herb gardening Archives

Vegetable Gardening Has Been Saving Us Money

Kitchen garden at Bolen residence

Image by Gardening in a Minute via Flickr

We started our first vegetable garden in containers. That was before we had a home with a yard big enough to have a vegetable garden in the ground. Since that time we have noticed that people all over the country are starting their own vegetable gardens. Probably for the same reasons we started gardening, to save even a little on the grocery bills.

Back when we first started gardening was not a hobby, that came later when I realized it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

Gardening has been around since, well forever so I don’t think people decided to start gardening just on a whim. There is obviously more to it than that. People are gardening vegetables these days to combat rising costs knowing that they aren’t getting any pay raises to compensate for cost of living increases. Plain and simple.

Another huge factor is lack of job security and households where only one individual is working outside the home.

Like I said at the beginning our first veggie garden was a container garden. We wanted to grow some vegetables so we could save a little and eventually we bought a home with a big yard and now have an ever growing garden. However that little container garden produces piles of tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries.

Surprise, Surprise We Grew Veggies

We weren’t really certain we could grow anything outdoors. I like house plants and have no trouble growing them indoors but in here they don’t have to survive the elements, but we did fine, even though I made a few mistakes.

Mistakes Are Part of  The Learn Process

I have always seem to learn things the hard way but that’s me. It’s mostly self inflicted of course as I tend not to read instructions and try things without learning how first. I’m still alive and doing fine. Container gardening wasn’t really that hard to learn. My biggest mistake was not using containers big enough for the task. That mistake was easily rectified by getting larger containers and re-potting. Lesson learned.

After a few years of gardening vegetables in containers we found the home of our dreams, it even has two lots, one we turned into a small garden which seems to get a bit bigger each passing year.

But summer is gone all too soon and then a winter that’s way too long, so…

We Started A Herb Gardening In The Kitchen

We had already been container gardening so starting a container garden in the kitchen wasn’t a big step but it had huge results. Now we have fresh herbs all year long and love them in most every thing we eat. The only issue we had with our kitchen herb garden was that our kitchen windows don’t get enough sunlight during the winter so we moved the herb garden to the living room window and all is well again.

It’s Organic Vegetable Gardening Or Nothing

From the time I was 8 years old I suffered migraine headaches that would make me so sick and cause such pain. That was the same year I moved to live on a farm. It took me almost 40 years to find out the cause of my migraines, it was pesticides. My dad used pesticides on everything in our huge vegetable garden and it nearly killed me. Needless to say we don’t use pesticides in our garden and we wash all the produce we purchase very thoroughly.

Gardening has become such a great hobby now and it’s a hobby that feeds us healthy and tasty garden produce.

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garden tool collection at Blenheim Palace
Image by Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

We have learned that as you do more gardening and learn more about your hobby you’re going to also learn about all sorts of gardening tools. Gardening tools that, supposedly, will save you hours of time and make your garden even more enjoyable as well as beautiful.

You’re never under any obligation to buy all the tools that you hear about or see online. Start simply with a few tools you need like we did. As time goes on you can buy the fancier equipment if you think you really need it.

Believe it or not you can do pretty much everything you need to do in your garden using only your strength. You can use your hands to do things like moving earth and your plants from location to location. The problem with doing all of your work the hard way is that it strains your body. Using the proper tools can help you save time and keep your body healthy and uninjured. Try using one of these gardening tools to help yourself out a little.

You should always have a garden rake in your tool arsenal. A garden rake is different than the rake you will use to gather leaves and larger objects around your front yard in the fall. A garden rake is sturdier and has shorter and stronger teeth that are made from steel. If you have projects of varying sizes you want an adjustable width garden rake and not a fixed width garden rake. You will save a lot of money if you opt for the rake with the adjustable width because it can be used in just about any gardening project while a fixed width rake cannot. Garden rakes are used to smooth and level out the dirt in your gardens.

Pitchforks are wonderfully useful gardening tools, even for gardeners who have no plans for large gardens. Pitchforks will do the same things that trowels and spades do but they do it bigger. Pitchforks are great earth turners, compost movers and soil aerators. If you have your own compost pile you will need to have a pitchfork because the pitchfork will help you turn your compost over as it decomposes. To keep the compost from losing its value and forming a gross, crusty shell use the pitchfork to turn it often.

