Mar
14
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
One of the oldest hobbies known to man, gardening has withstood the test of time as a hobby. It is not only enjoyable but fruitful as well in more ways than one because plants actually bear fruits. You can grow your own flower and vegetables and even fruit. Gardening is a hobby which is easy and gives you exercise and exposure to sunlight as well.
If You Want To Grow Tomatoes
If you are starting out and want to grow tomatoes, remember that are easy plants to grow. As there are more than 25,000 varieties available, you will be able to find a variety which will be suitable for your soil and weather conditions. Tomatoes can he used a large number of recipes and can be used raw or cooked. It is a delight to watch tomatoes growing in your garden as you get to see tomatoes going from green to red before your eyes.
There are two ways to grow tomatoes. You can either buy the immature plants and plant them, or you can grow them from seeds. Just remember that if you are growing them from seed, you need to plant the seeds at least six to eight weeks before the last expected frost.
If you are growing them in your garden, you will need to prepare the soil, dig the holes an the plant the baby plants or the seeds. Even baby plants will need sunlight and warmth, so make sure that the location is such that it gets the sunlight. If you are a window sill or terrace gardener, you need to see that the fledgling plants get the warmth and water that they require
If You Want To Grow Flowers
Planting flower bulbs is fast, easy, and nearly foolproof. Even if you have no gardening experience you should be able to complete this with few to no problems. The first step is for you to prepare the planting bed. Then you use fertilizer, and plant the bulbs into holes.
There are lots of resources available on gardening, whether it is books or internet sites. You can get all the information you need for your gardening needs. Once you get into gardening you will meet other people with the same hobby and as your network grows you will get more tips and techniques to help hone your gardening skills.
How To Find Gardening Help
You will need gardening help whether you are a new at this hobby or a professional gardener. Sometimes you may just need a little organic gardening help, at other times you may need the help of a seasoned expert who can show you what you can. In any case, it is necessary to know where you can access the organic gardening help whenever you need it.
Finding The Information You Need
There are many resources that you will be able to access when you need gardening help. There are innumerable books on gardening available at your nearest library or book store and books will always be there for you to look up. They are among the really good sources of information for organic gardening help.
Among the really good and best selling gardening books are Gardening Basics for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Canadian Gardening by Steven A. Frownie and The National Gardening Association. With the aid of these books, you will find out which are the best plants to grow for the area and climate that you live in, make sure that you are using ecologically friendly products, make your gardens really beautiful, whether you have an open landscaped garden or other types which the books will tell you about
The internet is an extremely friendly and informative resource which will help you with your gardening skills. Through the internet you can find any possible information that you are looking for in terms of gardening help. In no time at all you will be able to find solutions to any problems you may face with your gardening or any help that you may require with regard to organic gardening.
If you want to get even more savvy about gardening, there are courses and seminars that you can attend which will provide you with gardening help. As you will be able to ask questions one on one, you will be able to get professional guidance and help. You will also meet people with similar interests and while networking, you will find out even more gardening information which will be of help to you.
Gardening is not just a hobby which is rewarding and interesting, but it also helps you do your bit for the environment. You can use organic gardening to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables which will be of aesthetic value and also perhaps you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor by eating the fruits and vegetables. Organic gardening may seem to be taking up a great deal of time, but it is not that difficult to do and the rewards are worth the time and labor that you put in.
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Feb
04
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Treat people how you want to be treated.” These two small-yet powerful-phrases are so important in life. I am a strong believer in Karma; what you put out is what you will receive. It’s all one big cycle.
If someone is suffering and you have the ability to do something to eliminate their plight or make the suffering more tolerable, why not do something?! When you act out of kindness, you tend to feel good about yourself because you were able to help someone, giving you a more positive outlook on life. When you see life in a brighter light, you feel a certain calmness within yourself. Calmness gives you the clarity to listen to your inner-spirit. When you can listen to that inner-spirit, you can guide yourself through your life in a more focused manner. Plus, feeling good about yourself by helping someone else gives you the confidence to conquer your own fears. In addition, the Universe recognizes your spirit. Let’s be realistic. We ALL have hard times. However, when angels in human shells came to your aid to fix your car when you were stranded and rejected any form of payment, perhaps that was a spiritual “Thank You” for when you gave someone some money to get them through to payday. See how a healthy act of kindness not only helps out whomever you are helping, it helps YOU as well? How beautiful is that?!
