I Choose Square Foot Gardening

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Square foot gardening has been on my radar only slightly less time than any other type of gardening. Until the last couple of years, I had not the time, space, or energy to plant a vegetable garden of any kind, square foot gardening or no. My gardening efforts were limited to a few ornamental flowers in the foot-wide bed outside our front window. Recently, the desire to plant a vegetable garden has been a more feasible goal as I have more space and time for my home and garden. I’ve seen several square foot gardening examples, including my mom’s; she’s very experienced with vegetable gardens, has had success square foot gardening. I’ve been excited all winter to try it in my own garden.

The idea of square foot gardening appeals to me for many reasons, but maybe the biggest in my mind is that a more compact vegetable garden equals less square feet of potential weed terrain. My gardens have not performed to their potential in the past, largely because after I plant, I lose steam and the time I spend working in the garden just isn’t enough to keep up with the weeds. Square foot gardening, maybe in a raised square foot garden, sounds fantastic – less weed potential on two accounts that way!

The compact soil use in square foot gardening appeals to me for reasons beyond the weed factor. I like the idea of efficiency, and by planting somewhere around 16 different vegetable varieties in a 16-square-foot space, square foot gardening gives us the epitome of garden efficiency. Not only is garden efficiency a preference, it’s economical. I won’t need as much peat moss or other garden soil prepping products if I’m only planning to grow vegetables in a small area. Now the only problem will be what to do with the extra garden space! I’m thinking a raspberry bush – a delicious square foot gardening bonus.

Last but not least on the square foot gardening appeal list is the aesthetic appeal. I did a quick online search to check out some square foot gardening and was surprised to find how sharp the beds look! My grandmother’s vegetable garden was amazing, but it wasn’t much to look at – lots of dirt with peas and carrots and other vegetable varieties interspersed. Square foot gardening can be planned around the vegetable variety you want AND ornamental value. There are plans online for endless styles, including vegetable gardens for kids, square foot gardens based on a recipe, and some that just look exotic. I plan to do my square foot gardening in the back yard, but it’s pretty impressive to think that I could put it in the front without compromising on style.

Between the internet and my mother the garden genius, I figure I should be an expert on square foot gardening by the time I can get my husband to build some raised garden beds for our soon-to-be- square foot garden. I can’t wait to choose my vegetable and aesthetic combination and get my square foot gardening plant on!

How Window Box Makes Urban Gardening Easier

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If you plan to grow a garden in an urban area you should be aware of the challenges coming your way and plan accordingly so you will get to see healthy and green plants and not withered leaves and flowers. According to Windowbox.com, some of the most common issues of urban gardening are as follows:

1. Urban areas usually have limited residential spaces. It means that you have to be pretty creative on how you want to put up your garden. Basically, you have to decide what plants or flowers you want or need to grow within minimal areas. A good research is required to make the most out of your garden.

2. There are lots of industrial buildings nearby and sometimes chemicals and other harmful pollutants can affect the health of plants. Plant soil can be easily contaminated depending on what buildings are nearby. You can use Google Map or a local business listing to know if there are any source of pollutants around.

3. Tall buildings can increase the effect of dry wind and can cause plants to wither faster than normal. Aside from this, tall buildings also block the sunlight needed for your plants like taller trees in a thriving forest.

4. Lastly, if your living on a leased space, there may actually be legal restrictions on what you can do with urban lands. Meaning, gardening may also be restricted. You better check with your landlord and get permission if you plan to grow a garden.

It’s true that gardening is not only for people who are located in less industrialized places. Even if you are living in the city or within any urban areas, you also deserve to grow fresh vegetables and magnificent flowering plants.

A beautiful garden is not only meant for those who live in rural areas. If you are an urban person, you also deserve to see some colorful and fresh plants. With the help of window boxes, urban gardening is not much of an issue.

Window boxes are originally made to resolve the problem of growing a garden in public places. Today, whether your living within a rural or an urban area, window boxes can be used for container gardening or as a part of home decor. Window and flower boxes can ultimately accentuate your home or apartment in magnificent ways.
There are dozens of flower boxes types available in the market today. However, one that catches my attention is the Composite Flower Box. This type is made with a revolutionary new product called Cellular PVC (AZEK) that will not rot or mildew. These flower boxes are “just like wood” and understate the architectural grade quality of the material. These composite window boxes (rot proof PVC) are planters made to give you a lifetime of maintenance free flower box enjoyment that looks and feels like its made from real wood.

Aside from Composite Window Boxes, there are also other types like Fiberglass Window Boxes, Wrought Iron Window Boxes, Vinyl Window Boxes, Metal Window Boxes, Aluminum Window Boxes, Wood Window Boxes, Copper & Bronze Window Boxes, and Galvanized Tapered Window Boxes.

Each type has its own unique features and specific use depending on some particular factors to consider like the materials used, color and its decorative harmony in your home. Browsing the internet could also help you find great deals. It will help you save time, and you can also compare the prices and designs of different window and flower boxes around your area.

Have fun!

Easy Steps To Gardening With Confidence

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Thank you, good foods from Mother Earth, our life sustainers, for making us happy when we are hungry”. Chief Jake Swamp

Good food from the earth is organic foods. To keep your garden simple and healthy, you must insure that it has a healthy support system. Good soil and plant fertility go hand in hand.

Here are 5 tips to help accomplish your organic gardening goals.

1) Seeds, plants or shrubs must be planted at a particular time. Fruits and vegetables have a specific number of days from planting to maturity. Make a calendar, begin collection planting times, and include instructions for growing by each month of the year. In America there are many different growing zones. There are also frost zones. If you are familiar with these zones, growing and harvesting will be a snap.