Hand trowels are very helpful. Many beginning gardeners use their hands for moving dirt around. The more time you put into your garden, however, the more useful you will find your hand trowel. It can also help protect your hands. Most gardeners use their trowels to speed up the weeding they have to do as well as to shift the earth that surrounds their plants without disturbing the plants themselves. There are lots of different sizes of hand trowels and they can be used with pretty much any plant.

Gardening is thought to be a very relaxing activity. There is something inherently calming about the act of “playing in the dirt” that many people enjoy after a long or stressful day. Often gardeners start this hobby using only their hands. After some time has passed the use of gardening tools doesn’t feel so complicated. After some time you will be surprised to find that using gardening tools is so ingrained that you don’t even need to think about it anymore. The more time you put into your garden the easier it will be to use gardening tools. You might even learn that gardening is really fun!

Now, this website can give you more tips and information on the various gardening issues: Gardening Tips Online

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How To Grow An Organic Vegetable Gardening

organic gardening Video:

Can hardly wait until spring so I can try some of this. It would be great to create a larger herb garden without the need to dig up a big patch. I’ll try the ground cover method and see how I do.

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My Window Herb Garden
Image by leesean via Flickr

The positive aspects of herb gardening is the fact that it won’t need a lot of room. Actually a bit of space on the windowsill that receives some sun light every day will work. When you’ve discovered a little place the rest is usually rather uncomplicated.

Once you identified the ideal spot for your herb garden you will need to make a couple of decisions.

1. Exactly what herbs will you grow. We made the selection based upon on what we like to eat.
2. Are you going to start this herbs from seed? Maybe you might prefer to speed up the process by buying starter herbs.

A Great Suggestion When You Use Containers To Grow Herbs

It is really crucial you use pots which have good drainage. The correct drainage is going to help you keep from drowning your herbs the way I did on the first attempt at indoor herb gardening. I learned that one the hard way with some other indoor plants.

You can head to your community gardening shop where I am sure you can find the ideal planting container for the windowsill herb garden.

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Serious Facts On Herb Garden Seeds

herb garden - Kline Creek Farm - 08192006
Image via Wikipedia

Growing an herb garden is a smart way to develop your gardening talents while making a handy crop for your house. Most herbs can be grown in little spaces and in conditions that other plants wouldn’t survive.

Herb gardens can benefit your home in many ways. Adding green, growing things to your environment can make your house more pretty and more at ease to inhabit. Herbs can help cut odours from the air in your house and even add fresh and captivating smells to your living space.

Best of all, growing herbs lets you season your food in a natural and healthy way. Fresh herbs are full of flavor and can help you cut down on other seasonings like sale and butter. By growing your own rather than relying on dried herbs from the supermarket, you stay in control of what your family eats and where it comes from.

To start your herb garden, you will most probably need to buy plants or seeds. Herb garden seeds are quickly becoming the more popular choice because of their portability and availability, as opposed to starter plants which you must buy in your immediate vicinity.

Herb garden seeds can be ordered online and dropped at you thru the post, dumping the necessity to spend an afternoon poking thru massive amounts of plants in a nursery. This method also allows you to grow plants that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to find in your area, resulting in a more well-rounded and exotic herb garden.

Shopping online for your herb garden seeds also permits you to do research on the plants that you’ve an interest in as you are shopping. If you see herb garden seeds online for a plant you aren’t familiar with, you can simply look up the growing information for that plant in another browser window. Fitted out with this understanding of the herb garden seeds you are perusing, you can plan out your complete garden beforehand and buy only the seeds you need.

Purchasing herb garden seeds online is also less costly than purchasing plants. When you buy a packet of herb garden seeds, you get many seeds. They may not all germinate or survive, but you get so many for such a small price that it is still very cost effective. When you buy an already-started plant, you get only one – if that plant dies, you are forced to buy another.

Starting your herb garden with seeds instead of seedlings can be a wise investment in your future gardening plans. You will get the rewards of raising plants from little seeds while enjoying the many benefits that come from growing your own herbs.

