Indoor Gardening

During those long winter months one can bring a little bit of the outdoors in with with some indoor gardening. Having plants in the home can really add to your decor and helps off than the look of every room as well as add to your health. Indoor plants can help add moisture to the air as well as help filter the air by exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen.

Indoor gardening is no more demanding than outdoor gardening and you don't have to have a lot of plants to make a big difference in your home. Just like outdoor plants those that you keep indoors need some basic things such as lighting water and nutrients.

Different types of indoor plants require different amounts of lighting but most plants will grow better with good light. You can help provide this by placing plants near windows where they can get natural light but you may also want to buy a special plant grow light especially for those dark winter days. When choosing plants for your indoor garden, keep in mind that the darker leafed plants usually don't need as much light as the other plants.

Many people tend to kill their indoor plants by overwatering them. While your indoor garden needs water just like your outdoor garden it's important to remember that these plants are in containers and you can't just load them up with a ton of water that will stand in the container and perhaps wrought the roots. Be sure that each container has a good drainage system, perhaps with rocks at the very bottom of the container, and a saucer for the water to drain out into. You should not let the soil get to dry but don't overwater either. Check your in your garden at least once a week to to see if it needs watering.

With indoor gardening, humidity can be a problem particularly in the winter when it is very dry. To keep your plants moisturized you can spray them with a fine mist and if it is really dry dry wrapping the plant in a cone of newspaper or wax paper and missing the play and then. The cold will help keep the moisture into the plant.

Different plants require different kinds and amounts of fertilization. You should be aware of each planning your indoor garden and what its needs are. You can buy indoor fertilizer from any home goods or garden store and you can even buy fertilizer sticks that you stick in the container at the grocery store. Some exotic plants like orchids need special fertilizer of most regular houseplants just use the regular fertilizer you can find in any store.

Here's a few plants you might want to add to your indoor garden:

African violets

These plants have pretty purple flowers and green glossy leaves. They are quite often grown indoors and can add colorful splash to your indoor garden. They like light but don't put them right in the final get scorched. Avoid overwatering as this will kill them.

Philodendrons

These of the most popular and Hardy of all indoor garden plants. They are full of large green leaves and prefer a medium light. It's best to let them dry out a bit between wanderings and you can keep the little dryer in the winter. If the leaves turn brown and you're not watering them enough. They like high humidity but will do okay in most homes. Be sure to wash the leaves off often to remove dust.

Boston Ferns

The Boston fern is a popular indoor plant which produces a thick bundle of leaves. It requires diffused lighting and will need a grow light in rooms where there is not enough natural light. They can be sensitive to chlorine and tap water so watering regularly with distilled water is best. Boston ferns can be a bit difficult to grow as they like cool locations with a lot of humidity. Misting your Boston fern each day can help it be happy and healthy.

Jade Plant

They Jade Plant is a succulent and can tolerate very dry conditions. These plants are extremely tolerant and difficult to kill so few one start in indoor garden but don't have a green calm you do well to consider one of these.

15 Gardening Tips

Here are fifteen ways to get a gorgeous garden with the least possible effort, so you can spend the summer where you belong - in a deck-chair.

1. Choose plants weeds hate
Ground-hugging plants are ideal for this as they naturally suppress them. Scented, low-growing herbs like camomile and thyme, as well as periwinkle - are all good buys. Put them in borders and places weeds always take hold, like the gaps between paving. Squeeze weeds out by putting plants close together so there's no bare soil for them to grow in. The smaller and narrower your borders are, the less room weeds have to take hold, so reduce the size of big borders with gravel or paving.

2. Get colour effortlessly
Plants that hardly need any attention to look fabulous sometimes lack colour, so if you're planting box, rosemary or ornamental grasses, put the, in brightly coloured pots and they'll look good all the year round.

3. Prepare plants for a dry spell
Try mixing water-storing granules into the top 10cm of the soil. SaturAid includes a time-control fertiliser, which will keep plants nourished for up to six months. SaturAid can be purchased from garden centres nationwide.

4. Replace your lawn
Consider replacing the whole thing, or simply part of it, with gravel, paving or hardwood decking; they're all much easier to care for than grass. A total ban can make the garden look a bit stark, so soften edges by planting surrounding borders with low-maintenance plants or dot them around in containers.

