[al:]ΊγΠΗΣΆΣοΡ§Ο°Νψ [by:]Www.Hxen.com [00:00.00]Some gardeners plan their garden [00:02.61]with meticulous attention to detail. [00:04.80]They choose colors that [00:06.44]will complement each other [00:07.75]and design their garden [00:08.85]as if they were [00:09.83]painting on a canvas. [00:11.03]Others are more spontaneous [00:13.00]and simply visit a nursery [00:15.08]and purchase plants [00:16.40]that appeal to them. [00:18.14]Often gardeners have a trademark plant [00:21.10]that is their specialty. [00:22.96]Perhaps they enjoy the velvet [00:25.15]texture of the leaves, or maybe [00:27.12]the flower's color attracts them. [00:28.97]The varieties of gardens [00:31.60]are endless. Terrace gardening [00:34.01]has become popular. With [00:35.65]a herbal garden, cooks enjoy [00:37.73]being able to use fresh herbs [00:39.04]from their garden to [00:40.35]add zest to their favorite dishes. [00:43.31]They simply visit their garden [00:45.28]and clip a few pieces of [00:46.81]the herb they wish to use. [00:48.78]Every garden is as individual [00:51.62]as its owner. Gardens come [00:54.58]in all shapes and sizes. [00:56.66]Some are in the shape [00:58.14]of a rectangle, while others [00:59.67]are circular or irregular in shape. [01:01.97]Some gardeners like the appearance [01:03.93]of an asymmetrical shape [01:06.13]while others work to [01:07.88]achieve symmetry in their gardens. [01:09.73]For vegetable gardens, the most [01:12.03]popular shape is rectangular [01:14.22]and vegetables are usually planted [01:16.84]in a linear fashion. [01:18.70]This method makes it easier [01:21.33]to cultivate between [01:22.65]the rows of plants. [01:23.95]You could mistake some gardens [01:25.92]for a meadow when the gardener [01:27.46]chooses to include only [01:29.10]wildflowers as a choice of vegetation. [01:32.49]Including a pond in [01:34.13]a garden is popular too. [01:36.10]Entrepreneurs are always looking [01:39.17]for innovations and gadgets that [01:41.02]will attract the attention [01:42.56]of devoted gardeners and [01:43.76]induce them to spend their money. [01:45.95]It has become a huge industry [01:48.57]in the last few years, [01:50.76]as the baby boomers reach [01:52.40]retirement age and have more time [01:54.59]to pursue hobbies such as gardening. [01:57.32]There are new products patented [01:58.97]every year to tempt the gardener. [02:01.37]It is possible to [02:03.78]buy a kit that contains [02:05.42]a complete set of tools [02:06.73]needed by the home gardener. [02:08.48]Unfortunately, often the quality [02:11.33]is poor and the product [02:12.97]is a fraud. Instead of [02:14.83]having something good to [02:16.25]work with, the purchase [02:17.57]turns out to be junk. [02:18.99]If you want to flatter [02:21.17]a gardener, and boost [02:22.71]their ego at the same time, [02:24.13]summon up the courage to [02:25.88]simply ask if you can [02:27.52]swap plants. Of course, [02:29.49]it will give them a thrill [02:31.24]if you also compliment them [02:32.45]on the hardiness of their plants [02:33.86]as compared to yours. [02:35.29]They might even try to [02:37.15]console you on your lack [02:38.35]of competence as a gardener [02:39.56]because your plants are not [02:41.31]as sturdy as their plants. [02:43.28]Irrespective of the competence [02:45.46]of the gardener, anyone who [02:47.10]augments the number of plants [02:48.96]grown is helping to conserve [02:50.71]our planet by averting erosion. [02:52.46]This pays great dividends [02:54.87]for everyone as it also [02:56.18]serves to protect the ozone layer. [02:58.26]Some people erect barricades [03:01.43]to keep small animals [03:02.97]from attacking the plants. [03:04.61]Squirrels love to dig up [03:06.47]flower bulbs. They find [03:08.33]them a tasty treat. [03:09.97]It is common to see [03:11.61]ceramic fixtures or figurines [03:13.14]in a garden. Even [03:15.22]the untrained eye can tell [03:17.19]that the imitations are a fake, [03:19.05]yet properly placed, they add [03:20.80]to the intrinsic beauty. [03:22.88]A rain gauge, attached [03:24.74]by a bracket to a fence, [03:26.38]is a common sight and [03:27.91]is used to enable the gardener [03:29.44]to diagnose the moisture level [03:30.97]of the soil around [03:32.18]the plants and determine [03:33.82]if they need more water. [03:35.90]If nature does not provide [03:37.54]enough rain, then the gardener [03:39.40]will use a plastic or [03:40.49]rubber hose to provide [03:41.81]more irrigation. With a twist [03:44.21]of a knob, or by moving [03:46.18]a lever, the thirst of [03:47.93]the plants for moisture [03:49.03]can be quenched.What greater pleasure, [03:51.55]than to work in your garden [03:53.19]and as you clip [03:54.39]the overgrown plants back to [03:55.37]size or prune branches [03:56.58]of fruit trees, hear [03:58.22]the buzz of bees? [03:59.53]You know that they are [04:01.39]enjoying your garden as [04:02.37]they extract the pollen [04:03.25]from the blooms. You relish [04:04.89]the feeling that you are [04:06.86]one with nature. The hum [04:08.28]of insects as they share [04:09.70]the garden is more pleasurable [04:11.13]than music from a stereo [04:12.33]or a symphony to [04:13.32]a devoted gardener. In addition, [04:14.85]the scent of the flowers [04:18.90]is an integral part [04:19.77]of the joy of spending [04:20.86]time working in a garden. [04:21.85]The irony of the situation [04:24.37]is that nature sometimes [04:26.55]conspires against the gardener, [04:28.31]and a hailstorm can riddle [04:30.06]beautiful plants, shredding their leaves [04:32.90]in minutes. Hurricanes can uproot [04:35.30]even the largest trees [04:36.83]although this is an event [04:38.81]that seldom occurs in Southern Ontario. [04:41.10]Tornadoes are more likely [04:43.73]in this area.Parasites can [04:46.25]attack plants and threaten their survival. [04:49.20]Any number of things [04:50.62]can become a plague. [04:51.93]It is often difficult [04:53.25]to discern exactly what it is [04:54.78]that is destroying the precious plants. [04:56.86]Any number of complications [04:59.59]can shatter the gardener's dream [05:01.89]of surpassing last year's accomplishment. [05:04.30]An authentic gardener will not [05:06.59]brood about the disappointment [05:07.80]for long. Even as [05:09.22]the disaster is occurring, [05:10.97]you might overhear the gardener [05:12.83]murmur ΅°There's always next year.΅±