Video - 4 Quick & Simple Trellis Ideas

Here is a great little video demonstrating 4 different types of trellises with varying degrees of mobility and functionality, but they are all super easy to do, and a couple of them are so simple it's hard to believe I haven't used them before! The last one does require an existing structure, which you may or may not have, but the first 3 are all extremely cheap and easy and require almost no work to construct.

Trellises are great for small gardens (or even container gardening), as they allow you to make use of vertical space, and also give your garden more visual interest. A wide variety of crops (and of course flowers) may be trellised, from tomatoes, to cucumbers and melons, to beans and peas, and then some.

Check these out, and get your spring garden off the ground! (Pun intended.)  :-)

4 simple Trellises
There are easy and cheap ways to add height and structure to your garden with these easy to make structures and trellises

Trellis-Building Supplies:
   

Review - Geolife Farms & Gardens Natural Organic Fertilizer

It's time to think about your garden again and how to prepare it for yielding excellent crops this summer. I am sure you've tried many different fertilizers with varying degrees of success. Geolife Gardens and Farms has a superb chemical-free fertilizer that helps your garden's soil to regenerate and increase its fertility for easy and healthy plant growing.

This sustainable and organic fertilizer was developed in Switzerland and includes highly effective plant extracts and microorganisms. You can use it for your garden, lawn and farm as part of a sustainable and eco-conscious lifestyle. Not only is this fertilizer better for our environment and offers a high yield, research has also shown that it produces higher quality produce, i.e. vegetables with higher nutritional value. If you are a gardener growing your own vegetables, you are obviously concerned with healthy eating. Wouldn't you want to grow produce that is organic and high in vitamins and minerals?

The product comes in various sizes depending on your acreage. The smallest size covers an area up to 1,000 sq ft, the next size up gives you enough for ¼ acre and the largest up to a size of 2.5acres. This powerful fertilizer comes at a price, but so does quality and if you are concerned with sustainability and organic farming/gardening, then I am sure you will be very interested in this effective and innovative product.

You can check it out, learn more, or purchase by clicking the banner to the right, or by visiting: http://geolifenaturally.com

How to Harvest Your Rainwater - Don't Let The Spring Rains Go To Waste!

The recent spring downpours have got me thinking how I need to get a rain barrel.... Whenever I see water flooding down the sidewalk, I think of how much great water is going to waste, that I could be saving for my summer garden! We never know what the summer is going to be like, but based on this spring so far, many people are worried about the possibility of an extremely hot summer, meaning extra water will be a necessity for the garden.

Rainwater harvesting systems channel rainwater from a roof into a storage tank via an arrangement of gutters and pipes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)When you think about it, every time it rains you’re missing an opportunity. Hundreds of gallons are going into the soil, saturating plants that don’t need any more hydration (or worse, down the gutters and sidewalks and into the sewer system). It’s being wasted. However, if you harvest your rainwater, you can put it to great use. Harvested rainwater can be used to water your garden between rains, to wash cars and for other uses.
Harvesting your rain water does more than help the environment. It can save you money too. According to estimates, a typical garden can consume about forty percent of your household water bill in the summer! Harvesting your rainwater can save you thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of dollars. A simple rainwater harvesting system is easy and inexpensive to install. You’ll earn your money back in no time.

Tips and Ideas to Harvest Your Rainwater

Decide what type of system you want to utilize. A few simple rain barrels in your yard will capture rain. You can use this water to tend to a garden, water your lawn and other basics. If you want to get a bit more advanced you might create a system to collect the rain from your rooftop.

Again, this system can be quite basic. You might simply position rain barrels under your downspouts. Thus the water from your rooftop will go into the barrel rather than the ground.

Rainwater tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)You can simply place a rain barrel under each downspout. Or you might choose to reroute the water on your roof to one large collection barrel. You might choose to use an old barrel to collect the water. However, they do make rain barrels that have a number of features. Many barrels designed specifically for collecting rainwater have:

* A mesh top to reduce debris. Debris can wash off of your rooftop into the barrel. It can also fall from trees or be blown into the barrel. This debris can rot or block the faucet attachment.

* A faucet attachment. Some rain barrels have a faucet attachment or two. This makes filling a bucket quick and easy.