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Serious Facts On Natural Insecticide

Ochlerotatus notoscriptus, Tasmania, Australia
Image via Wikipedia

Ecological gardening appeals to some individuals as it sounds significant. It makes gardening sound exotic, like it’s on some higher level. organic gardening is accomplished by avoiding the use of laboratory-made fertilizers, growth substances, antibiotics, or pesticides.

This means using nature’s tools to grow your plants, fruits, and vegetables. It’s a technique of being more kind to the earth. Using natural insecticides is part of that process and has become increasingly popular. If done properly, it costs less.

You can use nature to your advantage if you understand and take the time to make it work for you. If you learn to grown or produce your own insecticides, you’re also aiding the eco-system by not putting man-made lethal concoctions into the dirt and air. You can help to reduce the negative result on the ozone layer by playing your part to help nature.

Botanical is of plants. Plants are natural. So, botanical insecticides are naturally created from plants and plant parts. One such insecticide is sabadilla. It’s gotten from the seeds of a plant like a lily and utilized in dust or spray form before crop. It poisons insects when it touches them or gets inside their bodies.

Natural insecticides must still be used with caution. They are not without complications or issues. You must learn how to use them properly so that they’re a benefit and not a hindrance. Washing your fruit and vegetables is still endorsed before eating them or using them in cooking if you use natural insecticides

A misconception about insecticides of any kind can be that if you use a stronger concentration and/or more of it, the benefits will come quicker and will last longer. But this is an unhealthy attitude in many cases. If a technique or product isn’t working, make a change only by being aware of the effects. What you want might be a different product or an additional helper to go with it.

Some of the natural insecticides that are well-known are pyrethrum, nicotine, sabadilla, rotenone, and soap. Cornmeal and some hot peppers can also be effective against insect pests.

It’s still best to try and catch any gardening or crop pests in the beginning stages than to load up on insecticide of any kind. The best control can be awareness and early removal.

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Finding The Perfect Vegetable Garden Tips

vegetable garden, detail
Image via Wikipedia

Cultivating  any types of plants is perhaps your hobby. Nevertheless, if you want to achieve such a marvelous and beneficial vegetable, you need to get ideal vegetable garden tips for being certain a dreamful vegetable garden. If you wish to begin a vegetable garden, you should think the following vegetable garden tips.

The answer is that you can still plant vegetables but it might be wise to selectively opt just various things that are most appetizing to you. You could even use containers or build raised beds in available space in order to realize your garden. Here are several vegetable garden tips to aid you get started on your search:

Initial Vegetable Garden Tips – Get Real

Should be realistic and not become too ambitious, especially when it is your first time for gardening  a garden. Do not be frightened to utilize vegetable garden tips to adjust your plan, for instance redefining the square footage or gardening  unusual vegetables in your garden. If you have nothing but a large patio or even front porch area instead of a sufficient yard, you could create mini-gardens in large planters or containers.

Position is anything and is among the most wonderful vegetable garden tips given to fledgling gardeners who still have quite a bit to gain knowledge of. You will want a plotted area with much sun exposure as well as soil that is at the suitable pH levels for maximum effect. To ensure that the pH levels are correctly maintained, a soil sample should be taken and tested using digital moisture meter or other moisture test meter for the soil.

Manual Labour for Vegetable Garden Tips

Among lots of helpful vegetable garden tips, one of them is the advice of renting or borrowing a tiller to break up the earth. It can be back breaking, using a tiller. On the other hand, the vegetable bounty when all is said and done is worth the aggravation.

Sometimes, the plot of land you have selected for garden needs a bit more depth and health condition, for example are by adding compost, humus, top soil and even fertilizer additives. several garden centers have soil analysis testing or even a local agricultural co-op may provide the service so that you can determine the suitable pH health to grow the healthiest vegetables.

Vegetable Garden Tips – Opting your Vegetables

In vegetable garden tips you need to also consider your unusual vegetables to plant in your going to be vegetable garden. By opting the plants, just be certain that you are going to decide your favorite vegetables that are going to be useful as your necessary.

In the end, of course there are many other vegetable garden tips for you to follow. Such as, you have got to think about the soil condition, sunlight and the types of your vegetables to plant. For further information about vegetable garden tips, find Internet sources. Now, are you interested to try gardening  your vegetable garden? Do it now and feel the spirit of growing and caring it well!

