As colder temperatures and shorter days prevail, gardeners must think about getting their gardens set for winter. Below is a checklist of chores to consider for the maintenance of your perennial garden, vegetable garden, and lawn to keep all in healthy condition.

1. Cut back your perennials. How and when you do this is determined by the individual needs of your plants, your desire to provide food and cover for wildlife, and your appreciation for winter interest in your yard. If you prefer your property having a neat appearance then, cutting back your perennials to the ground is the way to go, but if you would like to leave nesting areas for insects, seeds and berries for wildlife to survive on through the winter, and if you enjoy some stems and structural interest left standing through out the winter, then trim and cut back to different heights as you see fit and aesthetically pleasing. Plants that have had a disease or did not do well should be removed and any vigorous re-seeders that can take over perennial beds should also be removed or split and transplanted. Avoid cutting back to the ground hardy mums, asters and ferns. The old foliage of these helps to protect their crowns through winter. Leave a good chunk of their stems to mark their location so when you plant something else in the spring you will know where they are and won't accidentally disturb them. The timing of cutting plants back for winter is important, too. In general, later is better.

2. To provide compost for next year's garden, save fall lawn cuttings and leaves and place them in a compost container.

3. In the vegetable garden, harvest all the vegetables still left before frost hits. Remove any dead or spoiled ones and if disease is apparent, destroy them to reduce any chances of infestation.

4. Bulbs for additional spring and summer color should be planted in the fall. If there are tender bulbs in your garden, carefully lift them out and store these bulbs in an airy, dry, and protected area for the winter.

5. Add mulch to your perennials to keep them warm and protected over the winter. Mulch will also helps store moisture in the soil. You can also add manure and compost in the fall, which is the best time to do this giving plenty of time for breakdown to happen.

6. Houseplants that were growing outside should make their way back inside. To avoid shock, do this gradually placing them in partly shaded areas outside first. And always bring them in before the first frost, of course.

7. Prepare rose bushes for winter. Prune dead or damaged branches and cut off any old flowers. Using topsoil or mulch, mound the bush and cut canes back to six to twelve inches. To completely protect the bush, you can then cover it using a bushel basket, if the size is appropriate.

8. Lawns could use preparing now for next spring. To allow the soil to drain better and give the roots much needed oxygen, aerate and thatch if the soil is compacted. Seeding and fertilizing can be done now as well.

9. Clean up all of your gardening tools. Pruning tools, mower blades, and shears can be sharpened and oiled now. This way they will avoid rusting over the winter and will be all ready for you come spring.

10. If you have a garden pool, to avoid freezing, you must drain it.

By: Dayelle I Swensson
Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

The bamboo plant is actually a type of grass that is found mainly in the tropical regions of the world. As such, these plants have acclimatized to areas with warm weather and high rainfall. They are beautifully simple plants and for this reason, many people choose to grow them indoors. Bamboo is a relatively easy plant to care for if you follow a number of tips.

How Do You Take Care Of These Things?

To ensure that your bamboo remains healthy, you must first realize that they need high humidity and warmth. If you keep this in mind, the rest will follow.

When you have purchased your bamboo, situate it in a spot that is sheltered, but has a balance of light and shade. This will allow the plant to acclimatize to living indoors. Do not fertilize the bamboo when you get it home as it was most probably already fertilized in the nursery.

The amount of water that your bamboo will need will depend upon the microclimate in its position. If you find that the soil dries out fast indoors, a deep soaking water is the best option to prevent it from stressing as a result of not enough water. This may not necessarily mean it has to be watered daily; each plant has to be treated according to its individual needs. If the leaves of the plant are curling, it will need more water: drooping leaves suggest it is getting too much.

A great way to care for the watering needs of your bamboo is to "mist" it. A pebble tray is also a wise choice. Misting will replicate the conditions that the bamboo would experience in nature. A pebble tray is a simple tray filled with pebbles and enough water so that the pebbles can just be seen above the surface. The pot containing the bamboo is put on top of the pebbles making sure that it does not touch the water.

It will become easier to care for bamboo once you have had some practice. There may be times when you will have to place the bamboo out into your garden to allow it to obtain the necessary amount of sunlight, or alternatively you can place lights near the plant to replicate sunlight and help the plant achieve photosynthesis.

By: Thomas Fyrd
Don't delay - Now is the right time to gain more knowledge on the subject of bamboo palms.
We make the information simple, visit plant-care.com.