* A hose attachment. A hose attachment is helpful for two reasons. The first is that you can run a hose from your barrel to your garden for easy watering. No need to haul buckets of water. Secondly, you can attach a hose to the barrel to prevent overflow. Once the barrel is full, a hose attachment at the top of the barrel can prevent it from flowing over. This helps reduce erosion around the base of the water barrel and your home.

You can also get quite elaborate with your rainwater collection system. You can feed the rainwater you collect from your rooftop into an underground tank. This type of system requires a bit more expense and maintenance.

Collecting rainwater is simple, cheap and an effective way to save money, water your garden, and do something good for the environment at the same time. In a few hours you can have your rainwater collection system up and running. Check out your options today.

A Few Rain Barrel Kit Examples:
   

Video - Planning Your Vegetable Garden

This video gives a few quick tips for planning for a successful vegetable garden. Some of the considerations may seem fairly common-sense, but you'd be surprised how many new gardeners overlook things like direction of rows in relation to the sun, water flow and drainage, etc, when starting their new garden.

Check out this quick video for some helpful ideas to get you started with a great garden this year:

How to Plant a Vegetable Garden : Ideas for Designing Your Vegetable Garden
Learn ideas for designing your vegetable garden in this free online video guide to vegetable gardening. Expert: Scott Reil Contact: www.safelawns.org Bio: Scott Reil is an accredited nurseryman and longtime horticulturalist with over two decades of e...

Creating A Garden For The Whole Family

You can have the most elaborate back yard from the entire neighborhood, but if it isn’t functional you have built it in vain. We all want to have beautiful and flourishing gardens, but when we have a family, we must also take into consideration the needs of the other members of it. One helpful tip is to start by dividing the space of your yard in two or three visual spaces, one for play and relaxation, one for gardening and maybe one for pets. (Drawing out a diagram, as in the picture to the left, can be very helpful.)

2009 garden plan (Photo credit: lauracreekmore)An open space, perhaps covered by grass & flowers, is ideal for your children. Here you can install a picnic table for open air lunches or for a romantic summer evening dinner.

How about pets? You can build special spaces for these little members of your family, so they have a place where they can play and exercise. Before you plant bushes and ornamental plants, you may want to fence in or build a border around the area. Cats and dogs tend to be attracted exactly by the things we try to keep them away from.

Keep the by-passers’ eyes away from your personal life. Before planning the scenery, designate a place for things like garbage cans. It wouldn’t be very nice to have a wonderful garden right next to the garbage cans. These can be efficiently hidden in some kind of surrounded space, or create a living fence with shrubs and vining flowers on a trellis - lovely!

Functionality is an important factor in your garden, so you have to think about children, little pets and family assets before you plant anything. Save a portion of the yard especially for you, in which you can plant whatever you want and leave for the others some space to do what they want as well. If you have kids, you may even want to create a little garden space for them to plant in as well - teach them early how rewarding it can be to grow things, and getting them involved with their own food production can really help with the picky eaters!

You may also find great satisfaction in building a nice pathway, and perhaps place some benches under an arbor, from which you can relax and admire your work.

What Type of Garden Should You Grow?

If you're thinking about starting a garden, the first thing you need to consider is what type of garden you will have. There are many different choices and often it can be hard to pick just one, but hopefully you can narrow it down. But by narrowing it down, you'll make the gardening experience easier on yourself and the plants. If most of your plants are similar, then it shouldn't be very hard to care for them all. So here are some of the main garden ideas for you to choose from.

Image via WikipediaIf you're just looking for something to look nice in your yard, you'll want a flower garden. These are usually filled with perennial flowers. Perennial flowers are flowers which live year-round, or which come back every year on their own. You could almost say they're basically weeds because of their hardiness, only nice looking! Different areas and climates have different flowers which are considered perennials. If you do a quick internet search for your area, you can probably find a list of flowers that will bring your flower garden to life. These usually only require much work in the planting stage - after that, the flowers mostly take care of themselves, and just require a little maintenance like watering and occasional fertilizer or mulching. The only downside to this is that you don't have any product to show for it.

