Gardening Plants

Gardening: Gardening Plants

When it comes to gardening plants, there are too many to name.
Gardening plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables,
fruits, and many more.  There are also gardening plants that are in
season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others
in spring and summer. Whatever type of gardening you decide is your
forte; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your
preferences. When it comes to gardening plants, there are too many to name.  Gardening plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and many more.  There are also gardening plants that are in season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others in spring and summer. Whatever type of gardening you decide is your forte; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your preferences.If you want gardening plants that you can actually use instead of just look at, vegetables, herbs, and fruits are all very satisfying.  Edible plants add an excitement to gardening because of the produce available at harvest time.  The main vegetables grown in smaller, home gardens as well as larger ones include corn, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, peppers, onions, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and beets.  Popular fruits are pears, plums, tomatoes, blueberries, apricots, cherries, and strawberries.  Herbs are used for their wonderful fragrances, to spice up a salad, and in cooking.  Herbs that are often home grown include thyme, sage, dill, mint, lavender, and chives.It is fairly easy to have a colorful garden in the spring and summer months, but it is a whole different ball-game during the cold, winter months.  Even though it is difficult, with planning and a little more care you can have a colorful garden year round.  One gardening plant that thrives in the fall and winter months is the Rudbeckia, a beautiful yellow perennial.  Others include the Christmas rose, the Japanese Anemone, and Cosmos.When you think of flowers you automatically think of a spring garden full of many different, beautiful colors.  Spring and summer gardening plants are some of the prettiest things on earth and give inspiration to all who grow them.  Some of the most grown spring plants are tulips, daffodils, and violets.  Favorites of the warmer months of summer are lilies, dahlias, and roses.When gardening, many people will opt for decorative grasses or shrubs.  Monkey grass is an all time favorite, especially for a sidewalk.  These will gardening plants can be for looks, can act as a border or fence, and can be used for privacy.  Shrubs are easy to take care of and add a defining look to any yard or garden.There are so many different kinds of gardening plants available.  Many gardening plants actually have a purpose and can be used, whereas many of them are just for looks.  The kind of gardening plant you choose to have in your garden is completely up to you, but remember, no matter what kind it is, it will require some maintenance and without proper care you will end up with a garden full of just dirt. 

Gardening: Gardening Products

Gardening: Gardening Products

Because gardening has evolved into such a popular activity, gardening
products are not hard to come by.  You can buy gardening products in
various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening products from
catalogues, or even order them online.  Gardening products can range
from equipment too fertilize to the actual plant itself. Because gardening has evolved into such a popular activity, gardening products are not hard to come by.  You can buy gardening products in various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening products from catalogues, or even order them online.  Gardening products can range from equipment too fertilize to the actual plant itself.You will obviously need the basic gardening products no matter what you are planting, such as a hoe, spade, and maybe even a shovel.  You must have watering supplies, like a water hose and perhaps a sprinkler.  Other possibilities include a spade, a pot (if you are pot planting), and a pair of gloves for comfort, some secuturs, or a rake.  When first starting a garden you will definitely want some type of mulch or potting soil to get your dirt ready.  There are a few types of potting soil to choose from, including organic potting mix, seed starting potting mix, cactus potting mix, and root development potting mix, just to name a few.Once you have your garden planted, you must have gardening products so that you can add nutrients to the soil to ensure a healthy plant life.  Miracle-Gro is one of the most popular growing enhancements for plants.  There are many different types of Miracle-Gro to choose from and what kind you choose will depend on what you are trying to grow.  You will also want to add fertilize, such as 10-20-10 or triple 13, depending on the needs of your soil.If you are growing vegetables or herbs, you may need different gardening products than regular flower gardens require.  If you are growing tomatoes you will need a tomato cage and ties to protect the plants against the wind.  Many plants, mostly vines, are designed to grow on something and you will have to have a fence or trellis of some sort.Gardening products are not limited to just the gardening necessities; they can also come in the form of decoration.  There are decorative flower pots, sundials, plastic figurines, stones or bricks for a pathway or looks, and even lawn furniture.  Decoration will add to the charm and uniqueness of your garden and are an excellent way to give it a personal touch.The winter months will bring a whole new set of gardening products to store shelves.  When the frost hits the prime place to put your plants are in a greenhouse.  However, if you do not have a greenhouse for whatever reason, a tarp of some sorts can be used to cover plants up at night.  You also might need a light source, like a heat lamp, to both keep plants warm and give them extra light.New and upgraded gardening products are always popping up on the market.  It seems like every day there is some gardening product that claims to be bigger and better than the last.  While many gardening products are not a necessity, they sure make the job a lot easier and more enjoyable. 

GardenBot : Your Gardening Robot Tools

What is GardenBot?

GardenBot is an open source garden monitoring system. This site is a collection of tutorials for how to build things (like a soil moisture sensor), software for running GardenBot, resources, links, and more.

To get started, you will want to browse the How-To section to see what is required to build the various modules.

The ultimate goal of the GardenBot project is to be a complete garden monitoring and automation system. A key design consideration  is to keep everything as easy as possible -- especially for users new to Arduino and DIY electronics projects. 

GardenBot is currently a work in progress, and we are always looking for volunteers -- please contact me if you'd like to help. This project is built upon open source technology, so it is free to be used and modified in any way you see fit (provided you adhere to GardenBot's license). 

