http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/garden-landscape-design.html en Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-19/PPWS-19.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:47:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-19/PPWS-19.html Garden & Landscape Design Garden Plant Diseases Gardening & The Environment http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-15/PPWS-15.html Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:47:00 -0500 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-15/PPWS-15.html Garden & Landscape Design Garden Plant Diseases Garden Insects / Pests Gardening & The Environment Trees, Shrubs, & Groundcovers Lawns Videos http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-14/PPWS-14.html Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:47:00 -0500 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-14/PPWS-14.html Garden & Landscape Design Garden Plant Diseases Garden Insects / Pests Gardening & The Environment Trees, Shrubs, & Groundcovers Lawns Videos http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3109/3109-1594/3109-1594.html Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:29:32 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3109/3109-1594/3109-1594.html Weeds Fisheries Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-366/426-366.html <p>Home gardeners often use more pesticides per square foot in their gardens than farmers do in the fields, thinking that if a little is good, more will be better. This is a serious mistake, and a misuse of pesticides. Over-use of pesticides has a number of adverse effects: it makes your food less safe to eat, especially if there are residues at harvest time; it makes handling the plants more dangerous; beneficial insects, earthworms, birds, even pets may be harmed or killed along with the "bad guys;" each time the gardener sprays, she or he is exposed to the dangers of inhalation or absorption of the toxin; pesticides used near water may contaminate the water supply; continuous use of certain pesticides may induce resistance in the pests, thus requiring the gardener to switch to more toxic substances; some pesticides do not break down easily and can remain in the environment for years.</p> Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-366/426-366.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3005/3005-1446/3005-1446.html <p>Any Virginian who has ever been smitten by palm trees and tropical landscapes while on vacation can build a similar oasis in their own backyard. A number of tropical plants, including palms, are cold-hardy and worthwhile perennial additions to the home landscape, providing texture, whimsy and even evergreen winter interest.</p> Tue, 11 May 2010 08:47:09 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3005/3005-1446/3005-1446.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-070/426-070.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p><b>Wildlife Habitat</b></p>The area where an organism lives and meets its basic needs for food, water, cover, and space to survive is called its habitat. Each species of wildlife has different habitat requirements. <p><b>Why consider creating a wildlife habitat in your yard?</b></p>As residential and commercial development by humans continues to expand, wildlife habitats in the affected areas are altered and may become unable to support the needs of species that previously occupied those areas. Alternatively, species that are better adapted to metropolitan conditions may increase their presence and abundance as a direct result of this development.</div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-070/426-070.html Wildlife Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-006/420-006.html To the responsible person, the decision to feed wild birds is not a casual one. The dedicated bird feeder buys hundreds of pounds of feed each winter and at least a bird book and binoculars to identify and study the birds. Additionally, several times each week the food needs to be replenished, which over several months and years amounts to a substantial investment of time. Such a commitment carries with it the expectation of attracting a handsome, interesting variety of birds. Furthermore, most of us want to get the most for our time and money. Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-006/420-006.html Wildlife Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-044/426-044.html <p>Aquatic plants are essential for a healthy and environmentally balanced water garden. Whether you are installing a new water feature or renovating an existing one, proper plant selection is critical. Plants compliment water features, soften hard edges, and add color, texture, and form. They also provide shelter and food for fish and other aquatic wildlife. The following steps will help you select and purchase aquatic plants.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-044/426-044.html Gardening & The Environment Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-043/426-043.html <p>A rain garden is a landscaped area specially designed to collect rainfall and storm-water runoff. The plants and soil in the rain garden clean pollutants from the water as it seeps into the ground and evaporates back into the atmosphere. For a rain garden to work, plants must be selected, installed, and maintained properly.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-043/426-043.html Gardening & The Environment Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel">In Virginia, one of every three forest fires now threatens at least one woodland home. Forest fires damaged 98 structures in 1995 and 40 in 1996. <p>When the forest becomes a community, forest fires and homes are inseparable.</p><p>A home in a woodland setting is surrounded by flammable vegetation. Firewise landscaping can help you create a defensible space or buffer zone around your home. This not only helps to keep fire from approaching your woodland home, but it also provides a safe space in which firefighters can work.</p><p>Your goal in firewise landscaping should be to "break the chain" of fuel between homes and natural vegetation. Examine the yard and determine what can catch fire and what can carry fire to the house.