Image via WikipediaAnother choice is a vegetable garden. These usually require a little more work and research than a flower garden, but can be much more rewarding. No matter what time of the year it is, you can usually find one vegetable that is still prospering. That way you can have your garden be giving you produce almost every day of the year! When starting a vegetable garden, you should build it with the thought in mind that you will be adding more types of veggies in later. This will help your expandability. Once all your current crops are out of season, you won't be stuck with almost nowhere to put the new crops. A vegetable garden is ideal for someone who wants some produce, but doesn't want to devote every waking hour to perfecting their garden (see below.)

One of the more difficult types of gardens to manage is a fruit garden. It's definitely the most high-maintenance. When growing fruits, many more pests will be attracted due to the sweetness. You not only have to deal with having just the right dirt and fertilizer, you have to deal with choosing a pesticide that won't kill whoever eats the fruits. There are a few organic pesticides, so you should do some research to find the ones that are safest for you and your family. Your fruit garden will probably not produce year-round. The soil needs to be just right for the plants to grow, and putting in another crop during its off-season could be disastrous to its growth process. If you're willing to put lots of work into maintaining a garden, then a fruit garden could be a good choice for you.

Image via WikipediaBasically, the garden type you will choose comes down to what kind of product you want, and how much work you want to put into it. If you're looking for no product with no work, go with a flower garden. If you want lots of delicious product, but you are willing to spend hours in your garden each day, then go for a fruit garden. Or for something in the middle, try a vegetable garden. And remember, you can always start small - don't let your ambition carry you away if you've never gardened before - start with something you can handle, and scale up from there as desired.

Happy gardening!

Helpful Gardening Resources for Flowers, Veggies, & Fruits:
   

Video - Starting Seeds Indoors

Starting seeds indoors successfully requires 5 things:

1. A good growing medium
2. A growing container
3. Good seeds
4. Sunlight
5. Water

This short gardening video from Iowa Gardening Magazine shows a few quick tips for successfully starting your seeds indoors to get a head start on your garden this year. (See below video for some helpful resources.)

Gardening in the Zone: Starting Seeds Indoors
Richard Jauron discusses how to start your garden seeds indoors to get a jump start on your garden.


Helpful Supplies For Starting Seeds Indoors:
   

Starting Seeds Indoors - Part 2

Continuing from Tuesday's post, here are some tips for planting your indoor seeds, thinning, watering, and getting them growing well in preparation for moving them outdoors later in the spring.

Planting Seeds:

Image via WikipediaAfter your heat-treated soil has cooled, fill planting containers firmly but do not pack. Allow about 3/4-inch from the soil surface to the rim of the container. Water well and let drain for several hours. Place seeds on the soil surface. Use a piece of window screen or old flour sifter to sift soil over the seeds to the depth indicated on the seed packet.

If you use compartmentalized trays or individual peat pots, place two or three seeds in each pot. Do not cover too deeply, as this may reduce or prevent seed germination. Just like planting directly in the ground, a general rule is to cover no more than four times the diameter of the seed.

Apply a fine spray of water to avoid washing the seed out, causing them to float to the soil surface. Household window sprayers are suitable.

Cover the containers with plastic sheets or panes of glass and place in a cool room (60 to 65 degrees) away from direct sunlight until germination. By doing this, you will almost eliminate the necessity of watering the bed again before the seeds germinate. Be sure to keep an eye on it though. DON'T let it completely dry out, and be sure to keep checking for seedlings, as they will need light once they appear.

Germination can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months, depending on what you are growing, so patience will have to be one of your virtues.

When seeds germinate, move them gradually (over two or three days) into brighter light. When the seedlings have developed the first true leaves (the leaves above the cotyledons or “seed leaves”), thin to one plant per container if using partitioned trays or peat pots. Use tweezers to pinch off unwanted seedlings rather than pulling them, to avoid disturbing the remaining seedling.

If seeds were planted in larger containers, transplant into individual peat pots or other small containers. An alternative is to thin the seedlings so they are spread about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart and leave them in the larger containers. This method, however, makes inefficient use of seed and space.

Water your seedlings carefully. Small containers used for starting plants dry out quickly. On the other hand, soil kept soaking wet inhibits seedling growth and may kill the plants.