Just so you know, there are several (many) other garden automation projects out there on the web. Some commercial, some open source. You should definitely explore around (see these links).

Is GardenBot a robot?

The word robot usually is used for machines that move about. But consider this... even though it does not move, GardenBot is a robot. It is a robot in the same way a plant is a living organism. It is a slow, quiet robot. It is a robot that is threaded through your house like a plant threads its roots through the soil. GardenBot is formed to fit its function.

Who came up with this?

I did... er, I mean hi. My name is Andrew Frueh. Me and my wife, Melissa, like to garden a lot. We're always experimenting with different methods in our garden and compost. We already were using a soaker hose for our garden. Last year, we used one of those mechanical timers to turn the soaker on for a pre-determined amount of time. But then...

I discovered Arduino, and immediately became engrossed. Arduino is a little computer (called a microcontroller) about the size of a business card. It has a bunch of analog and digital inputs/outputs so you can hook up various sensors, buttons, switches, audio/video devices -- it's pretty friggin' cool. See theparts page for more information.

Anyway, considering my interests, I thought "gee, it sure would be neat to use the Arduino board to control the watering in the garden". But then one thing led to another... and now we get to the (somewhat complete) GardenBot system that you have before you.

Like a lot of DIY-ers, I am entirely self-trained. So, there are a lot of holes in my knowledge. As I hunted around for information on the web, I found that too often the information in various tutorials was written by someone who failed to remember that lay-people (incidentally the target audience for any tutorial) don't know the jargon, and therefor can have great difficulty in decoding the information. One of my goals with this project, is to have all the pieces laid out in plain language -- step by step -- to walk you through the whole process. Hopefully I pull that off.

Anyway, feel free to start exploring. The How-To section has many tutorials on how to build your own garden automation system. Maybe you'll want to try building your own GardenMonitor. And if you run into any snags, you are welcome to contact me with question / comments.

More advanced options

I am very much interested in making GardenBot as flexible as possible. I don't have time to explore every option myself (a few too many cans of worms), but if you or anyone you know would like to build optional modules using a cool technology, please contact me.

• wireless modules to connect to sensors in the garden
• solar power
• Twitter / Facebook / etc. to send updates of conditions in your garden

Links out to garden automation projects on the web

Links to GardenBot on the web

• Wired.com - an article about GardenBot on Wired.com
• TreeHugger - an article about GardenBot on TreeHugger
• OpenSourceEcology - the page for GardenBot on OSE
• SparkFun - featured GardenBot on their blog

Here is a list of other garden automation/monitoring projects out there on the web. This list is not comprehensive. If you have such a project, please contact me, and I will add your name to the list.

• Grow Control - "Computer Automated Hydroponics at it's best!"
• Garduino - Garduino is a computer that runs your garden.
• ArduDrop - a more technical approach (using the FAO Penman-Monteith methodology to calculate the evapotranspiration for crops)
• Growduino smart garden - a post on the Arduino forum
• Growmanager - The Open Source Greenhouse Control System
• Make Magazine - an article about Garduino
• Voltaic DIY - a solar powered Arduino project
• Instructables - an LED growbox
• Spaceduino - The Internet of Things leads to yet another Growduino
• Plantduino Greenhouse - includes some tips on greehouse building
• Open Source Resiliant Living - a site with lots of DIY revolution information/discussions, including automation

robotic gardening system

How To Build a Distributed Robotic Garden

By the end of the video you can make your very own robotic gardening systems.

Gardening: Gardening Advice

Garden advice is not that hard to come by.  In fact, you can get
gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening catalogue,
gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the Internet.
Although you will have variations with every plant, there is some
gardening advice that is universal and that goes for any plant. Garden advice is not that hard to come by.  In fact, you can get gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening catalogue, gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the Internet.  Although you will have variations with every plant, there is some gardening advice that is universal and that goes for any plant.For example, the gardening advice given for planting is pretty much uniform.  You must place plants where they will have room to grow so they don’t overcrowd each other.  Good air flow is a plus, and plants must be in a position where they will receive adequate amounts of sunlight.  Advice will always tell you to add some type of nutrients to the soil to lead to better plant growth, such as mulch or compost.  Gardening advice on watering plants is a little more varied, because every type of plant needs different amounts of water.  For example, you wouldn’t want to water a cactus near as much as you water a tomato plant.  How much you water will obviously also depend on where you live, the climate, and how much rain your area receives.  Gardening advice from nearly every source will tell you that your plants not only need fertilize when you first plant them, they will also needed to be fertilized throughout their growing season.  What type of fertilize used will depend on the soil content and pH balance, but fertilize will definitely be needed on most all plants.  Compost can be used instead and it is easy to find advice on how to make a compost pile as well as when fertilize and compost needs to be used.Gardening advice on weeds, insects, disease, and how to get rid of them is probably the most sought after advice in all of gardening.  These pests invade all gardens and if you don’t get rid of them, they will take over and ruin your garden.  There are many different chemicals and pesticides that can be used, and gardening advice will usually clue gardeners in on which chemicals are better, which are harmful, and which ones are easier to administer.Gardening is not an easy task; you have to fight against many outside forces, such as weather, insects, disease, and weeds.  Even the most seasoned of gardeners will seek out gardening advice once in a while.  Who wouldn’t when there are so many forces that could take a garden out?  There is a lot of general gardening advice on the market that goes for any plant, but if you look a little harder you will find specific advice for that one plant that is the only one giving you trouble.  Gardening advice is relatively easy to find, and while you may come across the occasional bad apple, most of it is relatively sound and will help with any gardening question. 

