Sci Fi Garden

What Is A Solar Greenhouse?

2011-11-21T04:09:00.005-05:00

What Is A Solar Greenhouse?

A solar greenhouse can basically be explained as a greenhouse that not only collects solar energy, but also stores it. The major difference between a regular hobby greenhouse or commercial greenhouse and a solar greenhouse is the solar greenhouse is equipped in some way to store the heat energy given off by the sun.

Want to build your your own greenhouse? Use these free greenhouse plans to build your own solar greenhouse.

How is solar energy captured, you ask? Solar energy can be captured in the solar greenhouse through the use of any material that will capture & hold heat and then slowly release that heat to keep the surrounding environment sufficiently warm as outdoor temperatures fall.

The Garden

Viburnum

2011-11-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Viburnum

Viburnum comprise a genus of more than 150 species. They are the ideal shrub for numerous gardens. The blossoms on viburnum, sometimes sweet-smelling, can vary from a white to pastel pink in color. Berries of the genus Viburnum have been acknowledged in blues, yellows, oranges and reds.

Viburnum is a species of semi-evergreen, evergreen and deciduous shrubs and occasionally large trees. Slightly fascinating are the many dissimilar leaf textures of viburnum. From leather-like to lustrous to varicolored, there are many alternatives available to find the right viburnum for your garden.

The Garden

Cats In Your Garden?

2011-11-10T20:49:00.000-05:00

Cats In Your Garden?

You walk outside and find your neighbor's cat using your garden bed as a litter box. What to do? Turn on the garden hose and start spraying or run after the cat with a broom? Well, if you want to keep cats out of your garden you might. But if you do keep cats as pets, you may want to learn how to keep cats in the garden and make your garden more enjoyable for them. Just be thankful there are hints and tips for keeping cats both in and out of the garden.

The Garden

Nightblooming Cereus Photo

2009-05-10T13:36:00.002-04:00

Nightblooming Cereus

Nightblooming Cereus

The Garden

Moonflower in Bloom Photo

2008-08-10T09:34:00.000-04:00

Moonflower in Bloom Photo

The Garden

Spring Snow White Magnolia Photo

2008-03-25T12:20:00.000-04:00

Spring Snow Magnolia Photo

The Garden

Moonflower Vine Photo - white blooming vine

2007-09-02T12:15:00.002-04:00

Moonflower Vine in bloom

The Garden

White Asiatic Lily Photo

2007-07-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

White Asiatic Lily

The Garden

Moonflower vine in bloom photo

2007-06-16T12:16:00.000-04:00

Moonflower Vine in bloom

The Garden

Benefits of Landscape Lighting

2006-12-07T04:29:00.000-05:00

Benefits of Landscape Lighting

There are many considerable benefits of landscape lighting. Landscape lighting reveals the hidden architectural aspects of your home in the darkness of night. They cast dramatic silhouettes of your trees and plants against the walls of your home creating a spectacular show for the curious passerby. Landscape lighting also acts as a security measure in your overall home security plan. Dark spaces can be lighted to reveal any potential hidden dangers thus making you feel more secure entering your premises late at night. With correctly positioned landscape lighting, ripple effects on a pond or base of a waterfall can glamorize a rather unexciting spot in the still of the evening. Potential home-buyers will relish the fact that your home is as charming in the evening hours as it is in the day time. Consider these benefits of landscape lighting when making your next purchase of lighting for your landscape.

The Garden

Korean Spice Viburnum

2006-11-07T05:26:00.000-05:00

Korean Spice Viburnum

A deciduous shrub that is ideal for spaces with only three or four feet of planting area. In spring Korean Spice Viburnum is covered with pink fragrant flower clusters the size of grape fruits. The standard form of Korean Spice Viburnum is a good intermediate landscape plant as it only grows five to six feet high with an equal spread. Its dull green foliage turns bright scarlet in the fall. Zones 5-8.

korean spice viburnum - viburnum

The Garden

Yucca in Bloom - Photo

2006-10-05T12:30:00.000-04:00

YUCCA IN BLOOM

The Garden

White Virginia Sweetspire Photo

2006-09-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

Virginia Sweetspire

The Garden

Viburnum Opulus White Photo

2006-09-12T01:08:00.000-04:00

Viburnum Opulus White

The Garden

White Morning Glory Photo

2006-09-11T01:38:00.000-04:00

Morning Glory

The Garden

Bee Balm Photo

2006-09-10T14:37:00.000-04:00

Bee Balm

The Garden

White Hibiscus Photo

2006-09-09T12:48:00.000-04:00

White Hibiscus
Hibiscus syriacus

The Garden

American May Apple / Mayapple Photo

2006-09-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

American Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

The Garden

Plans for Garden Arbors

2006-08-28T03:59:00.000-04:00

Plans for Garden Arbors

We've collected an assortment of plans for garden arbors for the DIY gardener. Take a look and if you still can't find a free garden arbor plan that suits your needs, just let us know. We'll be more than happy to search for more garden arbor plans to add to our page.

plans for garden arbors - garden arbor plans

The Garden

White Blooming Trees - Plants & Flower photos

2006-08-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

By now I am sure you have picked your preferred garden spot, keeping in mind to leave enough room for the future in case you decide to expand. Now that you have a few ideas for your own White or Lunar Garden, The fun part begins.

Choosing trees, plants, flowers and plant media for your personal space is the ultimate treat for gardeners. No two flower beds look the same, no matter if you choose the same plants as your neighbor. You can make your Special Spot in the world unique.

In addition to fill-in plants of different shade of greens or blue, you do not have to limit your lunar garden to strictly white blooming media. Some of the most beautiful plants in this type of garden involve a mixture of white, light lavenders, pale yellows and creamy off white blooms.

