Perennial Flower Garden Ideas.

Using a stump grinder enables the removal of a tree stump from the ground, after it's been cut down. A professional, will use a stump grinder which is the relevant size for your property, to remove the stump.

Stumps can be removed immediately, or several years after the tree has gone. The grinder can remove stumps from awkward places such as close to walls and footpaths or where disruption of underground services might occur.

Most stump grinders work in the same way, with a vertical rotating disk, with tungsten carbide tipped teeth. These cut through the stump,with a sideways action, cutting and reducing the stump to mulch.

Most reputable operators will offer to remove the mulch, leaving the finished area ready for immediate a>, turfing or building. However, although not very attractive, the mulch can be used in your garden.

Different kinds of garden tool kits are needed in different types of gardens. Most hardware and DIY stores now have a wide range of tools available in stock, but there are shops that specialize in high quality and more expensive ranges of tools for your garden tool kit.

Wherever you decide to purchase your tools from, there are few points which you should consider, before making the final decision about your garden tool kit.

1. You need to look at the size of your garden, is it small or large? Small gardens do not require the same large equipment which you would use in a larger one. Such items as a ride-on lawn mower are certainly unsuitable, if you only have a small lawn.

2. You should also consider who in your household does most of the gardening. If it is your wife who spends lots of time gardening, then you need to look for tools that will suit her. Many of the garden tools produced are too heavy for women to use comfortably.

3. You should purchase a pair of secateurs for your garden tool kit and ensure that the blade is kept sharp to avoid causing undue damage to your plants.

Ideally you should buy a pair where the blades can either be sharpened or replaced, as well as having a tension control system and fits your hand size properly.

4.If you have a hedge or are considering growing one, then a good quality hedge trimmer or a pair of good quality shears is a vital part of your garden tool kit.

Some hedge trimmers have a curved blade, which stops branches from sliding out when cut and as with secateurs, the shears you purchase need to have blades that can be sharpened or replaced.

5.Essential items you should have in your gardening tool kit are a fork, shovel, rake, chipping hoe and perhaps a pruning saw (only essential if you have trees or large shrubs in your garden).

6.When selecting a garden fork remember that it has to be strong enough to carry out the work required of it,such as turning and aerating compost as well as breaking up lumps in the soil.

So rather than opting for a cheaper model, which you will find is probably not strong enough to work in heavy soil, you should look at one that is more sturdy.

7. A shovel should have a scoop blade and is mainly used for moving dirt and garden soil around. Again, make sure that the one you buy for your garden tool kit,is not too heavy to manipulate.

8.However, a flat bladed spade is ideal for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. All the edges of a spade should be kept sharpened for clean and efficient cutting,this will then cause little or no damage to your plants.

9. A fork is really a garden tool kit necessity and a good quality one is essential, to make light work of digging. Once again, make sure that it is not too heavy and has a comfortable handle.

10. Another tool that is part of the essential garden tool kit is a rake. There are two types of rakes available, the strong flat head rake that has sharp metal prongs, ideal for smoothing out a garden bed and removing any bumps and weeds and the plastic version which is specifically designed for gathering and clearing leaves and grass clippings.

11. The chipping hoe is a handy tool to have in your garden tool kit, as it helps get rid of all those small weeds that are dotted around the garden.

However if you want to avoid causing undue damage to your neck and shoulders whilst gardening with a hoe it is well worth considering buying either a Dutch or push-hoe instead.

12. The pruning saw is only really necessary if you have either trees or large shrubs in your garden. This piece of your garden tool kit should be used in place of secateurs, as they are only really designed for dealing with delicate plants such as rose bushes for example.

A good quality pruning saw will have a narrow curved blade which easily fits between the stems and branches of the tree or shrub and cuts them as you pull the saw back towards yourself.

Although gardening tools do not have to be expensive you may find that you can find good quality tools from garage sales or similar at bargain prices.

Although we moved to this house just over a year ago, it took some time to get round to starting to work on the gardens.

The house was in a terrible state of decoration, every room had to be sanded and painted after being washed with sugar soap, to remove the grease and grime.When that was finished, of course it was time to make a start on the gardens.

Then came the big decision, should we have a vegetable garden, or just stick with the perennial flower garden. Ideas flowed thick and fast, as to what was best to do. Eventually it was decides that the vegetable plot would go on one side of the path, and my perennial flower garden, would be on the other.

Fortunately I won the larger side, so I was able to plan what I wanted, with a little more scope. As the garden is small, we really had no need for the motor mower, which we had at the previous house. Which was just as well, as I discovered that having been misused, it didn't work!

I decided that rather than having to mow the grass regularly, I would plant thyme, which only needs trimming once a year. Having sown four packets of these seeds, I then had the dubious pleasure of planting them out in two circles in the garden. As I write this, they are, on the whole looking pretty good, despite the very wet weather and scorching hot sun, which we had during the summer months. The only casualties have been the plants the dog has scratched about on whilst playing with his bone. Hopefully they will improve now he's no longer lying out in the garden too often.

Joining these thyme circles are two more circles of gravel and cobbles. These four circles are the main theme of the plot. Around them I have various perennial plants and some bulbs.

By next summer, I will see just how effective my planting has been, and what needs adding or moving.
In the meantime, I'm awaiting delivery of three fruit trees, six scented, climbing roses and other climbers, which will go round the whole garden, making it a perfumed haven, to relax in.

Next, we have to tackle the other plot, at the back of the house - but that's another story.