Gardening Plants

When it comes to gardening plants, there are too many to name.
Gardening plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables,
fruits, and many more.  There are also gardening plants that are in
season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others
in spring and summer. Whatever type of gardening you decide is your
forte; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your
preferences. When it comes to gardening plants, there are too many to name.  Gardening plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and many more.  There are also gardening plants that are in season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others in spring and summer. Whatever type of gardening you decide is your forte; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your preferences.If you want gardening plants that you can actually use instead of just look at, vegetables, herbs, and fruits are all very satisfying.  Edible plants add an excitement to gardening because of the produce available at harvest time.  The main vegetables grown in smaller, home gardens as well as larger ones include corn, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, peppers, onions, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and beets.  Popular fruits are pears, plums, tomatoes, blueberries, apricots, cherries, and strawberries.  Herbs are used for their wonderful fragrances, to spice up a salad, and in cooking.  Herbs that are often home grown include thyme, sage, dill, mint, lavender, and chives.It is fairly easy to have a colorful garden in the spring and summer months, but it is a whole different ball-game during the cold, winter months.  Even though it is difficult, with planning and a little more care you can have a colorful garden year round.  One gardening plant that thrives in the fall and winter months is the Rudbeckia, a beautiful yellow perennial.  Others include the Christmas rose, the Japanese Anemone, and Cosmos.When you think of flowers you automatically think of a spring garden full of many different, beautiful colors.  Spring and summer gardening plants are some of the prettiest things on earth and give inspiration to all who grow them.  Some of the most grown spring plants are tulips, daffodils, and violets.  Favorites of the warmer months of summer are lilies, dahlias, and roses.When gardening, many people will opt for decorative grasses or shrubs.  Monkey grass is an all time favorite, especially for a sidewalk.  These will gardening plants can be for looks, can act as a border or fence, and can be used for privacy.  Shrubs are easy to take care of and add a defining look to any yard or garden.There are so many different kinds of gardening plants available.  Many gardening plants actually have a purpose and can be used, whereas many of them are just for looks.  The kind of gardening plant you choose to have in your garden is completely up to you, but remember, no matter what kind it is, it will require some maintenance and without proper care you will end up with a garden full of just dirt. 

Understanding Container Gardening

If you are a garden lover, but have no space for your gardening
appetite, don’t worry gardening is not necessarily out of your reach.
In the available space of your house say balcony, patio, deck, or sunny
window, you can create a container gardening, which will not only bring
you joy but also vegetables. So, are you ready to start container
gardening yourself… If you are a garden lover, but have no space for your gardening appetite, don’t worry gardening is not necessarily out of your reach. In the available space of your house say balcony, patio, deck, or sunny window, you can create a container gardening, which will not only bring you joy but also vegetables. So, are you ready to start container gardening yourself…In the past, gardening is an exclusive realm of the landowner. Nowadays even the flat dweller can grow his dream garden without having any fuss. One’s dream can be fulfilled by container gardening, which means the gardening in a special container. Container gardening gives delights of landscape without weekly mowing. In the container, you can raise some perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees.Don’t think container gardening can be achieved very easily. Container gardening also requires proper planning just like that of traditional gardening. Planning consists of finding your USDA zone (this will help to identify the suitable plant variety of your zone), amount of daylight you are receiving in your apartment, and finally choose your beloved plant variety. It is always advisable to buy the plants from nearest nursery unless you have right conditions to go for indoor seedlings. You should not keep the tender plants of container gardening outside below 45° F temperature or in soaring winds. Moreover you should not leave the new plants through out the night in the outside to get frost it out.There is a false notion that all the plants grow in the ground won’t grow in the container gardening. It’s not so. If you have any doubt, please do experiment on it.  Moreover, any container with holes for drainage can be used for your container gardening.  Container gardening requires little budget in the initial stage. But it is having low maintenance with good satisfaction. Container gardening requires little fertilizer and water according to the specific needs of the plants.    There is numerous pot growing vegetable varieties as container gardening. In this type, the vegetable plant requires only sunlight and water. Providing these two things can easily help you get fresh vegetables for your ratatouille or salad. You can get more satisfaction by serving these varieties nurtured by your own hands to your beloved pals.Don’t despair-if you’re not having balcony or deck? Get nod from your landlord for window boxes, a modern container gardening. It is highly possible to grow many bloomy annuals year-round and indoor vegetables in your sunny window. There is another type of garden called community gardens, which will satisfy the city dwellers.There is no need to end your container gardening since you have entered autumn. But you can continue your container gardening by selecting the plants that are withholding the frost. The common plant varieties that stand up to the frost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc., In order to extend the life of your garden from early spring to fall, you can replant to match the conditions. Even you can contact some of the America’s best gardeners through online to get design for your container gardening. They offer suggestions such as caring and choosing for pots, how to grow tips for succulents, roses, and bulbs, in containers. 

