Gardening Basics

Can A Basic Herb Garden Supply Your Kitchen Needs?

Posted by The Alternate Medic

No matter where you live in the world most cultures like to use herbs in their cooking to provide the flavours and aroma that we have all come to love. With the enormous spread in popularity of Gourmet Cooking shows on television we are encouraged to expand our culinary tastes to include dishes from all over the world . As most professional chefs prefer to use fresh herbs in their cooking why should we not follow in their steps and grow our own basic herb garden at home.

It is quite easy to put in a basic herb garden to grow the ones used the most. Most of the common herbs used as spices in cooking can be successfully grown in average soil but some do request rich soil, such as oregano.

Some herbs, such as parsley are bi-annuals and can only be harvested after the plant is one year old. In this case it is suggested that you plant a second crop of parsley after the first year as the first planting comes into season ensuring that you have a constant supply from then on. Naturally there are plenty of other herbs which provide produce in their first year, these will make up the bulk of your basic herb garden..

The following herbs, which make up a basic herb garden, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil all like direct sun and will require a minimum amount of water to survive. It is normal to harvest leaves, sprigs and twigs from any of your herbs as they are growing providing fresh organic herbs for your kitchen.

However, some plants like thyme is a very forgiving plant and if it dries out will likely come back when an appropriate amount of water is given. Since some have different soil requirements and can grow under slightly different conditions, having them separated by variety can help get them started and keep them growing throughout their life.

Why Not Plant Your Herbs Close To Where They Will Be Used

When the chef needs fresh herbs for the dish he or she is preparing, a long journey down to the far reaches of the back yard is not realistic, wouldn’t you plant your herbs close to the kitchen for easy picking? It is important to know that, the entire plant does not have to be cut and used at once. With the right care, the herbs will continue to grow and be usable during the entire season. Before winter arrives drying or freezing the extra cuttings can possibly supply the herb throughout the winter, often lasting until the next crop produces the following year.

For those of us who have a space problem, try companion planting. If planting a basic herb garden takes more room than is available, certain herbs can be planted among other plants. Parsley can live well with other plants specifically tomatoes, asparagus and among roses. Broccoli and cauliflower also welcome rosemary in their midst. Basil also likes to grow alongside tomatoes too.

When companion planting, be sure not to trample the herbs under foot whilst weeding, pruning etc. Maintaining a basic herb garden is not a full time job and with little work you can easily be self sufficient in your fresh herb requirements throughout the year.

Basic Herb Garden: What do you need?

Posted by Peter de Vizard

A basic herb garden is easy to create and it can be made in a small amount of space. If you live in an apartment or you have a small back yard you can still have a basic herb garden for daily use.

There are a few things that you will plan for your basic herb garden.

What type?

You will need to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want the smaller container type herb garden or something larger, like a kitchen garden or a yard herb garden.

From seeds or existing plants?

Once you have decided the type of garden that you want to build you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from existing plants (or green cuttings of plants you have got from friends or family) that you will transplant.

Supplies Needed

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden. This list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies are going to be the same so the list is together for the purpose of being brief.

The items you will need are:

1. Quality Soil,

2. Rich Fertilizer

3. Seeds or herb plants(or cuttings)

4. Suitable containers, and a spade.

Simple Instructions

If you are using containers to create your herb garden, prepare the container by the soil by dampening it.

Then add the fertilizer to create the best growing environment. Depending on the type of soil you get want to dampen it the soil down before adding your plants.

If you are using seeds follow the planting instructions on the packet. If you are using already established plants, follow replanting instructions.

If you are using cuttings, which are small pieces of plants, you got from friends or family, then they can provide advice on best how best to get the plants started.

There are many web sites online, which could also provide help in this area

For kitchen herb gardens follow these steps:

1. Weed and till the area to break up the soil while removing any large objects such as rocks.

2. Add in the top soil and fertilizer

3. Plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions.

4. Make sure that you know the lighting needs of your herbs and place them in areas that receive the right amount of light to ensure proper growth.

