If you’re starting to dabble in gardening, or even if you’ve been a tried-and-true green thumb for some time now, perhaps you’ve been intrigued but unsure about the whole idea of composting. After all, you can just buy fertilizer at the store, so why spend all the time and energy composting?

Well, there’s more to it than just making your own garden fertilizer. The EPA says:

Did You Know That Compost Can…

• Suppress plant diseases and pests.
• Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
• Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
• Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.
• Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.
• Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff.
• Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.
• Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.

It’s not just about your garden; composting can be just plain good for the environment. But for many people, having the great garden soil additive is the big draw. So, courtesy of our friend P. Allen Smith, here are some great starter tips on composting for yourself:

Thursday’s New York Times included a feature piece on P. Allen Smith, garden designer and friend of Marvin Windows. It’s undeniable that he’s a tastemaker, as the Times calls him, but Smith himself denies the suggestion that he’s the “Martha Stewart of the South”:

“I’m like, ‘Here’s your crayons, go pick your colors and you probably have something else laying around you could use, too,’ ” he said. “She’s already picked out your colors for you and that’s it.”

The article gives a great overview of Smith’s past and how he came to be the eagle-eyed horticulturalist he is today. Give it a read to learn more about the man and his inspiration:

Mr. Smith believes a house is an archetype for the soul, and should have a balanced living environment with inner and outer aesthetics connected by a seamless transition.

Of course, that may not translate to the average gardener in Columbus, Ohio. So he simplifies the message, offering beauty with instant accessibility. The garden home can be yours with a few simple principles and techniques, the centerpiece of which is creative use of containers.

Photo courtesy of PAllenSmith.com

We like to think of our gardens as an extension of our home. And just like any room in the house, sometimes you just want a few new things to brighten it up. For your reading pleasure, here are some fun products and ideas that can liven up any outdoor abode.

The Lluna planter by Serralunga is a cool modern planter as you can see:

But if you find yourself needing a cold drink instead of more greenery, this planter obliges. It would work well for a large backyard soiree!

Speaking of that garden party, if you are looking for a use for the empty beer bottles you stashed in the planter/ice bucket, look no further than Design*Sponge’s bottle garden idea.  It’s an easy idea for a really cool garden…and it’s a great way to re-use without recycling!

If the bottle garden inspires you to find a way to re-use objects in your garden, then consider Re-Nest’s idea to turn your chandelier into a planter. Where the bulbs would be, you put small pots of flowers instead. It’s unique, funky, and classically quirky.

What are some fun ideas you’ve tried for “re-decorating” your garden?

All images are from blogs linked to above

Late spring is one of my favorite times of year to have visitors to my garden because there’s so much in bloom. The roses are spectacular, such as the ‘Lamarque,’ which I have growing over my tool shed. It’s just one of about 25 or 30 old-fashioned roses I grow in my garden. Technically, an old-fashioned rose is one that was introduced before 1867; that’s when the hybrid teas were first introduced. Now, I have a lot of rose varieties in my garden that were introduced before that date, and a lot afterward.

I use old-fashioned roses in a variety of ways. One of my favorites is to use them to punctuate an entry as I’ve done with climbing ‘White American Beauty.’ This rose has filled the entire bonnet of an arbor. Now this rose is also known as ‘Frau Karl Druschki,’ it was introduced in 1901.

Another one of my favorites is ‘Iceberg.’ I grow it three different ways in my garden. One way is in a tree or standard form where ‘Iceberg,’ is grafted onto the stock of a different type rose. This makes a beautiful presentation. The climbing form of ‘Iceberg’ is yet another way I grow it. It is beautiful supported by twig trellises and it can grow to quite an impressive height. And the last way I grow it is as a shrub in my flowerbeds. It’s a beautiful rose that will bloom right until frost.

Russell’s Cottage rose only blooms once a year, but it is a real showstopper. I grow it because of its incredible fragrance. Now, it’s an exuberant climber and it has literally grown up into the branches of an overhead elm tree.

‘Russell’s Cottage’ isn’t the only rose I grow in trees. I also grow ‘Madame Alfred Carriere.’ She actually blooms just as the foliage is beginning to appear in the tree.

Of course, anyone can appreciate the beauty of a rose. But from a garden design standpoint, I think that the thing I enjoy most about these old-fashioned roses is that they make such dramatic statements in the landscape.

When I chose rose varieties for my garden, I wanted to maximize the bloom potential. I chose varieties that bloom early in the season and roses that bloom right on through the fall. There are so many different varieties to choose from, there’s a rose for every situation. Some will grow beautifully in containers, others will even take some shade.

