Passionate gardener

If you are living in an environment where there is absolutely no space for any type of the usual horizontal type of garden, and no space for any type of container for you to grow a few plants outdoors, then you have to think alternatively and go vertical. Vertical gardens essentially are creating a garden which will grow on an exterior wall. The original vertical garden resulted from the work of the French botanist Patrick Blanc. Realizing that soil was not necessary for growing plants as long as they received sufficient mineral nutrients, he designed a structural framework with a waterproof backing and came up with a fabric to which the plants could stick to and receive their necessary nutrients. This of course is very similar to hydroponics gardening in concept. A vertical garden is something more than simply having a piece of trellis fixed to the exterior wall and a few climbing plants intertwined around the trellis structure, if the right types of plants are selected entire exte...

  Each individual indoor gardener has a personal preference for the type of pot used for potted plants. Both the clay pot and the plastic pot are equally capable of supporting plants and each has both advantages and disadvantages.   All clay pots have the same earthy terracotta appearance while plastic pots can come in a variety of shapes and different surfaces.   Foam types of insulated plastic pots are available also which are great for rooms which are not heated in winter time. The clay type of pot tends to be heavy and therefore is less likely to topple over, and due to its natural porosity is less likely to allow the roots to become waterlogged. The natural color of the pot allows it to blend in harmoniously with most interior backgrounds. The problem with clay pots is of course that it requires a crocks to be placed in the bottom to ensure water retention to avoid water flowing directly out of the somewhat large drainage hole. Plastic pots on the other ha...

  Many gardeners will pay a lot of attention to landscaping their garden but very few will pay attention to interiorscaping their indoor garden. To have a beautiful display of indoor plants their sizes and shapes are just as important in positioning the plants as the sizes and shapes are important in an outdoor garden. Here are a few of the common shapes of indoor plants along with a few examples to guide your thoughts.   * Grassy Plants. The narrow types of grassy plant are not normally seen indoors though such types as Acorus, Carex, and Scirpus can be attractive. More common indoor grassy plants are the broad leaf Valiota and Narcissus which cast off small plantlets which can be used for repotting. * Bushy Plants. These are usually arranged by having several stems of the same variety in the one pot to assume a bush appearance. Such plants as Coleus, Pilea, and Hypocyrta make a good indoor bushy display. * Upright Plants. The upright plants bear stems which grow vert...

  You may be person who is getting older and your body frequently will not do what you want it to do, especially when it comes to bending your back and stooping at the knees. Or perhaps you are a younger person suffering from some kind of disability, but the thing which you both have in common is you love gardening. There is no need to despair by suffering from either condition, since even if you are confined to a wheel chair, with the number of modern gardening tools and gadgets available there is absolutely no reason why you cannot continue with your passion. For the more elderly person, who can still get about alright, but has difficulty with bending and stooping, then consider buying a garden tractor scooter. There are a couple of examples which can be seen online. The tractor has pneumatic tires and a swivel seat. The decorative basket at the front is ideal for carrying plants around the garden and the scooter can be parked adjacent to flower beds. With the seat comfortab...

  All types of garden whether they are a vegetable garden, a lawn area or purely a floral garden, need watering. All kinds of vegetation need water. Watering the garden on a regular basis is an essential part of the work of the gardener especially in periods of hot weather. It can be a tedious task having to water flower beds from a half gallon watering can, and while it’s fine to water the lawn with a garden hose attached to the kitchen tap, the jet of water may be too strong for vegetables and flowers. Fortunately, however, there are easier methods of carrying out the garden watering process by using simple garden irrigation systems. The two most popular ways are either by Leaky Pipe Irrigation or using Drip irrigation. Let’s take a very brief look at both methods. Leaky Pipe Irrigation This is literally watering from a leaky pipe. Sometimes referred to as a soaker hose it allows water to permeate the soil in a controlled manner, and supplies the plants where the water is m...

  If you are planning to make your own garden compost, then one of the first items you should think about is buying a compost bin. If you want a product which has been made in the USA and helped to keep somebody in a job, which is made from recycled material, which will help out on environmental issues and comes with a ten year warranty period and is reasonably priced, which will help your finances, then log onto http://www.urbangardencenter.com and consider their Urban Compost Tumbler The Tumbler contains no metal parts which could tend to oxidize over the years, it is free from any type of smell, and facilitates a clean and speedy method of making your own organic compost for the garden.   Advantages of the Urban Compost Tumbler. 1. You do not need to repeatedly turn over the compost by hand. The simple task of rotating the drum on its vertical axis ensures that all of the compost is thoroughly mixed and aerated. 2. Oxygen is an essential part of any good composting...

  Fresh tomato plant seedlings аrе аt thеіr mоѕt vulnerable whеn thеу аrе transplanted frоm thе seedling pot tо а larger pot оr thе ground. And thеу nееd еvеrу bit оf hеlр thеу саn get. Thеѕе fіvе tips tо watering tomato seedlings wіll hеlр уоur tomato plants tо bеgіn thеіr lives аѕ strong, tall specimens wіth bountiful harvest оf juicy tomatoes. Tip One : Uѕе warm water. Tomato plant seedlings аrе undergoing а great amount оf shock whеn thеу hаvе јuѕt bееn uprooted аnd transplanted tо thе ground. In thоѕе fіrѕt fеw crucial weeks thеу nееd аll thе hеlр thеу саn gеt tо settle in, аnd оnе wау уоu саn hеlр thеm іѕ bу watering wіth warm water fоr thе fіrѕt twо weeks. Aftеr whісh уоu саn switch tо cold. Tip Two : Regularity іѕ key Your tomato plant seedlings nееd tо bе watered а great deal аnd perfectly regularly еvеrу day. It's essential thаt thеу gеt 2 оr 3 inches оr water реr week. Fоr thе fіrѕt twо weeks thіѕ ѕhоuld bе frоm you, јuѕt tо mаkе ѕurе thеу gеt enough. Aftеr thаt ini...

