Home Sweet Home

Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

Herb Garden Plants ? Mmm Good!

Herbs are the culinary and medicinal plants. These are the low-growing aromatic plants which are used fresh or dried for seasoning, for their medicinal properties, or in perfumes. There are a wide variety of herbs such as super kelp, garlic, parsley, green tea extract, horse chestnut, milk thistle and oregano oil.

Herbs are very useful in strengthening the body and in treating the diseases. However they contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. So, they should be taken on the advice of an herbal practitioner.

Super Kelp

Super kelp (also known as “Sea kelp” and “Sea wrack”) is a sea herb that is one of the best sources of natural iodine and trace elements. It is also used as the principle agent in cures for obesity. In addition, it cleans out the kidneys and stimulates the thyroid and pituitary gland to produce growth hormones.

Garlic

Garlic is a natural anti-biotic and is used to disinfect wounds, treat ear infections, cholera and typhus. This herb is anti-fungal and anti-oxidant agent and can help lower cholesterol. It may also be beneficial for risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. The excess of garlic can cause upset stomach/flatulence, occupational asthma, postoperative bleeding, bloating, bad breath, body odor, and skin irritation. People with bleeding disorders should not use garlic.

Parsley

Parsley (Petroselinum) is one of the best known, diuretic and most nutritious herbs which contain large quantities of vitamins A, B, C and minerals calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. It’s very useful for kidney and urinary problems and water retention. Its usefulness can be judged by the saying: “if parsley is thrown into fishponds it will heal the sick fishes therein”.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extracts are one of the nature’s most powerful anti-oxidants.  It helps prevent both heart disease and cancer by helping prevent vascular blood clotting and reducing cholesterol. It possesses antimicrobial properties that support immune-system health and protects against digestive and respiratory infections. The excess of green tea extracts may cause irritability, insomnia, heart palpitation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite.

Horse chestnut

Horse chestnut supports the vessels of our circulatory system and helps strengthen capillary cells and reduce fluid breakage. It is believed to be an excellent antioxidant to prevent wrinkles. It also helps in the treatments of phlebitis, varicosity and hemorrhoids.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle has some active substances that helps maintain healthy liver function by protecting the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins and alcohol. It is a herbal remedy for anthrax, asthma, bladder stones, cancer, catarrh, chest ailments, dropsy, fever, bleeding from the lungs or bronchia, hepatitis, rabies, jaundice, vaginal discharge, malaria, melancholy, piles, plague, pleurisy, spasms, and spleen and uterus problems. Taking excess of milk thistle may cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, rash or other skin reactions, joint pain, impotence, and anaphylaxis. It should not be taken in pregnancy and while nursing. 

Oregano Oil

This herb has healing, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. It is used to treat a mildly upset stomach, bronchitis, nervous tension, insect bites, rheumatism, earache, toothaches and even athlete’s foot. It is also useful in relieve bloating, gas, urinary tract problems, rheumatoid arthritis, swollen glands, and lack of perspiration. In addition, it is as powerful as ‘morphine’ as a pain killer.

These are just a few ways in which you can use herbs.

What is Organic Gardening

If your garden is teeming with earthworms, and insects, it`s very likely that whether you realize it or not, you are already applying the principles of organic gardening.

What is it about organic gardening that is so appealing? Basically it comes down to the fact that garden soil is being improved by the use of natural biological substances. An ecosystem is encouraged in which plants no longer need chemicals to help protect them, such as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Why are many gardeners turning to organic gardening? Because of the potential dangers involved in the overuse of pesticides.

Farmers in Washington and along the entire West Coast face extensive new restrictions on three popular pesticides in the name of protecting salmon.

The pesticides are common in the state’s apple and cherry orchards, potato fields and berry farms. Restrictions could cover big swaths of Washington farmland where streams carry a variety of federally protected salmon and steelhead, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Many see organic gardening as a way of protecting the environment. As pests become immune to repeated applications of chemical pesticides, so scientists have developed poisons that are even more dangerous. These potent chemicals have then leached into the groundwater and have contaminated our water supply.

How much of your garbage which is thrown out is made up of food scraps? By the use of composting these waste foods they can eventually be used on the garden, which benefits the environment, and of course the garden.

Ideally your soil should be as balanced as possible. This means that the roots of plants are able to thrive by being moist, to prevent drying out, yet not being so moist they get diseased, or rot.

Problems often happen when the soil is clay-type, or is sandy. If your soil is clay then its consistency makes it difficult for water to penetrate, so it is too dry inside. Or, if water does penetrate, then the soil can become soaked with like a trap, so the roots can`t breathe, and die. If your soil is sandy, then the water will drain away too quickly, and the roots wont benefit from the water, nor the nutrients.

