Where Do Wind Chimes Come From?

Wind chimes were first made back in prehistoric times by many cultures. And through the ages have continued to remain popular for their decorative appeal and sound. In Rome, wind chimes were called titinnabulum. And were used much like today, and put in gardens where wind would pass through them causing them to produce a tinkling sound. It was thought the noise would chase the evil spirits away, and invite the good spirits to stay.

In the second century in India very large pagodas became popular, then later in China. Buddhists would use wind chimes and bells abundantly, by the hundreds or sometimes thousands. The chimes were elaborately decorated, carved and cast, and were hung at each corner of the roof, under eaves of temples, on pagodas and shrines. When the wind would pass through the thousands of chimes, it would cause a near deafening sound. These bells were originally used to scare away birds, and any lurking evil spirits. They are now thought to be good luck and are used in Feng Shui. Feng shui considers sound as a great way to get rid of negative energy, so many homes in Asia have wind chimes.

Chimes were first used in Asia and the ancient Mediterranean. They were thought to attract good spirits as well as warding off evil spirits. In China and Japan, because of their decorative appeal they became used in private residence as well in sacred locations. It wasn't until the 19th and 20th centuries that their popularity spread to the Western countries.

Many believe that chimes are also good for the health. The reverberant and vibration of the sound is believed to release emotional blockages in the body, sooth the mind, and relieve stress, causing a more conscious awareness and connection with the spirit. The soothing tinkling sound is thought to encourage relaxation while diminishing tension and anger.

Long ago people also used Chimes to predict the weather. They didn't have highly sophisticated ways of predicting the weather like we do today. Farmers and fisherman thought they could make short-term weather predictions with the wind chimes. For example, they would hang some chimes in a location exposed from the north. Wind coming from the north could mean cold weather coming in. Or by placing chimes in a location exposed to the south, wind from the south could mean milder weather. Based off the intensity of the chimes they could gauge if a storm was coming in. By placing wind chimes from various directions they could get a picture of what weather may be brewing.

In Bali they create wind chimes from capiz shells, known as the windowpane oyster. In the 1500's the capiz was used to make windowpanes in homes. Now they are used for all sorts of decorations. Such as lamp shades, vases, chimes, dishes, and jewelry.

Wind chimes date back to prehistoric times and have been used for many and various reasons. Whatever your reason for using wind chimes, their tinkling sound does create a relaxing atmosphere. And with so many shapes, designs and materials to choose from, they can be a lovely addition to any home or garden.

Cassidy Frost is a writer for The Tinkling Wind Chime. http://www.thetinklingwindchime.com/ offers a wide variety of stylish garden decor, from practical to whimsical. Offering a wide selection of wind chimes, garden flags, birdhouses, birdbaths and much much more! Start transforming your backyard into your own personal Eden!

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Caring For Roses and Rose Gardening

Caring For Roses.
Rose gardening is not a novice job. It demands skilled hands. But with the right information and knack for the same, anyone can become a master rose gardener. Caring for roses is the most crucial thing in rose gardening. The basic care of roses varies from season to season. Together with it, there are integral factors that need special attention while planning for rose gardening. Hence, caring for roses is a very generic term. It actually involves some specific tasks. These are, the variety to choose, the climate, the area where your rose shall be planted, the soil chemistry, mode and type of fertilization, diseases, recommended pesticides and watering technique.

The variety to choose.
Before starting with the project, you must get a thorough knowledge of the varieties of roses that are hardy and disease resistance. In most cases people go by the color, size and fragrance of roses, without knowing whether the plant will suit the environment it will be placed in. As a consequence, most of the roses die with a slightest change in climate, a delicate mistake in watering or due to increased vulnerability to pests. The word hardy is also dependent on the climate of the place where it is to be planted. But still in general, some roses that are known for their hardiness are Altissimo Rose; which is a climbing variety with a single layer of petals. Another one is Bonica Rose shrub variety with pink color, dense structure and sweet essence. Another is Graham Rose; full petal, yellow colored shrub variety. Others are Marmalade Sky, bright red floribunda variety, New Dawn, large climber variety with light pink colored big flowers and strong fragrance, Starry Night, abundantly flowering hedge variety with single petal layer, Alexandra, Autumn Sunset, Electron, Gemini, Lavender Lassie, Tuscany, Olympiad, etc.

Soil requirement.
Caring For Roses demand a soil chemistry that comprises of a proper balance of some essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, boron, iron and magnesium. The most suitable soil for roses is that which are slightly acidic, having pH level between 6.0 and 6.5. Remember that roses cannot tolerate too acidic soil either. The best thing to do is to test the soil prior to planting. If the soil is too acidic, add some lime or if it's too alkaline, add sulfur so that the right pH level is achieved. The soil must have good drainage so water clogging does not occur. Roses are severely affected by root rot.