2) A garden journal is of immense help. Take pictures of where each plant that produced well is located in the garden. Make note of planting times, where you received the plants or seeds from or any changes that may need to be made. There are many helpful computer programs available that will keep this type of information organized.

3) Using an organic method to grow and harvest foods definitely make a taste difference. Used directly from the garden, these foods can be served raw or with very little cooking, but always must be throughly washed and cleaned before serving. An added plus is no taste of being harvested and shipped green.

4) Growing a pollinator garden includes furnishing flowers, vegetables or both, that humming birds, bees and other insects will frequent. Up to 90% of plants, even the self-pollinated, benefit from cross-pollination and many different insects. The wind also plays a vital role in plant pollination. Honey bees, wild bees and bumble bees are beneficial. Be sure to leave a wild area in a corner for bees needs. Some are ground living, some will nest almost anywhere. Bees are drawn to many different blossoms and herbs. When bees and birds are present, the garden will produce more seed and fruit because the pollen is more live.

5) If there is no time or space, to make an organic garden then seek out an organic farmer. Maybe he comes to the local farmer’s market bringing fresh food daily or twice a week. Many times farmers feature pick your own areas when harvest is plentiful.

Ask friends and neighbors, or your neighborhood health food store for suggestions to find organic produce.

Ways To Be Truly Artistic

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Many people I know believe that in order to be truly artistic a person has to be an artist. They must paint, draw or take brilliant photographs to have artistic talent. While These traits may make someone an artist, I believe that it takes something entirely different to be artistic. It is possible for literally anyone to live in ways that are artistic.

One of the most important aspects of being an artistic person is to be confident in yourself. Lack of self-confidence does not get anyone very far in living creatively. Look for positive qualities about yourself and dwell on those. If you think you are good at a particular activity you should practice it to become even better.

Think about the things you love to do most. I suggest that you can be artistic doing just about anything. Whether you love to sew, cook, or play soccer, you can do things in a way that is artistic and intriguing.

One of my favorite things to do is garden. I used to not think much about the way that I arranged or tended my garden. However, recently I have begun to see gardening in a whole new way. I have realized that I can arrange my flowers and plants in creative ways. I can care for them with tenderness and help them to grow to their highest potential. I have learned that being artistic is more about perspective than it is about what is actually being done.

Being artistic is all about seeing the world creatively and allowing yourself to do the things you enjoy and enjoy the things you do. Consider how you can do your favorite things in new ways. Think about how preparing a meal can become more than just cooking food. Look for ways to incorporate beauty and fine detail into your food and into your presentation. Being artistic is about going a step further than what is typical. If you love to play a sport, look for ways to play that sport with energy and grace. Almost anyone can hit a volleyball over a net, but few people can do it in a way that looks unique and graceful.

You will never be artistic in anything unless you are enjoying yourself. Don’t take life too seriously, but instead, look for ways to have fun and relax no matter what the circumstance.

Ebb and flow VS Drip system

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Do you really need to read an entire article to determine which of two very similar hydroponics systems are best for you? I think so, because each of them have some small particularities that can make a world of difference for you in the long run. Find out which one is better suited for you in this versus article between a hydroponics drip system and an ebb and flow.

Building and Installation Difficulty

Both types of systems work on pretty much the same principles and are quite easy to set up if you’re buying a ready-made kit that you just need to install. Although both systems are slightly harder to build from scratch in comparison to water culture, the ebb and flow has a slight edge, due to the fact that the drip component in the system bearing its name is harder to get working. So ebb and flow hydroponics systems win a point at this category.

Reliability

When I say reliability, I’m thinking of how often a particular system breaks down and how much risks does it take. Another aspect of reliability I will take into account is the damage these systems produce if they do indeed break downbecause it’s not the same thing if your hydroponic system breaks and floods your entire greenhouse, or if it breaks and spills a few drips on the floor. And I guess you already noticed where I’m going with this, namely that an ebb and flow system does a lot more damage if something breaks, thus it is less reliable than a hydroponics drip system.

However, there are certain ebb and flow products out there that come with an automatic water pump controller that spots when something goes wrong and cuts off the water pump so it doesn’t make mess. And honestly, if you’re serious about gardening, you shouldn’t be caught without such a protection system. Still, for making us take this extra measure, the ebb and flow system loses one point to the continuous drip.

Efficiency

Efficiency refers to how well and how fast plants will grow in a specific system as well as how much of the supplies you will use will go to waste. From the perspective of growing efficiency, both systems do fairly well, so none gets the extra edge (after all, they work on almost the same principles, so there shouldn’t be large variations in performance either). But when it comes to supplies efficiencythe ebb and flow hydroponics system will prove to be quite the waster. Because it constantly floods the plant tray then pulls back the excess water/nutrients in the nutrient container, the pH levels in here will be on a constant fluctuation. This will force you to change the solution more often, since an unstable pH can have some nasty effects on your plants. On the other hand, although a hydroponics drip system will still have this problem; it will have it at a much lower rate, which gives it the edge in efficiency over the ebb and flow. 2-1 for drip!

Power Consumption

The fact that the drip system uses a special pump header to control the flow of water doesn’t affect power consumption at all. So the power these two systems eat up should be similar. But obviously, the main power hungry component is the lighting system, so whatever lighting system your hydroponics kit comes with will determine its power consumption ratio. Since the systems themselves are on equal terms in this category, neither one gets any points, leaving the final score 2-1 for the hydroponics drip system!