Gardening while Exercising

Many people think of gardening as a chore. Others take up gardening as a hobby. Still there are others who could not even begin to give a proper definition of the term gardening. Whether you love gardens and gardening or you hate even the idea of lifting up a spade or getting the lawnmower out of the shed, gardening offers many benefits to those who are willing to at least try!
Gardening is active living. It is a very popular physical activity throughout the world and offers the opportunity for lifelong participation, and can be a positive contributor to the natural environment.
The Old-Fashioned Way Is Best!
To reap the maximum health benefits from your gardening use as little machinery as possible. Use manual clippers, trimmers and lawnmowers if possible. Try to stick to a regular garden exercise routine. Rather than saving up your outdoor work for one marathon weekend session, schedule at least 30-60 minutes of gardening two or three times per week if you can manage the time. If your away from home during the day working, early mornings (if you can get up) evenings and weekends are ideal gardening times.
Work at a steady, constant speed, but be sure to change positions every 10 minutes or so to avoid overusing a particular muscle group. If you start by bending down to pull weeds, stand to prune the hedges next. Also alternate which side of the body you use. Pull with your right hand, then with your left.
Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity reduces your risk of premature death, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes and others. Gardening and yard work contributes to healthy active living, and are part of all three types of physical activity - endurance, flexibility and strength activities. Heavy yard work like raking and carrying leaves contributes to both endurance and strengthening activities, while all those stretches and contortions in the garden can help increase and maintain your flexibility.
Indeed, studies have shown that just looking at trees and plants reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and relieves tension in muscles. It works for me especially when im stuck in the office!
Dont forget that gardening requires you to use your head and your creativity and therefore keeps the mind active as well. The time spent planning the garden and researching different plants is a great brain workout. Gardening gives us a chance to be creative. You can let your personality shine through in your garden.
Remember to have fun while gardening and try not to treat it as a chore. Relax and remember your garden doesnt have to be picture perfect all the time. Resolve to work more on the garden this year. Whether its a window box or a garden, you will be healthier for it.
Plus you can grow vegetables for yourself or sell them at a local market to generate additional income. 

Gardening: Trying To Understand Container Gardening

If you are a garden lover, but have no space for your gardening
appetite, don’t worry gardening is not necessarily out of your reach.
In the available space of your house say balcony, patio, deck, or sunny
window, you can create a container gardening, which will not only bring
you joy but also vegetables. So, are you ready to start container
gardening yourself… In the past, gardening is an exclusive realm of the landowner. Nowadays
even the flat dweller can grow his dream garden without having any
fuss. One’s dream can be fulfilled by container gardening, which means
the gardening in a special container. Container gardening gives
delights of landscape without weekly mowing. In the container, you can
raise some perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees.
Don’t think container gardening can be achieved very easily. Container
gardening also requires proper planning just like that of traditional
gardening. Planning consists of finding your USDA zone (this will help
to identify the suitable plant variety of your zone), amount of
daylight you are receiving in your apartment, and finally choose your
beloved plant variety.
It is always advisable to buy the plants from nearest nursery unless
you have right conditions to go for indoor seedlings. You should not
keep the tender plants of container gardening outside below 45° F
temperature or in soaring winds. Moreover you should not leave the new
plants through out the night in the outside to get frost it out.
There is a false notion that all the plants grow in the ground won’t
grow in the container gardening. It’s not so. If you have any doubt,
please do experiment on it.  Moreover, any container with holes for
drainage can be used for your container gardening.
Container gardening requires little budget in the initial stage. But it
is having low maintenance with good satisfaction. Container gardening
requires little fertilizer and water according to the specific needs of
the plants.
There is numerous pot growing vegetable varieties as container
gardening. In this type, the vegetable plant requires only sunlight and
water. Providing these two things can easily help you get fresh
vegetables for your ratatouille or salad. You can get more satisfaction
by serving these varieties nurtured by your own hands to your beloved
pals.
Don’t despair-if you’re not having balcony or deck? Get nod from your
landlord for window boxes, a modern container gardening. It is highly
possible to grow many bloomy annuals year-round and indoor vegetables
in your sunny window. There is another type of garden called community
gardens, which will satisfy the city dwellers.
There is no need to end your container gardening since you have entered
autumn. But you can continue your container gardening by selecting the
plants that are withholding the frost. The common plant varieties that
stand up to the frost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass,
Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc.,

In order to extend the life of your garden from early spring to fall,
you can replant to match the conditions. Even you can contact some of
the America’s best gardeners through online to get design for your
container gardening. They offer suggestions such as caring and choosing
for pots, how to grow tips for succulents, roses, and bulbs, in
containers. 

Gardening: Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no
synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used.  This can make certain
aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds.
Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many
needs of plants. Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used.  This can make certain aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds.  Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many needs of plants.  Organic gardening starts with the soil.  Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive.  In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically.  Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things.  The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms.  Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand.  A simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to use.One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants.  The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures.  One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage.  A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and lizards.  You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar.  Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars.  There are some household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.To avoid plant disease in organic gardening, choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions.  Many diseases will spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against diseases.Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening.  Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the mulch.  Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early in the season before planting, as does solarization.  There’s also the old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works.  Your best bet in weed prevention is persistence.  Mulch well and pull and hoe what you can; after a few seasons you can beat the weeds for good.Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly, will be as healthy as possible.  Organic gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time. 

Gardening: Gardening In Organic

Gardening: Gardening In Organic

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no
synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used.  This can make certain
aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds.
Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many
needs of plants. Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no
synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used.  This can make certain
aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds.
Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many
needs of plants.

