Many gardeners think they are saving money when they purchase plants rather than growing their vegetables from seeds. This decision will certainly save some time but it will not save any money.
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Why? Due to the fact that vegetable plants range in price from around $2.00 to $6.00 on average per plant, why not purchase a package of great seeds for $2.00 or less and grow fifteen to twenty-five vegetable plants instead?
Choose Your Vegetable Garden Seeds Based on What You Like
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image: vegetable garden seedsThe first thing to consider when thinking about the vegetable garden seeds you will purchase is what vegetables you like. For instance, does you family like leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, lettuce, swiss chard, or cress or do they like root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and onions?
As another example, if your family loves squash, a large proportion of your vegetable garden seeds can consist of seeds for the different varieties of squash such as summer squash, crook neck squash, zucchini squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash. Simply put, there’s no reason to plant pumpkin seeds if no one in your family likes pumpkin.
Of course there are quite a lot of varieties for vegetable seeds from which you can choose in order to compose your vegetable garden's symphony. Do you want to have a vegetable garden mainly for eating fresh vegetables during the harvest season or do you want to grow vegetables for canning?
This latter option will mean that you can have homegrown vegetables throughout the year by keeping your canned vegetables in a cellar, basement, or in a your garage. The answers to these questions will help determine the cost of your seeds as well as the amounts and types of garden seeds that you will need to purchase for your harvest.
Vegetable Seeds, Soil, and Containers
You must decide if you want certified organic vegetable seeds or if you are just fine with organic vegetable seeds that are not certified. You should also decide if you would like to plant hybrid vegetable seeds or seeds that are not crossbred.
image: garden seeds in packets
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Once you have chosen your preferred type of vegetable garden seeds, then you will have to decide upon the type of soil that will be appropriate for your seeds as well as the right container for the plants that will eventually grow from your seeds (that is, if you are not going to plant the seeds directly into your garden).
A wide variety of containers are available including compressed peat pellets, clay pots, milk cartons, and multi-plant trays that allow the planting of more than one plant.
No matter what container you choose, keep in mind that for most vegetable plants, you need to allow approximately 6 to 9 square inches for each plant when you transplant the vegetable from the container to your garden.
Fill the containers with a suitable potting mix and peat moss. Later when the seeds sprout into more robust plants, you can add some compost or manure for healthier plant growth. Watch how much fertilizer you add, however, because adding more than the recommended amounts can burn the plants.
image: pumpkin seeds for the gardenIf you live in an area with sandy soil, you will probably need to purchase some potting soil. Potting soil can be found at your garden center or at most home improvement stores such as Home Depot. Spending $3.50 or $4.50 per 40-pound bag of potting soil can go a long way in producing healthy and nutritious vegetables.
Whether your seeds are from seed packs that you purchased from your garden center, seed packs leftover from last year, or from vegetables that were produced in your own garden, you need to know if the seeds will sprout before you plant your vegetable garden.
After planting the seeds, check every other day or so to see if the seeds are beginning to sprout. If there is no sign of sprouting after two or three weeks, you should buy fresh seeds from your garden center.
Tips For Storing Vegetable Seeds
If you do not plant all the seeds you have, you can store them for future use. Here are some tips for the proper storage of your vegetable seeds.
* Store seeds in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place.
* To help keep the seeds dry, add 2 tablespoons of powdered milk rolled up in a paper towel and place in the sealed jar.
* A number of different vegetable seeds are good up to five years. As a result, so you know how old your vegetable seeds are, make sure you date each jar.
image: bean seeds for your gardenIf you want to include a variety of vegetable garden seeds and would like to have fresh vegetables year round, then consider planting some of your favorite vegetable garden seeds in containers.
You should also feature some high nutrition vegetable seeds in your vegetable array, such as asparagus, green beans and snow peas, in order to add flavor and variety to your favorite dishes.
Vegetable Garden Seeds: Conclusion
The key to choosing good vegetable garden seeds is to create menus, and then make your list of vegetable seeds from your vegetable menus. Then when you are creating savory dishes for your family and friends, the lovely colors and delightful flavors will please their palate and win you the compliments of the day.
Stated differently, using vegetable garden seeds to grow your vegetable garden is one of the best, most healthy, and most rewarding ways of saving money on quality food.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Vegetable garden planning is the first of many processes related to growing your own vegetable garden. Planning your garden is important because you will need to figure out which plants you want to plant, which plants grow best in your area, and how your vegetable garden will look.
The Vegetable Garden Planning Process
It's that time of year when starting a vegetable garden is on our list of projects. This is the perfect time to get going with your ideas and thoughts for the vegetable garden planning process.
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image: vegetable garden with cartRemember that planting and designing a vegetable garden does not happen over night and the best gardens are those that have been planned with thought and care. There is no doubt that the end result of a vegetable garden is what really counts. That is, you want to have beautiful, homegrown vegetables showing up on your dinner table—nutritious vegetables that you can share with family, friends, and neighbors.
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If you know what kind of vegetables you want to plant, the actual planning of the physical garden can be a lot easier. When deciding what kind of vegetables you will be planting, taste, cost, and personal preference will be among the first considerations.
What vegetables do you and your family usually eat on a regular basis and what other vegetables would you like to plant in your garden? Once your have a list of what vegetables you are considering on planting, you need to think about how much time you want to put into your garden.
Obviously, the more time you can dedicate, the bigger and the more complex the garden can be. Conversely, if your time is limited, then you probably should consider planting a smaller garden.