“Healthy” is the keyword. Mental health and physical health are tied together. When your mind is in the right place, your body is strong and at ease. However, if your mental state is not good, you get headaches, your stomach is in knots, and you can’t think straight. Another form of health to always keep intact is your spiritual health. Your spiritual health is embracing and nurturing whatever it is that YOU believe. It doesn’t have to mean going to church/synagogue/mosque every Sabbath. Spirituality could be planting flower bulbs in your backyard because contact with the earth and breathing fresh air put you closer to God. Spirituality is what works for YOU and what gets you through this game called “Life”.
In closing, healthy acts of kindness don’t have to be huge and grand. Helping someone cross the street, opening the door for someone with their hands full, giving away clothes that you never wear. Those are great acts of kindness. Kindness doesn’t have a price tag on it. What matters is what you feel when you act kindly, and what the recipient feels when kindness is done for them.
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Jan
26
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
As Winter quickly becomes a distant memory and Spring is just around the corner, gardeners everywhere are anxious to get to work in their flower beds and vegetable gardens. Possibly their first job is to get the shovel out of the garden shed to begin the labor intensive job of digging up the soil and working it into the perfect medium for planting flower bulbs and garden seeds.
Before getting started, there are a few important tips to remember that will make the digging process efficient and safe.
Digging is a great form of exercise that works several muscle groups and because of this it would be wise to do a few basic warm-up exercises before getting started. Incorporate warm-up exercises that will prepare the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and back for the work ahead. If you have ever done any stretches before swimming, you might want to incorporate them into your warm-up for the task ahead. They would be the ideal stretches for the work you will be doing as they target the muscles of the upper body.
Be sure the shovel is sharp as this will enable the tip to enter the soil with far less effort. Use your foot to push the shovel into the soil and be sure you have on a pair of sturdy boots.
Keep in mind that it the soil is too dry, it will be hard to dig and will require a lot more effort. On the other hand, if it is very wet, the soil will be much heavier and will stick to your shovel blade. The trick is to dig a few days after a rainfall when the soil is neither too wet nor too dry.
Start by digging a small trench, and then continue to dig backwards, filling the trench with newly turned soil as you go. Avoid filling your shovel with large clumps of soil that are heavy and will cause unnecessary strain to your back. Limit your shoveling time to around 30 minutes per session and take a break. During that break be sure to straighten up, and with your hands on the lumbar, bend your back slightly backwards and repeat a few times.
Although digging your garden is hard work, there are many benefits when you take the time to dig your garden properly.
By digging the soil, you are loosening it and changing it’s basic structure. It goes from being very compacted to loose and aerated and allows for a better flow of oxygen to plant roots. Proper digging will also improve the water-drainage of the soil. It’s important to dig deep enough as the roots of many plants can grow very long. A good rule of thumb is to shovel your trench to a size equal to the depth and width of the shovel blade.
By turning the soil you will also be turning dead and decaying plants from the previous year back into the soil. Eventually this debris will decompose and serve as rich compost for the next crop of plants.
Once you have turned the soil, it’s important to break down the large clumps of dirt and smooth it out with a rake. This will result in much easier planting and at the same time will make it easier for newly sprouted seeds to break through the surface of the soil.
As you turn the soil, be sure to remove all stones, weeds, and twigs that might hamper the sprouting and growth of your new plants.
Once you are done digging, and the soil is smoothed out, you are ready to begin the planting phase. It you have taken care to properly turn and prepare the soil you will greatly improve your chances of having a healthy, productive garden.
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Jan
13
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
Country living gardening can be as simple as a tulip out your front window, or as complex as water lilies in an aerated water garden pond. Knowing how to get from there to way over there isnt always as easy as the beautiful garden pictures in magazines portray. Great country living gardening takes hard work, patience, and determination.