 Organic gardening starts with the soil.  Gardeners must add organic
matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive.  In
fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants
grown organically.  Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers,
vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other
things.  The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of
earthworms.  Some soil may need more natural additives than regular
compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand.  A
simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you
will need to use.
One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic
gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants.  The best
way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures.
One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not
too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if
healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage.  A variety of
plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type
from taking out the entire garden.
Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden
enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and
lizards.  You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by
growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar.  Other ideas
are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars.  There are some
household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal
soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.
To avoid plant disease in organic gardening, choose disease resistant
plants and plant them in their prime conditions.  Many diseases will
spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the
site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against
diseases.
Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening.
Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection
put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the
mulch.  Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early
in the season before planting, as does solarization.  There’s also the
old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works.  Your
best bet in weed prevention is persistence.  Mulch well and pull and
hoe what you can; after a few seasons you can beat the weeds for good.
Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will
be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly,
will be as healthy as possible.  Organic gardening may take a little
more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the
hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is
definitely worth the extra time. 

Gardening: Japanese Gardening

Japanese gardening is a cultural form of gardening that is meant to
produce a scene that mimics nature as much as possible by using trees,
shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water as
art-forms.  The Zen and Shinto traditions are both a large part of
Japanese gardening and, because of this; the gardens have a
contemplative and reflective state of mind.  Japanese gardening is much
different than the Western style and most would say it is far more
meditational and soul soothing. Japanese gardening is a cultural form of gardening that is meant to produce a scene that mimics nature as much as possible by using trees, shrubs, rocks, sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water as art-forms.  The Zen and Shinto traditions are both a large part of Japanese gardening and, because of this; the gardens have a contemplative and reflective state of mind.  Japanese gardening is much different than the Western style and most would say it is far more meditational and soul soothing.In Japanese gardening there are three basic methods for scenery.  The first of these is reduced scale.  Reduced scale is the art of taking an actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and all, and reproducing it on a smaller scale.   Symbolization involves generalization and abstraction.  An example of this would be using white sand to suggest the ocean.  Borrowed views refers to artists that would use something like an ocean a forest as a background, but it would end up becoming an important part of the scene.There are essentially two types of Japanese gardening: tsukiyami, which is a hill garden and mainly composed of hills and ponds.  The other is hiraniwa, which is basically the exact opposite of tsukiyami: a flat garden without any hills or ponds.The basic elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks, gravel, water, moss, stones, fences, and hedges.  Rocks are most often used as centerpieces and bring a presence of spirituality to the garden.  According to the Shinto tradition rocks embody the spirits of nature.  Gravel is used as a sort of defining surface and is used to imitate the flow of water when arranged properly.  Stones are used to create a boundary and are sculpted into the form of lanterns.  Water, whether it be in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an essential part of a Japanese garden.  It can be in the actual form of water or portrayed by gravel, but no matter what form water is in, it is crucial to a Japanese gardens balance.There are several forms and types of plants that are signature of Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai.  Bonsai is the art of training everyday, average plants, such as Pine, Cypress, Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like large, old trees just in miniature form.  These trees range from five centimeters to one meter and are kept small by pruning, re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.Japanese gardening is a tradition that has crossed the Muso Soseki, poet, said “Gardens are a root of transformation”.  A Japanese garden is sure to bring about many different feelings and is definitely a transforming experience. 

Gardening Advice

Garden advice is not that hard to come by.  In fact, you can get
gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening catalogue,
gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the Internet.
Although you will have variations with every plant, there is some
gardening advice that is universal and that goes for any plant. Garden advice is not that hard to come by.  In fact, you can get gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening catalogue, gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the Internet.  Although you will have variations with every plant, there is some gardening advice that is universal and that goes for any plant.For example, the gardening advice given for planting is pretty much uniform.  You must place plants where they will have room to grow so they don’t overcrowd each other.  Good air flow is a plus, and plants must be in a position where they will receive adequate amounts of sunlight.  Advice will always tell you to add some type of nutrients to the soil to lead to better plant growth, such as mulch or compost.  Gardening advice on watering plants is a little more varied, because every type of plant needs different amounts of water.  For example, you wouldn’t want to water a cactus near as much as you water a tomato plant.  How much you water will obviously also depend on where you live, the climate, and how much rain your area receives.  Gardening advice from nearly every source will tell you that your plants not only need fertilize when you first plant them, they will also needed to be fertilized throughout their growing season.  What type of fertilize used will depend on the soil content and pH balance, but fertilize will definitely be needed on most all plants.  Compost can be used instead and it is easy to find advice on how to make a compost pile as well as when fertilize and compost needs to be used.Gardening advice on weeds, insects, disease, and how to get rid of them is probably the most sought after advice in all of gardening.  These pests invade all gardens and if you don’t get rid of them, they will take over and ruin your garden.  There are many different chemicals and pesticides that can be used, and gardening advice will usually clue gardeners in on which chemicals are better, which are harmful, and which ones are easier to administer.Gardening is not an easy task; you have to fight against many outside forces, such as weather, insects, disease, and weeds.  Even the most seasoned of gardeners will seek out gardening advice once in a while.  Who wouldn’t when there are so many forces that could take a garden out?  There is a lot of general gardening advice on the market that goes for any plant, but if you look a little harder you will find specific advice for that one plant that is the only one giving you trouble.  Gardening advice is relatively easy to find, and while you may come across the occasional bad apple, most of it is relatively sound and will help with any gardening question. 

