Rain Barrel Considerations

Adding a rain barrel to your home garden? There are several items you might want to consider:

Site selection - you should try to place a rain barrel in a shady area to reduce the water temp and avoid watering your plants with a high content of microorganisms or mold.



Plastic barrels positioned in the direct sunlight will leach more toxins into the water. Also consider if the site provides easy access to roof soffits or other areas that raccoons would appreciate.

Consider adding a water diverter system that not only filters debris (you really don't want to be forced into cleaning out the mooky mess of leaves at the bottom of the barrel) but also switches back to the gutter when the tank is full to prevent flooding around the barrel site. I like the Rain Reserve Diverter system for keeping the system clean and turning off automatically.

Buy a barrel that has a spigot near the bottom of the barrel so you can completely drain the system and clean it out occasionally. This will also help when it's time to winterize your system.

Consider adding a platform so that you can fit a watering can underneath as well as a hose system.

If you have children who are likely to climb on the barrel, consider securing the barrel to the wall to prevent serious injury. (Children should never be allowed to climb on this in the first place)

Never drink the water out of the barrel, it has run off from roofing materials that may contain toxic chemicals.

Never water the leaves of any plants with the water from this system, instead, water the ground or use soaker hoses attached to your spigot.

Use a system that is closed off as much as possible to keep mosquitoes from making this site their preferred breeding ground.

Consider decorating your barrel - some ideas are at the end of this video.

Deter Birds From Plundering Your Flowers and Plants

So you've got your pots planted, your flower baskets hanging, and your entry ways, sidewalks, and back porch decked out with beautiful flowers and plants. It's wonderful, now you can sit back and relax, enjoying the sights and smells in the morning with a cup of coffee and a good book...Ahhhh.

But wait a minute, looking closer at your newly planted gems. Why is it that some of your plants seem to be thinning. That nice tea plant for example has a couple leaves on the top, but is now mostly just a stick. And several flower blossoms are handing broken or missing all together.

Those dastardly birds have done it to you again.

Bird watching can be enjoyable, but it's not so much fun to watch them ruin your flowers, plants, and all your hard work making the container garden look nice. Your lush new garden is truly irresistible to birds of all kinds, as they look for a perfect nest or the material to make a nest. However, there are plenty of plants in the wild for them to choose from...elsewhere.


So now your garden becomes a battle ground. You find yourself chasing the birds off every time they swoop in for an attack, or you've armed your lawn chair with a handy new weapon called a garden hose and you're constantly on alert. This may work for the moment, but it's not very relaxing and you can be certain, those pillaging birds will be back.

There's an easier way to battle the birds, it's simple, inexpensive, and does all the work for you. Go out to the store and get yourself a few nice shinny pinwheels. Birds don't like the reflection and motion of these guardians of the garden and they work amazingly well. In no time, your garden hose will be back where it belongs, and you'll be back to the serenity of your garden with your coffee and book.

Unfortunately on the horizon there lurks new enemies of the garden. Pinwheels don't do anything to keep away aphids or Japanese beetles... but that's a story for another day.

Recent Garden Projects

Garden Nanny's have been playing in the dirt to keep our client's gardens looking beautiful. Here's a few projects we've been working on. View our gardening services to see how we can beautify your garden, then give us a call at 630-450-1251.

Project 1
Under tree shade garden - soil erosion and root control maintenance.

Project 2
Garden winter clean-up - invasive weed removal, general weeding and pruning of shrubs and spring bulbs.

Project 3
Established a pool perimeter garden and provided thinning and weeding maintenance on a perennial garden.

Project 4
Designed and installed a balcony container garden.

Organic Controls For Pests

Below are some of the best home remedy to get rid of aphids:

The best way is organic control of aphids. Bring in predators that feed on aphids and this will solve your problem. Predators of aphids include lacewings, lady bugs, aphid predator (which is actual bug called that) and hoverflies.

You can also plant companion plantings like mint, fennel, dill, yarrow, clover and dandelions in garden which attract aphid predators to your garden and thus keep your gardens aphid-free naturally.

Mix the following ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil or white mineral oil, 1 ½ cups water, 2 teaspoons of dish soap or Murphy’s soap. Spray this on aphids attacked areas for few days. Aphids will run away of suffocation.

Alternatively, I’ve used a half baking soda and half water solution with a couple of drops of Dawn dish detergent which creates a dusty paste that the aphids do not like and sends them packing for more scrumptious goods. After you are sure they are gone, you can simply rinse off the powder with your garden hose. More stubborn dustings may need to have you fill a small bowl or plastic baggy and immerse and swirl gently until the baking soda dissolves.

Another remedy is to avoid over fertilization of plant. Aphids are attracted to over growth in overly fertilized plants and attack whole plant.

Fighting Japanese Beetles and Aphids at the same time? Spray the plants with the oil solution, and then purchase a Japanese Beetle Trap and attach fly paper to the top to catch the aphids! But be sure to put these traps at least 15 feet away from your plants you are trying to protect. It is important to empty the traps daily and ensure the bait is fresh. Beware: full bags can attract raccoons who will gladly eat your trappings.

If you get to the point where you want to grab a blow torch, you can always call the Garden Nanny for help!

Garden Technology

Do you love the idea of gardening but don’t know where to start? Burpee has developed a few mobile applications that may make this task a little easier.

http://gdncoach.mobi/mydesigner is a simple garden designer which will tell you which plants are available in your color scheme and suggests how to plant them in either a garden bed or container. It’s limited but a great start to help you know which plants can work together! Alternatively, you may also choose a favorite plant, add that to the garden designer and they will suggest companion plants. It’s a great little gadget…

http://gdncoach.mobi is a garden coach service that you can submit questions and get great advice from the experts at Burpee. You can also sign up for their newsletter and seasonal reminders for garden tasks and ideas.

Did you know?

That many plants in your favorite nursery’s now have Q Codes or QR Codes which you can scan with your smart phone and get instant access to information about that plant? It may save you a lot of headaches and a bit of money by helping you select appropriate plants for your different growing zones within your garden.

Find more great gardening ideas at Blooming Rails Garden Nanny.

Floriculture Affects All of Your Senses

Floriculture design can create a space which affects all of your senses.

The scent of the soil combines with scent of the plant, while the aromas of the flowers leave you feeling at peace. The colors of the leaves provide the perfect backdrop to brilliant flowers and bright berries. The coolness of the leaves and the textures of their branches create an escape from the harshness of brick and mortar, or screen you from a world or less than perfect environment like nothing else can. It’s your deck, balcony or garden…it’s your escape.

No matter how limited your space, you can create a container garden that can meet your needs and enliven the senses. A simple plant in a beautiful container may be all this it takes, but if you have the “obsessive” qualities I have towards plants, you may wish to consider the information I have below. It’s all about feeling good. We submit these ideas for those of you who would like to explore the “dark side” of obsessive plant compulsion in your private environment.

Taking Stock of Your Environment

When creating your perfect space, it is vital to make sure you understand the environment in which you are growing. Each plant chosen will need to be able to survive/thrive in your given location.

What are the zone conditions of each season?

How much sunlight and wind will your space receive?

How much pedestrian traffic will the area have?

Are there pet or children who will access to the space?

How will you display or attach each garden?

How will you interact with your garden – once a day? Week? Month?

There are countless considerations and sometimes it’s best to consult a professional, in the next few days I will upload a semi-comprehensive pdf that you can use when determining what will work best in your situation.