Watering the plants.
Roses hate over watering. Rather it is apt to say that watering roses is a confusing issue. On average, two to three times a week of watering is enough for roses under normal climatic conditions. Never allow the soil to become too dry or the plant to wilt. Always ensure that you water roses early in the morning or in the later part of the evening so that evaporation is minimal.

Fertilization.
Roses need to be fed generously during the growing season. This period initiates from early spring and continues throughout winter. But feeding must be stopped a month before the expected frost of the season. A light liquid feed weekly. The basic feeds are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. But some macro nutrients like magnesium, calcium and magnesium and micro nutrients like iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, chloride, and boron are also recommended as occasional feed.

Diseases and pest control.
The most raging pests for roses are spider mites. They create holes in the leaves and suck dry all the juices from the tissues of the plant. Lime sulfur is recommended for eradicating them. Rose beetles and rose chafers dig holes in the buds and prevent them from blooming. They can be removed by hand picking and throwing the buds or using rotenone spray. The leaf cutter bees cut oval or round holes on the leaves. Hard pruning the affected area is a way to get rid of them. The most common disease of roses is powdery mildew which occurs due to improper circulation of air within the roots and high moisture content in the soil. Others are fungal infections like canker, black spot, botrytis.

As you can see, Caring For Roses with the right preparation and a little bit of know how, anyone can grow beautiful vivid roses.

John Giddio

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Raised Vegetable Beds

Raised vegetable beds are a fantastic method of growing vegetables. They allow you to dictate the soil type whilst allowing the addition of organic matter to the surface of the soil without the hassle of it spilling onto pathways. They also make the plot more manageable and efficient and they look great - an important aspect when growing veg in your own garden as opposed to an allotment.

The idea is simple. A framework of wood or recycled plastic is made to a convenient size. This is placed onto the soil surface and off you go - either work the existing soil or add organic matter to improve and nudge the properties of the soil to where you want it to be. But the size of the raised bed is vital to its efficiency. If the bed is too wide it makes weeding, sowing, planting and cropping difficult without the need for stepping on the soil surface - and the idea is that you shouldn't ever need to walk over the surface of soil in a raised bed. It's also a good idea not to make raised beds too long. This avoids the need for a long walk to simply get to the other side (jumping over the bed isn't a good idea for a variety of reasons!) So, make the beds wide enough to accommodate plants but only wide enough so you can comfortably reach into the middle without overly stretching or straining a back muscle. When you are designing or fitting out your new veg plot ensure you can comfortably walk, with a barrow, between your raised beds. The better the access the more you will want to work them and this leads to increased productivity and quality of your crops.

You can make raised beds from any material you have to hand - but wooden beds warm up the soil quickly and makes fixing cloches and mini tunnels so much easier than other materials. It's also worth remembering that once the beds are full of soil there is a lot of pressure pushing the wooden boards outwards so make sure you buy raised beds that have been made to exacting standards. There's nothing worse than bulging sides with soil and plants spilling onto pathways. You can of course buy wooden planks and make your own - but be careful as any old preservatives can leach into the soil and has the capability to taint your veg. A quality product bought new will last for many years.

Once installed the real fun begins - what to grow! A raised bed is exactly the same as any veg bed - but better. You will have control over the soil type so can adapt conditions to what you want to grow. Put simply, you can grow anything in a raised bed! But be warned - once you see the results you will want more!

Sophie Delves writes for specialist vegetable growing website, VegGrower.co.uk, on subjects such as raised vegetable beds and growing vegetable plants

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Rose Planting and Gardening

History. The rose is a flower which attracts everyone's attention. The rose is the symbol of love, war, beauty and politics. It is colorful and hence a colorful history is behind this beautiful and mystical plant. Scientific research shows the presence of these flowers at around 35 million years ago. China is the country which started the trend of rose planting, about 5000 years ago. The major purpose of rose gardening was perfume making during the ancient times. During the tenure of the Roman Empire roses were used for various purposes like medicine, perfume, and celebration. After the fall of the Roman Empire the existence of the plant was fully dependent upon rose planting, and rose gardening.

Rose planting? Certainly the question might arise of whether rose planting is beyond your own ability. It's certainly something that would cross anyone's mind at firsthand. The most important requirement is the technique that helps in efficient rose planting. You don't need to be a gardening veteran for rose gardening. Some techniques are required to start with rose gardening which hardly involves any special skill. You just need to follow simple steps like choice of land, planting time, and steps for rose planting.

