Free Gardening Tips

Do you love gardening? There is nothing quite like going out to your own garden and picking fresh ripe vegetables for your daily meals. If you love gardening as much as I do, then you probably feel a little sad when it all comes to an end each fall.

Well. I have found a way to have fresh vegetable growing all year by growing them with indoor hydroponic systems. It takes a little work to get set up, but then so does traditional gardening.

Hydroponics means soilless gardening. That's right. You can grow lush healthy plants and vegetables without any soil whatsoever. Hydroponics actually is not new technology. I has been in use many years on the commercial and research levels. It has only been the past few years that hydroponic systems have taken off in the home use sector. Now you can buy indoor hydroponic systems in kits so it is easier to get set up.

There are actually several different ways to grow plants with an indoor hydroponic system. Soil is not used, but other growing material is. This material may be water, gravel, sand, or vermiculite. Water needs to be able to flow through the medium so the more porous it is, the better it will be for they plants to grow. One could even use bran, moss or coconut fiber as a medium for indoor hydroponic systems.

The lifeblood of indoor hydroponic systems is the nutrient solution which is added to the water and bathes the roots. The nutrient solution was first developed in the 1890s and continues to be used today. It contains phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium, and trace minerals. This nutrient solution is used in the place of fertilizer.

The fun thing about indoor hydroponic systems is that you can design and build your own system if you want. If that sounds like too much trouble you can buy parts or entire kits. When you design your own system you can use whatever is available to you such as an old aquarium which can be used as a tank for the nutrient solution.

In addition to the tank or the reservoir, you will also need artificial lighting. Lighting that is specifically designed for growing plants, or grow lights, should be used. These can be obtained easily at any garden shop.

You will also need an air pump to maintain the proper levels of oxygen in the nutrient solution for the plant roots. An aquarium air stone works just fine. Anything can be used that aerates the water and makes bubbles.

A growing tray or tubes are needed to support your plants. Design them in such a way that the plant roots can hang below the tray to come into contact with the nutrient solution.

The easiest thing to do is to buy a kit that has all the indoor hydroponic system parts in one easy package. This is especially helpful if you know little about designing and building things, particularly hydroponics systems. Once you see the system in action and have a good grasp of how it all comes together, you may want to design your own system from then on.

If you are wondering what types of plants can be grown in indoor hydroponic systems, you will be pleased to know that you can grow anything you want from tomatoes, to mushrooms, to green vegetables, and anything else you want to try.

One of the most significant ways that you can show your condolences for the family of a deceased person is to send sympathy flowers. Normally, funerals are adorned with sympathy flowers from many concerned friends and acquaintances. Sympathy flowers are a traditional way to brighten up the home of the bereaved family and hopefully divert their grief. Sympathy flowers are a way to commemorate and honor the life of the deceased.

It is important to remember that if you are limited in your budget, synthetic flowers are not appropriate. There are several different lower priced sympathy flower arrangements that would be a better choice. Bud vases, table arrangements, and small wreaths in fresh flowers make a more tasteful choice than a large synthetic flower arrangement.

There are many choices in sympathy flowers. Standing arrangements, sprays, casket drapes, and planters are all common sympathy flower purchases. When ordering a sympathy flower arrangement, you can make a choice of type of flower, color, and style of the arrangement. These options allow you to totally customize and personalize your sympathy flower purchase.

One of the most popular sympathy flower arrangements currently is the garden basket planter. These arrangements are unique because the flowers can be kept and grown in the planter as a reminder for the family members of the deceased.

If you find yourself in a position where you need to send sympathy flowers there are certain things you need to consider. There are some cultural and religious differences that can influence the choice of sympathy flowers. For most cultures and religions, sympathy flowers are accepted and welcomed. However, for some members of the Muslim faith the emphasis at a funeral is on simplicity. Sympathy flowers are not appropriate in this case. Additionally, the shape of sympathy flowers is of important consideration. Sympathy flowers are often arranged in a cross shape, but this would not be appropriate for a Jewish funeral.

A warm, sunny, autumn day can be gorgeous, refreshing, invigorating, and exciting. It may evoke feelings of nostalgia, as you remember the thrill of finding the perfect Halloween pumpkin on just such a day in your childhood. It may make you adventurous, as it sparks the urge to hike through the woods, reveling in the vibrant colors of the foliage. Indeed, it can conjure many emotions. Unfortunately, however, in many people, it causes twinges of regret, as they gaze wistfully at the glorious day, wishing that they had not put their picnic tables away for the winter.