Pilea is a genus of about 600 species, found in rainforests throughout tropical regions worldwide, except Australia. The name Pilea comes from "pileus", a Roman felt cap (which the seed resembles).

Pileas require indirect light and must be sheltered from the sun. The low or moderate light of a north or west window will work best. As with most tropical plants, Pilea will not tolerate temperatures below 50o F. Nighttime temperatures of 65° to 70° and daytime temperatures of 75 degrees to 85 degrees are ideal.

Pileas love humidity but do not like soggy soil. Water only when the potting mix has dried out, about once every two weeks or so. However, water your pilea immediately if it is dry and begins to wilt. Pileas have a hard time recovering if they wilt for more than one day. To maintain humidity place your plant on tray of moist pebbles and mist regularly.

Pilea are generally very easy to root from cuttings. As the plants have a tendency toward leginess, it is a good idea to start new cuttings every spring instead of wrestling with older pilea. Place cuttings in moist peat and keep warm until they root. Rooting hormone usually isn't necessary.

Because Pilea love humidity, they are a favorite plant for use in terrariums. A terrarium is a collection of compatible plants grown in an enclosed, or partially enclosed, clear container. Terrariums allow you to create a miniature landscape plants which require a high degree of humidity, like pilea and ferns. Once established, the terrarium begins to create a climate of its own. The plants transpire moisture through their leaves, which then condenses on the glass, and flows back to the soil. This 'rain effect' means that most terrariums are generally maintenance free.

Pilea are not hard plants to grow. With even minimal attention toward water, they will generally thrive and continuously put out new foliage through the summer months. In the winter, growth slows. All pilea tend toward leginess and have fairly brittle stems. To encourage a compact, bushy plant, pinch off growing tips every so often.

By: Briscoe White
In 1985, Briscoe White opened The Growers Exchange in an abandoned Texaco station on a busy urban street corner in Richmond, Virginia. In 1987, Briscoe opened a nursery in Charles City County, 25 miles east of Richmond along the shores of the historic James River. Currently there are 5 distinct growing environments with 5 acres under cover and it allows him to grow a variety of plants: herbs, perennials, annuals, fresh flowers and produce.

The past twenty years have been spent growing an environment within the store and the community that encouraged an exchange of plant and gardening information. In the summer of 2005, he closed the doors to the local market, and moved onto the Internet. The company is now based at our facility in Charles City, and have been connecting and exchanging with gardeners all over the country. Visit anytime: http://thegrowers-exchange.com.

Briscoe has over 25 years of gardening experience. For further information on gardening products or gardening tips please contact Briscoe White at bwhite@thegrowers-exchange.com

Are you always looking for ways to relax? Have people told you that you need to find a hobby that will keep you busy? Have you watched television shows where people are constantly fusing over Bonsai Trees and wondered why? Well, it turns out that these trees are a part of bonsai relaxation that helps people stay relaxed and peaceful.

Bonsai trees are those funny looking green trees that in some places people sell on the street. They are easy to grow and the point of bonsai relaxation is to use them to create a relaxing atmosphere in your home or work. You do this by learning to prune them in special ways.

You can find these plants in many different places and usually people buy more than one. You can often get a discount at some places when you buy them in bulk. When you have the opportunity to work with several trees it can create bonsai relaxation easily.

There are many benefits to bonsai relaxation that include:

You can't rush -- taking care of these trees automatically puts you into a meditative state because you can't rush through them. You have to be careful because they are delicate.

This is an art form -- if you take your time, you are developing a hobby and creating a space for your creative abilities to shine through. As you develop your artistic ability you also benefit from bonsai relaxation.

You will discover new things -- all meditation will help you discover new things about yourself and with bonsai relaxation you will discover areas that you didn't explore before when you were tense.

Bonsai relaxation can be started with one tree, but many people say this is addictive. They like having more than one because they can sculpt to their hearts content and no one will bother them.

Although you may not know it, bonsai trees are actually the natural formation of trees in Japan, but they are grown in the smaller containers. They are flexible and easy to sculpt. And less face it, they are much better than growing a Chia Pet.

If you wonder why it is called a bonsai tree, the mystery is solved: the word really means tree planted in a tray. Bonsai relaxation trees come in outdoor or indoor varieties.

By: Deborah Jury
Did you know bonsai trees can alleviate stress as well? Taking care of bonsai trees isn't as quit as hard as you may think. Learn how to take care of your own bonsai tree right now by CLICKING HERE!