Plant in Focus: Yucca Elephatipes

Yuccas are presently one of the trendiest plants around. Drive past any strikingly modern home and chances are you’ll see a yucca plant through the window or somewhere in the architecturally planned garden. But you don’t have to be on the upper rungs of the real estate market to enjoy these tropical plants, they look great in almost any setting.

The yucca most commonly available as an indoor plant in New Zealand is the Yucca Elephantipes. Known variously as the Spineless Yucca, Spanish Dagger, Adam’s Needle, Spanish Bayonet and Soapweed yuccas are hardy perennials that generally range from 30 cm to 2.5 meters in height. They have thick woody stems that bear, at their upper ends, clusters of long, dark-green, spear-shaped leaves.

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Symbolism: Transmutation, Protection, Purification

During late spring and summer, yuccas may produce dramatic clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers. So striking are these flowers that early settlers of the south-western United States called them “Lamparas de Dios” or “Lanterns of God”. Pollination and proper yucca care are necessary for the formation of these flowers on indoor plants.

A member of the Agavae family, the yucca is closely related to the lily and has its origins in Mexico and Central America where it was prized by indigenous peoples for the medicinal and nutritional properties of the yucca flower. North American natives, too, found the plant useful, using it to make clothing and soap (yucca roots are rich in saponins).

If you want a houseplant that will grow in most conditions and which requires minimal care, you won’t go far wrong with a yucca – in fact the plant is so hardy it is sometimes called the “No Water Plant”.

Yucca plants fare best in bright light situations. Indoor yuccas should therefore be placed near windows to take advantage of natural light.

Yuccas like sandy, well-drained soil. Use an appropriate potting mix and place a 5 cm layer of pebbles in the bottom of the pot for optimum yucca care. Do not put a catcher or plate under your yucca’s pot. Waterlogged roots are one of the most common killers of this plant.

Though yuccas are almost set-and-forget houseplants, they will benefit from a dose of fertilizer two or three times a year.

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Plant in Focus: Yellow Iris

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In the language of flowers dating back to the Middle Ages, iris flowers have conveyed many meanings and emotions, with the yellow iris signifying passion. Victorian suitors displayed the depth of their feelings by including yellow irises in bouquets sent to their love interests. In general, iris flowers symbolize hope, faith, wisdom and promise in love, but when singled out by color, the yellow iris is meant to convey passion. 

Yellow iris, or yellow flag iris, is a perennial aquatic plant native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It was first introduced to North Americain the 1800s as an ornamental plant for ponds and water gardens. The plant has since spread to many waterways, including those in parts of southern Ontario. In addition to its use in gardens, it has been planted in wastewater ponds because it is known to absorb heavy metals.

Yellow iris can grow in both treed and open wetlands, along river and lake edges, and on floodplains. The plant spreads by seeds and by underground stems known as rhizomes that send out new shoots above the ground and roots below. Stands of yellow iris develop thick mats of rhizomes that can connect several hundred plants. Fragments of rhizomes that break off can also form new plants

• Yellow iris can form dense stands with very thick mats of rhizomes and dead leaves that can displace native plants and change wetlands from a wet to a drier environment.
• The plant reduces habitat available for wildlife, including native fish habitat and bird nesting and rearing sites.
• The dense mats can block water flow in irrigation and flood control ditches.

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Enhance Your Lawn’s Value—Plant Trees

Trees are some of the most abundant things on earth that has plenty of uses. Aside from being a very fascinating and interesting species, trees help cool down our environment it provide for a much needed shade that blocks harmful ultraviolet rays. The moisture that they released through the process called transpiration deters pollution and absorbs carbon dioxide in the air. That is why, planting trees in your yard can provide you with many benefits. Furthermore, studies show that your property’s value can be raised to as much as 20 percent when there are well-maintained trees around, which is why a  a Davao landscaper is essential.