Land selection for rose gardening. Open filed and plenty of sun are the major requirements of rose gardening. A land should be chosen in such a way that the roses would get open sun for around four to five hours in a day. Another thing that should be kept in mind is the open space. A place where rose gardening is kept at bay from being crowded with other plants and herbs.

The perfect time for planting. The end of winter is the best season for rose planting. Bare root roses are the best planting options in the late winter. These roses are derived from step and root. This is the most convenient option for rose gardening. Apart from the bare root type, there are container roses which are already covered with leaves and buds. The outset of spring is the best time for these types of roses. Nursery containers best take care of these type of flower. Since these are easy to grow in pots they can be used for the purpose of home gardening.

Tips to follow before rose planting It is essential to let the bare root soak water before planting. If you are using a pot for plantation then the pot needs to be filled with water until the bare roots are ready for plantation. The hole should be made in proper proportion that is 15 inch depth and 18 inch wide. A little more depth should be maintained while doing plantation in cold areas. Bone meal, compost, and peat moss are added inside the hole prior to planting the bare root. Finally proper watering is what makes the plant grow well.

Feel free to browse the links on CaringForRosesUntoldSecrets.com for more information about, rose gardening and rose planting, or signup for the Free 10-part rose care mini course.

John Giddio

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January Gardening Tips and Snips

Houseplant Check Up

Houseplants make great gifts and you may have received some over Christmas. You need to ensure your houseplants continue to give you the best displays by keep them away from radiators and checking regularly for water. All plants need watering, but often mixed arrangements are given as gifts which contain plants with differing needs so check these carefully to ensure you do not over or under water. Flowering houseplants should be picked over and any faded flowers removed to encourage new flowers to be produced. A liquid feed given every two weeks will help to encourage new growth and flowers and misting the foliage with water will help keep the leaves from browning at the tips.

Bring Life to Your Home

After the Christmas tree has been disposed of, your home can seem a little empty without the dash of greenery so January is an ideal time to fill the void with a large foliage houseplant such as a kentia palm or Dracena. Houseplants help to clean the air and are a relaxing influence in the home so why not treat your self today?

Outdoor Bulbs

Spring is the time for flowering bulbs to start making an appearance. If you didn't have chance to buy some spring flowering bulbs in the Autumn, then you will find many varieties are available now in pots which can be planted out straight away in pots, tubs or in a garden border. Spring bulbs such as snowdrops are often the first flowers to appear and are a welcome sign of the warmer weather to come and the nodding heads of large flowered daffodils look great planted in groups and bring a cheery dash of colour to your garden.

Planting Up Borders

Don't forget your shrub borders during January as you can still plant container grown plants along with bare root plants if the weather is mild. Why not choose from the large range of winter interest plants such a winter flowering honeysuckle and winter jasmine?

Pots and Containers

Terracotta pots can be damaged by frost during the winter if they are allowed to become too wet, make sure that pots are lifted above the ground to drain by using upturned saucers or pot feet. If your plants have become pot bound you can always re-pot them at the end of the month or even plant them into the garden.

Plants of the Month

Although many of the showy plants and flowers are not looking their best at this time of year, there are still many plants which look good and can be planted now as long as the ground isn't waterlogged or frozen. Plants with plenty of colour such as Mahonia Charity, winter flowering Jasmine are a blaze of colour whereas Lonicera winter beauty, Sarcococca and witch hazel have much smaller, but still interesting flowers and are ideal for being planted close to the house where they can be enjoyed.

Vegetables and Fruit

Mild days in January are ideal for getting out in the allotment. Well-rotted manure can be dug in now which will enrich the soil for planting later in the year. If you don't have access to manure then start a compost bin and use kitchen and garden waste to create a great soil improver. Fruit trees can be planted in any size of garden with many trees grafted onto dwarfing root stock that are ideal for growing in large pots on the patio or maybe you fancy growing a peach tree against a warm south facing wall?

Vegetable and Flower Seeds

Many seed companies start to get busy now with people planning what to grow and where. Have a think about what worked well last year and ditch the poor performers for something new. If you like to save your own seeds, over the years you may find the plants are not growing as well as they used to, this is usually because the vigour has been lost from the seeds, so try buying a fresh pack and starting your crops again.

We are the online shopping home of Crowders Garden Centre. We have been supplying our customers with high quality gardening products for over 25 years and you can now access our products here at our online shop for delivery throughout the UK or collection in our Garden Centre in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

As well as all the usual gardening products you would expect from a Garden Centre, we offer great prices on Outback Barbeques, Alexander Rose Furniture, Kitchenware, Birdcare and of course hundreds of plants. For more information, please contact: orders@crowders.co.uk or visit us at http://www.crowders.co.uk/

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