Gardening Products

Because gardening has evolved into such a popular activity, gardening
products are not hard to come by.  You can buy gardening products in
various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening products from
catalogues, or even order them online.  Gardening products can range
from equipment too fertilize to the actual plant itself. Because gardening has evolved into such a popular activity, gardening products are not hard to come by.  You can buy gardening products in various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening products from catalogues, or even order them online.  Gardening products can range from equipment too fertilize to the actual plant itself.You will obviously need the basic gardening products no matter what you are planting, such as a hoe, spade, and maybe even a shovel.  You must have watering supplies, like a water hose and perhaps a sprinkler.  Other possibilities include a spade, a pot (if you are pot planting), and a pair of gloves for comfort, some secuturs, or a rake.  When first starting a garden you will definitely want some type of mulch or potting soil to get your dirt ready.  There are a few types of potting soil to choose from, including organic potting mix, seed starting potting mix, cactus potting mix, and root development potting mix, just to name a few.Once you have your garden planted, you must have gardening products so that you can add nutrients to the soil to ensure a healthy plant life.  Miracle-Gro is one of the most popular growing enhancements for plants.  There are many different types of Miracle-Gro to choose from and what kind you choose will depend on what you are trying to grow.  You will also want to add fertilize, such as 10-20-10 or triple 13, depending on the needs of your soil.If you are growing vegetables or herbs, you may need different gardening products than regular flower gardens require.  If you are growing tomatoes you will need a tomato cage and ties to protect the plants against the wind.  Many plants, mostly vines, are designed to grow on something and you will have to have a fence or trellis of some sort.Gardening products are not limited to just the gardening necessities; they can also come in the form of decoration.  There are decorative flower pots, sundials, plastic figurines, stones or bricks for a pathway or looks, and even lawn furniture.  Decoration will add to the charm and uniqueness of your garden and are an excellent way to give it a personal touch.The winter months will bring a whole new set of gardening products to store shelves.  When the frost hits the prime place to put your plants are in a greenhouse.  However, if you do not have a greenhouse for whatever reason, a tarp of some sorts can be used to cover plants up at night.  You also might need a light source, like a heat lamp, to both keep plants warm and give them extra light.New and upgraded gardening products are always popping up on the market.  It seems like every day there is some gardening product that claims to be bigger and better than the last.  While many gardening products are not a necessity, they sure make the job a lot easier and more enjoyable. 

Ways to Grow Vegetables in Eco-friendly Backyard Gardens

We all know how much hard work there is in growing vegetables - digging, weeding, crop rotation, watering, fertilizing, planting winter crops, resting beds, spraying pests and weeds - the list goes on and on.

The term Ecological Gardening seems to be gaining popularity. Imagine a vegetable garden that didn’t need any of these things. Eco-friendly Gardening aims to create a system where nature works for us, and not against us.

Traditionally gardening was done in the soil in small rows, primarily for home consumption and with the surplus products sold in nearby markets – however, traditional vegetable gardens require large amount of hard work and care to get best results. There is also the problem of seasonality, allowing beds to rest during the cooler months producing nothing at all. It takes a lot of time, dedication and a year-round commitment to grow your own food the traditional way.

You will find that the traditional vegetable gardening techniques are focused mostly on problems. Imagine a traditional vegetable garden, planted with rows of various vegetables. There are fairly large bare patches between the vegetables. But to an ecologist, a bare patch is an empty niche space. Nature does not tolerate empty niche spaces and the most successful niche space fillers are weeds.

Modern day fertilizers kill the soil biology which is very important in building soil structure and plant nutrient availability. The soil will eventually turn into a dead substance that doesn’t have the correct balance of nutrients to grow fully developed foods. The foods will actually lack vitamins and minerals.

Any ecologically-based garden mimics nature in such a way that the garden looks and acts like a natural ecosystem. Going for eco-friendly organic vegetable gardening will have the following advantages:

• •Set up a garden that produces many times more than a traditional vegetable garden.
• •Set up a garden that only requires 8 hours of light easy effort per year
• •Grow food that you can harvest every single day of the year, no matter where you live.
• •Set up a garden that never needs digging, has virtually no weeds!
• •Use only compost/manure to feed the plants and nourish the soil.
• •Grow vegetables and fruit organically in your home backyard.

The biggest challenge that faces modern agricultural practices is to incorporate pest ecology, plant ecology, soil ecology and crop management into a method that is reliable and efficient. Succession layering of plants offers natural pest management since beneficial insects can be used to pollinate the plants and to rid the plants of pest insects.

Ecological gardening can easily prevent a number of problems from ever arising in the gardening. Besides, this garden produces many times more than a traditional vegetable garden and regenerates itself year after year.

In conclusion, the study of natural ecosystems reveals everything we need to know about growing food. After all, Mother Nature has been doing it this way for millions of years.

Food4Wealth has laid the foundations for a healthier, more efficient and reliable way to grow food. It’s a simple method that sets things up as nature intended, so that problems simply don’t exist. Learn more…
http://tinyurl.com/3ztta54

Rose Gardening Tips For Beginners

This condition discusses real rose farming tips that are very helpful for those who forecast to support their own rose plot. Though there web sites for you make goods of rose farming outcome like rose farming book, still this clause can help for you to be more knowledgeable in rose farming.