When you want to plant trees in your garden or around your property, you need to select the best specie that will thrive in your area. You need to draw out the purpose by which you want a tree—maybe you would want it for decoration and provide additional aesthetic value, or maybe you would want a tree that would bear fruit or perhaps a tree to provide shade especially when you are having a great barbecue parties with your friends and family.  Once your tree is grown, it needs proper care for it to develop strong trunk and healthy branches in which case, a professional landscaper can do wonders providing the necessary care that your trees need.  Sometimes, trees grow so large that their branches and leaves can distract your property. A professional landcaping company from Davao City can prune your trees and remove unwanted or damaged branches and at the same time, maintain the aesthetic value of your trees.

You can do the pruning of the trees yourself, however, without proper training and appropriate tools and equipment, you are endangering not only the trees but you are also exposing yourself to risk. It is a fact that trees can live for long and trees die not because of old age, but because they are being cut by men and killed by insects and diseases due to improper care. With a professional landscaper in Davao, you can be assured that you are getting the quality service that your trees deserve. A well-cared trees in your lawn by professional tree experts will ensure that your trees will be healthy and will continue to provide outstanding benefits for you and your family in many years to come.

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Landscaping Ideas: Create a Stunning Garden Landscaping with Landscaping Companies

Green N' Style Landscaping and Design

If you do not have any idea about landscaping design, you would probably be overwhelmed by the myriads of design choices for your home garden. Probably, you have just built a beautiful house that needs a stunning garden to complement; or perhaps you find your current garden boring that it needs rehabilitation to give it a complete fresh look. Similar to designing your room or your house interior, there are design principles that you need to remember to achieve the garden that you’ve been dreaming.

List down what you want for your garden. You need to consider what needs to you want to be answered by your garden landscaping. Maybe you want your garden to have space to allow your children to play, or maybe you want to build a garden patio where your friends and family could gather and share with an accompanying cup of coffee. Think about what you need and what you want for your garden. Do rough sketches if necessary, so that you can visualize what you want for your garden. There are many landscaping companies who can to a three- dimensional sketch of your garden so that you can have a better view of how your garden would look like.

Study your garden elements. It would be helpful if you make some notes on the various elements in your garden such as the wind and sun patterns. Maybe you want to build a patio at the north side of your house, however, it gets a lot of sun in the afternoon which is not ideal for your favorite afternoon gatherings. The most common mistakes of the beginners in landscaping design is that they fail to study the natural elements of the garden. When you carefully study these patterns of nature, you will be able to integrate some landscaping ideas that will give solutions to mitigate the situation. 

Experience your yard. This is especially helpful for those having their houses newly built. This would allow you to carefully study the intricacies that will be applicable in the long term about your garden landscaping in relation to your daily activities. You may find out later that there are certain areas in your garden that you will discover to be most appropriate to your daily needs that you may have not thought initially. Get the hang of your place first, then develop a design that is best suited to your needs.

Identify focal point. There are several avenue to get the best landscaping ideas for your garden, and most of these inspirations normally emphasized that any good garden must have a focal point or series of focal points integrated in their design. It could be an exquisite plant variety, a garden sculpture, a water feature or perhaps a series of miniature bonsai trees, which draws your attention and move your eye through the garden landscaping.

Green N' Style Landscaping and Design

Ask assistance from professionals. In most instances, it is best to hire a professional to do it for you. Not a few homeowners and beginners get overwhelmed midway through their implementation of their landscaping design. Sooner, they will realize that the intricacies of gardening such as finding a plant supplier, selecting the right plant combination and variety, choosing the appropriate accessory is overwhelming, which in the end result to a poorly-designed garden. You can find from among the local Green N'Style Landscaping, landscaping companies  in your area, one that you are comfortable with to assist you realize your dream garden. More often than not, this professionals have the manpower capacity and years of experience to implement your garden landscaping; and they could give you landscaping ideas that you can go through with and even present to you a three-dimensional sketch of your garden for you to have a better perspective of your garden.

Remember, there are no shortcuts to a stunning garden. It must be carefully planned and you need to be patient and open to change and allow yourself to discover things that could work best for your garden throughout the process.