Home & Garden: Page 106

If working an area with poor or eroded soil something must be done to improve the soil so plants will grow. A great tip is to use about 50% organic matter and 50% native soil, mix it together, put it around the rocks, then plant Thyme or other creeping plants. This will help the plants to establish themselves. Don't put organic matter under the rocks because over time it will allow the rocks to sink.

Top dressing is important for roses. Add one or two inches of good organic matter in and around the plants, taking care not to disturb the roots. Lori likes a material that is well composted, something with a lot of different sized particles, a product with a little nutrient charge included. Something with phosphorous, nitrogen, even some bone meal as well as some iron is good, since these ingredients tend to green the leaves. Top dressing will keep Roses looking good year after year.

Another aspect of landscape design is framing pathways. This can be done a number of ways. Steel arbors, wood arbors and trellises or any combination of those, all add interest.

The Flowergod designs bubble bowl centerpiece for a wedding. The centerpiece contains white hydrangea, pink freesia, white wax flower, plumosa, white tulips, an 8" bubble bowl, and blue marbles.

The Flowergod creates a Sweetheart Rose anklet for a wedding or luau. The includes two sweetheart roses, a geranium leaf, and gold aluminum wire.

The Flowergod designs an elegant iris arrangement with an Asian feel to it. The arrangement includes iris, bamboo, good luck bamboo, and bear grass.

The Flowergod arranges a simple Valentine Tulip Vase using red tulips, bear grass, and variegated pittosporum.

The Flowergod designs two different centerpiece arrangements for an 80th Birthday Party. The arrangements includes various colored gerbera daisies, sword fern, springeri, and various other foliage.

Pruning roses is one of the hottest trends in container gardening is using flowering shrubs. Of course, the king of flowering shrubs are roses. Mindy has several different examples of roses in containers. One was beautiful last year, it bloomed all season long, but this season is out of control. It's too big and gangly. Eric tells us roses bloom on new growth. If cut back it would have blooms again in 6 or 7 weeks. Be bold when pruning, take it back. Mindy doesn't have the nerve to cut so...

Moles can be a problem. You can identify Moles as a problem if when you stick your finger down a hole you can feel a tunnel. There is a safe way to rid your lawn of Moles without harming other pests, insects, pets or family. Castor Oil produces an odor that Moles don't like. Get it in granular or liquid form, sprinkle it around the area. You'll see more Mole activity in the first few days because they'll get agitated but quickly they'll move somewhere else. Don't use a castor oil from a grocery...

Water gardens are great but Mosquitoes like them too. To help control Mosquitoes a safe and effective remedy is Mosquito dunks. When placed in the water they are attractive to Mosquitoes, but they contain a bacteria. The Mosquitoes feed on it, it gets into their gut and kills them. The dunk is safe for pets, for fish that might be in the water, for wildlife and for humans. Just leave the dunks in the water, they will last about 30 days in a pond this size. Normally use 1 in 100 square feet or...

We next visit the farm, where the real production takes place. They are growing some unusual items. Several herbs, like Shiso or Perilla (Perilla frutescens) are available in green or red varieties. They have a very unique flavor, almost nutty with a touch of citrus and a very aromatic flavor. Jerry uses them to make a green apple shiso ice. And you can use it as a salad green when it's young and actually use the seeds as well. Use the tips in salads and the seeds when they start to form, they...

The Flowergod designs a candle centerpiece using cedar, pine, some pine cones, roses, and seed pods. The candle is raised up above the container to keep the wicks dry. The rest of the materials are arranged in a low container.

The Flowergod designs a fall centerpiece which consists of a low circular container filled with orange and yellow alstromeria, orange gerbera daisies, yellow roses, safflower, leather fern, spiral eucalyptus, and curly willow.

The mighty miter saw manual! Learn how to make straight cuts, bevel cuts and angle cuts, along with safety tips from OodleboxTV power tool diva Jackie Taylor.

Tired of spending money on short-lived fresh flowers? Floral Guru Jill Slater has oodles of helpful hints on conditioning fresh-cut flowers to keep them beautiful for days—even weeks—longer.

Looking for a tiny yet terrific new plant? Dwarf Photinia is a dazzling space-saving bush that oodleboxtv.com lord of the landscape Michael Glassman loves to use in his designs! Click here to find out why...

Form, function and finesse transform seemingly simple stacked retaining walls into works of art and true engineering marvels. We'll show you how to make "rock stars" out of slabs of stone that hold soil from sliding down slippery slopes.

Martha Stewart shows how to remove crayon stains from clothing. You will need mineral spirits (artist-grade and odorless), clear liquid dishwashing detergent, isopropyl alcohol, applicator bottle, cheesecloth or tamper, hairdryer, optional, plastic spoon or bone scraper and white towels.

If you ever stepped in gum, this is the video for you. Learn how to take household peanut butter and remove that pesky gum from your show. eave your shoes smelling better than before and maybe make yourself a sandwich while removing gum from your shoe with peanut butter.