That's what you're supposed to do, right? It's a tradition. After the end of September, at the latest, all picnics must be tabled until next Memorial Day, because, left outside, exposed to the elements, the old picnic table soon won't have a leg to stand on.

Certainly, that's the way we remember it; but today's picnic tables are a lot sturdier than their predecessors were. Because of some of the improvements in wood treatments, as well as the introduction of many new, synthetic materials, they're incredibly strong. In fact, depending upon the material you choose, and where your picnic table is placed, you may be able to leave it outside all year long. In any case, a properly treated picnic table can last indefinitely.

Western red cedar, one of the most popular woods for picnic tables of old, remains a favorite today, partly because it has natural oils that make it resistant to decay and insects. It is also has properties that make it dimensionally stable, give it a rich, dense texture, and prevent it from warping. Add to that its natural luster and distinct, pleasant aroma, and it's not only a tough wood, but a tough wood to beat, to boot. It can be sealed and stained to maintain its reddish hue, or allowed to weather to a rustic gray.

Treated pine picnic tables, which are also in high demand, are made from top-grade arsenic-free pine that has undergone a process of kiln-drying, before and after a special pressure treatment, to help to prevent decay and minimize warping, checking, and twisting. They can also be sealed and stained, or allowed to weather to gray.

With one of the largest and best selections anywhere, AllPicnicTables.com has picnic tables made from every material imaginable. In addition to cedar and pine, you'll also find stunning oak and teak tables, as well as virtually indestructible vinyl, polywood, thermoplastic-coated steel, aluminum, and fiberglass picnic tables. The metal and synthetic tables are designed to be left outside year-round, without rusting, cracking, warping, or chipping. They are also available in a full spectrum of colors, and many are suited for commercial use.

Due to the small area available to some homeowners and apartment dwellers, patios and small gardens may seem like a challenge to landscape.

What follows are a few simple tips and strategies designed to maximize space, and help you create a lush and vibrant outdoor living area.

Container Gardening

Examine your patio or small garden, and you will probably see nothing but straight lines and right angles.

One trick used by professional landscapers is to "soften" these lines, or "round" the corners with vines or trees grown in large containers and placed tightly against walls, in corners, or at the edge of patios.

A good rule of thumb is the old adage, "There are no straight lines in nature". While many people may enjoy a more formal or symmetrical landscape, small gardens tend to benefit from a more natural, less structured design.

Both large and small, containers come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and designs. By placing a small tree, vine, or flowering shrub, planted in a large container in a corner, and placing around it a variety of smaller plants in pots and containers, you can create a multi-tiered effect with a great deal of texture and color.

In addition, you can achieve the same affect along walls or the edge of a patio.

Imagine a painters canvas, taller objects will stand in the background with progressively shorter objects working their way into the foreground. This creates a sense of depth, and in smaller gardens this can give the illusion of more depth than actually exists.

One method used to create this illusion of depth, is to employ plants with darker foliage (greens or purples) in the background and place plants with multi-colored, or variegated leaves ("variegated" is a horticultural term for plants who's leaves naturally possess more than one color), or brightly colored flowers in the foreground.

Vines, grown in a large container, and trained to cover walls or a trellis, will allow you to cover large areas of your "canvas" and still maximize space in smaller gardens or patios. This will also serve to soften, the rigid box-like feel of smaller areas.

Also, a small, self-contained fountain, waterfall or pond placed against walls, or in corners, can become a focal point, or point of interest from which to build out from.

Low growing plants with multi-colored foliage (variegated), are excellent choices for small gardens. These types of plants, many possessing leaves with striking reds, creams, and pleasant shades of green all on a single leaf, can add interest, variety, and texture to areas where they are planted.

Many plants referred to as "house-plants" will have variegated foliage or interesting flowers. Most house-plants are native to tropical or semi-tropical regions of the world and in warm-winter areas will do well outside year-round.

Most house-plants tend to be shade-loving and so do best in shade gardens or beneath larger plantings. In regions with heavy frost or snow, you will need to bring the plant indoors until the weather warms again.

Dwarf varieties of trees are an excellent choice for large pots or ground planting in small gardens.

There are literally hundreds of fruiting or flowering dwarf varieties available to the home gardener. Many will also possess leaves with interesting shapes, patterns, or colors, that are sure to add interest and variety to any landscape.

Patio Trees: The term, Patio Tree, is used to describe trees that are generally small, as trees go, and are also quite attractive at close range. Their branches will not shed annoying quantities of leaves, or drop messy fruit that will litter, or stain patio surfaces.

