Install Pea Gravel Path

Install a pea gravel path as a do it yourself yard improvement project. The gravel path is an alternative to walking on the grass and it cuts down on mud being tracked into your home. 

A few years ago my husband and I worked the entire summer by upgrading our yard. My husband does not like cutting grass so we decided to design several feature gardens, an outdoor living space with patio furniture and we installed outdoor accessories for ambiance. 

Below see an outdoor living space with a paver walkway and patio.  I created this set to show one of my clients what I thought would work well for them.

 

 The gravel path is exactly what we needed to connect our outdoor living space with the garden areas  The eye-appealing pea gravel path has improved the appearance of our yard and has increased our home value.   Know that we love the way the path looks and we never walk on the grass.

The labor for this project was backbreaking however, the results were breathtaking. After the completion of our yard transformation, both my husband and I spend all of our free time in our outdoors and do not need to worry about tracking dirt into the home.  We are very thankful that we took the time to install the garden gravel paths.

If you desire a pea gravel path then schedule a time to complete this do it yourself project. If your spouse enjoys yard work then do the project together, if not ask a friend to help you. Before starting your do it yourself project survey your yard to determine where you would like the gravel path.

What kind of garden path do you want?

1.  Would you like the path to meander, such as a long and winding path that is close to your outdoor living space? Or would you like the path to allow you to go to your gardens, dog kennel or to wind around trees and take you to the furthest part of your yard? 
2. Decide on the type of path you want, shop online at Lowes.com or homdepot.com to get ideas of the type of rock or gravel that is available and the costs.  
3. Decide on the location for your pea gravel path.  Measure the square footage and take these measurements with you when you go to the shop of your for your gravel path supplies.

Gravel Path Install Tips:

Outline the length and width of the path.  A path that is three feet wide is a good size for a residential yard.  Use white marking paint for your outline.  Measure the width and the length of your path. Take these measurements to a garden center. Purchase pea-size gravel and edge stone for your path.  

Begin your path by removing the grass.  Then remove six inches of the soil. The excess soil may be used as filler for your gardens and the grass can be added to your compost bin.  

After the grass and the upper layer of soil is removed you would rake the path, the raking is a method to smooth the top of the path and to remove any remaining debris.

Note:  If you have clay soil the path trench will need to be compacted before you move onto the next step.

Next, install the edge stone by digging a trench that is one inch deep along the outside border of the path.  

Set the stone at the edge of the path. Tap the stone into the soil with a rubber mallet. When the stones are set, fill in the dirt around the stone so that it is secure.  The edge stone is what holds the gravel in place.  Edgestone should be four inches in height. 

Cut the landscape fabric so that it fits into the base of the trench. This fabric will aid it in deterring weed growth.  Fill in the path with two inches of pea gravel. 

Gravel should not cover the border stone; there should be a one-inch allowance for gravel and the edge stone. 

 Smooth the pea gravel surface with a metal rake.  If you use more gravel it may be hard to walk on as your foot will fall into the gravel.  If you add stepping stones to the gravel path, then you can add more gravel.  (see picture below)

Maintain your pea gravel path by spraying it with natural weed control every spring, summer, and fall.

 

Grow the Liatris Blazing Star

Grow the Liatris along the back border of your garden or grow this plant in a wildflower or prairie garden. I grow the purple blazing star in my wildflower garden. I did a mass planting of 200  flowers and find that this Missouri native is very eye appealing when it blooms in July and August.

The foliage of the Liatris is attractive as it has grass-like appearance. This plant grows in a clump, and produces upright stems to the height of 36 inches. When the stems are fully-grown, a purple flower will appear. The flower blooms from the top and works its way downward in sections.

The  flower has no fragrance, however; it does attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard and garden. Cut the  flowers and add to your floral arrangements. You can also allow the flowers to dry out and then add to your fall wreathes, swags and centerpieces.

Decide when you would like to plant the Liatris blazing star flower. This flower may be planted in the spring or the fall. If you decide on a spring planting then do so after the last spring frost, or plant in the fall six to eight weeks prior to frost.

Select a garden section that has full sun and dry to moderate soil that is well drained. Clear the garden area by removing the grass and weeds then loosen the soil and break up the clumps so that the soil is a fine texture.  Dig a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container.  Set the Liatris in the center of the hole and backfill the soil.  Water well.

