by BlondieWrites on June 12, 2010
5 Quick Gardening Tips to Save You Money
It’s easy to spend a fortune every year creating a beautiful yard. These five tips can help save you money in both this, and future gardening seasons.
1. Plan your vegetable garden according to what your neighbors are planting so you can share your vegetables when they’re ready for eating. Often I’ve had too many of one kind of vegetable I couldn’t give away because my friend’s were ripe at the same time.
2. Select perennials rather than annuals for your flowerbeds. As they multiply each year, cut them back and exchange with your friends so you both have lovely gardens and save money at the same time.
3. Compost your kitchen scraps, as well as your coffee grounds. The end result is much better than any potting soil you can ever get buy from a nursery or hardware store. The price is right, and this is definitely recycling!
4. Instead of using mulch, try pebbles or small rocks in your garden as ground cover. This will save you lots of cash since you won’t need to buy mulch in the spring and fall of every year.
5. Spend more money now by purchasing better quality gardening tools and you will save in the long run. They will last for years, saving you dollars because you don’t need to replace them every planting season. Same goes for gardening gloves- make sure you buy the best you can afford so they last all season.
by BlondieWrites on June 2, 2010
Growing Vegetables in Your Summer Garden
As a child, I remember many sunny summer afternoons sitting on the porch shelling more than my fair share of peas and butter beans in the deep dark heart of the old south. There were other vegetables we grew in our summer gardens that had to be picked and stored for winter but the peas and butter beans always seemed to take the most time and attention and are one of the things I sorely miss having left my home in the south for much cooler climes. One thing though, has never gotten away from me and that is the deep and abiding love I have for the smell of freshly plowed soil and the taste of vegetables fresh from the garden.
I point out the fact that my childhood favorite summer garden vegetables only seem to flourish in the south to drive home the fact that you really will need to research the vegetables you plant in your summer garden as they relate to the specific area in which you live. Not all vegetable plants are created equal in their tolerance for temperature or rainfall (or lack thereof), which could greatly impact their suitability for your particular vegetable summer garden depending of course, on where you are located.
Some great plants to include in your summer vegetable garden should of course be dictated by those vegetables that you enjoy eating as well as those vegetables and herbs that use a good deal when cooking. If you use peppers a lot in your cooking then peppers are probably an excellent choice for your summer garden. If you don’t like peppers, then they are not likely to be a good choice, as they will probably be wasted. My children will eat green peppers off the vine so they make an excellent choice for our garden. Tomatoes are another popular favorite for summer gardens. Some have even gotten creative and created hanging tomato plants in which the tomatoes literally grow upside down. If space is limited in your summer garden this may be a great way to have your tomatoes and grow them too-without taking up valuable real estate within your vegetable garden.
For those who love their greens summer gardens provide an excellent atmosphere for growing greens such as broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage. Collard greens, mustard greens, and turnip greens are also good summer garden inclusions. I also have strong memories of boiling huge vats of greens to be frozen for winter when the full force of the harvest was upon us. There was always something to be done with the vegetables as winter approached and during those lean winter months we were so grateful for the hard work and effort we had made to insure these great vegetables would sustain us during the months they weren’t so readily available.
Having a summer garden filled with vegetables is a satisfying pursuit in many ways. First of all you are producing something that is useful to you and your family. Second, you are providing a way for you and your family to enjoy the vegetables you love most throughout the year. Finally, you are able to produce vegetables that are fit for consumption and enjoyment at a much lower cost than you would pay for these vegetables at the local supermarket. This helps save money for some of the more important and more entertaining things most of us would like to do with our families.
As with any summer garden you will need to plan carefully the placement of your vegetables and do some research on individual watering and shade requirements. It helps to plant those that need partial sunlight in the shadow of those plants that will grow taller and provide shade for the smaller plants. It also helps to keep the thirstier plants closer together and further away from those plants that require less water to sustain them. You should also take care to be realistic in your planting and avoid planting more than you can comfortable consume or harvest, as that will be wasted time and effort on your part.
by BlondieWrites on June 2, 2010
Planting a Summer Garden
When it comes to planting your garden the first thing you need to focus on is planning your garden. Once you have a line on the things you want to plant, where you want to plant them, and what the needs of your individual plants will be it is time to really dig in and get your hands dirty. Of course, for many gardeners this is the best thing about growing a summer garden (though some will argue that the results are the best thing). Either way, many gardeners relish the idea of getting their hands in the dirt in order to really get their garden underway.
Before the planting begins however you should take a calendar and mark the days that each part of your summer garden will be planted. Different flowers and vegetables have different growing seasons. Some prosper by earlier plantings while others prosper by later plantings. If you are planting a summer vegetable garden then it is quite possible that some of the plants will need a precise number of days between planting and harvesting. Both the plant and harvest days should be noted. This also however provides an excellent opportunity to plant more of the vegetable (and some flowers) every two weeks to provide a continuous rotation of the vegetable you love well into the gardening season.
Plants that are known to take up a great deal of space on the ground when left to their own devices may be trained to climb poles that you set up in the garden for them. If space is limited, this is highly recommended. Doing this also provides an opportunity to shade plants that prefer less direct sunlight when planted next to these climbing vines that are climbing vertically. Also make sure you have enough stakes for all the plants that require them for best effect.
Plant your plants so that those needing shade get the shade they need and those that require the most water are located on a downward slope so that they get the water that runs off from the plants that require lesser amounts of water. This is a trick of conservationists and seasoned gardeners that makes the most of sometimes limited resources such as water for the purpose of creating a better environment for optimal growth. At the same time you want to avoid planting vegetables and flowers that require less water at the bottom of these slopes as they are likely to become over hydrated, which can be just as devastating as not getting enough water.