To get your basic herb garden growing as best it can, it needs quality soil, regular watering and tending. This applies to both the indoor type and the outside yard type. The basic herb garden is easy to grow and can provide you and your family with regular fresh herbs, which you can use on a daily basis for cooking and medical cures.

Lavender Roses Meaning

Posted by Joe Vincente

Lavender roses are a beautiful rarity. The unique color of this rose has made it a favorite for a romantic interludes and everyday occasions. The normal reaction to this uniquely colored rose; is that it makes a memorable impression on anyone who receives or views them.

There are a large number of variations of lavender roses available, from traditional types to hybrids which have been recently created. These roses are extremely beautiful and have held appeal to people for a very long time. Their time-honored meanings have made them a popular type of rose.

Lavender roses are available as both small rose bushes and also as large single blooms. For flower arrangements, long stem varieties are the most popular. Additionally, many roses carry symbolic importance. This is also true of the lavender rose, which brings its own special meanings that can relate the heartfelt message you want to give.

A lavender colored rose frequently indicates an immediate wave of passion and attraction. Such roses are sent by people who have felt emotions such as loving and adoring so that they could express those emotions. There is also a traditional connection between purple hues and royal garments. The various gradations of purple in these blossoms evoke the majestic presence of royalty.

Lavender colored roses bear a certain similarity to the legendary blue roses which are not found in nature and therefore represent all that is enigmatic and unreachable. Many people have been inspired to search for the very first such bloom to be seen. These quests go on, but in the meantime the significance of the mythical blue blossoms has become linked to their cousins, the lavender roses.

Lavender rose is unquestionably one of the best ways to express love and appreciation. This unique and unusual flower is a perfect option for those wishing to give a memorable gift. The symbolism of this flower is so great that it can used to express a variety of feelings and meaningful messages to its recipient. The lavender rose has always been a stand-out in the history of roses because of the number of varieties available. Receiving a bouquet of lavender roses can make a long and lasting impact on its recipient.

Lavender roses have had an enchanting appeal throughout their long history. It has long been symbolic of love at first sight and attraction between couples. The larger stemmed rose is the one that has become most popular in floral bouquets, and also bears the most significant symbolic importance. These flowers are often sent as signs of love and romantic feelings. Their deep purple color is also associated with royalty, so that different shades of these purple roses can add an dignity to anywhere they are placed. They are also known to share some of the symbolism of fabled blue roses.

Build a Backyard Fire Pit for your Family

Posted by Michael Paulstone

How to Instrutions on Building your Backyard Fire Pit

Bringing my family together was my goal. Creating a place that we could gather together in the early evening that didn’t include a television took some thinking. A fire pit is a small dug out pit where you can start a camp fire and just gather around and talk. It is a somewhat cozy way of getting warm and at the same time bonding with the people around you.

Getting people around a fire and talking about anything under the night sky just create a mood that is hard to describe. For many years, a fire pit has been used for outdoor activities and camp outs to foster good relations among campers. But how to build a fire pit has been a topic of much discussion because it usually requires some planning and thought. You don’t want the fire pit too close to any structures that might catch fire easily or any dried up plants or wood that are highly flammable.

Safety Instructions on How To Build A Fire Pit

Once you have chosen a safe location of your proposed fire pit, you can then begin to focus on the fire pit building basics. Initially plan just how big the circumference of your fire pit must be. A fire pit shouldn’t be a huge hole in the the ground; an ideal circumference can be a foot and a half.

How to build a fire pit is easy once you have all the materials ready. You need some digging tools and some pea gravel and sand. You will also need some concrete pavers or blocks to surround your fire pit with. Check with your local home supply company, like Home Depot or Lowe’s for the tools and materials you need.

With your fire pit supplies in hand, start by drawing a circle on the ground that equals the inital size of your fire pit. Dig down about one foot. Within this new hole you want to dig a smaller hole with the circumference of about six inches and about 8-12 inches deep.

