Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1. One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4. Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.
The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 - 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

5. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

6.A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

7. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Garden Facts also Garden Decor and Landscape Trees Landscaping and Gardening with information and products.

This is a question often asked and one I’m interested in as we are doing a huge makeover of our yard and the gardens all need to be redone. Conditioning the soil takes some time when you are starting from scratch or replenishing, so read on my friends, I found this question and answer here

I want to plant a green manure, but how do I choose one?

You can plant numerous green manures in June. You simply need to decide which soil quality you’re shooting for and how quickly you want to replant your garden plot. If you’re devoting this summer to renewing the soil and won’t replant until next spring, you have lots of choices. Some green manures, such as alfalfa, are particularly suitable for breaking up heavy soils. Its deep roots will open up and aerate the soil once the crop is rototilled back into the earth. If you’re after nitrogen, choose one of the legume varieties, such as vetch, fenugreek, red clover, or black medick. Keep in mind that red clover is a perennial, which means that it might continue to come up in future years. If that’s a problem, choose one of the others. After two to three months in the ground, these crops can be rototilled into the soil or cut and left on top of the soil as mulch. Either way, they will release their nutrients slowly into the soil, improving it for future use. Wait at least three to four weeks, or until the following spring, before planting anything else in the area.

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Each water garden pond you create while gardening must be thought of as a mini-ecosystem. There are many factors that must reach equilibrium in order to have a healthy environment and to have a beautiful water garden. Otherwise you may wind up killing any fish you include and having a sick, algae overgrown mess that is neither attractive nor does much for your gardening efforts.

In this article we are sharing some basic water garden pond care tips that you probably have seen before if you have done any reading about water gardens. Understand these tips go toward achieving a beautiful water garden pond by balancing your water garden plants, the fish you may wish to include, the bacteria that also play an important part and other items.

First off be sure to dechlorinate your water that you include in the pond. This is especially important if you include fish and other creatures. Either allow the water, once your pond is built, to sit for a few weeks or use some type of dechlorination kit to achieve your end.

However you may find your city water supplies have been treated with chloramine. Chloramine can remain in the water for months and you should use a chloramine remover. Fish can be added within 20 minutes of using a chlorimine remover depending upon how well it is circulated through the pond. This is important if and when you may have to drain a pond to clean it out. Don’t add fish right away to a new pond. See more information below.

You will want to test the pH of your pond water. Keeping it above 7 and in the 7 to 10 range will help keep the algae down in the pond. Realize when your pond is just starting you do need to give some time for the algae to come into balance and you may have a heavy algae bloom for the first two to six weeks. As long as the pH is as above, this should clear up. You can add submerged plants that will help remove the nutrients the algae uses and help filter the water. You can actually think of algae as a sign of how well you have maintained the balance within your water garden pond after the first few weeks. Too much floating on top and you have a problem.

Once you begin to add fish and plants to the pond, the first rule is “Don’t crowd”. You can always add more later on if it appears you have the room. Fish will grow and so will the plants. You will get a lush appearance eventually but trying to force it right away can cause diseases among your fish and perhaps even encourage too much algae growth.

Fact is you will want to be sure that you do not completely cover over the surface of the water garden pond even later. At least one third of the water surface should be clear. This allows the sun to penetrate and reach any submerged plants you have added to your pond. It also allows gases to escape and oxygen to enter the water. This all goes toward achieving that mini-ecosystem balance.

Lastly, don’t be in a rush to get your plants and fish into the pond. It would be best to give your water garden pond time to settle in and mellow. Add plants next and give them time to come into balance. Adding fish should best be done in late spring or early summer when the temperature of the pond reaches 50 degrees. So much depends on the type of fish you plan to add, the type of water garden pond you have, and where you are located.

Copyright 2006, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson

Looking for more Water Garden articles? Discover all kinds of Flower Gardens at our site, http://flowergardenlovers.com/. Read about water, wildflower, rose, shade and butterfly gardens. Find articles about garden rooms, gardening tips, garden design, annuals, perennials, and more.

One of the most appealing things anyone will learn about herb gardening is how relaxing and simple growing herbs can be. Discovering all the wonderful, various herbs and what they do is a captivating pastime, and can be quite beneficial. You can use herbs for cooking, as medicinal aids such as topical dressings or healthy teas, or simply for decorative plants in the garden.

There are so many herb plants to choose from, it can be a bit daunting to the beginning herb gardener. A good source of information that you probably have is your cookbook, which often devotes a chapter or two to the uses of different herbs as flavorings and accents.

Planting a Basic Herb Garden

Get acquainted with herb gardening by growing herbs you think you’ll use, plus throw in one or two that sound interesting to you. Herb gardens can range in size from small containers to vast outdoor gardens.

To best learn herb gardening, start simple with a small, sunny plot, or use a clay pot filled with potting soil.

The Two Big Needs that herbs have are:

- lots of sun, and

- well-drained soil.

