Plant Tissue Culture PPT

If you are looking for a new summerhouse you might find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of options that are available. The key to deciding on the right summerhouse for you will be to really think about what is important to you and your garden.

Size
The major consideration for choosing any garden building always has to be size. No garden has unlimited amounts of space, so it is important to have a good look at how much space you can afford to use. It will normally make sense to have as large a summerhouse as your space and wallet will allow, as you will always be able to find a use for any left-over space.

Appearance
A wooden summerhouse is generally designed to be decorative as well as functional, so it is important to consider whether it will look at home in your garden. There is generally a clear distinction between traditional style summerhouses and those built to a contemporary design. The traditional buildings tend to have joinery windows made with smaller panes of glass and aesthetic features such as bevelled gables, while the more modern designs will generally feature plain windows made with a single sheet of glass and smoother lines in areas such as the gables.

Glazing
Many summerhouses come with a range of different glazing options, and upgrades can often be worth every penny. The majority of garden summerhouses come with horticultural glazing as standard; this kind of glazing can do a job for most people; however it can dangerously break into shards and so is certainly not suitable for those with children. Upgrading to Perspex or toughened glass is generally the solution as it is much harder to damage than glass, making it ideal for those with young children. The advantage of toughened glass is that it will shatter into smaller and less dangerous pieces.

Verandahs and Window Boxes
Another feature available on many summerhouses is a verandah. It is worth thinking about whether you would like an outdoor area where you can relax on warmer days, as it could mean that a summerhouse with a verandah is just what you've been looking for.

For those who like a bit of gardening, many summerhouses either come with window boxes or can have them added. Window boxes provide a great place for plants to grow, and as a result your summerhouse will soon be brightened up by some floral delights.

Assembly
If you aren't particularly handy, or would like to save yourself some time and effort, many summerhouses come with additional treatment and assembly options. With pressure treatment, you will never have to treat your summerhouse again as the timber has a preservative forced into it that will protect it from rot. A less expensive treatment option is to have a factory applied top coat; this will usually protect your summerhouse for the first year without costing a lot of money.

There are plenty of reasons for buying a summerhouse, and even more for why one summerhouse might be better than another. The only way to make sure you get the right one for you is to make sure you think about exactly what you need, have a good look around, and see which summerhouse is the best match.

Gavin Graham works for Elbec, an online store selling garden buildings, landscaping products and accessories. From log cabins and summerhouses to potting sheds and play houses, Elbec offers much more than just traditional garden sheds.

View the original article here

Many factors come into play when choosing plants for a garden. Planting may be the answer to a specific landscaping need, such as screening an unsightly view, filling a shady corner, or preventing erosion on a slope, or you may plant simply for the sensory pleasures a garden provides. The choice of garden plants will depend on the garden's size, climate, and specific characteristics. Each plant must be suitable for the garden's conditions, whether sunny or shady and damp or dry, and soil type. Plants also must satisfy personal taste. Here are some tips for choosing the right plants to enhance any garden space.

1. Start with a plan.

The first step in planning a garden is to put pencil to paper. Draw an outline of the area to be planted, drawing it to scale. Add any landscape features, such as walls or fences, and any existing plantings or trees.

Mark the position of the existing plants and use a circle to show the amount of spread, allowing for future spread. Designating the spread of an existing tree's canopy tells you how much sun the garden will receive. This is important because plants vary greatly in the amount of sun or shade they can tolerate. Also note any variations in soil conditions, like a boggy area, which you will need to know in selecting plants based on moisture tolerance.

As you identify the plants you would like to add, mark them on the outline, again showing planting position and spread. Start with the largest plantings first, and work down in scale from trees to shrubs to ground cover and perennials to annuals and bulbs. Use a garden catalog for information about height, spread, and planting distances as well as sun and moisture tolerance. This plan will help you decide how many plants can be added to the space without overcrowding, and will become a guide when shopping for your garden plants.

2. Consider the plant's function.

Plants can serve many functions in a garden. They can act as a canopy to provide shade, a screen for privacy, or a divider to mark a space. Plants also can function as carpets, accents, or fillers. Determine the functions to be served within your garden plan and select plant varieties that will achieve those purposes.

3. Vary plants for visual interest.

A plant's shape, texture, and color play a critical role in any garden design. While the color of a plant's flower may be its most obvious feature, remember that a flower often is a fleeting thing in a garden. Thus, consider the color and texture of the leaves as well as the blooms. By using plants with different shapes, textures, and colors, you will add visual interest and definition to the landscape.

4. Choose plants for year-round interest.

For year-round interest in the garden, choose plants that bloom in different seasons. For winter interest, include some evergreen plants, deciduous trees with strong silhouettes or peeling bark, or ornamental grasses that give structure to the garden.

5. Choose plants that suit your lifestyle.

Finally, the plants you choose must suit your lifestyle. If you don't have a lot of time to spend in the garden, choose low maintenance varieties. If you have children or pets, choose plants that are not poisonous if ingested.