After you have identified your time constraints and the vegetables you would like to plant, it is time to do a little research on which plants will grow best in your area and what time of the year these plants should be planted. Basing your plant selection on your research findings will pay off down the road with less plant maintenance and fewer crop failures.
When doing vegetable garden planning make sure to ask yourself what would probably work best for you and for your plot of land. For instance, it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to grow particular vegetables if you do not have the room or the proper soil, sunlight, temperature, or time. Indeed, if you are planting a garden for the first time and are inexperienced, keep to the basics.
Selecting Your Vegetables
image: cabbage in vegetable garden
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The basic vegetable of most vegetable gardens is the tomato. Although the tomato is actually a fruit, it has become the most popular plant for gardens. Tomatoes are easy to grow and easy to take care of and harvest. They come in many varieties, are inexpensive, and easy to find at your local Kmart, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and garden centers.
Other vegetables that work well for a typical garden include, peppers, squash, onions, parsley, eggplant, and lettuce. Of course you can plant your favorites but try to stick with vegetables that will not only grow well but also those that you are going to eat.
You don't want to be disappointed with your results and any vegetable garden planning should include an evaluation of what is going to be served at the dinner table and what will grow with success. You must also consider how much time you are going to spend in your garden. Some vegetables take a lot of tender loving care while others almost grow on their own.
The Garden Design
Another step in vegetable garden planning is deciding upon your garden design. You have several options. For instance, you can grow your garden in rows, in beds, in a mixed flower, vegetable, and herb bed, or in containers.
image: green plants in a vegetable gardenMany home gardeners now plant their vegetables in beds rather than traditional rows. As a result, when you are doing your vegetable garden planning consider using beds. Beds seem to work much better than traditional rows especially when adding compost to the bedding area. The beds allow for a minimum loss of compost to the concentrated areas as opposed to rows. Beds also work better if you can elevate them just a little. Drainage is much better and the beds stay warmer for your plants.
Containers provide another way that you can plant your vegetables. Containers provide a compact way to plant your garden, especially if this is your first garden and you are not quite sure that you really want to dedicate the time and a part of your yard required for a large garden project. Container vegetable gardening also works extremely well for people who want to have a garden but who don’t have a backyard, such as people who live in apartments.
Regardless of what plants you decide to plant or how you plant your garden, it is certainly a rewarding hobby. Not only this, but you will discover that fresh vegetables taste far better than those you find in grocery stores. Planning and planting a garden is also a great way to teach children where their vegetables come from. And no matter where you live, with a little bit of creativity, you can have some type of vegetable garden. All it takes is a little vegetable garden planning.
Vegetable Garden Planning: Conclusion
If you do a little vegetable garden planning you will experience great results. Plan your crops, prepare the soil, fertilize, water properly, rotate your plants, and add some good care, sunshine, and warm air, and you will enjoy the fruits, (in this case the vegetables) of your labor. Don't be afraid to ask for help and get some good tips and advice but most of all enjoy your vegetable garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
The Vegetable Garden Planning Process
It's that time of year when starting a vegetable garden is on our list of projects. This is the perfect time to get going with your ideas and thoughts for the vegetable garden planning process.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: vegetable garden with cartRemember that planting and designing a vegetable garden does not happen over night and the best gardens are those that have been planned with thought and care. There is no doubt that the end result of a vegetable garden is what really counts. That is, you want to have beautiful, homegrown vegetables showing up on your dinner table—nutritious vegetables that you can share with family, friends, and neighbors.
If you know what kind of vegetables you want to plant, the actual planning of the physical garden can be a lot easier. When deciding what kind of vegetables you will be planting, taste, cost, and personal preference will be among the first considerations.
What vegetables do you and your family usually eat on a regular basis and what other vegetables would you like to plant in your garden? Once your have a list of what vegetables you are considering on planting, you need to think about how much time you want to put into your garden.
Obviously, the more time you can dedicate, the bigger and the more complex the garden can be. Conversely, if your time is limited, then you probably should consider planting a smaller garden.
After you have identified your time constraints and the vegetables you would like to plant, it is time to do a little research on which plants will grow best in your area and what time of the year these plants should be planted. Basing your plant selection on your research findings will pay off down the road with less plant maintenance and fewer crop failures.
When doing vegetable garden planning make sure to ask yourself what would probably work best for you and for your plot of land. For instance, it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to grow particular vegetables if you do not have the room or the proper soil, sunlight, temperature, or time. Indeed, if you are planting a garden for the first time and are inexperienced, keep to the basics.
Selecting Your Vegetables
image: cabbage in vegetable garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
The basic vegetable of most vegetable gardens is the tomato. Although the tomato is actually a fruit, it has become the most popular plant for gardens. Tomatoes are easy to grow and easy to take care of and harvest. They come in many varieties, are inexpensive, and easy to find at your local Kmart, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and garden centers.
Other vegetables that work well for a typical garden include, peppers, squash, onions, parsley, eggplant, and lettuce. Of course you can plant your favorites but try to stick with vegetables that will not only grow well but also those that you are going to eat.
You don't want to be disappointed with your results and any vegetable garden planning should include an evaluation of what is going to be served at the dinner table and what will grow with success. You must also consider how much time you are going to spend in your garden. Some vegetables take a lot of tender loving care while others almost grow on their own.