</p></div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.html Garden & Landscape Design Home Safety http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-721/426-721.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p><b>Enhancing our Environment</b></p><ul type="disc"><li><b>Plants protect water quality.</b> Proper landscaping reduces nitrate leaching from the soil into the water supply. Plants also reduce surface water runoff, keeping phosphorus and other pollutants out of our waterways and preventing septic system overload.</li><li><b>Proper landscaping reduces soil erosion.</b> A dense cover of plants and mulch holds soil in place, keeping sediment out of lakes, streams, stormdrains, and roads; and reducing flooding, mudslides, and duststorms.</li><li><b>Plants improve air quality.</b> One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions. Landscape plants, including shrubs and turf, remove smoke, dust, and other pollutants from the air. One study showed that I acre of trees. has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually.</li><li><b>Landscaping lowers summer air temperatures.</b> According to the EPA, urban forests reduce urban air temperatures significantly by shading heat sinks such as buildings and concrete, and returning humidity to the air through evaporative cooling. Trees shading homes can reduce attic temperatures as much as 40 degrees.</li><li><b>Landscaping conserves natural resources.</b> Properly placed deciduous trees reduce house temperatures in the summer, allowing air conditioning units to run 2 to 4 percent more efficiently, but allow the sun to warm the house in the winter. Homes sheltered by evergreen windbreaks can reduce winter heat loss and are generally warmer than homes without such protection. By using trees to modify temperatures and protect against wind, the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling and heating is reduced.</li><li><b>Landscaping screens busy streets.</b> Well-placed plantings offer privacy and tranquility by screening out busy street noises and reducing glare from headlights.</li></ul></div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-721/426-721.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-716/426-716.html <p>Virginia is rapidly running out of landfill space. Fifteen to twenty percent of solid waste sent to landfills is comprised of leaves, grass clippings, and other yard wastes. Gardeners can plan their landscapes to produce less yard waste and use what is produced around their homes to enhance yards, gardens, and soil.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-716/426-716.html Gardening & The Environment Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-713/426-713.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel">Water-wise landscape design and management focus on working with nature and natural forces (such as rainfall) to create an aesthetically pleasing, livable landscape, while using less water from the local supply. <p>Minimizing the need for watering in your landscape requires careful observation, planning, and common sense. Several principles for water-wise landscaping include choosing the best design and plants, preparing soils, and watering properly for efficient water use.</p></div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-713/426-713.html Gardening & The Environment Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-712/426-712.html <p>Winter winds increase the rate of air exchange between the interior and exterior of a house, lowering the house’s interior temperature and thereby increasing the heating demand. In a windy site, a windbreak planting (also called a shelterbelt) can account for up to a 50-percent wind reduction and up to a 25-percent reduction in heating fuel consumption. A windbreak is a single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs in a linear configuration.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-712/426-712.html Gardening & The Environment Garden & Landscape Design Energy http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-617/426-617.html <p>Perhaps the most entertaining answer to the question 'What should I plant over a septic system's leach field?' is 'Something fragrant.' Although the question arises often, there are few hard and fast answers as to what can be planted, because every drain field is unique. You can decide what will work best in each situation, however, by following a few simple guidelines.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-617/426-617.html Garden & Landscape Design Extension e-books http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-336/426-336.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p>If you don't have space for a vegetable garden, consider raising fresh, nutritious, homegrown vegetables in containers. A windowsill, patio, balcony, or doorstep can provide sufficient space for a productive container garden. Problems with soil-borne diseases, nematodes, or poor soil can also be overcome by switching to container gardening.</p><p>Grow vegetables that take up little space, such as carrots, radishes, and lettuce, or crops that bear fruits over a period of time, such as tomatoes and peppers, for best use of space and containers. Dwarf or miniature varieties often mature and bear fruit earlier, but most do not produce as well overall as standard varieties. With increasing interest in container gardening, plant breeders and seed companies are working on vegetables specifically bred for container culture. These varieties are not necessarily miniature or dwarf and may produce as well as standard types if cared for properly.</p></div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-336/426-336.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-335/426-335.html <p>The purpose of gardening intensively is to harvest the most produce possible from a given space. More traditional gardens consist of long, single rows of vegetables spaced widely apart. Much of the garden area is taken by the space between the rows. An intensive garden minimizes wasted space. The practice of intensive gardening is not just for those with limited garden space; rather, an intensive garden concentrates your work efforts to create an ideal plant environment, giving better yields.