Poppy Lynch has been helping beginner gardeners for over 15 years. For simple, easy-to-follow gardening tips, Poppy suggests signing up for the Woolly Green Weekly, a great source of gardening chat, products, offers and competitions. Woolly Green is a new website, for people who like to garden as a bit of an antidote to their otherwise busy lives.

View the original article here

One of the things we learned when we moved up here is that not everything they sell you in the home improvement or big box stores will grow where you are. These stores have buyers who buy in bulk for multiple locations and the plants may not be suited for your area.

How to tell? Some stores keep counter copies of plant reference books for your use, and believe me, if I come across a plant I don't know, that's where I will be looking.Often these books are loaded with great how-to's as well as a complete index to plants and their care.

Other alternatives are to simply look it up online if you happen to have a smartphone. Or, download a Q reader app and many of the plants are including digital information right on the label.A Q reader is an application for your smartphone that takes a picture of those funny-looking UPC like codes... you've seen them, they look like a square box with little boxes inside. The reader will decode the information that is stored in that graphic, and some will even take you to the website about that plant.

Last year we purchased a white Bird of Paradise. I asked the salesperson what was the difference between an original orange bird of paradise and this white one. She had no clue, and did not have a reference book, nor did the store sell them. I ended up going online and found out exactly what I needed to know. The other two plants I was going to buy would not survive a frost, so back they went.

If you are just a beginner gardener, save a little stress (on you AND the plant) and pick one that is low maintenance. There are many to choose from and after you have built up a little confidence with that plant you can move on to something more complicated.

So, it's important to match your plant choices to your lifestyle. If you work full time, you wouldn't want to choose a plant that needs a lot of attention. Try to think about what you want to have a plant for- is it because it has pretty flowers, or trailing foliage or maybe an edible garden?

Once you narrow it down, and you have a little time, try to look for the plants in your area store. Don't forget odd places to find good deals like the 99 cent only stores, local college or garden club plant sales, yard sales, hardware stores, farmers markets and even grocery stores. If you can trade with a neighbor or friend, even better!

Then spend a wee moment and look the plant up, or if it has an attached tag, read it thoroughly. Here are some of the information you can find on a tag:

· Whether it is an annual or a perennial
· What lower temperature the plant can handle
· Whether it needs full sun, shade or partial
· name of the plant
· projected grow rate

All the above information will help you choose the right spot for the right plant for you in your garden so it will thrive!

SHARON BLOOM is a multi-award-winning artist, photographer, recycled artist,avid gardener, author and editor of a free family-oriented daily blog called "SHARE OUR GARDEN", which shares beautiful flower photos, inspirations, recipes, garden ideas, recycled art and humor. You can sign up for free at http://shareourgarden.blogspot.com/

View the original article here

The hydrangea originates from southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. It is a very popular shrub that can be either deciduous or evergreen. There are two main flower types in hydrangeas, mophead flowers which are large and round and resemble pom-poms, or lacecap which are flat flower heads with small fertile flowers in the centre surrounded by more showy larger sterile flower heads around the outside. Flowers come in various shades of pink, white, purple and blue. Here is a short guide on how to grow hydrangeas and some of my favourite varieties.

Hydrangeas will thrive in moist but well-drained soil, in a semi shady part of the garden. They are ideal for north-facing sites, but avoid east-facing positions where cold winds can easily damage new growth. Likewise, avoid overly dry and sunny spots. One of the attractions of hydrangeas is their ability to change the colour of their flowers. This only happens in the mophead varieties and is due to the soil pH. Those hydrangeas whose flowers turn blue tends to be in more acidic soil. To keep them blue grow in acidic soil of pH 4.5-5 or add hydrangea blueing compounds that can be bought from good garden centres. The flower heads also dry extremely well and look stunning instead of cut flowers over winter.

Hydrangeas are normally very hardy and don't suffer many problems. However, non-flowering can be caused by frost damage to flowering wood. It is a good idea to keep the dead heads on the plant until spring as this will provide a bit of protection against harsh frosts.

Hydrangea 'Annabel' is a stunning white variety with large flower blooms that can be up to 30cm across. Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanille Fraise' provides generous blooms that emerge white and mature to a lovely raspberry pink. 'Expression Blue' has a very long flowering season and produces fragrant mauve waterlily-like florets. It is a compact variety and so ideal for containers. Hydrangea Adria is another compact variety suited to small gardens. It has stunning blue flowers that dry very well for use in floral arrangements. 'Limelight' has conical flower heads that start off bright lime green and gradually turn creamy-white with a delicate pink blush.

Hydrangeas can be grown successfully in garden planters. There are however a couple of considerations to take into account. Hydrangeas tend to very quickly out grow a container and so will need to be re-potted once a year. Regular watering is also essential as a potted hydrangea should never be allowed to dry out.

View the original article here