Planning a Water Garden…
A water garden is the area of your landscape that will provide you with relaxing sounds of the water, while adding to the overall details of your landscape. The water garden is a project that you must ‘plan’ for continued success. If you are lucky enough to have the room in your lawn for a water garden, you are already one step ahead of many gardeners! Let’s talk a little about how to plan for your water garden.
A few important factors about placement of a water garden that often are forgotten are:
Do you have children in the neighborhood? If you have or live near children, you will want to keep your water garden in an area that will be close to your home. You will want to be able to see what is ‘going on’ by the water. Children are curious and they love water! Being able to see your water garden will save you worry later after the creation of your water garden even if the children are in the yard.
Do you have a natural spring in your lawn area? When planning a waterfall in the water garden, the use of a natural spring or water source is going to make the continued success of your water garden much easier. A water garden is possible with a waterfall even if you do not have a natural spring or water source, but it is a little more ‘work’ to create that special effect. You can find more information about this in another article on this site.
The lay of your land is important. While we will discuss this in other articles as well, planning your water garden around the lay of your land is important. If you are lucky enough to have a flat lawn, you can plan your water garden in various areas. The landscape that includes hills and slopes are a little tricky but using the slope in your lawn, you can create the water garden that takes care of that little ‘wet patch’ at the bottom of the yard!
Most water gardens are an addition or extension of the natural landscape. To encourage and invite your guests to the water garden for picnics, for chats, and for just sitting in pleasure: Plan the water garden so it’s visible from the walkway to your home. The water garden that your visitors and guests see while entering your home adds value to your home and to your conversation!
In planning your water garden, use a sheet of paper to write down what you want to gain from your water garden. Start your list by using personal reasons, value reasoning, enhancing, or changing the overall look of your landscape. Alternately, you may simply want a place for solitude. These are the desires you’ll write on your list. From this list, you can better plan ‘where’ your water garden will suit you and your ideas.
Gordon Goh is author of the free, informative website Simply Flower Garden offering quality useful tips for flower garden lovers.
Posted in 
Ways To Get Your Kids Into Organic Gardening
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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!
Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments. Please visit my website for more great organic gardening tips & information. For Companion Planting info click here.
Happy gardening, healthy living?
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com
Black Spot on Roses
Does This Look Familiar?
Black Spot on Roses
Roses
used to mean black spot. There was no getting around it without a lot
of spraying and maintenance. Is there an easier way? Well, growing
resistant rose varieties is always a smart idea. But now there’s even
more help in the form of Messenger®.
Messenger, an almost accidental discovery, is making a big splash in
gardening circles. It’s marketed as a plant health activator. What does
that mean? Well, Messenger has the ability to fool your plant into
thinking it’s being attacked by a pathogen, without actually hurting
it.
More here
Technorati Tags: rose gardening
Need a Low-Maintenance Pet? Try a Tarantula!
If you’re like me, then you don’t really have the luxury of keeping a high-maintenance pet such as a dog. Even a less demanding pet such as a cat might be beyond your time constraints. Fish tanks can be difficult too, since it’s easy to under-estimate the time and effort involved in keeping them clean. So what options do you have?
Well, you could try a snake or one of the hardier lizard varieties. My personal favorites, however, are tarantulas. That’s right?those big, hairy, eight-legged freaks.
Contrary to popular belief, tarantulas are really not deadly; in fact, there are no known instances of anyone dying from a tarantula bite. In addition, most of the pet store specimens that you’ll encounter are exceedingly docile, and will generally not bite unless they are severely provoked.
The most common variety available is the Chilean rose hair tarantula (Grammastola rosea), which is notoriously gentle and easy to handle. It is also known to have fairly mild venom, and almost never bites. Other docile and readily available species include the Honduran curly hair tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosum) and the Guyana pinktoe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia).
Unlike a dog or a cat, these animals do not require much care. They can go for weeks without food or water, although regular care is still recommended. They do not generate much waste either, and so cleaning their cages is easy as well. Some species do have rather specific humidity requirements, but the most common pet store varieties are not so demanding. They also require very little space, and most of them can be kept in plastic shoebox-sized containers. Make sure that their lids fit tightly though, since these animals can be quite good at escaping.