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-335/426-335.html Tools & Techniques Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-334.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p>By planning and planting a fall vegetable garden it is possible to have fresh vegetables up to and even past the first frosts. At the time of year when retail vegetable prices are on the rise, you can be reaping large and varied harvests from your still- productive garden site.</p><p>Many varieties of vegetables can be planted in mid- to late sum- mer for fall harvests. Succession plantings of warm season crops (such as corn and beans) can be harvested up until the first killing frost. Cool season crops (such as kale, turnips, mustard, broccoli, cabbage) grow well during the cool fall days and can withstand light frosts. Timely planting is the key to a successful fall garden.</p></div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-334.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-228/426-228.html <p>In 2007, Virginia will mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The 18-monthlong commemoration began in May 2006 and features educational programs, cultural events, fairs, and various live and broadcast entertainment sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia and many of its cities and towns. See the America’s 400th Anniversary website at <a href="http://www.americasanniversary.com">www.americasanniversary.com</a> for information about this salute to America’s birthplace.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-228/426-228.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-223/426-223.html <div xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel">In 2007, Virginia marks the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The 18-month-long commemoration began in May 2006 and features educational programs, cultural events, fairs, and various live and broadcast entertainments sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia and many of its counties, cities, and towns. See the America's 400th Anniversary website at www.americasanniversary.com for information about this salute to America's birthplace. Communities and citizens will be improving their streets, parks, schools, businesses, and gardens as part of the commemoration.</div> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-223/426-223.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-220/426-220.html <p>In 2007, Virginia will mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first English settlement in the Americas. The 18-month-long commemoration began in May 2006 and features educational programs, cultural events, fairs, and various live and broadcast entertainments sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia and many of its cities and towns. See the America's 400th Anniversary website at www.americasanniversary.com for information about this salute to America's birthplace. Communities and citizens also will be improving their streets, parks, schools, businesses, and gardens to celebrate this event.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-220/426-220.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-211/426-211.html <p>In 2007, Virginia will mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first English settlement in the Americas. The 18-month-long commemoration begins in May 2006 and will feature educational programs, cultural events, fairs, and various live and broadcast entertainments sponsored by Virginia and cities and towns across the commonwealth. See the America's 400th Anniversary website at www.americasanniversary.com for information about this salute to America's birthplace.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-211/426-211.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-210/426-210.html <p>In 2007, Virginia will mark the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The 18-month-long commemoration begins in May 2006 and will feature educational programs, cultural events, fairs, and various live and broadcast entertainments sponsored by Virginia and cities and towns across the commonwealth. See the America's 400th Anniversary website at www.americasanniversary.com for information about this salute to America's birthplace. Communities and citizens also will be improving their streets, parks, schools, businesses, and gardens as part of the commemoration.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-210/426-210.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-202/426-202.html <p>Much of the excitement of creating an herbaceous border lies in its great flexibility of design. In form, placement, and selection of plants, the contemporary border follows few rigid rules and allows fullest expression of the gardener's taste.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-202/426-202.html Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-087/426-087.html Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-087/426-087.html Family Financial Management Garden & Landscape Design http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-020/426-020.html <p>Container gardening allows you to have and enjoy many ornamental and food supplying plants that, for whatever reason, you do not want to grow in ground beds. You can use containergrown plants in entryways, patios, decks, rooftops, gardens, indoors, or anywhere you have a need to add a living component to enhance the appeal of an area. Each planted container will have its own personality; you can create container scenes. They can range from dramatic to subtle, and from grand to petite. Plants and containers offer limitless combinations of size, color, form, and texture that can give your inside and outside environments a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.</p> Fri, 01 May 2009 01:00:00 -0400 http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-020/426-020.html Garden & Landscape Design