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5 Common But Dangerous Plants That You Could Have In Your Yard

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When it comes to your health and the health of your family and your pets, you tend to think of the obvious dangers that you need to stay away from. What most people don’t realize is that there could be harmful items located right in your backyard.

There are many plants that are dangerous to humans and/or animals, and it’s possible that you have some of the following dangerous plants lurking in your backyard.

1. Rhubarb

Yes, it’s true that rhubarb is used as a food in many tasty desserts, but only the stem of the plant is safe. The leaves of rhubarb are actually very poisonous, and if you consume them, whether cooked or uncooked, you could experience burning of the throat or mouth. After the burning is over, you could experience internal bleeding, convulsions, coma or even death. If you want to grow rhubarb, it’s best done in an area that is safe from pets or other animals.

2. Oleander

Oleander is a very beautiful flower that looks and smells great, and it’s one of the most popular choices when it comes to gardens and flower beds. However, Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants, especially when it comes to children. What makes Oleander so dangerous is that it’s not just poisonous to consume, but it’s also poisonous to the touch. Symptoms of poison from an Oleander plant include vomiting and diarrhea, cramping, seizures, coma and death.

3. Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are another popular plant when it comes to yard décor. They can grow to be very tall, and they are available in an assortment of colors. If you were to consume a hydrangea, you would experience massive stomach pain, sweating, itchy skin and even vomiting. In most cases, vomiting is the worst of the symptoms, but some cases of coma have been reported from hydrangea consumption.

4. Chrysanthemum

Many people plant chrysanthemums (or mums) in their yards or near their gardens because they’re known to keep rabbits away. But chrysanthemums are also poisonous to humans. Touching the head of a chrysanthemum could make you experience red and itchy skin along with some minor swelling. Although that’s the worst that will happen, it can still be a nuisance.

5. Rhododendron

Rhododendrons are popular flowers to decorate a lawn due to their bell-like shape, but rhododendron leaves and the honey nectar they produce are very toxic. If you were to eat either the leaves or the honey, you could experience a burning mouth, vomiting, diarrhea or a tingling feeling in your body. Some people have also experienced convulsions and fallen into a coma, and others have experienced a slower heartbeat and difficulty breathing.

Even though most adults know not to consume a flower, young children and animals are often curious and put things into their mouth. It’s very important that you know which plants in your yard are poisonous and keep them out of the reach of children and animals in order to keep them safe.






Small Space Gardening 101

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Attention, all gardening enthusiasts! Just because you have limited space does not mean you cannot have a garden to call your own. Know that having a small space is never a reason to not have plants in your home. You can make do with the limited area that you have thanks to container gardening. As long as you have a windowsill, balcony or patio, you can have the garden you want—and even enjoy some edibles.

Windowsill Gardening

When it comes to container gardening, the first thing that comes to mind are pots. However, you should also think about boxes—specifically, window boxes. Anybody who lives in an apartment can make use of window boxes to have their own gardens, either to display colorful flowers or grow edibles and herbs.

To have a garden by the window, make sure you have a window box that measures at least two feet long so that you will have enough space for a small batch of salad greens. The size is also perfect for growing at least four to six large herbs. Herbs are ideal for window boxes because they are low maintenance plants; all you need are shears, a watering can and some fertilizer. Oregano and rosemary are good choices, but purple basil and chives are better, only because these give a pop of color and make for an interesting display.

Regardless if you decide on herbs or some other plants, make sure to choose flora that are of different colors and shapes. Doing so will make your garden more attractive. Also, do not forget to have a theme: combine together plants that are similar (salad greens, edible flowers, herbs, etc).

Patio and Balcony Gardening

If you have a postage-stamp yard, utilize the space provided by your patio and/or balcony. As long as you have enough room for pots, you are all set. However, ensure the spaces you choose for your container garden receive enough sunlight, or else your plants will not thrive. A water source is also important—the plants should be located near a faucet or hose.

So what should you plant in the pots? Container favorites include petunia, impatiens, pansy, geraniums and licorice vine. If you wish to grow your own vegetables, you can do this too. Food crops can do well even in containers, provided they get the water and care they need.

When planting vegetables in pots, you have to consider both the kind of plant and the size of the pot. Naturally, bigger plants need bigger pots. This means that the likes of tomatoes and cucumbers should be planted in pots with a diameter of two feet or more. Meanwhile, the likes of herbs, greens and peppers are ideal for smaller pots. You can even tuck these between or under larger plants.

It is important for you to know that while you cannot increase the size of the pots, you can maximize space. You can do this by staking, either with wooden sticks or metal cages (like in the case of tomatoes). Staking not also keeps the plant upright, but also prevents sunscald and rotting.

This article was written by Ericka in behalf of McIntyre Masonry, the company that has the best stonemasons in Ayrshire. Ericka has written articles on various topics, but counts those about home and gardening as her favorites.

5 Tips To Look After Your Garden In Winter

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In the winter, I must admit it is very difficult to care and love your garden; this is down to the cold, wet weather which we experience. It is still possible to care for your garden in the cold months and make it look as amazing as it does the rest of the year. If you ignore your garden all through winter, then you are going to find yourself with a huge task as soon as spring comes round. Follow these 5 tips to make your garden look gorgeous all year round.

Tidy

The key to making your garden look beautiful all year around is by keeping it tidy. You shouldn’t just use your garden as a dumping ground for rubbish you no longer want in the winter. Clear up any unwanted debris and mess, and take them out of the garden. This will give you a good basis to work with. You should also clear up any dead leaves and weeds which you have growing in your garden. This is a task which you should continue to do all year round, as dead leaves and growing weeds is always an unwanted sight.

Lawn

You do not actually need to do much to your lawn in the winter to care for it, the best advice I can give to you is to just leave it. You can do lots of damage to your lawn if you decide mow it in winter and walk all over. You should avoid walking on the grass when it is cold or wet and you will force the grass to stop growing. A way to keep the grass looking fresh all year around is by sprinkling grass feeder and grass seeds onto the lawn. This will cover up any patches and keep the grass growing all through the year.

You should try and remove some of the dead leaves which you have on your lawn, this way it will look pretty all through winter.

Plants

You shouldn’t just assume that because it is winter you can’t have no plants, there are many plants which grow better in the winter compared to the summer. You should buy some winter plant life and plant these just before winter arrives. This will keep your garden looking alive and fresh through the whole of winter. You can also get some gorgeous garden ware such as lighting and gorgeous fencing which will make your garden look even better in the dark cold evenings.

Hayley loves making her garden into a magical wonderland each year. She uses http://www.nutscene.com/ to get some beautiful garden ware for the winter.

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