If youre a beginning gardener, you may want to start with planting flower bulbs first. Tulips, especially, are an easy first try and will bring you long lasting blooms year after year– an excellent reminder of your successful gardening beginnings!
How about some country living gardening for those bare spots around the porch, or that shady area near the house you just dont know what to do with?! Perennial groundcovers always have you covered! Theyre great for those hard to cover areas, shady spots, walkways, driveways, any ways! Perennial plants can also be a great cascade of color during a long, cold winter.
Country living gardening with healthy, hearty vegetables is always a gardening must! Pay particular attention to depth and length, and best times to harvest when planting vegetables.
If you choose to bring country living gardening right into your living and dining areas, correctly potting and watering your indoor house plants will make the biggest difference in how well they thrive.
Shrub bushes and garden tree plants are country living gardening at its best providing added privacy and increased value to your land. Pruning bushes and training younger trees will greatly add to their beauty.
If your idea of country living gardening is much closer to that beautiful picture of the tumbling garden water pond, be sure to add components, such as, sterilizers and filtration systems during installation for healthy aeration especially if adding fish to your garden water pond.
Related Blogs
Oct
23
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
One of the oldest hobbies known to man, gardening has withstood the test of time as a hobby. It is not only enjoyable but fruitful as well in more ways than one because plants actually bear fruits. You can grow your own flower and vegetables and even fruit. Gardening is a hobby which is easy and gives you exercise and exposure to sunlight as well.
If You Want To Grow Tomatoes
If you are starting out and want to grow tomatoes, remember that are easy plants to grow. As there are more than 25,000 varieties available, you will be able to find a variety which will be suitable for your soil and weather conditions. Tomatoes can he used a large number of recipes and can be used raw or cooked. It is a delight to watch tomatoes growing in your garden as you get to see tomatoes going from green to red before your eyes.
There are two ways to grow tomatoes. You can either buy the immature plants and plant them, or you can grow them from seeds. Just remember that if you are growing them from seed, you need to plant the seeds at least six to eight weeks before the last expected frost.
If you are growing them in your garden, you will need to prepare the soil, dig the holes an the plant the baby plants or the seeds. Even baby plants will need sunlight and warmth, so make sure that the location is such that it gets the sunlight. If you are a window sill or terrace gardener, you need to see that the fledgling plants get the warmth and water that they require
If You Want To Grow Flowers
Planting flower bulbs is fast, easy, and nearly foolproof. Even if you have no gardening experience you should be able to complete this with few to no problems. The first step is for you to prepare the planting bed. Then you use fertilizer, and plant the bulbs into holes.
There are lots of resources available on gardening, whether it is books or internet sites. You can get all the information you need for your gardening needs. Once you get into gardening you will meet other people with the same hobby and as your network grows you will get more tips and techniques to help hone your gardening skills.
How To Find Gardening Help
You will need gardening help whether you are a new at this hobby or a professional gardener. Sometimes you may just need a little organic gardening help, at other times you may need the help of a seasoned expert who can show you what you can. In any case, it is necessary to know where you can access the organic gardening help whenever you need it.
Finding The Information You Need
There are many resources that you will be able to access when you need gardening help. There are innumerable books on gardening available at your nearest library or book store and books will always be there for you to look up. They are among the really good sources of information for organic gardening help.
Among the really good and best selling gardening books are Gardening Basics for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Canadian Gardening by Steven A. Frownie and The National Gardening Association. With the aid of these books, you will find out which are the best plants to grow for the area and climate that you live in, make sure that you are using ecologically friendly products, make your gardens really beautiful, whether you have an open landscaped garden or other types which the books will tell you about
The internet is an extremely friendly and informative resource which will help you with your gardening skills. Through the internet you can find any possible information that you are looking for in terms of gardening help. In no time at all you will be able to find solutions to any problems you may face with your gardening or any help that you may require with regard to organic gardening.
If you want to get even more savvy about gardening, there are courses and seminars that you can attend which will provide you with gardening help. As you will be able to ask questions one on one, you will be able to get professional guidance and help. You will also meet people with similar interests and while networking, you will find out even more gardening information which will be of help to you.