Seedling (Photo credit: arimoore)Moving Seedlings Outdoors:

About one week prior to planting-out time, gradually expose seedlings to longer periods outdoors unless temperatures are below 50 degrees. At the same time, reduce watering to a minimum as long as plants do not wilt. This will help the plants adjust to full exposure without undergoing undue shock at planting time.

When it comes time for planting in the ground, carefully remove the plant from its container, keeping the roots intact. Dig a small hole in the garden plot and place the plant into the hole. Cover up the roots completely nearly up to the bottom leaves of the plant. Pack down the soil around the plant and water. Watch your garden grow!


Seed Starting Supplies:
   

Starting Seeds Indoors - Part 1

Well, it's about that time!  For many, March is the start of gardening season, as in most areas it means it's time to start seeds indoors for your spring and summer garden.

Image via WikipediaStarting your seeds indoors will lessen the amount of time you have to wait to see results in your garden, and many people prefer to grow their plants indoors first to ready them for the growing season. It can also be motivational and satisfying to see those little sprouts all bright and green in your window, after a long cold winter!

If space is available near a sunny window, start seeds four to eight weeks before the plant-out date in your area (average date of last killing frost). I know it's tempting, but starting too early can result in spindly plants due to crowding and lack of sufficient light.

Planting Containers:

Almost any container with drainage holes in the bottom will work for planting. You can recycle and use paper milk cartons cut in half, Styrofoam cups, small baskets, tin cans, or reusable plastic trays or pots. For convenience, however, you may wish to start plants in the plastic trays and pots available at garden supply centers. Peat pellets can also work well.

Image via WikipediaPotting Soil:

Use a rich, well-drained soil. Potting soils made for African violets and other house plants usually are suitable and do not have weed seeds. They are, however, more expensive than soil mixes you can make at home. If you use soil from the yard, it should be top soil that is well drained and not high in clay.

The best soils are often found around established shrubs and trees. Add sphagnum peat and sharp sand to the soil in a ratio of about one-half volume of each, and mixed thoroughly.

To kill weed seeds and some damaging soil fungi present in your commercial soil, place the soil mix in shallow trays or baking pans in an oven for 45 minutes at 250 degrees. For best results, the soil should be moist.

Be sure to check back Thursday, when we'll cover tips for planting and germinating your seeds for best results, and transitioning them to your outdoors garden!


Seed Starting Supplies:
   

Video - Starting A Windowsill Herb Garden

Here is a short video with some quick tips for starting an easy herb garden right on your windowsill. Herbs are great for this because they don't typically require a huge amount of space, so they can grow well in pots, and then you can have them handy for cooking as well! This is a great way to start off with just dipping your toe in the gardening world - it's quick and easy, and fun!  Check out this video for some ideas for getting your own windowsill herb garden started. You can find some helpful resources below the video.

Gardening Tips : How to Start a Window Sill Herb Garden
When starting a window sill herb garden, it's important to grow herbs that are going to be used regularly, such as oregano, rosemary and chives. Find out how to start herb gardens by seed with help from a sustainable gardener in this free video on ga...


   

Growing Medicinal Herbs - Heirloom Seeds

If you are interested in medicinal herbs and how to grow them yourself, have a look at the non-hybrid seed Medicine Pack from Heirloom Organics. This pack includes a good variety of popular and easy to grow herbal seeds to treat common ailments. All of Heirloom Organics' seeds are non hybrid, which means that the leftover seeds can be stored and planted in subsequent years and also the crop benefits from higher nutritional value.

Just to give you an idea of what to expect in the Medicine Pack: Angelica, Boneset, Calendula, Chamomile, Echinacea, Feverfew, Mullein, Nettle, Pleurisy Root, Skullcap, Spikenard, Tobacco. All of these are herbs that have been used by native Indians, medieval Europeans, ancient Egyptians and other cultures for centuries. Herbs are natural, but they are also powerful, so please note that you should always talk to your doctor before taking any herbal remedies or medication, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are an avid gardener who is also interested in herbs and their many advantages, the Medicine Pack of high quality, non hybrid seeds is a good choice in terms of value and quality.

Where To Buy: www.non-hybrid-seeds.com




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All About Sage

Herbs are one of the best things to grow for new gardeners. Not only are most of them very easy to grow (most can be easily grow in pots on the windowsill, and some come back year after year with little encouragement), but they also have myriad uses both in cooking and around the home. One herb that is often forgotten, but can be very useful, and is easy to grow and with proper care may live many years, is sage.