Next fill both holes with pea gravel leaving room to add about three inches of sand at the very top of the fire pit. Once complete the sand base should be about even with the surround ground surface. You can begin to build a ring around the fire pit using the concrete paver you purchased. Make sure you stack the pavers high enough to prevent your logs or sticks from rolling out of the pit.

You might want to also build a nice place to sit around the fire pit. A simple bench can be constructed using a couple of cinder blocsk and a six foot length of redwood 2×6 lumber. Dress up the bench by using “Key Stone” landscaping blocks. These blocks are typically used to build retaining walls and come in a wide variety of textures and colors.

Make building a backyard fire pit a family project. It can be a fun and as you can see doesn’t have to be expensive.

Tips You Have To know About Growing Grass

Posted by Andrew Caxton

Caring for your lawn grass is very important and particularly special if your home have a large lawn or shows it frontly.Know how to keep healthy and beautiful without spending much.

Caring for your lawn grass is very important and particularity special if your home have a large lawn or shows it frontly.Know how to keep healthy and beautiful without spending much. Humidity and dryness, inadequate caring, or bad advice treatment could deliver your lawn grass to very poor conditions. Let’s see how to improve it. The Right Grass for Your Lawn. What kind of climate do you have on your area? Warm, hot, cool, cold, dry,wet. And sunlight hours? What about the uses you are giving to the lawn grass area. Just a lightly stepping or heavy traffic. Many of these answer will determinate what kind of grass you may grow on your lawn. Other factors to have in mind are time you are able to devote to your lawn care, money you are able to spend and special required tools that your lawn care may need. First a little search about the soil, the basic ingredient of your lawn along with water. Know your soil and you will discover the suitable type of grasses for your lawn. Acidity or alkaline soil are very different and need treatment and grass according to their possibilities. A landscaper or a service provided by a gardener can come in, take a sample of your soil and let you know what kind of soil is and then, advice you how to treat it and what kind of seed are more appropriated. Grass will be welcomed by the lawn soil as long as it may match the soil type, the climate variation, the rate of humidity and the hours of sun needed for that grass. To begin your search you can search a little on the net, visit gardener shop and even talk with the people who live next to you and have a healthy lawn grass.All the people involved on gardener shops and greenhands enthusiastic can lend you a great help on your search.

Tips You Have To know About Growing Grass

Raking: clean the dead leaves and help to refrain thatch to accumulate too much. Mowing: when you mow, mow high. Thus, grass will be more green, healthy and strong, and contrary to what is believed, will grow slower. Pulling weeds: Weed have deep roots and like to steal the nutrients from you grass. Pull the weed and eventually spray them with a light pesticide.

Some Types of Grass And How To Grow Them

The lawn is a type of grass, maybe it is surprising to you it but exist in the world a thousand classes known. Not all of these are employed as lawn, as it must be able to withstand the usual cuts and form a dense carpet and a dense cover. Depending on the purpose for which plant is chose, you will employ one kind or another, although it is often mixing between different herbs to get satisfactory

PENNISETUM CLANDESTINUM High endurance to sun. It can stand long sun hours without suffering. BERMUDA - GRASS -CYNODON DACTYLON It reproduces vegetatively through trailing stems.Spreads very quickly throughout the land surface There are much more varieties that can be named and considered for you garden,one of them is the fescue, a very valuable grass, thick and rich, you can buy and grow fescue seed without effort. Ordinary tall fescue grass seeds require maintenance from over seeding, weed problems, and clumps. Blending varieties together that has top performance on some of the desired characteristics, allows the lawn to adapt itself to the conditions. We encourage to begin you research with all the above factors in mind and learn some new lessons about how to make your lawn useful, durable and beautiful

Organic Aids For Your Lawn

Posted by Andrew Caxton

Organic lawn care is actually a very simple process based on few steps and some recommendations, like setting your mower higher and fertilizing whenever is needed with organic fertilizer, you can have organic lawn as beautiful as any other. Here are the basic steps