The gardener needs to have soil which will hold on to enough moisture to prevent the roots from drying out, yet at the same time allowing the drainage of excess water. If that balance is reached, air circulates freely, allowing microorganisms to go about their work of adding nutrients to the soil.

As mentioned above, organic matter compost, if added to the soil, will help give the right balance to clay or sandy soils. Compost bacteria will continue to break down decaying matter, turning the matter into nutrients that plants need for strong growth. The acid/alkaline balance is also maintained when compost is used, again something gardeners care about.

Finally, before turning to pesticides to get rid of those unwanted pests, consider encouraging natural predators in to your garden to help out.

Toads, birds, and `good` bugs can all have a part to play in eating up the unwanted visitors. Make their habitat just right for them and they`ll prove an invaluable ally in helping to keep your plants looking healthy.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

If you were not already aware of the trend, more and more people are planting vegetable gardens at home. For many the appeal stems from the fact that vegetable gardens produce veggies that are much cheaper than those bought at a store. Many argue vegetables from a vegetable garden are healthier since you control pesticide use, and most say they even taste better when they are home-grown.

Vegetable gardening is really not that different than growing flowers in a typical garden. First of all you need to decide how big the garden you wish to plant will be. Next you select a place in your yard to plant it. You should choose a spot on your property that has good water drainage so that your garden is not drowned by heavy summer rains, a spot that is not too shady to allow plenty of sunshine, and a spot with good healthy soil. You should also surround your garden with a fencing of some sort since many types of animals will be naturally drawn to your garden.

It is essential before you even begin your planting that the the soil is properly prepared through cultivation and the application of organic material. Soil should be plowed to control weeds and to mix mulch into the soil. Mulching is a vital part of soil preparation since organic materials added to the soil during this process release nitrogen, minerals, and many other nutrients into the soil that plants need to thrive and grow.

Consider using a natural compost to feed your garden, a compost consists of waste materials like grass clippings and rotten foods which you can create yourself if you build a compost bin. The type and amount of fertilizer to use depends on the soil you have as well as the types of vegetables you wish to plant. Some plants have very specific needs like many leafy plants such as cabbage, spinach, and lettuce, which usually grow better with more nitrogen. While root crops like potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots require more potash. Tomatoes and beans use a lot less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount of fertilizer.

One thing vitally important in vegetable gardening is the gardens arrangement. No single solution will work for every garden, due of course to varying conditions. However, a popular method of arranging a vegetable garden is to plant vegetables needing limited space together with those that require more room together. It is generally advised to plant taller plants towards the back of the garden so that the sunlight is ample.

Weed control is even more vital in a vegetable garden since they will rapidly take up all the water, light, and nutrients meant for the vegetables. You can get rid of such weeds by cultivation and/or mulching. Natural mulches work best, and the most popular mulch is clean pine straw because it helps protect the garden from erosion, insects, and fluctuating temperature. Keep in mind you need to purchase pine straw that has been cleaned and dried so that you do not have even more weeds than you started with, pine straw straight out of the woods in your backyard is not a great idea.

The great thing about vegetable gardens is that they are not that expensive to start, and the taste of your very own home-grown vegetables definitely beats vegetables from the store. If you careful prepare your garden, you will enjoy many days of fresh produce. Just make sure to take the proper precautions when planting, and continue to keep up with the maintenance of your garden. Have a delicious summer!

How To Plant A Vegetable Garden

Wouldn’t it be nice to throw some vegetable seeds on the ground and wake up days later with a small garden?  It might happen in a Walt Disney movie, but in real life a good garden takes some careful planning and it does take work.  What I’m going to do right now is quickly go over some of the basics of starting your very own vegetable garden.  This is what I’m going to call my “how to plant a vegetable garden article.”

Just like anything else in life, it’s worthwhile to have a good plan to make a garden happen.  In other words you should plan the work and then work the plan.  Believe it or not, planting a small vegetable garden is quite simple and it gets easier year after year.  Planting a successful vegetable garden is a skill, that should be passed on from one generation to another, because it not only teaches responsibility, but it also teaches self-preservation.

One of my secrets to planting a garden is to find out how the older people in my area are successfully planting their gardens.  The reason why this is so effective, is because it’s a massive time saver and because they will save you from making the mistakes they first made starting a garden.  Also, you can get some great ideas from older gardeners on how to design your garden.  Take a pad and pen with you and write down what they say and you’ll be a master in know time!

