Archive for December 2011
Getting Ready for Winter Gardens
Some people believe that when the weather starts getting colder and the leaves start to fall, it is time to put away the gardening tools and wait until next spring to work on their garden again. Wrong. Winter is an important time to maintain your garden’s health and assure yourself a good crop for next year. You may think that might take to long to prepare your garden, but the truth is that it takes less than one day to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter.
When the nighttime temperatures drop to less than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit for more than four days in a row, or frost is forecasted for your area (usually around late October or November) you know its time to begin preparing your garden. You should begin by evaluating your garden design, check which plants grew well in the past season, and which plants did not do well. Fall is a good time to decide which plants will remain in you garden next year, and which ones should go.
It is also a good time to decide which new plants you want to grow. To make your garden more colorful and healthy, be sure only to plant the more hardy plants during the fall
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Water Conservation in the Garden – Use a Rain Barrel to Harvest Rainwater
If you are a gardener you probably already do a bit composting to recycle yard and kitchen waste. This homemade “Black Gold” does wonders for your plants and soil. But, have you discovered the gardening benefits of harvesting and recycling rainwater to use in the garden?
Many communities nationwide are experiencing either short-term or long-term water shortages. Some communities have begun rationing programs and impose fines if a homeowner uses too much water. Why not try some simple rainwater harvesting techniques and use the water to irrigate your garden? You’ll be able to water your plants when they need it and you may see a bit of savings on your water bill at the same time.
Harvesting rainwater is as simple as placing a rain barrel under a roof gutter downspout. Practically any large, clean container can be used as a rain barrel. For instance, you can use a plastic or metal trash can. However, there are major benefits to using commercially designed rain barrels. Features of commercially available rain barrels include: childproof and pet-proof lids, mosquito screens, overflow hardware, spigots for attaching hoses, and the ability to link multiple barrels together. These features make using your rainwater much easier and safer. Many city water departments will give homeowners a rebate on their water bill if they buy a rain barrel.
You can find durable, heavy-duty rainbarrels at most home improvement stores and garden centers. You can also order them from online suppliers. These rain barrels can be quite attractive also. Some are made to look like traditional round wooden barrels while some are square, or half-round to provide versatility and style when placing one beside your house. Some rain barrels currently on the market are made from recycled shipping containers for Mediterranean foods such as olives.
What are some of the advantages of collecting rainwater for use in your garden? For starters, you will be doing your part to conserve both water and energy. When you use rainwater you will not be using your municipal drinking water and will not be using the energy it takes to pump it to your house. It’s free, so you won’t be billed for it! Rainwater is fresh and naturally low in salt and chlorine so it’s good for your plants. Most of the time it is not cold and won’t shock your plants like water from an underground source can do.
Your grandparents probably used rain barrels to irrigate their gardens. Why not try something old to solve a new problem and conserve water by using a rain barrel? Even if you live in an area with very little annual rainfall you will be amazed when your rain barrel fills up after just one or two rain showers.
Article by Amy Passmore for The Gardening Guide. Visit The Gardening Guide for more information on conserving water in your garden.
This article may be freely distributed as long as the author’s name and live website link appear.
Tips and Advice for Organic Gardening
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Organic gardening is becoming more popular as people are tending to move away from the harsher chemicals involved in artificial gardening and towards a more natural product. Organic gardening greatly reduces the use of pesticides and harsh chemicals, trying to keep the garden as natural as possible, and keeping the nutrients in the soil.
There are a lot of advantages to organic gardening. One advantage is the fact that you can enjoy a wide diversity of garden insects, birds, and mammals which are otherwise affected by artificial gardens; for the most part, it is considered that organically grown food tastes better all around; you can do your part to stop waste and environmental pollution from avoiding fertilizers and other chemicals that have been proven to harm the environment. Another advantage is that you can be assured completely that absolutely no pesticides whatsoever will go into the fruit, vegetables, or herbs that you eat.
If you are thinking about going into organic gardening there are some tips and advice you may need. One of the most critical is to be sure and avoid the planting up large areas with the same plants. Instead, grow plant companions, especially those plants which repel insect pests.
There are also some tips that every organic gardener should know. Garlic is used as a natural antibiotic and antifungal remedy and when garlic is combined with mineral soap and oil, it then becomes a very effective pest control product. Milk is used to help control powdery mildew on cucumbers just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide. Beer is used to attract slugs, which are actually beneficial to gardens. Floating row covers are used for preventing insect pests from reaching the plants, and newspaper is used to smother and rid the garden of weeds.
Protein fertilizers are available almost everywhere these days, and besides that, there are numerous household recipes for starting and maintaining a fresh and healthy garden – without the use of harsh pesticides.
Organic gardening has become so popular that there is so much information available on the issue of organic vegetable gardening. Whether you are interested in starting in on this trend yourself, or you have already begun and simply want more information on the subject, it will not prove difficult to find.
