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Working in the Garden must be one of the biggest summer interests, especially in the UK, USA and Canada. Along side gardening, is a large collection of garden tools and equipment, particularly for those with experience. Then, for many, the summertime and autumn times of year woefully come to an ending, and it is time to get the storage configured and everything locked up for the wintertime. Don’t we all just detest that task!

Of all of the household items that can be ordered in the shed, Garden tools have to be the most tricky. Smaller hand tools such as the pruners are quite easy to store away someplace. The main issue is that they can be mislaid over the winter period, this is due to their small nature. But the biggest issue is with stashing away the heavier tools, which just happen to be some of the most problematic forms.

Springbok rakes are one of the most awkward large tools to find a place for, finding somewhere sensible to put it for a long period of time can be very difficult. Thrust in the border fork with its fatal spikes, the pic hoe, garden rake, <a href=”http://www.gardenersheaven.co.uk/category/56/rakes.aspx”>Bulldog Garden Rakes</a>, garden spade and you can cause yourself a lot of trauma and trouble in the future. If you have kids, then the perils are even bigger.

Apart from anything else, though, it is better all round to have your equipment cleaned and put away in a safe place, precisely where you can encounter them when you demand them. That is why lawn tool shelves, especially designed for the function of storing garden accessories, are such an powerful feature of any garden storage, or garage if that is where you have to stash away your gardening things.

A good equipment stand will help you to keep your accessories in good condition, as well as convenient to find. The trouble is, which stand do you choose? There are many options, and some of these are very well fashioned for the purpose intended. While separate holders, if static and reinforced, might be smashing, it is surely nicer to have a wall stand that is all of the time secured to the garden shed or garage wall. In doing this it will be less likely to go down on top of you when too much free weight is bestowed. If you have tiddlers, a wall holder that can be mounted out of the stretch of the tiddlers is life-sustaining, as is choosing one that will carry the rake and other risky gardening tools unwaveringly in place.

A good first-rate electric log splitter can be used in a personal workshop as well as by professional lumbermen who use them on the job sight for commercial work. wood splitters come in several varieties. Deciding on the one that’s right for your project or job can make a big difference in the long run.

The simplest hydraulic wood splitterthe basic splitting axe is all you’ll need for a few piles of firewood now and then. The log splitting axe blade cuts into the lumber and the wedge shaped log splitting maul head forces the wood to split along the grain. A couple of strong log splitting axe blows can split a log up to 25 inches long. Any person who doesn’t mind some solid exercise will find the regular axe to be the ideal tool.

Those who use a wood splitter on a daily or weekly basis, or for detailed home projects, spending the money on a hydraulic log splitter should be considered. Do you think you will need a horizontal or a vertical loading manual wood splitter for the type of work you do? This is a choice you’ll need to make. For on-site and outdoor use, log splitters with gasoline powered or diesel engines are available. Another option for those who have access to a power supply is to use an electric manual wood splitter.

Regardless of which type you choose, a manual wood splitter works with the use of a piston that drives the timber through a secured blade.

The best hydraulic log splitter is one that can get the job done fast and without mechanical complications. Although it can be a costly investment, the hours of manual labor saved make a electric wood splitter well worth the cost. Appropriate safety measures should always be taken to protect the operator from unnecessary injury.

Others should stand clear of the wood splitter when in operation. Protective eyewear should always be worn to avoid injury from flying particles of wood. Loose fitting clothing and jewelry are a safety hazard and should not be worn.

Independent contractors who work on homes or for those who remodel and use wood regularly, a manual wood splitter is a smart investment decision. From chopping firewood to making furniture, a hydraulic wood splitter can be used for numerous projects. Looking for a hydraulic log splitter? They can be purchased wherever other logging equipment is sold.

Mulch provides many benefits to plants and soil: insulation, shade, moisture retention, weed reduction, and soil building. But when mulch is applied at the wrong time or in the wrong form, it can do more harm than good. Use the following guidelines to get the greatest benefit from your mulching effort.

First, make the most of your garden space, moisture, and organic matter (including mulch) by planting wide rows - a width that you can comfortably reach across, rather the width of a single plant. Wide row planting reduces the number of paths needed through your garden, and keeps more of the soil surface covered. This results in fewer weeds and better moisture retention, so your mulch can be applied where it is really needed.

~~Finished Compost Mulch~~
There is no bad time to add finished compost to the soil, but for maximum value from this black gold the best time is shortly after spring shoots and seedlings have gotten established and have their true leaves. Apply a layer of finished compost mulch. Often called a top dressing, this layer will merge with the topsoil quickly, but try to keep the compost from touching the plant stems anyway.

How thickly you layer the finished compost mulch depends on how much you have available and how much ground you have to cover. Even a thin layer is beneficial; it provides nutrients that gradually work their way down, and gives some protection against weeds, temperature extremes, hard rain, and so forth.