In addition, all will have "tame" root systems that do well in large containers, or if planted in the ground will not crack pavement or greedily take water and nutrients from surrounding plants.

Finally, fragrant herbs and low-growing plants with colorful flowers make good choices for containers in small gardens. (e.g., Gardenias, Lavender, Jasmine).

Tips on planting in containers

When planting in containers, remember that the root system, cannot search beyond the container for food and water. This means the plant will be totally dependent on the nutrients and water you provide.

Remember to always use a good quality potting soil, and add an appropriate amount of granulated or slow-release fertilizer when planting.

All plants grown in containers will over time, need an application of a good quality liquid fertilizer. Also, when planting in containers, pack the potting soil in tightly to ensure there are no air pockets, or voids that could harm the roots.

Finally, always choose a container with drainage holes in the bottom. Without good drainage, fertilizer salts will build up in the soil and can then harm the plant.

Container gardening is an excellent way to maximize space, and enliven small gardens or patios.

A wide array of plants suitable for container culture are available to the home gardener, and with a little care and planning are sure to enrich any outdoor living space.

The types of patio trees available to you will depend upon which area or region of the country you live in. Some options include:

Acer (Maple): Patio types are: Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple), A. cercinatum (Vine Maple), A. davidii (David's Maple), A. palmatum (Japanese Maple).

Lagerstroemia Indica (Crepe Myrtle): with attractive foliage and large clusters of flowers that can range in color from pink to cranberry to a deep or hot red depending upon variety.

Magnolias: available in many regions both hot and cool, have showy displays of tulip to saucer-shaped flowers with a wide selection of colors.

Prunus: (Flowering Cherry) (Flowering Plum).

Dwarf Citrus: such as lemon, lime or orange, make good additions to small gardens and tend to hold their fruit for many months.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

Need an easy, inexpensive centerpiece for your autumn table? All you need is a pumpkin and a handful of fall flowers. You can complete this project in less than an hour!

Supplies:

Pumpkin Fall flowers Sharp knife Large spoon

Prepare your work area by spreading out some old newspapers. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the top of the pumpkin. Use the large spoon to scoop all of the pulp and seeds out of the pumpkin.

If you need this done in a hurry for a dinner party, go ahead and arrange your flowers inside the pumpkin. If you have the extra time, let the pumpkin dry out for at least a couple of hours before you arrange your flowers.

I used artificial flowers in my pumpkin centerpiece, but you could also use fresh flowers. If your pumpkin is wide and deep enough, you could place an entire flower pot in it.

Use your pumpkin to decorate your fall or Thanksgiving table, or place it anywhere in your home to give your home the feel of autumn.

Give them their own 'patch'. This is a great way for kids to learn to be responsible for something. It's best if their patch is small, at least in the beginning. If they love it and want to do more, you can always make it bigger.
You want to encourage them by getting results as quickly as possible. When I was a little tacker it seemed like time almost stood still - especially when I was waiting for something. Start with seedlings of lettuce, cherry tomatoes or snow peas - foods that they love and are quick to give results. Potatoes are always a winner. Digging them up is like digging for buried treasure!

Take your little one(s) with you to select seeds that they can grow in their plot. They'll probably choose plants with bright colours and interesting textures, which will add interest to your dinner table. You'll find they are really keen to eat what they've grown, so you'll have them trying new things. This also gives them a valuable sense of contribution to the family and pride in themselves.

Most little people love flowers too as they are such visual creatures, so you can introduce them to companion planting. Teach them to grow good plant combinations and how this keeps insect populations in check. Try borage and strawberries, or tomatoes and parsley or basil. By the way, spending some time together watching bugs is a great way to learn about nature and how everything is interconnected.

Let the child be in charge of their patch. You can guide them with suggestions and tips, but let the final decision be theirs. Encourage them to mark when and where they plant seeds so they're not working in a spot they've already planted seed in. This will let them know when to expect the shoots to poke through - very exciting! Remind them to water and weed. Let them to do the bulk of the 'work', so the results are truly their own. Allow it to be a place of discovery, not mistakes. Encourage them to clean up after they've finished in their plot for the day. Establishing good habits now will have far reaching benefits in their life.

Building small structures like a trellis or bean teepee adds interest and dimension. You and your child can use bamboo or wire to make a small, simple structure for plants to scramble up. Climbing plants look great on a structure and can really shoot up very quickly. Try climbing beans, peas or cucumbers.

Enjoy your time together in the garden. Make sure your child's plot is near where you spend most of your time in the garden. You can be working your veggie garden while they are in theirs. You can share moments of excitement and discovery, like when seeds first break through the surface, or when you notice the first cucumber on the vine, or a gorgeous flower just emerging. Your garden is a place of constant wonder that you can share with your little ones. So have fun and enjoy!