5. Instantly neat edges - forever!
Put a border edging around your lawn to keep invasive plans where they belong and to stop soil or mulch from spilling onto the grass. We love this attractive willow edging from Primrose London - you can just push it into place for an instant result. Prices start at £22.95.

6. Move pots into the shade
Container-grown plants are always the first to need a drink in hot weather, so putting them somewhere cool, such as alongside a shady wall, cuts down on watering. Also, grouping pots and containers together helps retain a moist atmosphere around them, which means they're less likely to die of thirst and they'll be easier and quicker to water.

7. Buy ready-planted containers
This will save you time and effort.

8. Buy hanging baskets that water themselves
This means that even in the height of summer, you'll only need to top them up every few days. Self-watering baskets work by using a reservoir supply in the base of the pot.

9. Choose no-maintenance furniture
The Ro-timber range of wooden garden furniture is guaranteed to look as a good as new for a minimum of three years - with absolutely no maintenance, even if left outdoors.

10. Cut your lawn less often
Forget about mowing your lawn every weekend and go for a colourful, flowery meadow instead. Sprinkle your lawn with wildflower seeds in spring and you'll have a garden in full bloom by summer, then simply mow a path through it for easy access.

11. Stop weeds dead
Try using a weed-suppressing fabric such as Gardman Weedguard, which can be bought at garden centres or your local B&Q, to get rid of pesky weeds. You simply plant through the material. Alternatively, put decorative mulch or gravel on top of the soil in borders or containers.

12. Cheat with an automatic mower
Clever lawnmowers now exist that can cut the grass by themselves! The Robomow will also trim edges and recycle the mulched grass back into the lawn so there are no clippings to collect either. All you need to do is put a guidance wire around the perimeter of your lawn and any obstacles. From Electrolux, it's a whopping £1,499, but think of the time you'll save...

13. Re-use broken pots
Create the quickest-ever rock garden simply by nestling broken terracotta pots into a gravelled border, and plant low-maintenance succulents inside.

14. Create an instant hedge
Use terracotta pots planted with slow-growing box, and arrange them in neat rows to divide different parts of the garden. Alternatively, use them to disguise areas like the compost heap.

15. Get the garden to water itself
For a pot-grown plant get a self-watering spike from Lakeland. It will drip water directly to the plant's roots for up to three weeks - the drip rate even adjusts to outdoor temperature, so your plant will always have enough to drink. If you need to water a large area, Agralan's Soaker Hose releases water along the whole of its 15m length and, since it only needs low pressure, it can be connected to a water butt or -with a timer- to the mains supply. This means the watering can be done when you're away too.

Your Flower Gardens

These gardening tips are a must for anyone who wants a beautiful and healthy garden. If you are not implementing them now, you many want to. You will no longer wonder why others gardens always seem to look better than yours.

Provide Structure for Beauty

Before you think this gardening tip is too structured, read on. The next time you see a garden that makes you stop and look, ask yourself why it attracts your attention so much. If you look closely, you will likely discover that the garden has well-defined structures, borders and outlines.

How can you do this with your garden if you haven't already? Are there any paths you can line with small stones? Is there some water you can put a bridge over? Is there some place you can build a small wall?

Think of beautiful gardens not so much as just flowers, but rather structures lined with flowers. I drive by a house everyday that has an old rowboat in their front yard they use to surround with flowers. They also put flowers in the boat. It looks great!

Use Structures That Already Exist

What natural structures already exist in your yard? Are there any trees or fences? How about some huge rocks or stones? Before you create manmade structures, first make sure you decorate the ones you have with flowers.

Has your neighbor put up a fence on the border of your property? Use your side of the fence as a structure to build around. Just make sure that you stay on your side of the fence.

How about the foundation of your house? Have you planted it yet? Before you do, just make sure your gutters are up-to-date. During the next rainfall, pay attention to how the water flows. You don't want to plant something only to have it washed away.

Don't Use Chemicals

This gardening tip is not only good for your garden's health, but for yours as well. Are you dealing with pesky bugs eating all your plants and flowers? If so, you may be tempted to use pesticides. Before you do, see what you can do on your own. Many pest species can be washed away with a garden hose.

Do some research on the predators of the bugs that are giving you trouble. If you can, introduce those predators into your garden. They will eat the bugs.

Use compost you make yourself instead of manmade chemical ones. It will be much better for your garden and much cheaper for you. If you are not composting, start right away. There is no better use for your biodegradable waste.