The Garden Design
Another step in vegetable garden planning is deciding upon your garden design. You have several options. For instance, you can grow your garden in rows, in beds, in a mixed flower, vegetable, and herb bed, or in containers.
image: green plants in a vegetable gardenMany home gardeners now plant their vegetables in beds rather than traditional rows. As a result, when you are doing your vegetable garden planning consider using beds. Beds seem to work much better than traditional rows especially when adding compost to the bedding area. The beds allow for a minimum loss of compost to the concentrated areas as opposed to rows. Beds also work better if you can elevate them just a little. Drainage is much better and the beds stay warmer for your plants.
Containers provide another way that you can plant your vegetables. Containers provide a compact way to plant your garden, especially if this is your first garden and you are not quite sure that you really want to dedicate the time and a part of your yard required for a large garden project. Container vegetable gardening also works extremely well for people who want to have a garden but who don’t have a backyard, such as people who live in apartments.
Regardless of what plants you decide to plant or how you plant your garden, it is certainly a rewarding hobby. Not only this, but you will discover that fresh vegetables taste far better than those you find in grocery stores. Planning and planting a garden is also a great way to teach children where their vegetables come from. And no matter where you live, with a little bit of creativity, you can have some type of vegetable garden. All it takes is a little vegetable garden planning.
Vegetable Garden Planning: Conclusion
If you do a little vegetable garden planning you will experience great results. Plan your crops, prepare the soil, fertilize, water properly, rotate your plants, and add some good care, sunshine, and warm air, and you will enjoy the fruits, (in this case the vegetables) of your labor. Don't be afraid to ask for help and get some good tips and advice but most of all enjoy your vegetable garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
It's hard to beat the high nutritional value and the fresh taste of vegetables harvested from your own garden. Before you get to this point, however, you need to plan your vegetable garden layout so that you can reap the most from your handiwork.
Planning Your Vegetable Garden Layout
image: rows of lettuce in garden
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If you have never had a vegetable garden before, you could probably use some information and advice on the different options for a vegetable garden layout. In order to have the best possible vegetable garden, you really should do some planning on paper before you start planting.
This way you can figure out which type of vegetable garden will work out the best for you, as well as the best places to put each of the different vegetables that you wish to plant in your garden.
One of the first things you will need to do when planning your vegetable garden layout is determine where you are going to put your garden. You should try to find the location with the most sun and the most light possible for the best results.
Of course space limitations may mean that you don't have a lot of choice in the location of your garden, and if this is the case you will have to take into consideration the limitations of the spot when you decide which vegetables you are going to plant.
Selecting the Type of Garden You Want
image: backyard vegetable garden
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Another consideration is the type of garden you wish to plant. You need to decide whether or not you want a more traditional flat garden with rows, or a garden with raised beds, or a container garden.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these different types of vegetable garden layout. Traditional gardens are one of the easiest to set up since you don't need a lot of additional materials.
You just need to plow the area and add any nutrients that the soil needs. Raised beds can be easier to tend to and easier to grow vegetables since they heat up faster and retain the heat for longer, however, they take a bit more time and materials to set up. For those without a lot of space a container garden can be the perfect answer.
Since smaller beds allow you to easily get around the garden area while weeding, watering, or harvesting, the beds should not be more than a width of 3 or 4 feet for an ideal vegetable garden layout design.
Vegetable Selection is Important
image: rows of corn in vegetable gardenOnce you have decided on the location and type of garden, you can set up your vegetable garden layout. Most people advise that rows go in a north south direction, with the taller plants at the northern end of the garden and the shorter plants at the southern end of the garden.
As there are some plants that don't do well near each other, you should be sure to check out the plants you are planning to grow to make sure that you know which can be grown near each other.
Rotating your crops is also a good idea. You should plant root crops in one area, brassicas in another area, and everything else in a third area. Rotating your plants not only helps control pests and diseases but it helps you get the most nutrition from your garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Planning Your Vegetable Garden Layout
image: rows of lettuce in garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
If you have never had a vegetable garden before, you could probably use some information and advice on the different options for a vegetable garden layout. In order to have the best possible vegetable garden, you really should do some planning on paper before you start planting.
This way you can figure out which type of vegetable garden will work out the best for you, as well as the best places to put each of the different vegetables that you wish to plant in your garden.
One of the first things you will need to do when planning your vegetable garden layout is determine where you are going to put your garden. You should try to find the location with the most sun and the most light possible for the best results.
Of course space limitations may mean that you don't have a lot of choice in the location of your garden, and if this is the case you will have to take into consideration the limitations of the spot when you decide which vegetables you are going to plant.
Selecting the Type of Garden You Want
image: backyard vegetable garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Another consideration is the type of garden you wish to plant. You need to decide whether or not you want a more traditional flat garden with rows, or a garden with raised beds, or a container garden.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these different types of vegetable garden layout. Traditional gardens are one of the easiest to set up since you don't need a lot of additional materials.
You just need to plow the area and add any nutrients that the soil needs. Raised beds can be easier to tend to and easier to grow vegetables since they heat up faster and retain the heat for longer, however, they take a bit more time and materials to set up. For those without a lot of space a container garden can be the perfect answer.
Since smaller beds allow you to easily get around the garden area while weeding, watering, or harvesting, the beds should not be more than a width of 3 or 4 feet for an ideal vegetable garden layout design.
Vegetable Selection is Important
image: rows of corn in vegetable gardenOnce you have decided on the location and type of garden, you can set up your vegetable garden layout. Most people advise that rows go in a north south direction, with the taller plants at the northern end of the garden and the shorter plants at the southern end of the garden.
As there are some plants that don't do well near each other, you should be sure to check out the plants you are planning to grow to make sure that you know which can be grown near each other.
Rotating your crops is also a good idea. You should plant root crops in one area, brassicas in another area, and everything else in a third area. Rotating your plants not only helps control pests and diseases but it helps you get the most nutrition from your garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
With the proper planning, design, and upkeep, it is no longer necessary to hide your vegetable garden away from view. In fact, a well thought through vegetable garden design can produce a vegetable garden that is as lovely as any flower garden while at the same time providing food for the table.
Ideas for a Great Vegetable Garden Design
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image: backyard vegetable gardenThe root of vegetable garden design problems typically stems from poor planning before the first spade of dirt is turned. Several considerations must be taken into account before you run to your local nursery or supply store to get seeds or plants for your vegetable garden.
First, the successful gardener considers the space. It will become apparent that with smaller gardens, you cannot plant vegetables that take up large areas. For instance, I once planted 6 cabbage plants that, when mature, took up an 8 by 10 plot. Another time, I planted 23 tomato plants, only to see them totally overtake my 20 foot by 15 foot garden.
One way to counteract the problem of having enough space for your garden is to plant some vegetables above the ground and others below the ground so that they are in close proximity to one another.
One year my garden space was a mound 6 feet around by approximately one foot high. In the top middle, I planted two big leaf cabbage plants. Around the edges I planted 4 potato plants about one foot from the edge. While the cabbage and potato plants are growing, you should trim the potato bush lightly away from your cabbages. Harvest the cabbages first, leaving the potato plants to thrive.
Another space saver is to plant vine plants, such as cucumbers on a string hung from a fence or pole. When you grow vine plants, however, you need to make sure that you remove dead leafs and vines on a daily basis so that you prevent ground rot and control where those pesky vines grow!
The Appeal of Quick Growing Vegetables
image: cabbage vegetable garden
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Now that your vegetable garden design is starting to make more sense, another gardening tip can be articulated, namely, planting quick growing veggies at various times during the planting season.
Spinach is a good choice because it is quick growing and also has the advantage of growing in cooler weather. This means you can plant a small patch of spinach that will grow first and then try planting radishes or beets in the same plot later.
At the end of your growing season when it's starting to get cooler, try planting another batch of spinach. Some vine plants like beans or peas, for instance, will grow quickly on trellises. The wall of vines provides shade. This shade comes in handy when you grow a plant nearby that only needs 8 or fewer hours of sunlight.
Tomato plants fit this bill. Try placing the tomato plants two or three feet away from your trellises, giving the tomato's enough room to thrive. Use these keys for your vegetable garden design and you will be pleased with the results.
Quick Spreading Vegetables
How about those plants that thrive and spread year after year? Strawberries, for instance, can take over any garden. Indeed, a while ago I planted three tiny strawberry plants that turned into 60 plants within two years! If you love strawberry short cake, as much as I do, you're going to make sure you plant some strawberry plants.
Be sure to plan an area large enough for the strawberries to spread, because they will! For example, I made an 8-foot round raised spot that was covered and overflowing with strawberries within a few years. Building on this theme, it can be noted that strawberries can also be used as ground cover for any area of your yard or garden that has empty spaces.
Vegetable Garden Design: Conclusion
I hope you can employ some of these ideas in your next garden. Remember - - the most successful vegetable garden begins with a well-planned vegetable garden design!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Ideas for a Great Vegetable Garden Design
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: backyard vegetable gardenThe root of vegetable garden design problems typically stems from poor planning before the first spade of dirt is turned. Several considerations must be taken into account before you run to your local nursery or supply store to get seeds or plants for your vegetable garden.
First, the successful gardener considers the space. It will become apparent that with smaller gardens, you cannot plant vegetables that take up large areas. For instance, I once planted 6 cabbage plants that, when mature, took up an 8 by 10 plot. Another time, I planted 23 tomato plants, only to see them totally overtake my 20 foot by 15 foot garden.
One way to counteract the problem of having enough space for your garden is to plant some vegetables above the ground and others below the ground so that they are in close proximity to one another.
One year my garden space was a mound 6 feet around by approximately one foot high. In the top middle, I planted two big leaf cabbage plants. Around the edges I planted 4 potato plants about one foot from the edge. While the cabbage and potato plants are growing, you should trim the potato bush lightly away from your cabbages. Harvest the cabbages first, leaving the potato plants to thrive.
Another space saver is to plant vine plants, such as cucumbers on a string hung from a fence or pole. When you grow vine plants, however, you need to make sure that you remove dead leafs and vines on a daily basis so that you prevent ground rot and control where those pesky vines grow!
The Appeal of Quick Growing Vegetables
image: cabbage vegetable garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Now that your vegetable garden design is starting to make more sense, another gardening tip can be articulated, namely, planting quick growing veggies at various times during the planting season.
Spinach is a good choice because it is quick growing and also has the advantage of growing in cooler weather. This means you can plant a small patch of spinach that will grow first and then try planting radishes or beets in the same plot later.
At the end of your growing season when it's starting to get cooler, try planting another batch of spinach. Some vine plants like beans or peas, for instance, will grow quickly on trellises. The wall of vines provides shade. This shade comes in handy when you grow a plant nearby that only needs 8 or fewer hours of sunlight.
Tomato plants fit this bill. Try placing the tomato plants two or three feet away from your trellises, giving the tomato's enough room to thrive. Use these keys for your vegetable garden design and you will be pleased with the results.
Quick Spreading Vegetables
How about those plants that thrive and spread year after year? Strawberries, for instance, can take over any garden. Indeed, a while ago I planted three tiny strawberry plants that turned into 60 plants within two years! If you love strawberry short cake, as much as I do, you're going to make sure you plant some strawberry plants.
Be sure to plan an area large enough for the strawberries to spread, because they will! For example, I made an 8-foot round raised spot that was covered and overflowing with strawberries within a few years. Building on this theme, it can be noted that strawberries can also be used as ground cover for any area of your yard or garden that has empty spaces.
Vegetable Garden Design: Conclusion
I hope you can employ some of these ideas in your next garden. Remember - - the most successful vegetable garden begins with a well-planned vegetable garden design!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
With some planning and a little bit of care, your container vegetable garden will flourish under the right conditions and provide you and your family with healthy and delicious vegetables that were grown entirely by your nurturing hand.
A Vegetable Container Garden for Every Type of Household
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image: cabbage in vegetable container gardenAt first thought, not everyone has the space to have a vegetable garden. Others, such as apartment or condo dwellers have no land at all and yet many of these people would like to raise their own vegetables. If a person has a balcony, a doorstep, or even a windowsill they have room for a vegetable container garden.
Almost any container will work as long as it is large enough to hold a mature plant, can hold soil without loosing it, and will allow water to drain. Keep in mind, moreover, that since the size of the vegetable is really what determines the container size, for most vegetable container gardens, you will need a container that is at least 12 inches in diameter.
It probably should go without saying, but the container for growing vegetables should never have contained toxic material. You can be imaginative and use many discarded items for your containers. Examples include large wooden boxes, truck brake drums, old wine barrels, cast iron sinks, plastic pots, or even garbage cans.
The Importance of Soil Selection
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Once the container has been selected you will need to choose a medium for your vegetable container garden. Avoid using regular garden soil because it is too heavy and will not be porous enough to allow the plant roots to get both air and water.
image: woman adding soil to container for vegetable gardenYou can purchase pre-packaged potting soil in most department stores that have garden centers. Examples include Home Depot and Kmart.
If you need a lot of soil or just have a sense of adventure, you can make your own. Mix one part garden loam with one part peat moss and then add one part coarse and clean builder’s sand.
Mix thoroughly. Add your own 10-10-10 fertilizer of about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons per 12 inches of container depth. Finally check the pH and add lime until you have a pH of around 6.5.
Making Sure to Water Your Vegetable Container Garden
Before planting your vegetable container garden, fill your container to about 1/2 inch from the top with a slightly damp mixture of your soil. Whether you are sowing seeds or using transplants, water your plants gently with warm water and then clearly label your container so that you know exactly what it holds. Water will evaporate rapidly from a container especially if it is in the afternoon sun.
image: tomato plants in container gardenWater your vegetable container garden often until the water starts to run out the drainage hole. Avoid watering so much that your soil becomes soggy soil because soggy soil will invite root diseases. Check your soil daily or more if in a hot location. Adding mulch to the top of the soil will help it to retain it's moisture and keep in mind that light pots do better than dark ones. Your plants will need food so plan to fertilize every two to three weeks with a water soluble fertilizer.
Remember to inspect your plants on a daily basis for dryness and while you do this, make sure to check your plants for curling leaves, holes in the leaves, discolored leaves, or for other signs of disease or invasion by pests.
Vegetables For Your Container Garden
Now that we have selected the containers and added the soil to the contianers, it is time to plant your vegetables. You can purchase vegetable plants for around $2.00 to $6.00 on average from your local garden center or you can buy a pack of great seeds for under $2.00 and grow twenty-five or more plants, dependening on the seeds that were chosen. Keep in mind that dwarf or compact varieties of vegetables grow best when planting these vegetables in containers. With this is mind, the following list represents some of the vegetables that can be planted in containers.
* spinach
* radishes
* peas
* swiss chard
* lettuce
* peppers
* pumpkins
* beets
* zucchini
* onions
* cabbage
* carrots
* cauliflower
* broccoli
* summer squash
* cress
* turnips
* cucumbers
* parsnips
* tomatoes
* eggplant
* pole beans
* parsley
* green onions
* radishes
* beans
* squash
* green beans
* leaf lettuce
Vegetable Container Garden: Conclusion
Your vegetable container garden will add hours of enjoyment to your life and help you to reduce your weekly grocery bill. Inspect your plants regularly for insect damage and keep them out of direct sunlight if possible. Give your vegetable container garden shelter from heavy rains or hail and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
A Vegetable Container Garden for Every Type of Household
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image: cabbage in vegetable container gardenAt first thought, not everyone has the space to have a vegetable garden. Others, such as apartment or condo dwellers have no land at all and yet many of these people would like to raise their own vegetables. If a person has a balcony, a doorstep, or even a windowsill they have room for a vegetable container garden.
Almost any container will work as long as it is large enough to hold a mature plant, can hold soil without loosing it, and will allow water to drain. Keep in mind, moreover, that since the size of the vegetable is really what determines the container size, for most vegetable container gardens, you will need a container that is at least 12 inches in diameter.
It probably should go without saying, but the container for growing vegetables should never have contained toxic material. You can be imaginative and use many discarded items for your containers. Examples include large wooden boxes, truck brake drums, old wine barrels, cast iron sinks, plastic pots, or even garbage cans.
The Importance of Soil Selection
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Once the container has been selected you will need to choose a medium for your vegetable container garden. Avoid using regular garden soil because it is too heavy and will not be porous enough to allow the plant roots to get both air and water.
image: woman adding soil to container for vegetable gardenYou can purchase pre-packaged potting soil in most department stores that have garden centers. Examples include Home Depot and Kmart.
If you need a lot of soil or just have a sense of adventure, you can make your own. Mix one part garden loam with one part peat moss and then add one part coarse and clean builder’s sand.
Mix thoroughly. Add your own 10-10-10 fertilizer of about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons per 12 inches of container depth. Finally check the pH and add lime until you have a pH of around 6.5.
Making Sure to Water Your Vegetable Container Garden
Before planting your vegetable container garden, fill your container to about 1/2 inch from the top with a slightly damp mixture of your soil. Whether you are sowing seeds or using transplants, water your plants gently with warm water and then clearly label your container so that you know exactly what it holds. Water will evaporate rapidly from a container especially if it is in the afternoon sun.
image: tomato plants in container gardenWater your vegetable container garden often until the water starts to run out the drainage hole. Avoid watering so much that your soil becomes soggy soil because soggy soil will invite root diseases. Check your soil daily or more if in a hot location. Adding mulch to the top of the soil will help it to retain it's moisture and keep in mind that light pots do better than dark ones. Your plants will need food so plan to fertilize every two to three weeks with a water soluble fertilizer.
Remember to inspect your plants on a daily basis for dryness and while you do this, make sure to check your plants for curling leaves, holes in the leaves, discolored leaves, or for other signs of disease or invasion by pests.
Vegetables For Your Container Garden
Now that we have selected the containers and added the soil to the contianers, it is time to plant your vegetables. You can purchase vegetable plants for around $2.00 to $6.00 on average from your local garden center or you can buy a pack of great seeds for under $2.00 and grow twenty-five or more plants, dependening on the seeds that were chosen. Keep in mind that dwarf or compact varieties of vegetables grow best when planting these vegetables in containers. With this is mind, the following list represents some of the vegetables that can be planted in containers.
* spinach
* radishes
* peas
* swiss chard
* lettuce
* peppers
* pumpkins
* beets
* zucchini
* onions
* cabbage
* carrots
* cauliflower
* broccoli
* summer squash
* cress
* turnips
* cucumbers
* parsnips
* tomatoes
* eggplant
* pole beans
* parsley
* green onions
* radishes
* beans
* squash
* green beans
* leaf lettuce
Vegetable Container Garden: Conclusion
Your vegetable container garden will add hours of enjoyment to your life and help you to reduce your weekly grocery bill. Inspect your plants regularly for insect damage and keep them out of direct sunlight if possible. Give your vegetable container garden shelter from heavy rains or hail and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Tomatoes are one of the most commonly grown fruits or vegetables in the United States. As a result, tomato container gardening is growing in popularity. This is especially the case when the only sunny spot a person has is a porch, balcony, patio, or deck. Not only this but the need for smaller scale gardening may be triggered when the only land you have is unsuitable for gardening.
For instance, if your gardening efforts have been thwarted by soil that is full of rocks, by poor, shallow soil that is deficient in nutrients and/or humus, or by an uneven slope that makes the soil too dry on top and too wet at the bottom of the slope, tomato container gardening may be your only option if you have a passion for growing your own tomatoes.
Your First Tomato Container Gardening Project
No matter what climate you live in you may want to prepare some homemade foods such as Chili, Spaghetti, Tacos, salads, or BLTs.
image: woman adding soil to container
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Fortunately, there is a way you can have as many homegrown tomatoes as you like. How?, you may ask. Via tomato container gardening. In short, with tomato container gardening you can have a fresh tomato with a quick flick of your wrist.
All you have to do to start your tomato container gardening project is go to your local grocer and ask for any five-gallon buckets they may not need. Once you have your bucket at home wash it well so there are no pesticides or chemicals that may harm you and your family.
Now that you have your container it is time to put your tomato garden together. You will need to start with a drill and a 1/4 inch drill bit. You need to drill about a dozen holes into the bottom and sides of the container. Once you have drilled the holes you need about seven or eight empty soda cans that you have washed out. Crush these soda cans just a little, then place them in the bottom of the container. The soda cans will occupy some space in the container for easy maneuvering of the roots and for water run off so that you don't over water the tomato plants.
We are now ready to add the soil, making sure to leave a hole about the shape of an ostrich egg in the middle of the container. You are now ready to place the tomato plant in the hole, making sure not to press too hard around the plant so that there is room for the roots to grow. Also keep in mind that when growing tomatoes you need a stake or gardening trellis to help support the tomato plants.
Once the tomato plant and stake are in place you will need a string, zip tie, or twist ties to secure the plant to the stake. Now that you have started your tomato container garden you will need to keep all insects that like tomatoes away from the plant. Some of these bugs are Aphids, mites, white flies and many more.
Your Homemade Tomato Plant Bug Spray
To prevent these pests from harming their tomato plants, some people make up their own bug spray in the following manner. Put one teaspoon of liquid dish soap and one cup vegetable oil in a jar and shake vigorously. You can then place two teaspoons of the mix and one cup of water in a spray bottle and spray each plant once every 10 days.
Tomato Container Gardening: Conclusion
image: tomato and juiceOne way to ensure success in your tomato container gardening is to provide a saucer below each container in order to catch some of the water after you have watered the plant. Obviously, with frequent watering some of the water will drain through the soil and run off. This water loss can be somewhat circumvented, however, by placing a saucer beneath each container. In a word, doing this will result in some water that stays behind and seeps slowly and throughout the soil.
Now that your tomato container gardening project is finished, all you have to do is to place your tomato plant in the sun, water it frequently, spray the leaves every ten days with your bug spray and you will have great tasting tomatoes within a few months.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
For instance, if your gardening efforts have been thwarted by soil that is full of rocks, by poor, shallow soil that is deficient in nutrients and/or humus, or by an uneven slope that makes the soil too dry on top and too wet at the bottom of the slope, tomato container gardening may be your only option if you have a passion for growing your own tomatoes.
Your First Tomato Container Gardening Project
No matter what climate you live in you may want to prepare some homemade foods such as Chili, Spaghetti, Tacos, salads, or BLTs.
image: woman adding soil to container
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Fortunately, there is a way you can have as many homegrown tomatoes as you like. How?, you may ask. Via tomato container gardening. In short, with tomato container gardening you can have a fresh tomato with a quick flick of your wrist.
All you have to do to start your tomato container gardening project is go to your local grocer and ask for any five-gallon buckets they may not need. Once you have your bucket at home wash it well so there are no pesticides or chemicals that may harm you and your family.
Now that you have your container it is time to put your tomato garden together. You will need to start with a drill and a 1/4 inch drill bit. You need to drill about a dozen holes into the bottom and sides of the container. Once you have drilled the holes you need about seven or eight empty soda cans that you have washed out. Crush these soda cans just a little, then place them in the bottom of the container. The soda cans will occupy some space in the container for easy maneuvering of the roots and for water run off so that you don't over water the tomato plants.
We are now ready to add the soil, making sure to leave a hole about the shape of an ostrich egg in the middle of the container. You are now ready to place the tomato plant in the hole, making sure not to press too hard around the plant so that there is room for the roots to grow. Also keep in mind that when growing tomatoes you need a stake or gardening trellis to help support the tomato plants.
Once the tomato plant and stake are in place you will need a string, zip tie, or twist ties to secure the plant to the stake. Now that you have started your tomato container garden you will need to keep all insects that like tomatoes away from the plant. Some of these bugs are Aphids, mites, white flies and many more.
Your Homemade Tomato Plant Bug Spray
To prevent these pests from harming their tomato plants, some people make up their own bug spray in the following manner. Put one teaspoon of liquid dish soap and one cup vegetable oil in a jar and shake vigorously. You can then place two teaspoons of the mix and one cup of water in a spray bottle and spray each plant once every 10 days.
Tomato Container Gardening: Conclusion
image: tomato and juiceOne way to ensure success in your tomato container gardening is to provide a saucer below each container in order to catch some of the water after you have watered the plant. Obviously, with frequent watering some of the water will drain through the soil and run off. This water loss can be somewhat circumvented, however, by placing a saucer beneath each container. In a word, doing this will result in some water that stays behind and seeps slowly and throughout the soil.
Now that your tomato container gardening project is finished, all you have to do is to place your tomato plant in the sun, water it frequently, spray the leaves every ten days with your bug spray and you will have great tasting tomatoes within a few months.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
No matter what type of home remodeling project you are trying to accomplish, it can easily be done if it is planned properly; an increasing level of choice can make the process harder and take longer for it to be started. Whether you are remodeling the outside or the inside, budgets for the project must also be carefully managed. The excitement of the proposals can soon be dampened once the cost has been looked at more closely and often compromises have to be made in order to complete the task.
The Fun and Excitement of Home Remodeling
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Home remodeling can be fun and exciting but much depends on how creative and determined you are. There are so many designs and things to consider and staying clear-headed and focused is not easy.
Keep in mind that you have the renovation costs to consider and whether the remodeling you have set your heart on is actually possible within your budget. This is bound to be the most difficult of areas due to the fact that so much depends on being able to stick with the financial budget that has been established.
Home Remodeling: Calling the Contractor
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The first step should really to call in a contractor who will make suggestions on materials and styles given the budget you will have set and talked about. If you hire a contractor you need to specify clearly who will get the supplies and materials.
If you live close to other people you might want to consider letting them know about your remodeling plans in case there will be any disturbance. Your crucial task however, is to take very accurate measurements of all the materials you will need since mistakes at this stage can be costly. If you are unsure about measuring and ordering the materials for your home remodeling project, let your general contractor perform this task for you.
There are those who like to carry out as much of the work as possible but will still employ the services of a contractor to consult and ensure the plans are sound. A general contractor negotiates a contract for the entire project and either completes the specialized work with his own crew or sub-contracts the work to other various home-remodeling contractors.
General project managers can also carry out all of the remodeling or you may decide you only require them for aspects you do not feel comfortable completing yourself.
Why Move When You Can Remodel?
There isn't always a need to leave the neighborhood you live in just to get a larger house when often a home remodeling project will achieve this for you. Some desired home improvements seem to differ from region to region (sometimes from city to city) so before embarking on any remodeling work, be sure to investigate what types of improvements are being carried out in your neck of the woods. If you are remodeling in order to increase the comfort and usability of your home then you are probably going to pick areas that need attention, which may or may not be the areas that tend to be most profitable in the housing market.
The good news, however, is that home improvement has another, equally important advantage: it usually increases the value of your home.
A common mistake homeowners make is assuming that when they sell their house they will get back the money they invested in the improvements they made to their home. Home remodeling should in theory increase the value of your home and can also be a project where the whole family can get involved.
The Pleasure of Home Remodeling: Conclusion
Home remodeling can be fun and exciting but much depends on how creative and determined you are. Often people do not want to move, so home remodeling provides a workaround and usually increases the value of the home at the same time. The type of remodeling work you are considering will obviously depend on your financial and aesthetic circumstances and if you intend to stay in your current house, then area fashions will not be your major concern.