Kitchens, gardens, cosmetics have found immense use of herbs and for many years they have found their use in flavoring, dying, perfume and cosmetics, so much so that some of the herbs holds the power to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others attracted the perfect lover, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops even for curing headaches and burns. And, of course, what would fine dining be without the culinary herbs? So here in this article we give you some tips for herb gardening indoors that will replicate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside. Requirements

You have to ensure that you have a sunny windowsill that your herbs will love. Use a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep.

Always procure your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden.

Apart from the space and herbs you would also require some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.

Very important factor to be considered is soil and you should only resort to using top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.

"How to" steps

While selecting a container go for one inch up gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem.

You should never plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants they tend to "take over" the garden. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own.

I would advice you to place a small piece of wire screening over the hole to keep it from getting clogged rather than putting garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container as the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots.

All herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn't supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.

Never let the herbs dry out but don't drown them either. Herbs do not like to sit in wet soil. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb's roots.

Here are some examples of which herbs to plant together:

* For an Italian selection try Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme. * For a lovely scented container use Lavender, Rose scented geranium, Lemon balm, Lemon thyme, and Pineapple sage. * For really great salads try Garlic chives, Rocket, Salad burnet, Parsley, Celery. * And to say "We love French Cooking!" use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage

Give your herbs to grow used to their new conditions. Once you see growth you can start using you herbs. Snip and use your herbs often to encourage them to grow full and bushy

Gardening in and of itself is an art form. And the art of fine gardening is just that, an art. Fine gardening may mean many things to many people, but to me fine gardening means more than just a garden. It encompasses all that's good and graceful in gardening and combines them to make one garden that is the epitome of all your dreams.

My enjoyment of fine gardening comes not only from the finished garden but from the endless hours that I spend designing and planning the actual garden, from the moment I first have the germ of an idea, to the moment I place the last sapling, and plant the last flower. All I want, all that I can be, should show through when first a person steps into this land of fine gardening, a place of peace and calm where a person can meditate on the finer things in life.

Therefore, a water feature, ideally one that will make a continuously soothing gurgle, with a small stepping-type of waterfall-cum-pond, placed on lovely slabs of flat rock with a hint of moss growing on it. A nice water lily or lotus to give off a contrasting color, and perhaps a fish or two. A few ferns and leafy rain-forest type plants placed around the pond, and I'm finished with this stage of my fine gardening.

Ideally I would love a big tree to stand in a corner of the garden, with a luscious velvety dark brown trunk that I can just about span with my arms, overflowing with vibrant green leaves spilling onto the ground in heedless abandon. Since I might not always get what I want, I'll settle instead for a few saplings that will one day fulfil my wish.

Since green is my target for the moment, I'd also see about laying a lovely shady lawn that you can sink your bare feet into when taking a turn about your garden.

I love the idea of a Zen garden, but prefer colors and lots of plants, so I would incorporate this feature into my fine gardening efforts by placing a path, naturally made out of rough hewn stone, zigzagging in a leisurely course through the garden.

And to finish it all off I'd have a little alcove, unseen from afar, that afforded the curious visitor a wide-angled view of the whole garden, with a sun shade, and a low-lying bench with a few plump cushions strewn carelessly about, and all of it surrounded by a profusion of welcoming flowers.

In the distance I would set about placing a few boulders, pleasing in stature and color to the eye, surrounded perhaps by a few flowers.

And amidst all this fine splendor I would walk amongst my heartfelt efforts of fine gardening and sigh in satisfaction and peace. For what more is there to gardening, than the art of fine gardening.

As your garden grows, you will want to make sure that you keep up with the attention so you have a full and fresh garden. You will want to make sure that you take care of the garden as closely as you did when starting the garden. You will need to water the veggies extra when it comes to dry periods and you will find that veggies benefit from getting an inch or more of water a week.

However, do not over water. If the day was very hot, make sure that you water you plants heavy in the evening. You should never water your plants in the hot sun because it will kill the plants. In addition, if you water the leaves of the plant you will find the diseases become more evident.

You should also get in the habit of mulching between rows. This will help you control the weeds and it will conserve moisture for your plants. You will also always know the pathway between rows with the mulching. This is important so that you do not end up stepping all over the plants.

You can use grass clippings, stray, wood chips, or even garden debris. If you want to make sure that the pathway is visible, you can use black plastic. This will allow ensure the moisture says in the dirt.