I do recommend reading up on tarantula care, so as to learn the proper care requirements for the specimen that you choose. Be aware that some species can be quite aggressive, and are not recommended for beginners. These species are less commonly available though, and are generally obtained via mail order. If in doubt, start with a Chilean rose hair, as this is an excellent beginner species.
Owners should be aware that even within docile species, there can be some individuals that are more aggressive than others. In addition, there is always the possibility of an allergic reaction if you are bitten. In theory, this could result in a potentially fatal anaphylactic shock, although I am not aware of any circumstances in which this has actually happened. For these reasons, new owners should learn how to read a tarantula’s body language, and should stay away from species that have a reputation for biting without provocation.
Also, do remember that you never have to actually hold the tarantulas?just as you never have to actually hold your aquarium fish. I recommend reading up on handling techniques, so that you can move the animals around without having to touch them. This can be helpful for those who are squeamish, or who simply wish to be cautious. When in doubt, err on the side of safety.
If you’re not intimidated by the prospect of keeping one of these wondrous creatures, then I recommend them highly. They can be quite addictive, and they never fail to entertain.
About The Author
V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. is a senior electrical and software engineer at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn). The neighborhood children have referred to him as the “Crocodile Hunter” though, due to his impressive menagerie of magnificent arachnids.
How To Choose Water Garden Plants
So. The water garden bug has bitten. You’ve dug and leveled and
sweated and said words you hope that no one else has heard. Now
it’s time for the fun part – picking out your water garden
plants!
Plant varieties within these four categories are what you need to
eyeball: deep-water, marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (If
you think these words are big and weird, just thank your stars
we’re not talking medicine.)
After you’ve diligently planted your babies in plastic tubs,
pans, or clay pots, packing the fertilizer- and chemical-free
soil down tightly, load the container down with pea gravel to
keep the soil from floating away. (Don’t ask why this works, but
it does.) Plunk your prize into the water at the appropriate
depth (You’ll read about that in just a minute, so hang on to
your hat.) and you’re on your way!
Plant-dunking should be done during the growing season. Wait four
or five weeks for the water plants to do their thing before you
add your fish. If you just can’t hold your horses, er, your fish,
for that long, you can jump the gun a couple of weeks, but the
idea is to let the plants first get established.
When picking your plants, you’ll no doubt be wowed by water
lilies of the tropical persuasion. These aquatic wonders lord it
over their hardier cousins with knock-out fragrance, big blooms
day or night – depending on the variety – and a habit of blooming
their little hearts out nearly every day during the growing
season. They love their warmth, though, so unless you live in a
year-round, warm-weather climate (in which case, you are used to
being hated and has absolutely nothing to do with this article),
be prepared to hasten them into a greenhouse or at least muster
up enough moolah to buy them some “grow” lights to tough it out
through the winter. They will definitely bite the dust at
freezing temperatures, but give them night-time temps of at least
65F and daytime temps of 75F or warmer, and your love affair with
tropicals will only grow that much more torrid.
Hardy water lilies, while not the showboaters that tropicals are,
are . . . well, hardier. Their big advantage is that they can
stay in the water year ?round unless it freezes so deeply the
rootstock is affected. And being the tough guys they are, you can
plant these puppies deeper than the tropicals, some living it up
in depths of 8 to 10 feet.
Both hardy and tropical water lilies are real sun worshippers. At
least 5 to 10 hours a day is what it takes, along with regular
fertilization, to keep these plant pals happy.
Everybody and their brother with a water garden wants a lotus
plant. (Sisters, too, no doubt.) These water-lily relatives come
in hardy and not-so-hardy strains, so make sure you know what
you’re buying. Much bigger than water lilies, lotus have huge,
famously splendid blooms that not only will knock your socks off,
but make you forget you have feet altogether. Their leaves and
seed pods are so breathtaking, they’re a favorite in costly
cut-flower arrangements. Big, bold, and beautiful, with
water-depth needs of 2-3 feet, these shouters are really better
off in big ponds that get plenty of sun.
Marginals (sometimes called “bog” plants by those less
high-falutin’) are grass-like plants that strut their stuff in
shallow areas no deeper than 6″ that border the water garden.
They also do well in mud. Cattail, bamboo, rush, papyrus, and
many other plants fall into the family of marginals and grow best
with a minimum of at least three hours of jolly old Sol.