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Creating A Container Vegetable Garden

vegetable & herb garden
Image by Bad Alley via Flickr

I started my first vegetable garden in containers on my balcony in Toronto Ontario. I was raised on a farm and love getting my hands dirty growing things. I grew flowers and veggies indoors until the weather was warm enough and then I moved them outdoors for the summer. I grew mostly herbs and tomatoes.

Once I moved to New Brunswick and got married we started gardening in containers again. We didn’t have enough space to plant an in-ground garden so we just used big flower pots and placed them along the house at the driveway.

We started our first container garden with only a couple of pots but it was a start. Our first crop was tomatoes. It was pretty cool to grow tomatoes right in our driveway.

As the summer moved on so did the location of the sun in our yard and before we knew it our tomatoes weren’t getting much sun at all. With a container garden that huge problem was solved in an instant. Just move the containers to another spot where they would get more sun. Two minutes later the task was complete and they were back in the sun.

Shortly after that we moved to an apartment for a few months until we found a better place to live. By summer we were in another house with a little more space, still not enough for an in-ground garden but big enough for a few more pots for our container vegetable garden. We did have flower beds around the front, side and back of our duplex but we didn’t want to grow veggies there. This was for flowers, my wife’s petunias. Can’t have a home without growing petunias.

Now we have our own home and even a second lot right beside us, for a real vegetable garden. I dug up a 16×4 foot plot, however we still grow a vegetable container garden. We like to grow tomatoes, peppers, well just about anything we can. The more the merrier I say. I like to put them along the side of the house, on the south side of course, where they get plenty of sun.

I did have to figure out how to keep them watered as they would dry out before we got home from work most days and looked like they were dead until I watered them. Now I am using a little drip system I made from used plastic water bottles.

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Kitchen garden at Bolen residence
Image by Gardening in a Minute via Flickr

A basic herb garden is not hard to create and it can be created in a remarkably small amount of space. no matter whether you live in a loft or you’ve got a yard that’s ideal for planting making a basic herb garden is straightforward.

There are 1 or 2 things that you’re going to need to start for making a basic herb garden. The first thing is to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want a container herb garden or are you looking for something a bit grander like a kitchen garden or a backyard herb garden.

Once you have decided the type of garden that you want to create you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from already existing plants that you will transplant. When you have determined the kind of planting you would like to do for your basic herb garden.

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden . Naturally, these supplies change dependent on which kind of herb garden you are making. The list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies will be the same so that the list is mixed for being passing. The items you will need are: soil, fertilizer, seeds or herb plants, containers, and a spade.

If you happen to be using a container or boxes to make your herb garden, prepare the container by putting the soil in it. Then dependent on the sort of manure you are using add the manure to make the growing environment. You may or may not depending on the type of soil you get want to wet the soil down before planting. If you are, using seeds follow the planting instructions for the types of herbs you are planting. If you happen to use already established plants follow replanting instructions. These are typically listed with the plant, but can be discovered online if required.

For kitchen gardens weed and till the area to break up the soil and remove any large objects like rocks. Then add in the top soil and fertilizers and plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions. Ensure that you glance at the lighting wishes of your herbs and put them in areas that receive the correct quantity of light and shade to guarantee correct expansion.

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My windowsill herb garden
Image by litlnemo via Flickr

The positive aspects of herb gardening is the fact that it won’t call for a whole lot room to grow. Even some space on a windowsill that receives some sunshine on a daily basis should do the trick. Once you have found a little spot the rest will be rather simple.

After you found the best spot for your herb garden you will have to make a couple of choices.

  1. Exactly what herbs will you grow. We made our decision based upon on the foods we like the most.
  2. Will you grow the herb garden from seed? Maybe you might prefer to speed up the process by purchasing starter herbs.

It is really essential you use pots which have good drainage. The correct drainage can aid you to NOT over-water your herbs the way I did on the first attempt at herb gardening indoors.

We had to use small pots so we didn’t mix herbs together. Each herb has it’s own little pot as our windowsills are very narrow but they grow just fine that way too.

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