It has been thought that rose-farming is one of the most difficult to direct. If you are planning to come your own rose garden, go forward! You don’t basic to be delayed by this misconception. You just should actual rose-farming tips that are sincerely useful. If you are able to get some, like rose farming book, you can say that rose gardening is one of the most relaxing, productive hobbies.

When you surprise rose gardening, first thing that you penury to do is to launch what manner or category of rose you want to grow. With that, you can have numerous options- the pre-packaged; bare-toot; and the container-developed roses. The ones that are sold during frost and early spring are the bare-delve; pre-packaged are those bare-rifle sold in a box with something around their roots to continue their wetness; and visibly, container-grown roses are the in container.

You can look for web situate to asset rose-gardening outcome like conduct for fertilizer, the tools required, and even the roses themselves. Remember that rose gardening tips are needed especially for beginners.

Actually, there are no great variations on planting rose when compared to other plants. Rose gardening book emphasizes the importance of, like other plants, strong soil, appropriate water and fertilizer and withstand. So make confident that there is strong soil, correct drainage, appropriate sunlight and hire your roses planted cool from one another (appropriate detach).

Another thing to be remembered is, before planting, all extinct trees and other rotting part must be cut-off. Any break or even roses with long roots are in indigence to be trimmed and marinate the rummage for 10 to 12 hours to renew their moisture. Water the soil before you stand it and make solid the opening you dig is large enough for the rose archetype evolution.

You have to remember also, as part of rose-gardening tips, that pruning is very important part of flower gardening. It adds the office of the, your plants to have more flush. You can learn on what are the courteous habits to do this by receiving rose gardening book.

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Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs Workshop on Sunday, August 14

Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs Workshop With Kathy Jentz

Sunday, August 14 from 1:00-3:00pm

at On the Purple Couch in Kensington, MD

You don’t need to cultivate an entire backyard plot to grow enough herbs to use in meals; a simple container on a deck or patio can provide herbs all season, as you need them. This class provides you with the information you need to grow herbs in a container garden or in a small garden bed.

You’ll discover which herbs are best started from seeds and which are best bought as seedlings. You’ll also get tips on different sources for herbs and how to care for them.

Attendees will sample, smell, and taste a variety of herbs.
We will paint a pot with Annie Sloan’s Chalk paint and pot some herbs up in it.

Register at: http://www.onthepurplecouch.com/event/thyme-grow-herbs-class-kathy-jentz/

Instructor:
Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable, and her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration. She is currently the Green Media columnist for the Mid-Atlantic Grower. Kathy’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Examiner, Pathways Magazine, and Washington Women magazine. In addition, she appears on regular gardening guest spots on Channel 9, Channel 4, and WAMU radio in D.C.

Space, Relativity, and the Big, Bad Pine

Amazing things began to happen... The very second we dropped the 120 foot tall pine tree ~ that had, long ago, over stayed it's welcome in this tiny yard.

I enjoyed sunlight in my living room, for the first time ever.

I could see the high hills, and mountain tops, off in the distance.

Charlie photo bombs my excellent, new view.

I got a phone call from the neighbors who never talk to me! Because they were mad as hell. The nerve of me, killing a perfectly healthy tree.

The sun shines down on gorgeous Valerian.

It is, I suppose, a horrendous crime to be felling a healthy tree.*

But, if I put my snooty gardening hat on... and climb up on that (even more snooty) gardening soap box...

I should be allowed to scream at the top of my lungs:

It's not my fault!

I wasn't the fool who planted that tree right next to the house, 25 years ago. A tree that will require 200 square feet of space when he's all grow'd up. Which he was.

Mr. Pine had grown so large that he devoted the better of part of each day, scraping siding and shingles off the house.

Sun worshippers rejoice!

During the ice storm, he waved his big arms and broke the picture window. A window that pictured only him, because he was so large, all I could see were pine boughs.

Once the big, bad tree was gone, I realized something marvelous... this is not a tiny yard at all. It just looked that way when one huge tree took up so much space.

More sun = More fun

Turns out this is a huge yard! With all kinds of flower power potential.

Charlie & Pete, observing the destruction from the upper deck. 

I was surprised they weren't bothered by the sounds of the chainsaw.

The big, bad pine will be replaced by pretty in pink Kwanzan Cherry trees, a tiny choice that actually fit within this landscape.

If you're gonna be a tree at my place, you must do more than just stand around and look green. You should provide a flower, or two.

I've already started tossing out seeds! To nurture endless drifts of my most beloved wildflowers.

* I call him the big, bad pine because - in spite of what neighbors claimed - he wasn't all that healthy.

He suffered from needle blight, he was very weak, and that makes him susceptible to the pine beetle that is killing most of the evergreens in our forests.

Take a look around my neighborhood, and you'll see this needle blight everywhere. It's a sad, sad thing. These trees should all be treated. But, that is a very expensive process. And, I'm off my soapbox, now, so I don't think I'll be ranting and raving to my neighbors.

Why Kwanzan Cherry Trees? 
In addition to being absolutely stunning... They are a wee bit drought tolerant (hey!) and, sterile. Which means.. they don't produce fruit that makes a mess in your garden.




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Tree frogs

A joy this evening is listening to the tree frogs, singing in the ravine forest below the house. 