Some plants are there but not seen, working stoically under water
and without fanfare to fight algae, oxygenate the water, and
provide food for fish. (In lieu of these plants, if your pond is
small, you can fake it fairly adequately with an aquarium pump.)
Easy on the wallet, varieties of these plants can be bought in
bunches and like their soil sandy and/or gravelly. Like hardy
water lilies, they, too, will warrior it through the winter.
Water hyacinths have become a recent rage, especially for the
lazy among us. No soil is required for these beauties. Toss them
in the water and they’re “planted.” A water hyacinth ain’t just
another pretty face, though; these plants do their part in the
war against algae and blanket weeds by keeping sunlight scarce on
the water’s surface. But one note of caution: This plant may take
over the world if allowed. It’s invasive as all get out, so keep
it under control or you (and your neighbors) may wish you’d never
laid eyes on it.
A water garden isn’t a garden without plants. Take your time,
know your climate, and choose wisely. Your rewards will be great
in return.
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Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com, and Pond-Filters-Online.com.
He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE ‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
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Successful Organic Gardening Systems
What is it that most organic gardeners want from their amazing food gardens?
* Is it the substantial health benefits:
- knowing that your food is GM and synthetic chemicals and free?
- gathering your food from garden to table in minutes, retaining valuable, health enhancing nutrients?
* Or the pleasure of losing yourself in the delight of time spent in your garden?
* Maybe it’s about spending time teaching your children how to garden
* Perhaps it’s your creative outlet; designing, creating, maintaining
* Do you view it as your part in helping the environment; reduce, reuse, recycle?
I believe Organic Gardening brings us most (or all) of these things. Some of the practices that are a must for having a healthy, high yielding vegetable garden include strategies or systems that bring about healthy soil, deep watering, balanced insect populations and crop rotation / planning.
Having nutrient rich, well balanced soil, high in microbial activity can be achieved by continually adding organic matter to the soil. You can do this with compost (making your own compost has many benefits), green manures, crop rotation and a “no dig” policy. A high yielding garden is dependant on healthy soil.
Deep watering will encourage your plants to develop deep root systems. This enables them to take in more water and nutrients. You then have strong, healthy plants that do well with regular deep watering. Mulching prevents moisture loss, soil erosion and reduces weeds. Installing drip irrigation – especially when combined with a timer – will benefit you, your garden and the environment.
If you want to be chemical and / or spray free getting the right balance of beneficial and harmful insects throughout your garden is crucial. Yes, I said harmful insects! If there were no harmful insects for the beneficial ones to feed on all your beneficial insects will die or go elsewhere. Nature abounds in symbiotic relationships and this works very efficiently in the garden. Imagine if you had no predatory insects and were then inundated with carrot fly. There would be no stopping them, unless you resorted to chemicals – and you should never allow this in your organic garden.
Arm yourself instead with companion planting practices; practical methods to outwit the enemy (harmful insects) the way nature intended. Plant combinations that will confuse pests by masking the smell and shapes of plants which pests use to locate their favourite foods. In my Companion Planting guide you will also discover which plants benefit each other and those you must never plant together.
With the basics covered you just need to decide what you’re going to grow, how much of it and when. You know your family’s food needs better than anyone else, so there’s no point in growing 15 brussels sprouts plants if your family won’t eat them. You also need to know the right time of year to plant different families. For example: Cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, melons) need to grow in warm temperatures. In winter (unless you can artificially provide the right conditions) your crop will fail – so leave it till the ground has warmed, the days are lengthening and the risk of late frost has passed (mid spring in most areas).
Rotating your crops is also a good practice. Otherwise you will deplete the soil of particular nutrients / elements that a crop planted continually in the same place needs. This also means that the crop will perform worse each year as the nutrients it needs decline.
I like to spend winter evenings planning what, where and how much I’m going to plant in my veggie garden next season. Keeping a gardening journal comes in really handy when I’m planning. It reminds me what worked previously, what I’d like to do differently and whether or not I planted enough or too much of a particular plant to meet our needs.
If you think this is all a bit overwhelming, just remember progress, not perfection. Just get started and improve upon it as you go. So you really have no excuse. You have enough information to make a great start and you can build on it as you gain more experience.
Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments. Please visit my website for more great organic gardening tips & information. For Companion Planting info click here.
Happy gardening, healthy living?
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com