There are more gardening tips where these came from. In the meantime, first look around your yard and ask yourself what existing borders could use some flowers along them. If there are not any, then create some. Finally, ditch the chemicals and go natural.

Vegetable Gardening

With the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family's health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.

It's a good idea to choose your favourite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties.

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available.

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

3 Tips To Choosing Your Best Garden

So, you have decided you need to buy a new garden hose? How do you know what to look for in a new hose? Before you make a purchase here are 3 tips to help you find the perfect garden hose for your home.

1. Construction - Obviously, the quality of the hose will determine its life, so look for garden hoses that have brass connectors. Why? Because brass fittings are the best in preventing water leaks and hold up well to everyday use in the yard or garden. It also will never rust or rot out.

Be sure that any water hose you buy has 6 inch kink guards. These guards are what helps prevent your hose from kinking when it's pulled out from the faucet.

2. Long Life - If you are going to spend $25 or more on a new garden hose, then get a good one. A high quality multi-layered rubber hose will give you 7 years of life. Yes, you can go to Wal-Mart and buy a $10 cheap garden hose. But don't expect to use it again next year.

3. Style Of Hose - This is an important area that is often overlooked. How you store your hose has an effect on what style to buy. For example, a coiled hose will work great will a nice hose reel. Just be wary of trying to use any kind of hose reel with a cheap coiled hose. If you have ever seen the tangled rats nest it can make, then you know what I mean.

Finding your best quality garden hose is the only way to go. Whether it is for watering your garden vegetables, plants or shrubs, it will give you years of trouble free use.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

Vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing are readily available. Most gardeners are happy to share their tomato growing tips and even non-gardeners who attempt to grow tomatoes every spring will offer advice. The difficulty for the novice tomato grower comes in trying so sort the valuable vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing from the old wives' tales.

One of the best sources for vegetable gardening help is a local nursery. Buying plants at a supermarket or a chain store with garden center may allow you to purchase plants at a cheaper price, but it is unlikely that the staff in these stores know a great deal about gardening. For reliable vegetable gardening help, visit a local nursery. Many nurseries carry plants that they themselves have grown from seed, and they will be knowledgeable about each variety of plant and can advise on local conditions.

Local Garden Club

Most towns have a local garden club and meeting together with other gardeners is a great way to obtain vegetable gardening help and improve your knowledge. Other gardeners from your locality will have abundant information about the requirements of vegetables in your zone. When you enlist the aid of gardeners that are local to your area, you will get vegetable gardening help that you can use because these gardeners understand the unique needs of your particular zone.

Local garden clubs often run workshops or classes on topics ranging from composting, to growing a particular variety of heirloom vegetable, to pest control in the garden. Many often sponsor projects such as community gardens which can provide gardening space to those who live in apartments and have no garden space of their own. and taking part in an altruistic endeavor with your fellow garden club members is a fantastic way to learn all sorts of gardening secrets and tips.

Even if you don't join a garden club taking part in some workshops will provide you with an opportunity to meet fellow gardeners and form friendships with people with a common interest.

The County Extension Office

Another top resource for vegetable gardening advice is your local county extension office. They specialize in solving the gardening problems unique to your local environment. They can perform soil tests, identify plants and diseases and sometimes supply free seeds or plants

Once you've gained some gardening knowledge it's time to get your hands dirty.

Tomatoes and other vegetables are easy to grow if you start with good soil. Before you plant your garden, till the soil to about a depth of ten inches and dig in some well rotted compost or other organic material. Complete this step several weeks before you want to plant your tomatoes.

For a larger garden, you can rent a tiller, but for a small garden space you can use a gardening fork to dig in the compost.

When risk of frost has passed, drive a ¾ inch stake into your prepared garden bed. Dig a hole a little deeper and wider than the size of the tomato plant's pot next to the stake, gently place the plant into the hole and firm it in. A trellis or tomato cage can also be used for support in lieu of a stake. These are readily available at nurseries and hardware stores. Use soft twine or tomato ties to tie the plant's stem loosely to the stake or trellis. As the tomato plant grows, check the ties regularly and loosen them occasionally to prevent stem damage. The tomato seedlings should be planted 18 inches apart to allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit.

Feed Your Tomato Plants

Feed your tomato plants regularly using a potassium-based plant food or you can create your own organic fertilizer mix. Planting basil adjacent to your tomato plants will assist in keeping pests at bay.