Gardening is not just a hobby which is rewarding and interesting, but it also helps you do your bit for the environment. You can use organic gardening to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables which will be of aesthetic value and also perhaps you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor by eating the fruits and vegetables. Organic gardening may seem to be taking up a great deal of time, but it is not that difficult to do and the rewards are worth the time and labor that you put in.
Related Blogs
Oct
04
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
Flowers are a favorite of many backyard gardeners. Thanks to their ease of planting and relatively low cost, flower bulbs are a popular choice for flower gardens. Not only are flower bulbs beautiful, but planting them is a very simple undertaking.
Planting flower bulbs is so easy, in fact, that its almost foolproof. The most important consideration is timing. Flower bulbs need to be planted when the ground is coolnot too hot and not too cold. Its best to plant them about six weeks before the ground freezes.
The next consideration is location. Youll want to choose a place where the soil drains wellbulbs do not grow well in areas with standing water. Bulbs also need a location that is well lit and sunny.
Make sure that the soil is loose. It does not require any fertilization or special treatment. However, you might want to add compost or peat moss if youre working in a new flowerbed.
The next consideration in planting flower bulbs is purely cosmetic. Youll want to consider the placement of the various flowers. Generally, bulbs should be densely plantedthey do not look as nice planted alone or in thin lines. Taller flowers should be planted behind short ones. Consider the finished product as you are planning your flower beds. Think about which color combinations work best together, as well as which varieties of flowers best complement each other.
Once you have determined placement, you are ready to plant. Dig your holes about six to eight inches deep (follow package directions). Place the bulb in the ground with the pointed end facing up. Cover the hole and pack it firmly to release any air holes. Water the ground thoroughly.
As you can see, planting flower bulbs is a fun and easy project. With a little patience and creativity, you can have a beautiful and enjoyable flower bed.
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Feb
07
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
Flower bulbs can produce some amazing flowers throughout the whole year for little care and effort once planted. This yearly display can start with the earliest flowering bulbs in the spring such as snowdrops and crocus and proceed into winter with bulbs forced indoors to bloom. These you can see available in stores around Christmas time.
For this article we will discuss flower bulbs as being most of the group of flowers that grow from enlarged underground masses that store food over the winter for the plant. In another article we will address the actual differences among all such “bulbs”.
Flower bulbs, if planted in a bed, need a soil that has good drainage. A sandy loam soil is ideal but bulbs will do well in just about anything short of cold clay soil, soggy spots and very rocky ground. Even amongst the rocks you can find pockets to plant some of the smaller flower bulbs. Adding plenty of organic matter always helps your soil as we have mentioned in other articles.
Some expert gardeners suggest a flowerbed where the bulbs will be planted should be prepared to a depth of two feet. This allows you to plant even the largest of bulbs to a good depth. But if the location is a low spot to which all other areas drain, and it holds water, this will not be a good spot to plant your bulbs regardless of how well you prepare the soil. Flower bulbs will readily rot where the soil holds water and is soggy.
Whatever spot you pick be sure it allows your flower bulbs to be in full sun. As most spring-flowering bulbs come up before the trees have their leaves, it may not be as great a concern for them. It is certainly a consideration when planting summer-flowering bulbs. Keep this in mind when planting near evergreens and man-made structures.
Some flower gardeners prefer to use bulbs to “naturalize” an area. To do this, you simply dig a hole big enough and deep enough for the bulb you are planting. You can also dig a hole big enough to hold four or five bulbs at a time. Put a little bulb fertilizer in the hole, place your bulbs in, replace the soil removed and cap with the sod you removed in making the hole.
And lastly the rule of thumb for planting flower bulbs is three times as deep as the bulb is big. You may wish to consider planting some bulbs even deeper. Barbara Damrosch of Theme Gardens fame prefers to plant her bulbs, especially tulips and daffodils, deeper at ten inches. She prefers this to keep them from sprouting in the fall, being worked out of the ground by the freezing and thawing of it, and also to help protect the bulbs from being eaten by animals.
© 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson
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