Most herbs have a preference of full or partial sun, and the seed package or nursery will have this information clearly stated. Most herbs will not do well in very wet soil, and watering about every 2-3 days is usually sufficient. Raised garden beds are a good fit for herb gardens. They have excellent drainage and can be easily arranged for proper sunlight.

When planting herb seeds, cover them lightly with soil, and don’t plant the seeds too deep. A good rule of thumb with herb gardening is “the smaller the seed, the shallower you sow.” If you are using young herb plants already started in growing trays, simply transplant them into your pots or garden bed. Sometimes the plants in the trays are dry; if so, water them first before planting them.

Finally, remember that annual herbs (herb plants which only grow for one season and then die) and perennial herbs (herb plants which will return the following year) do best when planted separately. This avoids disrupting the perennial plants’ roots when it is time to dig out the dead annuals. It also prevents leaving dead root pieces behind which can contribute to fungus growth.

Grow Fresh Herbs for Cooking

Cooking with fresh herbs from your garden is a wonderful experience. To get started, here are gardening tips for two well-known herbs that are great for beginning herb gardeners.

Sweet Basil — Sweet basil leaves are good in salads, and are a main flavoring ingredient in tomato dishes such as spaghetti and marinara sauce. In the northern climates, basil is usually grown as an annual plant. In milder climates, sweet basil will return each year on its own, and therefore is considered a perennial plant.

The sweet basil herb is a pleasure to grow because it thrives in average soil, and likes sun or partial shade. Sow the seeds after danger of frost is over, or start them indoors about eight weeks before growing season and then transplant them outside. You can also purchase ready-to-grow starter plants from nurseries and through catalogs.

It’s easy to promote the bushiness of the basil plant leaves by pinching and clipping the herb throughout the summer. Use the leaves fresh during the summer growth months, and in the fall, dry the leaves and store them for use during the winter.

Garlic — Garlic is full of minerals and nutrients, and is known to have great medicinal properties. It is a staple in every chef’s kitchen for cooking dishes from chicken and pasta to seafood and vegetables. We’ve all seen garlic bulbs at the grocery store… but did you know that one simple garlic bulb has enough cloves to begin a garden full of garlic plants? Here’s what you do:

When spring arrives and the weather has begun to turn warm, prepare a small garden bed in a sunny spot. Take the cloves and place them, pointy side up, in the soil. Plant them in clusters, or rows, and put a light layer of topsoil over them with some compost mixed in. When fall arrives, lift the garlic bulbs out of their bed.

Dry the garlic by slicing the bulbs into thin slices and placing them on a rack at room temperature. You can also store the bulbs by braiding the stalks and hanging the garlic in a dark, cool space. You may also freeze the entire garlic bulb!

target="_blank">Learn about herb gardening with these herbs, and then begin to branch out with more. In the meantime, you’ll add wonderful flavors to your recipes, and mouthwatering aromas in the kitchen!

Robert Mosse is a gardening and lawn care specialist and author of the “Easy” Lawn and Gardening Book Series. Learn more about herb gardening the fun way with great, hands-on info… and get the Guide for 101 Gardening Tips, completely Free at target="_blank">http://www.lawn-and-gardening-tips.com.

Every garden needs ground covers, even large potted plants can benefit from having a ground cover planted around them, saves mulching and can be more visually appealing. Find the right one and your plants will love you.

Ground Covers

Though they get scant attention and often go unnoticed altogether, ground covers are really important and a problem for most of my coachees. Adrian Higgins writes that in his garden, ground covers are “the glue that holds the garden together,” “providing some visual relief from the more exalted specimens in the garden.”

First and foremost, ground must be covered, either by plants of some size or with hardscaping, like pavers for a patio, or by mulch. Large plants cover ground, of course, but on this website, ground covers are short of stature. (Not precise, I know.) Some can survive being walked on occasionally, and some not at all.

Uses

Read more here

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Organic gardening is gardening that uses no harmful chemicals. It is healthy and has become a popular trend among gardeners. Growing an organic garden is not as hard as it may seem, and the following tips should help you start and maintain an all natural, healthy flower or vegetable garden.

Three of the most important elements to growing a successful organic garden is mulching and pest control. Mulching helps hold water, reduces weeds and adds essential nutrients. You can either purchase organic mulch, or if the plants require acid, lay a thick bed of pine needles in the fall. Make sure you are not using mulch that has been artificially colored; although the coloring preserves the look of your mulch even after it gets old and dry, it is not organic and may contain chemicals that can contaminate your otherwise pristine mini-ecosystem.

Pests are always a problem in any garden. To hold them at bay in an organic garden you can rotate a spray of soapy water followed by clean water on the infected stems, leaves and buds of the plants. Weeds can be treated with vinegar.

Compost is also important for an organic garden to added essential nutrients. It can be made from almost anything you have on hand including ground up leftovers, leaves and grass.

If you want to plant herbs for organic cooking, they make great landscape plants in the organic garden and don’t need a lot of attention. Mix in some annual flower plants for a creative, colorful blend.

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