Another point that has to be made is insects. Insects have a tendency to ruin the crops. You will discover a bug problem early enough to make appropriate decisions for the crops. A problem will present itself before it destroys the crops. If you visit your plant everyday, you can catch this problem and pick up some insecticide that will not harm your crop, just the bugs. However, you should not use the insecticides when they begin to bare produce.

You will also have to maintain the garden by weeding the place out. Weeds are horrible! They take all the food and water from the plants and then begin to crowd the plants out. You need to be sure that you not only get the weed, but the root. If you do not get the root, it will just grow back, bigger and bigger. In addition, if you prolong weeding, the seeds will spread and all of sudden you will have a garden of weeds.

If you think that your job is over once you have harvested, your wrong! You will still spend time placing compost on the garden. During the off season you can place coffee grounds, egg shells, bread, and other things in the garden so that you can keep the nutrient levels exactly where they need to be. By you doing this, you will have fertile land to use when you plant the next spring.

Many people love to garden, but quite simply don't have the room, or they want to bring a part of their garden indoors. Container gardening allows you to grow your garden any place you have the room.

If you take a look at the pictures of my garden elsewhere on this site, you can see that I've taken container gardening to something of an extreme - my containers are about 8 feet long and allow me to have a pretty decent vegetable garden. We did it this way because there was no easy way to plant a vegetable garden in the home we are renting, but really wanted to show our children where vegetables come from.

Most container gardens, however, are done in much smaller containers. The exact size depends on the needs of the plant involved.

Many plants are small enough to do well in smaller containers, allowing you to hang them or place them on your patio, or even indoors. They can be a part of your home's decor or a fun way to grow just a few vegetables.

The containers can be arranged to bring out the beauty of all the plants. Larger plants can be behind smaller ones or you can use a tiered display to hold similarly sized plants at different levels.

You don't have to limit yourself to vegetables and herbs in your container garden. The plants don't even have to flower to look beautiful. Choose based on where you want to grow them (indoor, outdoors, lots of sun or just a little), how much care you are willing to take of them and what plants you just like to look at. Done right these plants will be with you a very long time.

One of the nice things about growing plants indoors is that you don't get very many weeds at all. That saves quite a bit of maintenance.

Don't choose your plants based on the pot they are in at the garden store. You will want to repot them with a good potting soil when you get them home, and that is the time to choose your pot. Many plants will come to you in a root bound condition, so they will need a larger pot than the one you purchased them in.

Flowers are the Natural beauties sent as a Gift by Nature to the World. They add fragrance, briiliance and beauty to the surroundings. The History of the Flowers in this Earth must go to the day when the Plants emerged in the World. Scientific research have shown that the Plants are in this World for the past more than 425 Million years and they have developed from their primituve form of Spores. The seeds for the Plants came in the primitve form as spores the small copies of themselves that can grow in other places. The Plants began to develop protection for the spores and thus came the seeds and there came into being the assured way of propagation and systematic reproduction by following regular Life cycles. The Flowers must have appeared during this stage and the earliest fossil proof of actual Flowers appears only 130 million years ago. But we do not have clear proof of how and when the Flowers developed for the first time as the fossil desposits do not give enough proof in this direction. The father of the theory of Evolution Charles Darwin himself is persplexed over this issue and calls this an abominal Mystery. It is generally assumed that the function of Flowers, from the start, was to involve other Animals in the reproduction process. Pollen should be taken to other places and for this the assistance of other living beings are necessary and it may not be possible without giving any other benefit. The Plants in some Islands developed sudden, fully developed appearance of Flowers and used them to develop a highly specialized relationship with some specific Animals and Birds. This type of specialized relationship with another Animal bearing pollen from one plant to another has resulted in both the plant(s) and their partners developing a high degree of specialization. Likewise, the next stage of the Flower the Fruits are used in plant reproduction that comes from the enlargement of parts of the Flower itself and is a tool which depends upon animals wishing to eat it, and thus scattering the seeds it contains. The hard proof as to the existence of Flowers about 130 million years ago, is available though circumstantial evidence we know that they did exist up to 250 million years ago. Flowers are genetically just an adaptation of normal Leaf and stem components on Plants, and the most primitive Flowers are thought to have both Male and Female parts on the same flower and to be dominated by the Female part. In later stages of evolution, Flowers grew more advanced, some, with a much more specific number and design, and with either specific sexes per Flower or plant. We see that Flower evolution continues even today; that the Modern Flowers have been influenced by humans to such a degree that many of them cannot be pollinated in Nature.