Tips:

• Keep the garden free of weeds.
• Apply mulch to help retain moisture and to aid as a weed deterrent. 
• Fertilize in the spring with Miracle Gro fertilizer all purpose plant food 
• Start flower seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last spring frost.  Transplant outdoors after the threat of frost has past.   It is easy to grow from seeds.  You can also sow the seeds directly into the garden.  Do so after spring frost when the soil warms to an average of 78 degrees.

Attract Luna Moth to Your Yard

I have never seen a Luna Moth before, however the other day an adult female landed on my picture window and visited with me overnight. 

The Luna moth had a wingspan of five inches in diameter with transparent pinkish purple and yellow markings. Another notable feature was the antenna they were thick and appear to be feathers. 

This magnificent insect spent the night on my window and in the morning, it flew up into my silver maple tree.

 

The Luna is a giant silk moth that is considered an endangered species.  I suppose the  natural habitat has been disturbed due to pollution, pesticides, and the cutting down of trees.   

Many people live their entire life without viewing the Luna moth in their natural habitat and I feel very fortunate to view this insect on my picture window.

Here is a postcard that I created from the  photograph I took of Luna Moth
 

Luna Moth Postcard by Susang6
Find more Luna Postcards at Zazzle

I remember learning about the Luna moth in science class when I was in high school and occasionally I would view one on the television, I really did not know much about the insect so my husband went to the library and brought home a book and together we learned more about this moth.  

Note:

1. The life cycle of the Luna moth begins when they mate and the female will lay her eggs on the backside of the black walnut leaf. She will lay approximately 200 eggs. It takes 10 to 13 days for the eggs to hatch. 
2. The adult Luna moths purpose in life is to mate and lay eggs. As an adult these moths do not eat or drink, as they do not have a mouth.  The life span of an adult Luna moth is seven days.
3. My yard is a wildlife habitat and I am sure that is what attracted the Luna moth.  I have mature black walnut, hickory, sweet gum, sugar maple, oak, and persimmon trees.  These are the trees that produce the leaves that the moth caterpillar eats.  
4. If you want to attract the Luna moth to your yard then plant these trees in your yard and grow a natural habitat.  

Note: If you reside close to a wooded area that has a Luna moth habitat, plan to watch for them at night during late spring and early summer.

 

Grow Feather Reed Grass

Grow feather reed grass as an accent in your yard or plant along the perimeter of your yard for privacy. The feather reed grass is a low maintenance ornamental grasses that will add color and interest to your landscape. 

Feather reed grass has deep green foliage that grows upward out of a clump. This particular grass is the first of the ornamental grasses to bloom. In early June, the reed grass will produce a light pink feather plume. In midsummer, this plume will turn a shade of light purple and in the autumn, the plume will turn a golden tan. The color changes of the plumes is quite eye appealing. 

Plant the feather reed grass as a feature in your garden or plant along a path. You can also plant this grass in a large container, whatever you choose the feather reed grass will become a focal area in your yard and garden.  

I have a grass garden and enjoy it all year round. The movement of the grass in the wind is very relaxing.  One of my favorite things to do at the end of the day is to sit on my patio and watch the reed leaves move in the wind.  I grow ornamental grass in different focal areas of my yard and the grass has added interest to areas that were lacking.

Plant the feather reed grass in spring after the danger of frost has past or you may plant the grass anytime during the growing season; however, the reed grass must receives adequate water, so that the it does not dry out. 

If you intend on planting during the summer months then install a drip-line watering system and water grass daily, it is best to keep the soil evenly moist but not wet the first growing season.  

Select a garden site that has full to part sun and well-drained soil. This particular grass is not picky about the soil in which it grows in and will tolerate rocky, clay and dry soils. Plant the feather reed grass in masses for best appearance. Refrain from planting the grass next to a privacy fence or a wall, as this grass needs good air circulation.

Prepare your garden site by removing the grass, rock and all other debris.  Use your shovel to loosen the soil to ten inches. Amend the soil with four inches of compost. Dig a hole that is the same depth and width of the nursery container.  

Set the grass root ball in the center of the hole and fill the hole with the remaining soil. Space the plants two feet apart. Water the feather reed grass well.  

Continue to water the reed grass in the morning with soaker hose.   For newly planted grass I always keep the soil evenly moist but not wet for the first growing season or until it has matured. Once the feather reed grass is mature, it is drought tolerant.