Caring for a Lawn Organically

Organic lawn care is actually a very simple process based on few steps and some recommendations, like setting your mower higher and fertilizing whenever is needed with organic fertilizer, you can have organic lawn as beautiful as any other. Here are the basic steps Basic Steps For Mow Higher

Mowing high is a essential part of caring for a lawn organically. When you mow high,grass will grow enough to be able to shade weeds.Taller, denser grass , while aiding in the destruction of new weed seedlings, will prevent vital light from reaching most weeds, resulting all this process in benefit of your plants.

A common myth is that if a lawn has to be mown short,so it will pass longer space of time until it needs mown again. This is completely wrong. Photosynthesis is easier for grass with long blades to accomplish the process to feed the roots. When grass blades are cut very short, the grass races to make more blades to obtain more sugar. It then, the common myth fails and the grass grows incredibly fast. This quickened growth results in an inadequate use of grass’ stored sugar, and this, in turn, weakens the plant and makes feeble and fragile, prefer tall grass:it is much healthier and the plants can, using the extra sugar, make new rhizomes (more grass plants). Organic Aids For Your Lawn One thing you have to learn is keep the clippings on the lawn when mowing, to care for a lawn organically. Maybe you are not use it to this and think that the clipping give a not very clean aspect to your lawn but it exactly what you have to do, no matter aspect,this adds nutrients and a extra amount of organic matter back into the soil,if throw away the clipping your soil is going mostly to look like dirt, not soil.

Water Infrequently

When watering infrequently you will force the roots of your grass to grow deep into the soil and make the plant for resistant and able to feed properly. While the top few inches of soil becomes dry, the weeds and weed seedlings are going to die soon while the grass still enjoys all the moisture and nutrients it needs from a little deeper.

When watering frequently weeds are encouraged to grow and specially a variety called “thatch” (grass propagates with above-soil runners ,you should notice that weeds and their seedlings love daily watering and surely you don’t want to aid them.

Fertilize

Nitrogen can be depleted by grass at high rate.To know if your lawn is nitrogen poor, note if legume are taking over your lawn.Legumes can obtain their nitrogen from the air,. If it happens that your lawn is poor in nitrogen, you can use a little nitrogen-rich fertilizer every now and the on your lawn,fertilizer will aid the grass providing with the nitrogen it needs to survive and flourish.

Organic Ways To Help Your Lawn One major problem is to combat weed without using herbicides, there are the basic ways to combat weed in an organic way:

Weeds some time are almost impossible to eradicate from your lawn, even if you use chemicals, they have growth resistance to chemical and pesticides,the best way to keep the weeds off of your lawn is as stated above, mow higher, although some kind of weed have huge roots which deepen many inches under the ground, they can’t survive to a low rate of light. Now you are ready to begin with your experience on caring your lawn organically. With very little garden lawn care and maintenance, they can be improved greatly.

Inside Outsiders - House Plants Indoors

Posted by Keith Markensen

Some plants need to be outdoors in their natural habitat to survive. Others need to be sheltered indoors. Most plants, however, can do well both indoors and out. You will want to research on houseplants to make sure you choose the right plants for the right locations.

Herbs are one of the most adaptable plants. It is very important that they receive enough light and drainage, though. Some are still survive a bit more easily indoors than others.

The Bay Laurel, for example, is able to live in lots of sunshine and poor soil. If you try to grow it inside, it will likely become over-watered and fertilized. If you grow it indoors, remember that it is made to live in rough conditions, so you do not have to treat it like your other plants.

Parsley is also more suited to life outdoors. If you want to grow it inside, make sure to put it in direct sunlight for much of the day.

Bonsai plants also tend to prefer living outdoors. Some types can thrive indoors as well though. If you live in a cold climate, it would be better for some types of the bonsai to be indoors, even if they are typically an outdoor plant. Tropical bonsai plants do great outdoors, but only if you live in the tropics. If the temperatures drop below 50 degrees even remotely often, you should keep the tropical bonsai inside.