‘New Dawn’ is one of the most prolific and carefree roses that I grow. I tell people that it is a must have for their garden. Technically, it isn’t considered an old-fashioned or heritage rose, it was introduced in the early 20th century, but it has the same beauty that many of these old fashioned roses can have.

If you’re looking for a quick way to cover an unattractive fence or perhaps to adorn a trellis or tool shed, an annual vine is the answer. There is outstanding potential packed into the seeds of summer vines such as hyacinth bean vine, cardinal vine, gourds and cypress vine.

Two of my all time favorite annual vines are morning glory and its nocturnal cousin moonflower vine. Their size, growth rate and flower power make them spectacular additions to the summer garden. They can grow twenty to thirty feet in a single season, which makes them ideal for quickly spreading blooms across fences, over arbors, or up simple teepees made of three or four tall poles. They are the perfect solution for covering an area while you wait for a perennial vine or climbing rose to mature.

The morning glory has 6 to 8 inch heart shaped leaves and showy trumpet blooms that open as the sun rises. The varieties ‘Heavenly Blue’, ‘Grandpa Ott’ and ‘Milky Way’ are all worthy of a spot in your garden.

While the morning glory, as its name implies, is perky in the morning the moonflower vine picks up its pace in the evening. By sunset the vine covers itself with large, white, fragrant blossoms. The flowers begin to fade at dawn, but by dusk, they are opening again.

Both morning glories and moonflowers are easy to grow from seed. The outer coating is hard, so soak the seeds overnight in water before planting to help with germination. The seeds can be direct sown in the garden after the last frost date in your area. Choose a site where the soil is not too rich. If it is too fertile, the seeds will produce lots of vines, but few blooms. Give them plenty of sunshine and these vines will reward you with abundant blooms until the first hard freeze in autumn.

We write a lot about plants and gardening here at MLuxe, mostly thanks to the great contributions from regular guest writer P. Allen Smith. This morning, a piece from Elle Decor about hip houseplants caught our eye — and inspired us to pull together this collection of basic ways houseplants can jazz up a room or space easily.

Even the simplest plants can add a touch of liveliness, energy and style to a room:

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When chosen carefully, and put in the right sort of pot, plants can complement the design of the room:

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And of course, some nice flowers will add color — complementary, contrasting, subtle, bold…whatever the room needs — and fragrance:

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Sometimes a simple plant can let a stylish pot bring the style:

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If you want something that looks neat but is easy to maintain, try a jade:

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To really push things into the realm of funky and interesting, bring in a cactus — believe it or not, your friends will actually hae trouble keeping their curious hands off!

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There are many reasons for growing plants. One of the best for me is fragrance. If you are looking for flowers with a heavenly scent, lavender has to be right up there at the top. And there are so many different varieties to choose from. Some are more aromatic than others and the range of bloom shape and cold hardiness is broad.

From a garden design point of view, lavender can find a place in just about any garden scheme because of the silvery gray foliage is compatible with any color. However, certain growing conditions must be met. The soil should be loose and quick to drain.  On the plus side, these plants require very little water and fertilizer, which makes them ideal for growing in containers.

I suppose of all the varieties I’ve tried, lavender Provence (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’) has been the most successful. This is also the lavender most widely used for making sachets because of its long-lasting aroma. So if you are just getting started with lavender you might give this one a try.

Of course the best way to learn about different varieties is to try several and see which ones work best for you.

As with so many herbs, the medicinal qualities of lavender are now being rediscovered. Its essential oil is being used as a remedy for insomnia, nervousness and other health problems.

It will be interesting to see in the future how medical science affirms many of the folk remedies and lessons from history about plants such as this one.

Lavenders to Try

• Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), ‘Hidcote’ – silvery grey leaves and deep purple-blue flowers, zones 5 – 9
• Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), ‘Munstead’ – blue-purple flowers, compat grower, long bloom time, zones 5 – 9
• Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin), ‘Provence’ – light purple flowers borne on long wands, zones 5 – 9
• Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin), ‘Grappenhall’ - dark violet flowers, zones 5 – 9
• Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin), ‘Grosso’ – purple flowers, very fragrant, zones 5 – 9
• Lavandula dentata (French Lavender) – dark purple, stocky flowers, long bloom time, zones 8 -9, good choice for Southern gardens
• Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender) – dark purple, stocky flowers, zones 8 -9, late spring bloom time, good choice for Southern gardens

When Americans think about adding a splash of color to their garden they frequently reach for that old fashioned favorite the geranium. There’s good reason this plant consistently ranks among the top ten annuals chosen for summer plantings. Long blooming and easy to grow, geraniums are a reliable classic for adorning porches, containers, window boxes or even using in the flower garden.

