, pick out the pieces of sod, shake them well and add them to the compost pile. Compost is the ideal soil conditioner for a vegetable garden so throughout the growing season add your garden clippings to the pile. As you remove the sod, break up the big clumps of soil which are left behind. The garden must be tilled well in order to create suitable conditions for planting seed. A seed planted in chunks of soil will rarely survive. Use a grading rake to smooth out the soil once the ground is properly tilled. Once ground is level and smooth, the garden is ready to be planted.

Some spaces may be too rocky to be useful as a vegetable garden. In this case raised beds are necessary. Building raised beds can extend the growing season since the soil is able warm up sooner than the rest of the garden. They also offer better drainage and deep topsoil with little compaction. If you add compost to your garden each year a raised bed may occur naturally. Raised beds are easy to care for and they are protected from the encroaching grass and weeds of its surrounding environment.

In gardens which receive southern exposure vegetables and flowers should be planted in rows which run north and south so the plants are able to receive the sun’s rays during the morning on the eastern side, and during the afternoon on the western side. Planted this way, your vegetable will grow more evenly. In order to get the best distribution of sunlight in a garden facing southeast run the rows northwest and southeast. Thoughtful planning and proper planting techniques will result in a successful, productive vegetable garden as well as a very satisfying endeavor for the gardener.

Tim Birch is the publisher of GardenListings.com, a Garden Resource site for the gardening enthusiast.

Greenhouses come in a wide variety of different styles and types. Each is suited to a special need or want and degree of seriousness for greenhouse gardening. For the beginning greenhouse gardener there are smaller versions available that come in the form of portable greenhouses, a hobby greenhouse, or mini greenhouses. There is also the option to build your greenhouse from scratch with a foundation.

What exactly is a greenhouse? A greenhouse is a structure that creates a protected environment for plants to grow in, thus extending the productive lives of plants. Greenhouse gardening is a fun and functional way to garden all year around. You can pick tomatoes in the winter. Grow herbs and vegetables and start seedlings and cuttings. Some of the reasons to start a greenhouse:

• Carrying over garden plants to be used as Greenhouse plants next season
• Getting an early start for tender plants started from seed
• Increasing the possibilities of a greater variety and continuous supply
• Easier culture of small vegetables for winter use
• To propagate and experiment with various plants as a hobby
• Develop new varieties of plants

As with most projects, begin your greenhouse gardening with a plan. You want to consider the type of greenhouse you want (a cold house or a heated greenhouse) and the construction and type of foundation that is required. What type of equipment you will need, covering for your greenhouse, and what type of watering, humidity control, heating, and air circulation systems that will be best suited for your needs.

A cold house is the most uncomplicated of greenhouses. This type of greenhouse is not equipped with any artificial means of heat therefore the growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below freezing. Frost sensitive plants will not grow between late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat, which of course would not then be a cold house. A cold house does lengthen the growing season from that of gardening outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun throughout the day. In addition, it provides a cosy respite for you to enjoy your gardening away from the elements of wind and rain; it also protects plants from these same elements too.

Monitoring the temperature of your greenhouse is very important. If the temperature inside your greenhouse becomes too hot, your plants will wilt and die. On the other hand, lower temperatures can decrease the vigour and growth of your plants. Try to develop a daily schedule that maintains the best possible temperature. It does not take much to destroy all the work you put into your greenhouse; one hour of intense heat is all it takes. It is better to leave your greenhouse open, and have it a bit cool, than to have your plants die from the heat. For the first few days, check the temperature of your greenhouse several times. If you necessary, open the doors more and/or provide more vents to maintain desired temperature control. During the late afternoon or early evening, when the temperature has cooled, close up your greenhouse. This is a great time to water your plants and flats if they require it.

If you begin greenhouse gardening with a cold house, once you install a heater you will then be able to enjoy a true greenhouse. When you do this, you will transform your love of gardening into a year-round hobby. To grow greenhouse plants throughout the winter the minimum temperature is 45 degrees.

Unlike gardening outside where the rain waters the plants, it does not rain inside a greenhouse. Watering greenhouse plants is not simply taking a hose and saturating the soil. Within the soil, there are small open-air pores that roots depend on for providing them with nutritious gases. When you water your plants, these small pores fill up with water; which then causes suffocation for the plants roots. When the roots suffocate, the plants wither and it is very common for most gardeners when they see this to water the plants further thus causing further suffocation. Remember the watering needs inside a greenhouse are different because the environment is enclosed a majority of the time and a fair amount of moisture becomes trapped lessening the amount of water required. A good rule for watering is to check the soil and if it is dry then add water.

Paul Duxbury writes extensively on a range of topics including Gardening and you can read more at http://www.garden-care-centre.com

Becoming familiar with the general planting and maintenance requirements perennials and annuals is essential to the long term success of your flower garden. The Following are a few guidelines which will help your flowers bloom and remain healthy for years.

Begin with the garden’s basic necessities. Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water and nutrient rich soil. The proper amount of sunlight light or shade is also critical. Any lack of these basic necessities will negatively affect the health of your plants.

Add compost and peat moss to sandy soils to increase the soil’s ability to hold moisture. Clay soils require the addition of sand and compost to provide adequate drainage. Compost is important in any garden since it provides your plants with nutrients. Be sure to water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.

When planting your flowers be sure their planted at the existing grade of the garden. Flowers planted too high or too deep will often perform poorly. Also, make sure that you don’t pile soil or mulch around the plant’s stem. If you do, water will drain away for the plant rather than sinking in.

Plant perennials and annuals together in the same garden. Perennials are those flowers which bloom and grow larger year after year. After growing during the spring and summer, they die back to the ground each winter only to reemerge the following spring. Annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Perennials generally are classified as early, mid or late season bloomers. Iris, for example, blooms in the spring. Once its finished blooming it provides lush green foliage. Annuals bloom all season long; from spring until the first frost. Planting a variety of perennials and annuals ensures a colorful garden all season.

An occasional application of liquid fertilizer over the course of the season will help your flower bloom longer.

In the summer the main task in the flower garden is deadheading. Deadheading is the process of clipping off spent blooms. This won’t encourage many new blooms in perennials but will keep the garden looking fresh all season. With annuals, however, deadheading will encourage continuous blooms all season. Don’t discard the spent blooms in the garden as mildew and other plant diseases may spread throughout the garden.

Cultivating is another important garden task. Cultivating the garden soil is a job which serves two purposes. It keeps weeds from taking hold in the garden and allows water and nutrients to reach the plant’s deepest roots.

Know the difference between the good insects and the harmful ones. Many insects are beneficial to the garden. Butterflies, beetles and bees are important since they pollinate the garden flowers. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. Most flowers rely on insects for survival. Beetles, bacteria and other microorganisms assist the garden by turning dead plant material into compost. This enriches the soil and creates the nutrients which plants require. Other insects like lacewings, ladybugs and dragonflies are natural predators of more harmful insects such as aphids.

Proper garden planning and maintenance are essential to a healthy flower garden. Flower gardens, though easy to care for, require some maintenance. The work put into a garden is worth the effort, however, as they provide years of colorful blooms.

Tim Birch is the publisher of GardenListings.com, a Garden Resource site for the gardening enthusiast.