~~Partially Composted Material~~
Half-finished compost or compost that is noticeably fibrous is never good for mulching plants, or even for adding to the soil near growing plants. Separate additions of partially composted material from planting by at least two or three weeks. The best time to add this kind of compost is in October or November in ground that will be allowed to rest.

Soil bacteria will break down the material, but these organisms have to use nitrogen in order to do their work. Eventually, the microbes will release the nitrogen and make it available to plants again, but in the meantime, the half-finished compost has the effect of starving rather than feeding any growing plants.

~~Hay and Straw~~
Apply a layer of straw or hay once plants are beyond seedling stage. The timing also depends on soil temperature. Since this mulch forms an insulating layer, wait until the soil is warm; else the layer of mulch will insulate in the wrong way-preventing the soil from warming up.

In addition to the straw or hay forming an insulating layer and helping retain moisture, the mulch becomes a nice resting place for melons and squash.

Straw is more carbonaceous than hay, and will break down more slowly. Hay often has a moisture content, and will break down faster. Both are good mulches, but if slugs and snails are a problem, straw is better. Again, keep the mulch back from touching the plant stems.

~~Leaves and Grass Clippings~~
I prefer to compost leaves and grass rather than use them as mulch. Leaves are generally acidic, and affect the ph of the soil. However, some plants such as raspberries prefer slightly acidic soil, and for plants that don’t like an acid ph, an amendment of lime could help neutralize the effect of the leaves.

Grass clippings can be very effective mulch - especially for moisture retention, but keep an eye on it. Grass packs down, preventing air circulation so that anaerobic decay occurs. Again, I prefer to compost grass; turning the compost keeps it aerated.

Life-time gardener Judith Schwader specializes in organic gardening methods. She shares expertise, humor, and advice for your gardening success at A to Z Gardening. Also visit FB Home for additional home and garden information.

Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguinea) is both nose and eye candy for your garden. When it’s in full bloom, mature blossoms on long, slender stems look like candy kisses on a stick and fill the late afternoon with the sweet scent of vanilla tinged chocolate. New blossoms hug the foliage of the plant, nearly concealing it with their numbers! Add to that the sweet chocolate fragrance and you end up with something very special.

Although chocolate cosmos is endangered in the wild, transplants are easily found at most nurseries and garden centers in the spring. However, gardeners who are inexperienced in how to grow chocolate cosmos may overlook what seem to be small, messy tangles of miniature dahlia leaves, unaware that once established, prolific blossoms nearly conceal the foliage. Once in bloom, chocolate cosmos blossoms continuously throughout the summer into the first frosts of autumn.

If you’re planning a gothic garden, chocolate cosmos is the plant for you. Sometimes referred to as black cosmos, dark maroon blossoms are so deep in color that they appear brown/black in late afternoon and evening.

A native of Mexico, the chocolate cosmos is a half-hardy perennial and a sun loving plant that is moderately drought tolerant.

You’ll most easily grow chocolate cosmos from transplants purchased at your local garden center or nursery. Large clumps of established plants can also be divided to provide as many as three or four transplants.

Plant chocolate cosmos in organically rich, well-drained soil in a location that gets full sun. Keep the transplants moist until they established roots and you see the beginnings of some new growth.

In the fall, when foliage dies back, cut plants back to about two inches from the root and over-winter them in a frost-free area. Chocolate cosmos is hardy in zones 7-10. In these zones, you may opt to cover the plants with a cloche to protect them from danger of frost.

You are free to publish the above article in your ezine or website, provided credit in the form of an (HTML clickable) hyperlink is given to the author.

Hans is an enthusiast gardener and one of the authors of the “How To” section of http://www.gardening-guides.com and http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com

Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)

A deciduous shrub from the Staff-Tree Family (Celastraceae)

Burning Bush, a non-native species from China and Korea, has
escaped from the ornamental plantings into neglected urban and
rural areas. It travels by way of its seed. This vase-shaped
shrub has outstanding red fall foliage, which blazes for weeks
in early to mid-autumn. Burning Bushes are usually sheared into
hedges or globes in landscape plantings. If left unpruned, the
compact form of Burning Bush will grow to about 12 feet tall and
15 feet wide, and the species (winged) form will grow to about
15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. In our area it propagates
naturally in shaded areas. We obtain some of our stock from
seedlings we gather from a small farm cemetery on our
property.Burning Bush is adaptable to a variety of soil
conditions. Fertile to sterile, organic to clay, acidic to
alkaline, rocky to sandy this plant proves its vigor. It does
not like wet soils, but does well in dry soils. Its small
fiberous roots are near the surface and responds well to root
pruning. Balling and burlapping this shrub does little damage
for the plant can take abuse and recover quickly. If you have a
brown thumb, then this plant is for you. You can see more of
Bill’s planting tips and articles at http://www.seedlingsrus.com
or http://www.zone5trees.com