While geraniums have been red traditionally, plant breeders have done a lot of work in recent years to improve the color, size and shape of the blooms. You can now find geranium varieties in white, pink, salmon and purple.

You may have noticed a band, or zone, of color on the leaves of some geraniums. Plant breeders have also expanded the size and pattern of that zone in lots of interesting ways.

Even if you thought geraniums were a bit old-fashioned for your garden, I recommend that you take a second look at this summer beauty. You’ll find lots of exciting new varieties available in garden centers.

Over the years I’ve discovered certain methods of caring for geraniums that improve their performance. When it comes to feeding, particularly in containers, I use a liquid fertilizer that’s high in phosphorous, such as 15-30-15, to help promote blooming. (Phosphorous is the middle number on the fertilizer label.) Since constant watering leaches nutrients out of the soil, I feed my geraniums regularly, at least every 2 weeks or so during the growing season. This encourages them to set plenty of flower buds.

I’ve also found that geraniums prefer cooler temperatures, so I give mine only morning light and protection from the hot afternoon sun. Too much heat robs them of vigor and keeps them from flowering. You’ll also want to remember to remove all of the faded flowers so that your plants will continue producing a lot of showy color.

One of my favorite summer flowers is the old-fashioned, pompom shaped Hydrangea macrophylla. I can remember as a child being drawn to the cool shaded area on the north side of the house where my mother had a bank of blue hydrangeas planted. The giant blooms were as big as my head and such a clear, deep blue they seemed to belong in a velvet-lined jewel box rather than casually hanging about the garden.

Old-fashioned hydrangeas are easy to grow if you follow a few simple guidelines. Most varieties are cold hardy to zone 5, which means they will tolerate minimum winter temperatures between -10 and -20 degrees F.

Hydrangeas are traditionally known as shade garden plants, but too much shade can result in reduced bloom production. Ideally they should be situated in areas of light shade to partial sun. If you live in a cool climate you can even plant them in full sun.

Hydrangeas are woodland plants so they prefer to be in consistently moist, well-drained, humus rich soil. A generous application of mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain moisture. Little pruning is required with old-fashioned hydrangeas. In fact, improperly pruned bushes can result in bushes not producing any blooms. Old-fashioned hydrangeas set their flowers on previous year’s growth, or what is referred to as old wood. So, in late summer and early fall, your shrub is preparing blooms for next year.

In early spring you can tidy up the plant by removing any dead wood and old flowerheads.

Any severe cutting back should be done immediately after the flowers fade in the summer.

Other causes for lack of bloom include harsh winter temperatures, warm spells followed by cold weather, and late freezes. All can damage or kill tender flower buds. If you site your plants in a north or east facing area of your garden, you can reduce the chances of the buds opening during aberrant warm winter weather. These areas of the garden warm up slower than south or western exposures. Northern gardeners who know that they are in it for a long cold spell can wrap their hydrangeas in burlap for winter protection. Planting the shrubs near house foundations also offers some refuge from cold temperatures.

In my Mid-south garden I fertilize my hydrangeas twice during the summer with a slow release fertilizer, usually in June and then again in August. In cooler climates this can be done once, usually in June. Follow the directions indicated on the fertilizer package. Just remember that too much nitrogen will result in an abundance of lovely leaves at the expense of blooms.

Over the years I have broadened my selection of hydranges to include H. paniculata ‘Tardiva’, H. arborescens ‘Annabelle’, H. quercifolia (oakleaf), and H. paniculata ‘Limelight’, but I still treasure the old-fashion varieties for their ease of care and colorful long lasting flowers.

You know the garden is about a lot more than just beautiful flowers and plants, it’s really about life. I’m always trying to attract different forms of life to my garden. Now, we’re all familiar with attracting butterflies and birds. They add so much grace and color.

Over the years I’ve discovered that the garden can become even more alive by employing the help of some little garden helpers like my Bantam chickens. They are the pintsize members of the chicken family. Since they’re so small, they really can’t do much damage to the garden. They also provide benefits, like eliminating insects and, well, their droppings can certainly make my plants grow. And they’re just a lot of fun to have around to watch.

Goldfish are another garden helper that are just as colorful as chickens. They are some of the easiest garden pets to care for. It’s much more convenient for me to keep them in my garden pool rather than an aquarium or fish bowl. And what a service they provide! They eat mosquito larva and their waste fertilizes my water plants.

And of course, who could forget the honeybee. I don’t guess you could really call them pets, but what a benefit they provide to my garden in the way of pollination. And, of course, the delicious honey.