Image via WikipediaSage is a relative to the mint family. It is common for Sage to be ground, whole or rubbed but is generally sold in coarse crumbled dried leaves, or powder. Sage is grown in the United States but is also grown in Albania and Dalmatia. Sage is a very popular herb in the United States and is used quite frequently for flavoring such things as sausage, pork, lamb, and other meats, salads, pickles, cheese, and stuffing. The smell of Sage is very aromatic and distinct.

Sage loves to hang around in the kitchen with Thyme, Rosemary, and Basil. They work very well together. Sage is normally one of the main herbs in stuffing for poultry but is often added to lamb and pork dishes as well. Sage is very strong and should be used sparingly as a little goes a long way. Sage, like many other herbs develops its full flavor the longer it cooks and withstands lengthy cooking times which might be why it is so good when used in the stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey that cooks for about five hours.

If you grow your own Sage you will find that all you have to do is snip off the tops of the plant with scissors and add it right to your favorite recipe. Sage is still at its best when dried but if you prefer just simply place the fresh Sage leaves in a baggie in the freezer and pull them out as required.

Today, Sage isn't used for many medicinal purposes anymore, but back in a different time Sage was used regularly to cure snake bites and was also used to invigorate the body and cleanse the mind. In the middle ages it was quite common for people to make a Sage tea and drink it for ailments such as colds, fever, liver trouble, and epilepsy.

Image via WikipediaAlthough there is nothing to solidify these claims it is also said that a chewed Sage leaf applied to a sting or an insect bite will reduce the sting and bring down the swelling. Sage tea has been said to soothe a sore throat and also help in drying up a mother's breast milk and also reduces blood clots. Further it has been known to help with itching skin if it is added to hot bath water. Today, it is mainly the Native Indians who still rely on the herbal powers of Sage.

The word Sage means salvation from its Latin origin and is associated with longevity, immortality, and mental capacity. Sage never loses its fragrance even after being dried out so it is often added to potpourri and is also added to many soaps and perfumes. It has been used in insect repellents and has antibacterial properties which have helped it become a preservative for many things such as meats, fish, and condiments. Sage has a musky smoky flavor and works very nicely for cutting down some of the richness in many foods. It also goes great with almost any vegetable too. Sage is definitely an herb that most people almost always have in their pantry if they do any cooking at all.

Grow Your Own Sage:
   

Video - Herbs for Beginning Gardeners

Here is a quick video describing some herbs that are great for beginning organic gardeners to start with, as some of them will come back every year, they are easy to grow, and there are lots of great ways to use them. Check this out, and see how easy it is to get started with a fun and useful little herb garden!

Herb Gardening For Beginners - Best Herbs For An Organic Garden
Go to www.smilinggardener.com to see the best 3 herb plants. I was thinking about herb gardening for beginners, and I was trying to think of what I would recommend as the best herbs for getting started with in an organic herb garden. Let me know what...



Gardening Resources for Beginners:
   

Getting Started With Gardening - Part 2

Continuing on from Tuesday's post, here are some more considerations for starting your new garden.

Image via WikipediaIf you buy seeds then plant them according to the directions. If picking plants, choose ones with green, healthy looking leaves and stems and healthy roots.  Put the smaller plants towards the front of the bed and larger ones in the back.  The key to a successful beginning in gardening is planting at the right time.  Make sure and wait until the frosts are over before planting.  If you are planting seeds the package will usually tell you exactly when you can plant them to achieve maximum growth.

Once you have started and gotten into gardening, making sure your plants receive enough water is essential to their growth.  Hand watering works well if you only have a few plants.  Other options include sprinklers or sprinkler hoses.  Watering is more effective during the cooler parts of the day.  The type of plant will depend on how much water is needed, but most require about an inch per week.  During the hottest periods plants will be need watering about three times per week.

One of the most helpful things to add to a garden is mulch or compost.  Just a few inches of organic mulch will improve fertility and help the soil hold moisture.  Wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, manure, and pine needles are all things that can be used as mulch. 

If you are just getting started with gardening, these tips should get you off to a good start!

More Beginner's Gardening Resources: