Gardening Views

What fruits can one grow in Montana? Can one grow strawberries and rasberries?

If one wants their vegetable to grow in spring , they should start gardening by?

Well the answer to this question really depends
1)The location where on live.
2) Identifying Frost zone of your area
3) Last frost day according to USDA zone map will prove to be useful

In most cases, gardening will start somewhere around May.

If you do not have adequate time for gardening but still want to do it, you could take following steps to set up a low maintenance garden for yourself. Herb gardens, bed gardening can be done for people who are looking to have a low maintenance garden. Weed barrier should be used adequately so as to prevent weeds from growing up.

What can one grow in Arizona? As such it is desert area.

One can grow plants like cactus, coffee berry etc. These plants require very little water and can bear high temperature.

If any of you are interested in pursuing Gardening hobby as a full time career, you can do so. There are plenty of colleges offering Horticulture courses and training programs. Master Gardener course can also be of use to you. You can even take up a landscape architecture program in Purdue.

Gardening make your hands dirty and rough. The best way to protect your hands while you are gardening is to wear gloves. Various rubber gloves are available in the market. Select the one which suits your skin.

There are many sites that one can visit to learn about gardening. My favorite gardening site are
1) Davesgarden.com
2) Gardenweb.com
3) Birdsandblooms.com.

Be sure to suggest your favorite sites here.

Natural stone pebbles are increasingly becoming popular for use in homes and gardens. This simple material offers a zen type of feel that creates a soothing appearance. Here are some suggestions on how to creatively use stone pebbles in your home or garden:

Japanese garden designs are famous today. This type of garden design offers a sense of peacefulness and calm. The balanced combination of choice plants, rocks, and water, make the Japanese garden a tranquil scene. Japanese gardens are often miniaturized in such a way that it fits in a portion of the entire garden rather than applying the design within the whole garden. Japanese gardens make use of stone pebbles and rocks that are arranged neatly implying a sense of dynamic simplicity.

You can also use stone pebbles in your decorative pots and potted plants. Ceramic pots with plants used as centerpiece in a garden or home will have that neatly finished look if you cover the potting soil with stone pebbles rather than mulch. These stone pebbles can act the same way as mulch, trapping moisture in, to keep the plant healthy. It also adds a cleaner look for indoor plants.

Glass vases will look interesting and elegant with natural colored stone pebbles at the bottom. It aids in keeping flower arrangements in place. These stone pebbles in vases make a good decorative item for center-tables.

Instead of covering paths and walks with grass, lay some natural stone pebbles instead. This is a low maintenance solution that offers a great aesthetic plus factor to your walkway.

Gardens often have an area where there is a water feature like a pond or fountain. The size of the water feature may vary from one garden to the other. Placing stone pebbles in these water features add a natural look to the garden. These pebbles also help keep the items within the water feature in place. Ponds may require various sizes of stone pebbles. Adding various sizes will also result to a natural look for your garden. When choosing pebbles to place in a garden water feature, it is best to wet the pebbles first, this way you will be able to determine the exact color of the pebbles once placed or submerged in water.

Aside from using pebbles to cover top soil of potted plants, you can also use pebbles in larger quantities to replace mulch on flower and garden beds. This will keep weeds from growing and will help retain moisture allowing plants to grow healthier. Placing a thick layer of newspaper or weed matt on the garden or flower bed before placing the stone pebbles allow more moisture to be packed in.

Placing pebbles on flower and garden beds also keep topsoil from being washed away. Stone pebbles give a natural fresh look at your gardens. Stone pebbles are inexpensive and it is simple to incorporate these pebbles in your garden.

Compost is a gardening material that helps feed garden and indoor plants. Compost can be bought by the sack in gardening supply store and plant nurseries. Making compost is quite easy and is actually environmentally friendly since it allows you to recycle biodegradable materials from your home and garden. Compost is made up of decomposed materials that come from kitchen scraps, grass cuttings, dried leaves, twigs, branches, and even paper. When mixed and tempered properly, these materials turn into compost which is a mixture of crumbly organic matter that is perfect for your garden topsoil or as an added material for your potting soil.

It is very easy to make compost. Here are a few basic steps on how to do it:

1. Prepare your materials

Compost materials can be easily found in your home, these are organic materials such as cuttings from the garden, kitchen scraps, and paper. Not all organic materials are recommended for composting, though. Meat scraps from the kitchen must not be included because it may attract vermin. Cuttings from weeds are also not recommended as the seeds from these weeds might grow in your garden soon as you apply the compost. Pet droppings should not also be included for these may not be safe to handle.