You do not have to try to fully simulate the tropical conditions inside. This would be uncomfortable and expensive. As long as you keep your house relatively warm and spray them from time to time, they should be fine. Some of the bonsai pots actually come with built in misters. Make sure you keep your bonsai plants out of direct sunlight by windows. The magnified sunlight can burn the plants.

Indoor house plants can be kept healthy by providing them with supplemental lights and/or heat lamps. You can also get soil care kits to help. The biggest thing you can do to help plants live healthy indoor lives is to choose plants that are proven to live well in that environment in the first place.

How To Make Indoor Palms Thrive

Posted by Keith Markensen

Light

One of the elements that all plants absolutely need in order to grow is light. Houseplants generally do best when they receive reflected light, but that are able to tolerate some direct light, as long as it’s not long exposure to the hot summer sun. If a plant must receive direct light, it is best if it is the more mellow morning and evening sun.

Humidity

In general, humidity is pretty low indoors. It can vary quite a bit though, based on outdoor conditions, as well as heating and air conditioning use. Higher humidity is generally best for plants. Pests and poor health can plague plants that don’t receive the correct amount of humidity.

To fix a problem of low humidity, you have to change the atmosphere around the plants by grouping plants around each other and/or placing the pot in a saucer of water. The water will evaporate, adding moisture to the air. You can also spray the plants with a fine mist to add moisture to the leaves.

Temperature

Most indoor plants originally come from tropical areas, so temperatures should not be too low for them. Luckily, this works well since humans also do not like indoor temperatures to be too low. Low temperatures for a short time can be tolerated easier than extended exposure to extreme conditions. In general, temperatures should be kept above 14 degrees Celsius for proper palm care or indoor plant care in general. Heating systems in your home solve the temperature problem, but they make the air very dry. See the humidity section for information on how to fix this.

Watering

Everyone knows that you must water indoor plants. It is not as common that people understand the correct amount to water plants. The frequency depends on the temperature and humidity, as well as the species of plant. Many plants can be watered daily in the summer, but much less in the winter. The type and size of pot also is a factor. The type of soil is also important. Thick soil retains water more, so it needs watered less.

People tend to be more worried about watering too little than too much. Watering too much can be just as harmful, or maybe even more so. Too much watering can cause root rot, fungi, mold, or plenty of other diseases.

Resting Recuperation

The leaves of plants should occasionally be washed off with water from a hose to prevent pests, dust build-up, and to freshen the plant up in general. You can place plants outside in light rain, but make sure to take them back inside before the sun comes out because direct sunlight is bad for plants when they are not used to it.

Another option for resting plants is to move plants to a shady part of an outdoor garden for a while to give them a change. They will often grow very well, and you can then move them back inside.

Fertilizer

Indoor plants such as palms except the hard to care for majesty palm should only have fertilizers applied during the growing months. If it is applied in cold months, it could burn the plant. When you make applications, it should be done in small doses at regular intervals. Never apply quick release fertilizers to newly potted plants.

Pests

Pests are more common in plants grown in containers than outdoor plants. Mealy bugs, spider mites, and scale insects are the most common types. You can help prevent pests by misting your plants frequently. Once a plant is weak from pests or poor care, they are more susceptible to other problems.

How to Keep Your Orchids Healthy

Posted by Thomas Fryd

It’s no secret that orchids are a beautiful flower. Beauty, however, tends to be fragile. There are a variety of pests that can harm orchids, but with proper prevention and care, you can keep your beautiful plants healthy.

Kinds of Orchid Pests

Aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, mites, millipedes, centipedes, slugs, snails, and whiteflies are all common pests that infest orchids. The specific pests you have to worry about depend on the climate you are in.

Aphids survive by sucking off phloem fluid from the plant. They bite into the plant, which causes the tissue to die, turn yellow, and decay.