Make sure your soil is healthy so that it can create the healthy plants you are hoping to have. Fertilize the soil in which these plants, flowers, and vegetables will be grown. This provides the foundation necessary for optimal performance from your plants and greatest yield from your vegetables. You should also take great care once the planting has taken place that the plants, flowers, and vegetables that make up your summer garden are well fed in order to produce even better results. There are plenty of fertilizers and plant foods from which to choose be sure to check local laws in order to make sure you aren’t using a combination that is not recommended for your region or that is not permissible in your reason as this is often strictly regulated from one state to the next.
Plan your pest control before you begin planting your garden. There are some plants, flowers, and herbs that work as natural pest controls. These make an excellent addition to your garden as they offer no harmful side effect and can rid your garden of many of the pests that provide constant head aches. Another thing you may wish to consider is the use of chicken wire to protect some of your plants from things a little bigger than the average bug. The more humane the methods of pest control and the less you rely on pesticides the better.
by BlondieWrites on June 2, 2010
An Organic Summer Garden Experience
If you have the time and the inclination to create an organic summer garden there are few better ways to go when it comes to the potential impact on the planet. A summer garden is a thing of beauty to be enjoyed by all you invite into your garden. That being said, there are certain pests we’d all like to keep out of our gardens as well. The problem is that the pesticides of the past have undetermined side effects that have the potential to cause lasting harm. If we can avoid introducing those chemicals to our own gardens we are protecting our kids from dangers we may not even be aware of yet and protecting the other animals that may innocently come in contact with our gardens such as birds and butterflies from being harmed by the chemicals present in most common pesticides.
What does this mean to gardeners when it comes to efforts directed towards keeping out potential pests? Quite honestly, it means we are going to have to get a little bit creative in those efforts turning to natural solutions rather than chemicals. One way in which this can quite easily be accomplished is by encouraging animals that prey upon the pests to make your garden their home. Of course, this could potentially bring about its own set of problems but from a gardening perspective it is often very sound reasoning.
Use organic mulch. While this isn’t necessarily a means of pest control it is a wise move when it comes to organic gardening. Not only does the mulch provide the very useful mulching properties throughout the growing season but once the growing season has ended can be turned over and used in order to boost the organic material within the soil. This in turns provides nutrients that are important to keeping the soil fit for sustaining plant life in future growing seasons.
Attract birds to your garden. This has a two-fold benefit for the organic gardener. First of all the birds are often natural predators for many of the bugs that make a nuisance of themselves in the average summer garden. Second, birds leave behind their own little fertilizing additions to the landscape of your garden. Don’t you wish all solutions were this simple?
Keep your garden healthy, well fertilized, watered regularly and appropriately, and free of weeds. A good offense is the best defense. A good immune system and constant hand washing are the best defense the human body has against catching colds and viruses. The same holds true for gardens and their ability to fight pests. Keep your garden strong and healthy and it will repel many of the pests that may cripple other gardens on its own. It certainly doesn’t hurt anything to keep this philosophy in mind and you may be amazed at how well it works.
Organic gardening is more than a plan for your garden it is a return to the ways of old in the world of gardening. For centuries before pesticides were created man managed to live off the abundance of his gardens. It makes sense that by returning to those ideals we can also enjoy great food and a bountiful harvest in the modern world. Make the choice today to make your summer garden an organic garden and reap the benefit in better health and greater enjoyment of the gardening process.
by BlondieWrites on May 6, 2010
by BlondieWrites on April 24, 2010
Organic Gardening – Easy Ways To Get Started Today
Growing your own herbs, vegetables, greens and fruit can be both incredibly rewarding and delicious. However, many gardeners rely on pesticides, herbicides and fungicides not to mention chemical fertilizers to help their garden grow. That’s not only unnecessary, it’s also unhealthy. All those nutritious veggies pack a much healthier punch if they’re sans harmful chemicals.
Step #1 Prepare your soil. Because your soil is the foundation of your garden, it is important to make sure it’s full of the right nutrients to feed your garden. Mix in organic material like compost or humus and consider having your soil tested. The proper soil conditions can make the difference between a sparse crop and award winning vegetables.
Step #2 Choose your crop. The second step to build an organic garden is to choose your crop. What are you going to grow in your garden? Initially, in addition to what you’re going to grow, you’ll want to decide if you want to purchase plants or start your garden from seeds. If you start early enough you can use seeds. If not, you can purchase organic plants from your local nursery.
Regardless of what you choose, seeds or plants, make sure they’re grown without chemicals.
Step #3 Organize your garden. Did you know some plants naturally protect other plants from disease and pests? It’s true. Marigolds for example, drive bugs away and if you plant them around the perimeter of your garden, they’ll help protect your herbs, greens and veggies.
Before transferring your plants into your garden, mark where you’re going to plant them. Make sure there is plenty of room between plants so they have room to grow and thrive. A tiny tomato plant can grow several feet high and several feet wide. Leave room.
Step #4 Natural pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. It’s been said that home gardeners generally use more chemicals on their gardens than farmers do. That’s a lot of chemicals! Interestingly enough, mild detergent and water protect many plants from harmful pests. Hot pepper sprays also work to fend off pests. And natural predators like frogs and ladybugs can keep your garden healthy and full.
Step #5 Maintenance. Watering and weeding are all you have in store for you until it’s time to harvest. Take care to not over water. Soil should be moist but not soaking. Weed on a regular basis to make sure your plants have all the nutrients and room in the soil they need to grow.
Organic gardening isn’t difficult when you start with a healthy foundation. Before you dive in and start a garden large enough to feed an army, choose a few plants you know your family will eat. Grow those successfully and next year you can grow a bigger garden.
by BlondieWrites on June 25, 2009
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