I will be sharing photos of some of my favorite Moon Garden Bloom photos. I have taken all of the photos with a Kodak dc5000 Zoom digital camera.

~Enjoy

The Garden

Moon Garden Plant and Flower Ideas

2006-08-26T23:30:00.000-04:00

More Moon Garden Ideas

For your Moon garden you will need to buy or trade for a combination of seeds, bare root plants, bulbs and potted trees and plants. Usually in this type of Garden placing bulbs in groups of 4 or 5 work extremely well. Be sure and consider at least 1 variety of rose, not only adding beauty but fragrance. If you are going to include climbing vines in your landscape you may want to set up your vine support or trellis before planting. Moonflowers and morning glories can climb over eight feet high. Mixed together, these two climbers can give you beautiful blooms both day and night.

One of the most fragrant plants in my garden is the Asiatic Lily. I will be sharing photos of some of our moon garden inhabitants. The fragrance of this lily is unmistakable, and draws you further into the garden to find out which plant is in bloom. Many times, I have smelled the sweet scent of the flower before I knew it was blooming...

-Now is the time for you to choose your centerpiece.
If you are making a water centerpiece plan your electrical source now
That way you won't have to worry about disturbing the roots of your newly planted specimens.

-Place your border plants keeping in mind you want to make sure the plants you choose will not grow too large and block your inside plants. In my opinion some of the most beautiful border plants are herbs and ornamental cabbages.
-One of the last things you will want to do is finalize placement of the path and mulching materials.

The Garden

Moon Garden border, path and accent Ideas

2006-08-25T22:39:00.000-04:00

~Moon Garden border, path and accent Ideas~

-White rocks, or lava rocks, how about clear marbles sprinkled around your bed.

-A Large clear or silver Gazing Ball or combination of several sizes, color shades.

-To support any vines or climbing white Roses, you might enjoy an arbor or trellis. There are so many to choose from you are sure to find one or two types you like, whatever material or style you like.

-A garden centerpiece of some type. Either a special statue, maybe a large windchime or a bubbling water feature.

-How about a White blooming Magnolia tree or a White Dogwood?
Dogwoods and Magnolias are always a gorgeous choice for Spring Blooming !!

-Some type of seat or bench is a must have when your moonflowers and cirius are blooming.

-Most moon gardens have little to no lighting and are only illuminated by the light of the moon. You can do anything you like, this is Your space, so if you want to have a lighted area, go for it. Are you going to place electric or solar lighting in your moon garden?

-If you have a medium to large area, a winding path with minimal lighting can make an unforgettable statement for your personalized area.

more info to follow
on Planning your Moon Garden...

The Garden

Start Planning Your Moon Garden

2006-08-24T22:28:00.000-04:00

BEGIN PLANNING YOUR MOON GARDEN TODAY

What to do first-

-Choose your Moon Garden - garden area.

Choose a special place for your Moon or Lunar garden, keeping in mind the size of the area you are planning.
Are you going to have a sitting area?
What type of centerpiece you will have?
This way you can pick and choose which plants grow best in full sun to part shade. Be sure and check a map of the Plant Hardiness Zone for your area, that way you'll know what will, or will not grow in your area. Mark out the boundaries of your new garden with either a garden hose or rope. That way you can visualize what the actual shape will be or if you need to adjust your garden size. Before wasting valuable time, tilling, shoveling, clearing out and then changing your mind be sure and plan out your garden.
You don't have to have a rigid layout, but it helps to have some type of vision.

-Next you need to prepare the soil. Till it, loosen it and amend it by blending in compost, Leaf Mold or any various soil amendments you may need for your particular soil. Now you get to start thinking about all the wonderful possibilities...

Next time
~Border, path and accent Ideas~

The Garden

Moon Garden Plants and Planning Ideas

2006-08-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

Gardens that are designed for enjoyment in the evening or at night are called 'Moon Gardens' or 'Lunar Gardens'. Most plants used in moon gardens have similar characteristics; evening blooming, fragrance, and white flowers or foliage. You can use perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, use your imagination. We will be sharing garden ideas and photos of some of our favorite moon garden blooms.

Plant Ideas for your Moon Garden

Silver Mound Artemesia
Asiatic Lily
Azaleas, white snow
Baby's Breath
Cabbage, ornamentals
Clematis, white
Cirius
Crocuses, Snow Storm
Dusty Miller
Four O'Clocks
Hibiscus - White Rose of Sharon
Honesty
Hosta
Hyacinths, White Carnegie
Iris, white bloomers
Lady's Mantle
Lamium Beedhams White
Lemon Bee Balm
Lettuce
Lilys -
Loosestrife
Mayapple
Moonflower
Morning Glory
Mugwort
Nicotiana
Painted Trillium
Rose
Shasta Daisys
Virginia Sweetspire
Old fashioned snowdrops- Galanthus nivalis
Spirea
Spring snowflake -Leucojum vernum
Tulips, white blooming
White angel's trumpet
White Baneberry
White Primrose
White Japanese Apricot, Rosemary Clarke
Wintergreen
Yarrow, white
Yuccas

-Additional plant ideas to fill in areas that need a little extra oomph:
bamboos
ferns
herbs
vines
groundcovers

next time-
~What to do first~

The Garden

Welcome to Sci Fi Garden

2006-08-22T04:54:00.000-04:00

Sci Fi Garden

WELCOME

A science fiction story may be firmly rooted in real scientific possibilities, but a popular misconception is that science fiction always attempts to predict the future. We hope you will enjoy exploring the possibilities with us...

The truth is
people
just like plants -
feed off the sun...

The Garden