It is vital that you make sure you know what gardening zone you are in and when you buy vegetables seeds, that you actually read the back of the package and follow the instructions.  I know that may sound obvious, but it’s very easy to overlook the instructions on the back of a seed package when you’re excited about planting your garden.  Take a guess what is the most physically demanding part of starting your vegetable garden?  If you guessed preparing the soil you are correct!

I know this may sound like you’re doing a little bit of detective work, but talking to the older gardeners in your community is the wisest thing you can do.  You will be able to find out what vegetables grow best in your area and what ones don’t.  Some vegetables grow great in my area, while others don’t.  For example, in my area we have a hard time growing pumpkins and because of that, I would not be able to win a pumpkin growing contest, but I could win a tomato contest!

When it comes to starting a vegetable garden, you can never know too much and I would encourage anyone to get their hands on a good vegetable gardening guide or to purchase an organic vegetable growing video series.  By self educating yourself this way, you will be prepared to ask the experienced vegetable growers in your community the right questions.  If you start out by growing a small garden, you will have a green thumb in no time.  You can learn my gardening secrets by clicking here!

Organic Vegetable Gardening For Delicious and Healthy Meals All Year Long

Once you have gotten everything together that you will need to create and maintain your organic vegetable garden you need something to plant in it. For many choosing what vegetables to grow is the fun part of organic vegetable gardening since you get to imagine what sort of vegetables you will see shooting up from your new garden. There are many organic vegetable seeds available for sale from retailers both online and offline. In fact, there are so many seeds to choose from that some people find themselves completely overwhelmed by their options.

If you are someone that has never grown vegetables before then it is important that you stick to vegetables that are easy to grow. Even though they might be vegetables that you have not usually eaten before or never thought about growing you might be surprised by the results. A good organic gardening book is helpful. Many organic gardeners have found that vegetables they usually hated when purchased canned or frozen, taste delicious when harvested from their own backyard. The following are a few vegetables that are easy to go organically and often a delicious treat.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular vegetable to grow at home because they can grow well in all climates. There are many different varieties of tomatoes available, many of which do not require any stakes or fences to grow against. Cherry tomatoes are especially popular because they are usually expensive in stores but are great in salads and served as appetizers in many recipes.

When growing organic tomatoes it is important that they get enough water and sunlight. In order to get the best results and the largest harvest possible you must be sure to pick your tomatoes as soon as they ripen.

Chilies & Peppers

Peppers are a great organic vegetable to grow if you are working with a small amount of space or growing vegetables in pots or containers. They will grow well and will grow almost all year round if the conditions are right. Peppers do not have to be harvested as soon as they appear ripe. This means that you can wait and pick your peppers as you need them.

When you do want to harvest all your peppers storage is very easy. They can be dried by placing them in a dark, dry, place with lots of air (an attic) for a few weeks. If you do not have a good place to dry peppers and chilies, they will often keep if stored in a tight glass jar. Remember that a good organic gardening guide is a useful resource to help you get started.

Zucchini

Zucchini and most squash/pumpkins are great for first organic vegetable gardening project. They are easy to plant and grow very quickly which means you do not have to wait a long time to actually start seeing results. Many people feel as if their zucchinis grow literally overnight.

When growing Zucchini and other squash it is important that you or your family members pick them right away. This will help encourage new plants to grow and will leave you with a large harvest. If you are growing pumpkins then you should wait to harvest them until all of the vines have died.

Peas

Peas are a favorite vegetable for many children so growing organic peas is a great idea if you are growing food for a family. Peas are another vegetable that will grow in extremely large amounts and will grow from spring, through summer, and even into winter. In some climates peas will grow nearly all year round making them a great source of fresh, organic, food.

When growing peas it is important that the plants have support usually in the form of a stake or support that can be found at a plant supply store or nursery. Peas must be watered often and watched constantly for weeds. Too many weeds will quickly ruin your crop of peas so weed them often and carefully.

Turnips

Turnips are another vegetable that grow quickly and easily. Both the root and the leaves can be eaten and turnips are great raw, roasted, boiled, or mashed. When growing turnips the only thing you have to remember is to water them often since turnips need a lot of water to grow.

Corn

If you have the space for it corn is a great vegetable to plant. Roasted or grilled corn is great addition to any meal and watching a corn crop ripen is a wonderful sight. Plus the corn stalks can later be used as compost!

When growing corn you have got to be sure the seeds are planted at least 15 inches apart. Make sure the seeds are well fertilized with compost when they are first planted and again in another two weeks. You will be able to start enjoying your fresh organic corn after the first silks appear.