In the fall when the ornamental grass turns brown do not cut it back.  The foliage is attractive throughout the winter months and provides shelter for birds and small animals.  Trim back the grass in late winter by cutting it back to 12 inches in height. Trim grass before the early spring growth. Divide and transplant clumps every three to four years. Best time to transplant is in the early spring or early fall.





image credit Wikipedia commons

Easy to Follow Hibiscus Growing Tips

The hibiscus is renowned for its beautiful flowers that bloom all summer. This flowering shrub will brighten your landscape when all other flowers have ceased in blooming.

Hibiscus is easy to grow from seed or from a nursery-grown plant. Grow this hardy perennial in full sun with the part sun in the afternoon and it will reach the height of four feet with a similar spread.

Beautiful pink Hibiscus flower image by Pixabay.com

Hibiscus Planting Growing Tips:

Planting Seeds

Start your seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost. Plant the hibiscus seeds in a seed starter kit. The best way to plant the  seeds  is to use the eraser end of a pencil to form a one-inch deep hole in the center of your moss-filled containers. Set four seeds in the center of the container.

Cover the seeds with soil and water so that the soil is moist but not wet. Set the seed kit by a sunny window.  Watch the seed kit so that the soil does not dry out.  It is best to keep the soil evenly moist and in approximately eight weeks, your dinner plate hibiscus will be eight inches tall and ready for transplanting outdoors.

Transplanting Hibiscus:

Plant the nursery-grown hibiscus in an area that has the full sun with the part sun in the afternoon especially if your summers are very hot.  The part sun will prevent the leaves from getting burned.

A good location would be close to a picture window so you can enjoy this beautiful flowering shrub throughout the blooming season; July - September.

Dig a hole that is the same depth and width as the nursery pot.  Mix compost into the soil along with slow-release fertilizer.  Remove the hibiscus from the pot and set it in the center of the hole.  Backfill the hole and water well.

Tips:

The flower is pink with red-eye.
Grow hibiscus in zone 3-9
Groundhogs will eat the leaves and flowers.

How to Grow Crocus

I grow crocus in my rock garden mixed with early blooming daffodils. I also grow them in my upper garden next to the river rock wall. I planted yellow and white crocus in this section mixed with Vinca Minor ground cover.

The crocus is one of the first flowers to bloom in early spring. The foliage resembles green blades of grass. Look for signs of crocus in February, as this plant will grow even if there is snow on the ground. 

When the snow melts, you will view the green foliage or flowers. Crocus comes in an assortment of colors; yellow, purple, orange, red, pink, and white. Grow spring blooming crocus along your walkway, scattered in a rock garden, in containers, on a sunny slope, or plant an informal naturalized garden on your lawn. The crocus flower will add color and interest to your landscape..

For big beautiful blooms, I would suggest that you purchase high-quality Dutch bulbs.  In my experience, I find these bulbs are large and the flowers are healthy.  Determine if the bulb is healthy by holding it in your hand.  Note if the bulb is firm to the touch then this is an indication that the bulb is healthy. 

Crocus bulbs are easy to grow provided the garden site has full sun to part shade with well-drained soil that has a sandy loam.  Choose your garden site wisely as it is not advisable to cut back the crocus plants that grow in your lawn until the leaves die back naturally.  Thus if tall grass in late spring bothers you then refrain from planting crocus in your lawn and plant in gardens instead.

Plant the crocus bulbs by digging holes to a depth of five inches and one and a half inches wide.  Loosen the soil by removing the clumps.  Amend the soil with compost.  Fertilize the crocus by adding bone meal and blend with the soil at the bottom of the hole. 

Space holes for crocus four inches apart. Place the crocus bulb, and root end down in the center of the hole. Fill the hole with soil and water well.

Care for your crocuses by watering them daily until there is a hard frost. In spring if there are no spring showers and your ground is dry, water the crocuses. Fertilize crocuses in spring when the plants start to emerge.  Deadhead to remove spent blooms.

Warnings:

Squirrels dig up and eat crocus bulbs.  Prevent them from devouring your spring-blooming bulbs by planting the bulbs under the chicken wire.