  Tomatoes are easily one of the most popular plants for vegetable gardens. The reasons behind their immense fame are not hard to guess- they’re integral to every day food and they’re incredibly easy to grow! Want to add tomatoes to your garden? Read on to learn the simplest way to plant tomatoes. Tomatoes can be grown both by starting tomato seeds indoors and by planting tomato plants directly in the garden. But whether you want to grow tomatoes from seed or from young plants, make sure to shop only from a trusted source. You can start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks from the expected last frost date for your area. The instructions printed on the seed package are the best source for information related to the right planting depth, heat and moisture requirements for the variety of tomatoes that you’re growing. Once the plants develop a couple of pairs of leaves, you can move them to individual containers. Hardening off the young plants is a crucial aspect of growing tomatoes from seed. ...

    You can’t? Well, then take to growing tomatoes in your own yard because if you love tomatoes, you’re bound to love homegrown tomatoes a lot more! Growing tomato plants isn’t hard. In fact, I find it easier than making palatable tomato soup! Here’s some useful information to help you get started. Tomato plants perform best in sunny locations that offer rich soil, with a ph of 6.0 to 7.0. For areas subject to strong winds, it’s advisable to pick a planting site that offers shelter to your plants. If you plan on growing tomatoes from seed, I’d recommend starting seeds at least 6-8 weeks before the first frost free date for your region. This will offer ample time for the plants to get strong enough to be transplanted outdoors in spring. For details regarding the right temperature conditions, planting depth and irrigation, refer the instructions on the seed package. Once the plants are strong enough, harden them by allowing them some time out in the garden. Place the contain...

  The most exciting part of growing Tomatoes or for that matter, any other fruit or vegetable plant is harvesting. Some aspects of harvesting tomatoes, like the right time for picking and selecting the ready to be picked tomatoes, often create some confusion for the gardeners. The following tips will help you understand these, and several other aspects of harvesting tomatoes. The most obvious indicator of ripe tomatoes is their appearance. Ripe tomatoes will have a uniform, glossy color and will feel firm, but not hard on touching. Some varieties of tomatoes ripen before they acquire full color. If the tomatoes have reached the mature size but display color only at the bottom part, feel for the texture of the tomatoes. Smooth, waxy textured skin is a sign of ripe tomatoes. A month from the expected first frost date for your region, remove the top of your plants along with all new flowers. This will help channel the plant’s energies into ripening the existing tomatoes, thus, prev...

  Every time you put some tomato ketchup on your burger, have a pizza with tomato toppings or bite into a ripe tomato picked from your garden, you’re actually doing your body some good! The red, round fruit the world knows as tomato is all packed with nutrition. Take a look. Tomatoes are a good source of dietary fiber and are low in fat and calories. A medium sized ripe tomato weighing a hundred grams contains approximately 1.6 grams of glucose, about 1.2 grams fructose, 22 calories and only traces of fat. The same quantity also offers the consumer about 273 milligrams potassium, 0.6 grams iron and 72 grams of calcium. Speaking of vitamins, the first that comes to mind is Vitamin C. A medium sized tomato contains about 23 milligrams of Vitamin C. It also contains around 766 International units of Vitamin A, 0.06 milligrams riboflavin, 0.07 milligrams thiamin and 0.8 grams niacin. Regular consumption of tomatoes and tomato products is known to be good for the skin and reduces th...

  On asking how many people had pH test kits and how many actually used them, the ratio of users was quite low. A pH test kit is of no value at all if it's left lurking in the garden shed. I think the reason they aren't used is because their owners don't really understand what soil pH is all about, nor do they know how it affects the plants that grow in the soil. Soils may be acid, alkaline or neutral, with the pH scale ranging from 0 to 14, with all readings on the low scale of 7 being increasingly acid as the figures move towards zero. The soil becomes increasingly alkaline as the figures move higher from the neutral base of pH 7. Plants need to be able to access a range of different chemical elements from the soil if they are to make satisfactory growth and at pH 6.5 to pH 7 all of those elements are readily available to the plants. As the level drops down towards pH 5.5 and 5, some of the elements become less available while others become more readily available, the...

Gardening doesn't have to be hard or inexpensive if you have the right tools.So we are going to share some of the secrets if you want to make your garden more successful without spending lots of money. Your garden can’t grow without water and how you water makes a huge difference.   1. Underground Irrigation Underground irrigation is a great place to start. It helps to decrease evaporation and gives water to the roots of your plants where it is most needed.So lets talk few ways to do it. Some people use underground lines. Olla Pots are also very easy and effective to use. Olla Pots are terracotta pots buried in the middle of your garden. After a few hours, water sips our of the pots. These techniques are great because the plants take exactly the amount of water they need.                   2. Collect Rain water Ever notice how much your plants flourish after a good rain.You can collect the rain water from the rain pip...