Watering is as important as feeding. Water your tomatoes regularly with a hand-held hose. Direct the water at the base of the plant and avoid wetting the leaves which can lead to rot.

Never let your tomatoes dry out to the point that they wilt. Although you can usually save the wilted plant by watering it, the dry period will take its toll on the plant and affect the quality of the fruit. Extended dry spells may cause your tomatoes to crack.

Regularly nip out by hand any side shoots that develop between the leaf and the stem. This will help to channel the plant's energy into its fruit. When your tomatoes have ripened, pick them by bending back the fruit at the notch on the stem. Ripe tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Continue to water and feed the plant to help the remaining tomatoes to ripen and mature.

Easy To Use Home Gardening Tips

If gardening is one of your enjoyed hobbies. It is one that can be both rewarding and very enjoyable for both the young and the young at heart.. A pretty container or pot of your beautiful, refreshing scented flowers that you have grown yourself, are sure to catch the eye of anyone who enters your home.

Here are three helpful gardening tips you can follow, which will result in a beautiful and healthy garden, sure to bring you lots of enjoyment and satisfaction.

First you will want to decide on where you would like to plant your particular garden. Some choose indoors, as in using containers, and some of course prefer the outdoors, in their own backyards.

The use of containers is much easier, as you can simply use ideal soil as you are planting. However, if you prefer the backyard idea, then pick up a soil testing kit from your local gardening store. Simply perform the test on the desired area you have chosen for your garden, then add either clay or sand, either one that is needed to reach soil that is of equal parts of both the clay and the sand.

The next useful tip you might like to try, is keeping a handy journal of your records. This process will ensure that you have kept good records on the process you have made with your gardening. Not only will you want to record any planting that has failed, but you will most definitely want to record any progress or successes on your green thumb accomplishments. Having these records available for later use can be extremely helpful.

Most any garden supply store will carry a wide and varied selection of fertilizers for you to choose from. Paying close attention in keeping the right amount of fertilizer in your soil will ensure the production of a well growing plant or flower.

An easy technique in making sure you have just the right amount of nutrients in your soil, as well as the proper drainage conditions, is simply to add compost directly to the soil, found at all "gardening supply stores".

You will be enjoying the rewards of your green thumb efforts by following these helpful gardening tips, that are as easy as 1 2 3.

7 Important Gardening Tips

Container gardening is a great way to be able to garden in small apartments or homes that have no yards. Additionally, plants in containers can be used to enhance your garden, porch or patio. They offer great versatility as they can be moved to suit and the containers themselves can add to your outdoor decor. Here are 7 great tips that will allow you to get the most out of your container gardens.

1. Use good quality containers with wide openings for best results. Cheap plastic containers can deteriorate in sunlight and wooden ones can rot over time so you might consider ceramic pots for better durability. Clay pots are good too, but they are very porous and can absorb a lot of water so be sure to check the soil often if you use a clay pot container.

2. Drainage is key - standing water will encourage root rot. Make sure your container has holes in the bottom and add some marbles or stones at the bottom too. Make sure the holes are about ½ inch and you can line the bottom of the container with newspaper or burlap to keep the soil from seeping out.

3. When container gardening, you want to have good soil to provide nutrients to your plant. Also, you want a loose mixture that will allow the water to be distributed evenly throughout the entire soil base as this will help with even root growth.

4. Most container plants should have around 5 hours of sunlight each day and may need to be watered each day. Make sure the soil stays moist but not wet. To test for this, just stick your finger down into the soil - is it dry down deep? Then it needs water. If it is still moist on the top or just below the top than hold off watering until tomorrow.

5. Container size depends on what you will be growing. Vegetables are going to need big deep pots. Depending on the size and amount of plants you will have in the container, you want to choose containers that are somewhere between 15 and 120 quarts.

6. Hanging baskets are great garden containers but you have to keep a close eye on the soil as they can tend to dry out. One way to help is to line them with sphagnum moss since this will help to keep water loss down. Also, you should try to move them out of the direct afternoon sun if possible.

7. When placing your containers in arrangements, always use different size containers and odd numbers of them. For some reason, a grouping of 3 or 5 containers will look much better than 4. If you will be putting them on a hard surface like cement or wood, place them up in bricks or blocks to help with drainage.

So what plants can you put in your containers? Here is a short list of some plants that do very well with container gardening:

Alyssum
Begonia
Geranium
Marigold
Pansies
Petnuias
Zinnias