Beets

Beets will grow beautifully in a well fertilized area and fresh organic beets will always be much better than anything you will find in a can or even in the grocery store. When growing beets always make sure there is enough mulch down to keep the soil warm in the cool months and cool in the summer. Make sure you harvest all of your beets before the first frost comes.

Potatoes

Seed potatoes are easy to plant and even easier to grow. Weed and hoe often for best results and it is best to plant them in larger organic gardens. Planting potatoes with your other crops will often help discourage some insects and children love digging potatoes in the fall.

Carrots

Plant your carrot seeds in early spring and once you have harvested the first crop you can always plant more. As long as the soil is loose and deep enough you can get carrots to grow. Fresh organic carrots are a great addition to any garden.

Green Beans

Planting green beans can help save you money if you are a parent or person that buys canned green beans often. Green beans can be planted as soon as the cold weather breaks and there is no chance of the ground freezing or the plants frosting. You can purchase seeds that will grow in a bush or those that will grow against a pole or stake. For smaller gardens it is usually easier to plant pole green beans.

Lettuce

Lettuce is an easy must have if you are a salad eater. There are many varieties available and lettuce should be planted before the weather gets too warm. The hot summer weather will cause your lettuce to wilt quickly but during the cool spring your lettuce will thrive.

Radish

Radishes are another great vegetable for salad eaters and one of the first vegetables a new organic gardener should try. They are easy to plant and can be grown all through summer and into the fall.

Spring Onions

Spring onions are easy to plant since they only need a lot of water to grow. They are a great garnish to any dish AND planting onions around your garden border will help discourage pests.

You can see that organic gardening for beginners is not so hard to do. The key thing in organic vegetable gardening is too be patient and carefully nurture your plants. And remember that even in a urban environment you can make your own compost, so keep all the cuttings from your vegetable garden.

Organic Gardening Products – A Healthier Option For You And The Garden!

People worldwide are becoming increasingly health conscious and want their food to be naturally grown. They need the fruits and vegetables that they consume not only to be free of chemicals, pesticides and other synthetic products, but also require them to be grown the organic way – treated with natural products, right down to the soil that they have been planted in.

This new organic frenzy has arisen because people now think about what harmful effects the chemicals and pesticides sprayed in their food crop must have done over the years. People want a healthier lifestyle now and are more aware on how to make it like that. Research has shown support to the organic theory which also points out to the adverse effects of using synthetic products and pesticides in the food crops, i.e. fruits and vegetables – among these include the root causes of many diseases, including some types of cancer.

An organic gardening product is a natural product that is free of any synthetic components such as chemicals and pesticides. Organic methods use alternatives to chemically made pesticides – they use natural products which are home grown and prove beneficial to the plants without any of the adverse effects of chemicals involved in any part of the process. They create a healthy cycle in which by keeping pests away naturally, they make plants healthy, thereby increasing the plants’ immunity to diseases, thus enhancing the health of the plants.

This is akin to the human immune system. Organic gardening products are not restricted to just the plants or the soil that they are planted in, but everything that affects the plant and/or is around the plant (the environment). Even everything that touches the plant is inclusive of this. Examples include gloves for weeding and planting, plant food, aprons, seeds, compost products, etc. Organically grown plants do not contain any harmful and dangerous chemicals and are overall healthier than their counterparts who are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, not to mention other synthetic products.

This type of natural and organic gardening is healthier for both the human population, community and the environment at large. People are now much more concerned about what quality of food they are consuming and organic gardening is a boon for the health conscious eater, saving him or her from chemically induced allergies, lung problems, cancer or emphysema. Organic gardening is the modern answer to this very urgent demand of healthy and completely natural, chemical free food.

A Few Useful Vegetable Gardening Tips

There is nothing as satisfying as working in your home garden to watch vegetables grow after putting in all the hard work and money. Successful gardening is much more than just popping a few seeds in the ground and waiting for vegetables to grow.

Important Vegetable Gardening Tips

For any gardening to be successful, you need to follow three Ps and these are planning your garden, preparing the soil and planting the vegetables. A good vegetable garden needs good planning well in advance. Places that receive full sunlight are the ideal for vegetable gardening. But you have to take care of other factors such as soil quality, drainage, shade from other trees or building etc. For vegetable garden crops to mature properly, it must get at least 6 hours of full sun every day. There is no possible replacement for natural sunlight.

One very important vegetable gardening tip is to make sure that the soil should be very fertile and drainage should be good so that extra water can drain out easily during monsoons. The areas that are very windy are best avoided as strong winds can break or dry out the plants. For your convenience, choose a place near a water source. Plant the garden so that you can visit it often and monitor the plants for pests and general health.