Mealybugs feed or orchids directly. They are either white or pink, and must be dealt with as soon as they are discovered. They are tough to control, and are a major problem.

Scale insects look like white scales. After feeding on the orchid, they become larger. The male scale insects have wings, but do not look scaly.

Mites are also a potential problem. Spider mites are the most common. They are tiny mites that create tiny little webs on your plant. You may not see the mites, but you will see the web.

You must also watch out for millipedes and centipedes with phalaenopsis moth orchids . They will directly eat the roots of the plants. In addition to harming the orchid, they can sting you.

Slugs and snails both eat orchids and destroy them. They are common pests for orchids.

Along with aphids and spider mites, whiteflies are one of the top three most irritating orchids pests.

Getting Rid of Orchid Pests

Of course it is not good when you notice pests on your orchid plants, but if you take action quickly, the plant will be ok. There are plenty of ways to control pests naturally. One way is to use nature’s natural pest killers–natural enemies of the pests. This way, you will be able to avoid using any pesticides, keeping chemicals away from you and your plants. You can also clean pests off with your hands. You can also use netting or barriers to keep pests from getting to the plants.

If these natural methods aren’t enough, pesticides are an option. You should use a pesticide that is as natural and environmentally friendly as possible. Chemicals aren’t good, so they should be used sparingly.

To summarize, to keep your orchids healthy, you need to watch out for common pests. If you find any pests, you need to act quickly to get rid of them through natural methods. If that doesn’t work, you can resort to pesticides.

Why it’s Great to Have Outdoor Post Lighting

Posted by Febbe Wallace

There are so many outdoor lighting styles and designs to choose from. One of the best kinds to pick however is outdoor post lighting. What benefits can you get from this kind of lighting and what sets it apart from other kinds of lighting?

Benefits

Creating the Right Atmosphere - Just like any other style of outdoor lighting, outdoor post lighting fixtures are not just mere lighting fixtures. They are also great decorative elements even when not in use. Your preferred kind of outdoor post lighting can easily complement your home theme and provide an inviting ambiance when you want to spend some night time outdoors. More than anything else though, outdoor post lighting fixtures are also best for security reasons. Aside from serving as thematic decorations, your lamp posts can clearly illuminate pathways, walkways, driveways, pools, gardens and patios. This can help prevent either accidents or intrusions.

Downlighting

Downlight - What sets outdoor post lighting apart from other styles of lighting is its ability to downlight. This simply means that post lights can provide illumination from above. This is the reason why street lights are often really large variations of outdoor post lighting fixtures. They can provide clear illumination in areas that they are placed in. Outdoor post lighting for homes is perfect for night time fun and dining because you can easily see everything that is going on especially if you are preparing food and drinks.

Sizes

Outdoor post lighting fixtures actually come in many sizes. Traditional post lighting really had one size in the past. Old post lights towered way over human users and objects in gardens and paths. These days though, you can get decorative post lights that are a little shorter or even shorter than average human adults.

It is suggested though that if you have more than just aesthetics in mind, then you should opt for full length posts that are a little taller than you are. This will ensure that its downlight function is not impeded and you can therefore easily see what you need to do.

Designs

Outdoor post lighting comes in a variety of designs. For homes, accented or decorative post lighting are the best. You can pick a simple box type lamp, a European globe type lamp or an antique looking glass blown lamp to complement an elegant and classy home. Outdoor post lighting fixtures also come in various themes. You can pick a Western or Oriental theme or even a futuristic theme. Of course, there are also unusual designs such as lighting with intricately detailed or curved posts.

Energy Sources - A lot of outdoor post lighting fixtures are powered by electricity. These days though, you can also choose to buy solar powered lamp posts. These lamps can collect power from the sun during the day and use up the energy at night. These products are good to use if you want to save on both financial and energy resources.

Low Voltage

Most outdoor post lighting only use low voltage. This won’t just help you cut your expenses, it can also show some respect for your neighbors. If you want flexibility, you can install a dimmer.

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