The additional rain this evening must be making them happy, as it's a new chorus.  The fireflies continue to illuminate the forest canopy, too.

Magic.

Fenton Friday: Bean Stalks

student documentaians

This week in my community garden plot, some student documentary filmmakers came by and took some footage of the gardens. I did a brief interview with them as well. The final product will be under 5 minutes long, so I doubt I'll make the final cut, but it was fun to participate in it. The heat was unbearable and one of the students was overcome by heat exhaustion. She is fine now, but that is a good warning to all of us to take extra precautions in this weather.

Red Okra

My red okra is starting to produce regularly now and my basil is about ready to harvest for making pesto. The zinnias have jumped up -- right on time for my flower class this Sunday at On the Purple Couch.

The beans planted only last week are now six-inches tall. It is really stunning what these little powerhouses can do! I am looking forward to harvesting them in August.

Bean seedlings

How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Thunderstorms!

Woo-hoo!  We've been experiencing thunderstorms the last few afternoons and evenings, and are in the middle of one now.

Yay!

We've been in such a droughty situation, at least for the mountains of Western North Carolina, that many of our counties had moved into severe drought status.

I've been watering my vegetables and the pocket meadow plantings like crazy; my gardening companion, ditto, for his native plant areas.  LOTS of watering.

So having a couple of inches (+) of rain over a couple of days -- so welcome.

And I think we'll have at least another inch from today's downpours.

ADVERTISER OF THE WEEK: Love & Carrots

Love and Carrots provides gardening assistance to people who would like to have an organic vegetable garden in their backyard, front yard, patio, balcony, or even bay window. DC is unique in that it has abundant yard space for a city. Many people here have both a front and back yard, however not many people use these spaces to grow food. They would like to see that potential realized and so far, they have seen that the interest in home gardening in DC already exists. Their aim is to help get people started growing their own food as locally as possible – in their own yard!

They design, install, and maintain organically grown vegetable gardens, transforming backyards and rooftops into fresh, organic banquets. Veggies are just a part of what they do – Love and Carrots also works with native plants, chicken coops, and rain gardens. 
 
See:  http://loveandcarrots.com/
 
Every Thursday on the Washington Gardener Magazine blog, we feature a current advertiser from our quarterly print magazine or monthly online enewsletter. To advertise with us, contact wgardenermag@aol.com today.

Video Wednesday: Smithsonian's Pollinator Garden

The Smithsonian's Butterfly Habitat Garden has been re-branded as the Pollinator Garden with new signage and mission. Head gardener James Gagliardi explains the transformation.

Into the Faerie Forest...

* There is a real, true Fairy Forest in Utah. This path is not it. Scroll to the bottom of this post to find directions to that trail. This location is called the I'll Never Tell Trail. It must remain a deep, dark secret.

Daughter, Lauren, and her adorable pup, Ellie, exploring the most magical of trails.

So, what are YOU doing this 4th of July weekend? We're avoiding public places because our puppy dogs are terrified of fireworks. 

Come along with us, on a virtual hike... through a lush garden -- which is pretty dang hard to find in a high plains desert like Utah!

I call this spot 'magical' because every inch of it is covered
with happily blooming wildflowers. So many that it almost looks 
as if someone planted them! Perhaps those elusive fairies?

True confessions: I am not much of a hiker. To be honest, I never was...

In my early years in the Midwest, I enjoyed hiking in the woodlands of Minnesota because it was... well... flat.

Meaning, it wasn't hard work. It was pure joy.

James Buckwheat [Erigonum jamesii] 

When you got hungry, you'd inevitably find wild raspberries and blackberries growing along the trail.

How sweet is that?

It's awfully hard to find flat, fun, unpopulated trails in Utah. Seems like we're always forced to scale a mountain in search of a pretty view.

Or, fight the crowds who have also discovered this path.

This is my summer to explore the High Uintas on horseback. Where alpine meadows stretch for miles.

To ride off trail ~ to abandon the well-documented paths, in search of unspoiled places most folks will never find.

And, it's smart that you DON'T try to find these trails, because it is remarkably easy to get lost in the dense woods.

Unless you're riding my horse, Sable, who is a homing pigeon to the horse trailer.

Which houses the cookies, that motivate her to enjoy these wildflower expeditions. She never loses sight of our path back to the parking lot... and the yummy treats that beckon.

Wild Onions [Allium canadense] If they smell like onions, eat 'em. If they don't they'll probably poison you.

I, of course, found this trail on my beloved horse.

Came back with my daughter, this 4th of July weekend -- to tackle this trail on foot! Something I haven't done in many years. It's lots easier on a horse. :)

Queen Anne's Lace ~ Wild Carrot ~ Don't eat it! ~ Looks exactly like Hemlock and you know what that is..

So, where are we?

Oh, I'll never tell. Because I'm learning a lot about wildflowers this summer.

I'm learning that these flowers flourish when we leave them alone.

Fireweed [Chamerion Angustifolium] named as such for it's quick propagation after wildfires.

And, in this place ~ that nobody knows ~ they rejoice in ways I'd never imagined.

I hope you've enjoyed this virtual adventure, of the magical place we call the Faerie Forest.

Thanks for coming along!

~ kate

* The more well-known Fairy Forest, along the Mirror Lake Highway, is a delightful little hike to take with your kids. Click here to visit the blog that documents this hike, and gives great directions to get there.

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