Another vegetable gardening tip is to ensure a fertile and well-drained soil. The soil should be reasonably free of stones, supplied with organic matter and moisture retentive. Subsoil is also equally important and having rock ledges, hard shale, deep sand, gravel beds and hardpan under the soil surface will make the garden soil development difficult or at times, impossible. Alkalinity or acidity of soil is measured in pH. Soil acidity will depend upon the type of vegetable and soil that has pH less than 7.0 is acidic and more than 7.0 is alkaline.

A good vegetable gardening tip to plant the vegetables is to use stakes to mark the different rows. Once you have worked on the soil, you are ready to sow the seeds and put in the vegetable bedding plants.

Other Useful Vegetable Gardening Tips

There are many people who enjoy tasty, healthy, organic vegetables that are fresh from the vegetable garden. There are some important organic vegetable gardening tips that can come quite in handy once you start working on your organic vegetable garden. For the healthy plants, you have to provide good growing conditions. Some plants are more susceptible to disease and pest problems as compared to others. To ease your gardening, look for varieties that are disease-resistant.

An important vegetable gardening tip is to feed your plants naturally with well-rotted animal manure. Planting the same vegetables at the same spot every year can build up disease. Hence, try to plant the crops in different part of your garden every year.

Successful Organic Gardening Systems

What is it that most organic gardeners want from their amazing food gardens?

* Is it the substantial health benefits:

– knowing that your food is GM and synthetic chemicals and free?

– gathering your food from garden to table in minutes, retaining valuable, health enhancing nutrients?

* Or the pleasure of losing yourself in the delight of time spent in your garden?

* Maybe it’s about spending time teaching your children how to garden

* Perhaps it’s your creative outlet; designing, creating, maintaining

* Do you view it as your part in helping the environment; reduce, reuse, recycle?

I believe Organic Gardening brings us most (or all) of these things. Some of the practices that are a must for having a healthy, high yielding vegetable garden include strategies or systems that bring about healthy soil, deep watering, balanced insect populations and crop rotation / planning.

Having nutrient rich, well balanced soil, high in microbial activity can be achieved by continually adding organic matter to the soil. You can do this with compost (making your own compost has many benefits), green manures, crop rotation and a “no dig” policy. A high yielding garden is dependant on healthy soil.

Deep watering will encourage your plants to develop deep root systems. This enables them to take in more water and nutrients. You then have strong, healthy plants that do well with regular deep watering. Mulching prevents moisture loss, soil erosion and reduces weeds. Installing drip irrigation especially when combined with a timer will benefit you, your garden and the environment.

If you want to be chemical and / or spray free getting the right balance of beneficial and harmful insects throughout your garden is crucial. Yes, I said harmful insects! If there were no harmful insects for the beneficial ones to feed on all your beneficial insects will die or go elsewhere. Nature abounds in symbiotic relationships and this works very efficiently in the garden. Imagine if you had no predatory insects and were then inundated with carrot fly. There would be no stopping them, unless you resorted to chemicals and you should never allow this in your organic garden.

Arm yourself instead with companion planting practices; practical methods to outwit the enemy (harmful insects) the way nature intended. Plant combinations that will confuse pests by masking the smell and shapes of plants which pests use to locate their favourite foods. In my Companion Planting guide you will also discover which plants benefit each other and those you must never plant together.

With the basics covered you just need to decide what you’re going to grow, how much of it and when. You know your family’s food needs better than anyone else, so there’s no point in growing 15 brussels sprouts plants if your family won’t eat them. You also need to know the right time of year to plant different families. For example: Cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, melons) need to grow in warm temperatures. In winter (unless you can artificially provide the right conditions) your crop will fail so leave it till the ground has warmed, the days are lengthening and the risk of late frost has passed (mid spring in most areas).

Rotating your crops is also a good practice. Otherwise you will deplete the soil of particular nutrients / elements that a crop planted continually in the same place needs. This also means that the crop will perform worse each year as the nutrients it needs decline.

I like to spend winter evenings planning what, where and how much I’m going to plant in my veggie garden next season. Keeping a gardening journal comes in really handy when I’m planning. It reminds me what worked previously, what I’d like to do differently and whether or not I planted enough or too much of a particular plant to meet our needs.

If you think this is all a bit overwhelming, just remember progress, not perfection. Just get started and improve upon it as you go. So you really have no excuse. You have enough information to make a great start and you can build on it as you gain more experience.