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If you have a great garden and have a nice feature area at the bottom of your garden, it’s nice to have a small path that you can use to get there without trampling the grass. A good idea is to have a small decorative path that leads there, but having large paving slabs or even gravel brings down the visual look of such a beautiful garden, so perhaps a better idea is to put down stepping stones instead, and dot them around in a weaving pattern.

It’s not good to get any old stones for stepping stones, and best to get something that weathers well and is also not going to be slippery when wet. You can get materials such as concrete, cement, limestone, sandstone, etc… which come in a variety of different colours, shapes and designs to suit your garden and personal style; choosing cement or concrete may be a cheaper and more tacky option, but it really depends on your preference in conjunction with your budget.

Also be aware that some stone material will become slippery when wet, and may even get slimy over the years and will need to be jet washed carefully without damaging the surrounding grass. So it’s probably best to ask your local garden centre what stone weathers well and has good grip when wet if your unsure.

Crocus is a genus of flowering plants that belong to the iris family. This family contains about 90 species of perennial plants that arise from corms. Crocus flower bulbs signal the arrival of spring and they lead the blooming parade of flowers in early spring. They can be planted in the lawn and allowed to naturalize anywhere. Known for their bright colours, crocus plants are small in size and inexpensive. They can last a lifetime if they’re properly taken care of.

TYPES OF CROCUSES:
They are generally of 2 types:
1. Species Crocus: Also known as “Wild” crocus or “Snow” crocus, they are the earliest to bloom and come in a wide range of colours.
2. Dutch Crocus- These crocuses are a hybrid of a species called C. versus. They are the most common crocuses and have large flowers.

CROCUS CORMS:
Crocus bulbs are technically corms. They have a definite top and bottom end. When cut open, they are solid on the inside- like a potato. They have a paper-like outer covering called a tunic.
When the crocus corms are planted in autumn, they get completely used up in the process of growing and flowering in the following spring. They tend to simply dissolve and fade away. But, right before the plant undergoes dormancy, it produces a new corm. Sometimes, each crocus will end up making multiple corms. (more…)

Spring is here and it’s time to start taking care of your lawn in preparation for the warmer days to come.

If you have some Miracle grow lying around in your shed, you should start spraying some if on your lawn and even plant a few new grass seeds in the balder patches to spruce up your lawn. By doing this you ensure that your lawn is healthy and ready for the summer, so when the harsher hot days hit, that your lawn won’t dry up and become discoloured. Spring is usually warm and wet with light rain and it’s a perfect time to start treating your lawn.

Also if your lawn has some stones and uneven patches, you might be able to get away with ad-hoc maintenance and remove those stones and level those uneven areas and re-patch the grass; throw some grass seeds in and miracle grow and by summer you will have a perfect and vibrant lawn to gaze at lovingly from your patio or window.

Sometimes you find those not so nice bumpy bits around your garden and generally its rocks/pebbles or tree roots that are causing the problem. Perhaps you need to level out your garden and dig out the rocks and pebbles, but what if there are quite a selection of them, what do you do with them then?

You could find an area at the end of your garden, or around the base of a tree to put them, and add some of the more decorative rocks and other non-tacky garden ornaments from the garden centre to compliment.

If your garden is already level and you don’t have any rocks but still love to have a rockery of some type at the end of your garden, then why not just do that; you can add your own style and creative flare to the project and put some plants and garden ornaments in there with it.

What you do is dependent on your budget, as well as your imagination and size of the garden in relation to the size of the rockery you’re planning to build. You could even add a stone bench on the side of the rockery blended in nicely to match the surrounding rocks, and then add a small pond in the centre if you like.

Do you want to develop a hobby which connects you with Mother Nature? Then you should try gardening. If you are thinking that you do not know how begin then here are few tips for the beginners to start gardening successfully:

· The very first thing that needs your attention is your garden area. You should have the knowledge of the type of soil your garden has, the climate of your area, duration of sun exposure, etc.

· You should start with some easy plants which require less care and attention and also takes less time to grow.

· You can take assistance of people who are into gardening around you for selecting the appropriate plants for your garden.

· Once you get the seeds or bulbs, you can plant them and nourish them regularly with water and manure.

· Once they start growing you need to protect them from any kind of pest or insect by using the natural or artificial pesticides or insecticides.

· Now all you need to do is enjoy and wait for your plants to bloom with full vigor.