Introduction image credit: Wikipedia commons

Grow Tradescantia Subaspera Spiderwort

Tradescantia subaspera common name is the spiderwort. This native wildflower grows in shade to part shade in woodland areas. The foliage of the tradescantia is dark green with arching leaves that are long and slender. 

When fully grown this plant is 20 to 26 inches in height with a spread of two feet. The stems grow out of the center of the plant and the bud cluster forms in April followed by flowers in May. This plant will produce blooms through July.

I discovered the spiderwort growing in the woods by my home.  The area was a rocky terrain with clay soil and spiderwort was growing amongst the rocks. 

I picked the flower and a milky substance emerged and the flower became weak and died.  Spiderwort is a woodland wildflower that is meant to be admired. 

The spiderwort produces a small three-petal flower that comes in the colors of white, rose, purple and dark blue. This flower has a long bloom life. 

 Grow the tradescantia along a border, in a shady rock garden, or in a container.   I grow my spiderwort in the shady section of my rock garden and I also grow it with my Hosta plants.

Cut back my spiderwort after the blooms are spent.  Spiderwort goes into hibernation during the heat of summer and I will apply leaf matter, pine needles, or wood chip mulch around the plants to aid in moisture and to protect it from excess weed growth during the summer months.  

The first week of September, I will remove the mulch and fertilize the spiderwort.  It will then re-bloom in the fall.

The long-lived spiderwort wildflower will add color and interest to your yard and garden. Here are other photos of the spiderwort that grows in my yard and gardens.

 

View this video to learn more about the native wildflower spiderwort:

Repelling Mosquitoes From Yard

Repel mosquito from your yard naturally with plants, and other natural pest controls is safer for your family and the enviroment. 

Take a chemical free approach to preventing mosquito bites by making some minor changes to your yard and gardens.  Grow plants that are plentiful in essential oils.  Choose the plants; citrosa, geranium, lemon grass, catnip, eucalyptus, lemon thyme, lemon basil, lavender, peppermint and bee balm and repel mosquitoes naturally.

Grow these plants in hanging pots, free standing containers and in gardens.  It is best to plant in sunny location that is close to your outdoor living space and children’s play areas.  For best results plant several gardens throughout out your yard and you will form a beneficial mosquito barrier. This will allow you to protect your family and your outdoor pets from mosquito bites.

Another method for repelling mosquitoes from your yard is to attract wildlife that forage flying insects.   Install a bat box 30 feet from your home.  Attract bats to your yard and naturally get rid of mosquitoes.  One bat will eat 600 mosquitoes in one hour.  I installed a flood light for my back gardens and the bats foraged off all of the insects that populate around the light. 

The bat is an excellent way to control mosquito populations however I recommend the bat box for large yard, acreages only.  It is recommended that you keep your pets and family indoors after dusk.

This year I am installing a purple martin birdhouses, so I can attract many birds to my yard.  You see the primary food source for this bird is flying insects such as mosquitoes.  

One bird will eat 1000 flying insects and mosquitoes in a day.  I think that buying a birdhouse for multiple purple martin birds is a natural and cost effective way to control mosquito populations.

Bull Frog SPF#30 Mosquito Coast Sunblock/Insect Spray 6 oz.

If you are out in the yard and garden during the day spray your exposed skin with Bull Frog Mosquito Coast.   

This mosquito repellent is a sunscreen with an insect repellent. This DEET free formula may be applied to children and adults.  Apply the spray to your skin, for face application, spray on your hand and then apply.  Bull Frog will repel mosquito, chiggers and ticks for 8 hours.  

I use to wear the bug bands but found that the Bull Frog is a better repellent plus it has a SPF of 30 which protects my skin from harmful sun rays.

Ornamental Grass Garden Ideas

Grow ornamental grasses and you will enjoy a worry and maintenance-free garden from summer through early spring. Plant grasses in a group setting, as a hedge, or as an accent plant, the ornamental grass garden will add interest to your landscape. 

 Design your grass garden site by selecting grasses that will complement each other. For a small yard choose medium size grasses such as Karley Rose mixed with smaller grasses such as Prairie Dropseed. For large yards, choose tall and full grasses such as reed, zebra, reed grass, fountain grass, or giant reed grass.

Design your garden by staggering the height of the grasses. Plant the largest grass in the back, plant one medium on the right side and the other medium on the left side. Frame the grass garden with the smaller grasses by planting them in the front.