Learn more Organic Gardening information at http://www.homegardenyard.com/
Small Backyard Mini-Ponds are Low on Maintenance and Easy to Install
Do you have a space in your backyard you would like to fill with a water feature? Most home-owners would like a large pond, but don’t want it so big that a child or dog could fall into. You also probably don’t want to dig a 3-foot hole either- recently, you may have discovered that your “backyard dirt” can actually substitute as modelling clay, and it has a similar composition as concrete. Maintenance is also another issue- do you have the time to nurture your pond, to keep the water clean, keep debris from falling into it, and to periodically clean the filters and pumps? Or would a 800 gallon pond quickly turn into a cesspool and attract nasty glares from your neighbours?
If you’re like most home-owners, you would prefer a small maintenance-free and easy-to-install pond. A small pre-formed pond is probably the ideal solution for you. Unlike liner ponds, preformed ponds already come in a pre-defined shape. Mini preformed ponds are typically 2-3 feet wide/long, and 1 foot deep. They are especially low-maintenance since the volume of water is only in the 30 gallon range, it is quite easy to periodically empty the water and to refill your pond.
Mini-preformed pond kits, such as Algreen’s 30 gallon kit, sometimes include a small watercourse to add the trickling sound of water to your backyard. They typically also the pump and pre-filter that is required to circulate the water, and to pump the water to your watercourse. The pump is an essential part of any water garden, because, without proper water circulation, your pond will rapidly transform into a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.
In addition to the pond, the watercourse, the pump, and the equipment included in a mini-pond kit, all you will need is:
- A carpenter’s level.
- Sand, to backfill your pond. In addition to backfill, the sand will also provide adjustable flooring for your pond shell, which will come in handy when you are trying to level your pond.
- A shovel, to dig your hole.
- A garden hose, to fill your pond with water.
- A space in your backyard that is relatively close to your house, to maximize its impact. Be sure to consider the slope of the land and to ensure that the pond avoids rainwater runoff.
Optional backyard water gardening supplies include landscaping rocks, aquatic plants, fish, and a fountain and/or spitter.
As you can see, water gardening can be made relatively straightforward with a mini-pond kit! For further information and tips about water gardening, please go to GardenSM.com.
More information about the 30 gallon mini-pond kit can be obtained at http://www.gardensupermart.com/buypond/c229211p16771003.2.html
A Garden Pond in Your Landscape – Want Water in Your Yard?
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A Garden Pond in your Landscape – Want Water in your Yard?
Thought about adding a garden pond? Should you?
Here are the pros and cons to consider:
On the pro side:
A garden pond adds an entirely new dimension to your garden!
Where before the living things were limited to plant life,
the pond will have fish (must does not need to).
The water will attract birds and other animals which make
for wonderful watching and viewing. This aspect of the water
feature can be enhanced by adding landscaping attractive to
birds.
The water noise generated by a waterfall, fountain or creek
is very relaxing and the visual beauty of the water feature
adds much enjoyment to the outdoor space.
Aquatic plants such as water lilies and lotus are absolutely
spectacular, do not need much care once established and
provide blooms all summer long.
Aquatic plants never need to be watered!
A garden pond actually needs less water than a lawn. This is
an important consideration in areas with water restrictions.
Pond fish do not need to be taken for walk, they do not make
noise and they can be left for a week or two on their own and
will do just fine.
A pond contributes important living space for critters that
have been impacted greatly by development of subdivisions and
shopping centers. Frogs, toads and newts will make a pond
their new home.
A well designed water feature will add to the resale value of
the home by greatly enhancing its landscape.
On the con side:
Building a garden pond requires a bit of an initial
investment. Good equipment should be used, because once a
pond is installed it will last many, many years.
Pond equipment does have to be mainted: Good equipment needs
very little maintenance, lower end equipment needs much
more.
A water feature has to made secure if small children are
close by.
This article provided courtesy of http://www.pondmarket.com – a site dedicated to garden ponds and water features providing free information including
e-books and a newsletter for water gardening hobbyists as well as a complete online catalog.
This article is copyright of The PondMarket, but may be
freely published without any changes to article or byline.
Backyard Organic Gardening Grow And Eat Healthy
People take part in organic gardening outdoors as a relaxation passtime. It gives a sense of well being when they achieve a colorful array of flowers. Some people go further than that, and create a garden for their own food. The organic movement has shown increased popularity over the past few years, and organic food is getting easier to get at the grocery stores, but gardeners would like to do it for themselves. Organic gardening outdoors isvery relaxing. In addition to organically produced flowers, you’re able to grow vegies, fruits, and some herbsswhich are flavourfull and you know exactly what’s gone into their creation. There is not any finer food on earth.
For more information about outdoor activites, and gardening take a peek at out website Outdoor Activites