Basically all you need to make compost are organic material, air, water, microorganisms, and nitrogen.

2. How do microorganisms help in making compost?

Organic material used for compost is broken down by minute forms of animal and plant life, these are called microorganisms. These microorganisms, when fed with the right balance of air, nitrogen, and water will thrive well in the pile of organic material and help build compost. Placing in too much water or nitrogen may kill the microorganisms and composting may not be successful.

3. Bacteria, fungi, and protozoans are the microorganisms that contribute to the first stages of decomposing organic material. These beneficial microorganisms break down plant tissues allowing a rich base for the compost. Beatles, centipedes, millipedes, and worms are the organisms that complete the composting process.

4. Using a shredder or chipper to chop organic material into smaller pieces may help speed up the composting process.

5. The size of the compost pile is also important in making good compost. Make a 3 feet by 3 feet wooden square or bin for the organic matter. Compost piles larger than this may take more time and success is not always guaranteed.

6. Proper balance of air and water supply is needed to make good compost. Make sure that water is evenly distributed in the compost pile and that there is sufficient air supply, this will help in the process. Too much water will make the compost soggy while inadequate water will make the organic pile dry and the decomposition process would not be complete. To make sure that air and water is evenly distributed within the pile, use a pitchfork to mix the organic materials every now and then.

7. A temperature of around 110F to 160F is required to allow proper composting process.

Compost, although not considered as a fertilizer, is a good source of nutrients for the garden. When applied to garden soil, it allows clay soils to loosen creating a more porous top soil that is most suitable to growing garden plants. Compost also has the ability to retain water in sandy soils.

To use compost, apply around two to five inches of compost to garden top soil each year. To use compost in potting mixtures, mix one part compost and two parts potting soil. Compost can also be mixed with sand and perlite, it can be used a mulch for flower beds, and can be applied to lawns. Water drained from compost, which is also called as compost tea makes a good water solution for garden plants and lawns.

Indoor plants create a pleasant atmosphere in homes and offices. It adds to the total aesthetic theme of a place. A lot people, though, worry about the maintenance of these indoor plants. Many assume that caring for these plants require a lot of time attention. Indoor plants are very easy to take care of. It only needs a few minutes of attention several times week. Here are some basic tips on how to take care of indoor plants:

WATER HOUSEHOLD PLANTS ONLY WHEN NEEDED

Like any type of garden, watering is required to keep plants growing strong and healthy. You will need a watering pail to water indoor plants. Choose one that has a narrow spout to avoid spillage of water on floor and yet can pour in enough water on the soil. Most indoor plants are not exposed to direct sunlight so daily watering might not be required. To test whether your plants need watering, insert your index finger into the top soil, just right about the first joint of the finger. If the soil still feels damp, then your plant may not need watering and you may wait a day or two before watering it again.

FEED YOUR PLANTS

Foliage plants, such as ferns, need adequate an adequate supply of nitrogen while flowering plants need plenty of potassium oxide. You can mix slow release fertilizers with compost to feed your plants with the right supply of nutrients needed for their growth. Cactus and orchids however need special types of feeds or fertilizers. Apply these fertilizers during the peak of their growth.

LIGHTING NEEDS

There are plant species that require very little light. These plants may be placed in corners and dark areas of the house that cannot be reached by natural light. Other plants require a dose of sunlight, place these plants near windows and well lighted areas.

TEMPERATURE FACTORS

There are plant types that can survive in temperatures that are relatively higher or lower that conditions outside of the home or office. Drastic changes in temperature though may affect the plant’s health.

CHECK FOR HUMIDITY

All or most plants need a humid environment to thrive. To create a humid environment for your house plant, place the pot of the house plant inside a larger pot. Fill the big pot with pebbles and compost to build and keep moisture around the plant. Grouping plants together may also help create a moist environment for these indoor plants. If you have time, an occasional spray misting of the leaves and top soil will keep these plants moist.

SCHEDULED REPOTTING OF PLANTS

There are plants that need to be repotted every once in awhile to allow them to reach their maximum potential growth. There are plant species however who have very delicate rooting system and repotting may not be required. For species that require repotting, you can determine it its time to repot when the bottom of the pot is almost filled up or occupied with roots. To repot plants, simply turn the pot upside down, gently tap the bottom of the pot, the plant will release easily and you can transfer the plant to a bigger pot. Allow a few days or a couple of weeks for the newly repotted plant to adjust to its new environment.

Caring for indoor plants is quite easy, and the rewards to having indoor plants are plenty. These indoor plants provide an added beauty homes and offices.