Copyright 2008 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, home decor, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
The Fun and Excitement of Home Remodeling
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Home remodeling can be fun and exciting but much depends on how creative and determined you are. There are so many designs and things to consider and staying clear-headed and focused is not easy.
Keep in mind that you have the renovation costs to consider and whether the remodeling you have set your heart on is actually possible within your budget. This is bound to be the most difficult of areas due to the fact that so much depends on being able to stick with the financial budget that has been established.
Home Remodeling: Calling the Contractor
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
The first step should really to call in a contractor who will make suggestions on materials and styles given the budget you will have set and talked about. If you hire a contractor you need to specify clearly who will get the supplies and materials.
If you live close to other people you might want to consider letting them know about your remodeling plans in case there will be any disturbance. Your crucial task however, is to take very accurate measurements of all the materials you will need since mistakes at this stage can be costly. If you are unsure about measuring and ordering the materials for your home remodeling project, let your general contractor perform this task for you.
There are those who like to carry out as much of the work as possible but will still employ the services of a contractor to consult and ensure the plans are sound. A general contractor negotiates a contract for the entire project and either completes the specialized work with his own crew or sub-contracts the work to other various home-remodeling contractors.
General project managers can also carry out all of the remodeling or you may decide you only require them for aspects you do not feel comfortable completing yourself.
Why Move When You Can Remodel?
There isn't always a need to leave the neighborhood you live in just to get a larger house when often a home remodeling project will achieve this for you. Some desired home improvements seem to differ from region to region (sometimes from city to city) so before embarking on any remodeling work, be sure to investigate what types of improvements are being carried out in your neck of the woods. If you are remodeling in order to increase the comfort and usability of your home then you are probably going to pick areas that need attention, which may or may not be the areas that tend to be most profitable in the housing market.
The good news, however, is that home improvement has another, equally important advantage: it usually increases the value of your home.
A common mistake homeowners make is assuming that when they sell their house they will get back the money they invested in the improvements they made to their home. Home remodeling should in theory increase the value of your home and can also be a project where the whole family can get involved.
The Pleasure of Home Remodeling: Conclusion
Home remodeling can be fun and exciting but much depends on how creative and determined you are. Often people do not want to move, so home remodeling provides a workaround and usually increases the value of the home at the same time. The type of remodeling work you are considering will obviously depend on your financial and aesthetic circumstances and if you intend to stay in your current house, then area fashions will not be your major concern.
Copyright 2008 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, home decor, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Making or purchasing decor for your garden will help counterbalance the many negative events in the daily news. Not only this, but garden accents will help gardeners create meaning, wonder, and inspiration in their lives as they decorate their gardens in a way that is in concert with their deepest thoughts, feelings, and aspirations.
The Quest for Significance
People are looking for ways to add significance, peace of mind, a quality experience, and an escape from the "rat-race" in their lives. Stated differently, people want to add depth and meaning to their lives. One way to accomplish this, it is asserted, is to make or purchase decor for your garden.
Make Your Garden Unique
Garden decor, along with things related to gardens, provides a return to nature, a sense of spirituality, and a return to the earth as people journey on their quest for significance and ultimate meaning. Moreover, through the use of decorations, gardeners reveal their quirks and shortcomings, their wit, their creativity, and their desire to make their gardens unique.
Transform Your Life
Gardens and their ornaments are symbols of enchantment, of mystery, of meaning, and of ultimate being. Another way of looking at this is to see that gardens and garden accents provide the power to transform one's mood and one's life. To be sure, garden accessories can become symbolic reminders of life's blessings as they encourage people to enrich their surroundings by transcending the mundane.
The Gardening Imagination
Garden ornaments help people take an active stance in their lives by enabling them to create a niche in the world that is in concert with their values and their dreams. Indeed, it is this "gardening imagination" that provides people with the opportunity to select meaningful objects that speak to their senses, to their experiences, and to their lives.
An Invitation to Add Garden Decor to your Life
Websites that sell garden decor can be viewed as invitations for people to experiment and let their imaginations run free so that they can, with conscious effort or with playfulness, select the accents that they like-decor that speaks to their dreams and to their soul. With this in mind, look at the different products that are sold and select garden accessories that help elicit childhood fantasies. Examine the different garden accents and choose ornaments that speak to your inner self.
Let Your Personality Shine Through
Garden decor helps calm the spirit, soothe the soul, and delight the senses. By letting your individuality shine through as you select your decorative accents, you will transform your garden into one of the most meaningful experiences in your life. The challenge is to capture moments of wonder, joy, and inspiration and experience the lasting pleasures of beauty and the splendors of nature by decorating your garden in a way that is congruent with your noblest thoughts, feelings, and aspirations.
Your Garden Sanctuary
Strive to decorate your garden with ornaments that magically call you to return to your garden sanctuary. Look at different garden products and decide on decorations that motivate you to tap into your playfulness or into your artistic bent as you contemplate how you will decorate your garden. In a word, you can add richness, depth, and a sense of discovery to your garden with different garden ornaments.
The Importance of Garden Decor: Summary
In conclusion, garden decor is significant because it is an invitation for people to open themselves to the magic, to the wonder, to the meaning, and to the pleasure that gardens and garden related accessories can bring to their lives.
Copyright 2005 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
The Quest for Significance
People are looking for ways to add significance, peace of mind, a quality experience, and an escape from the "rat-race" in their lives. Stated differently, people want to add depth and meaning to their lives. One way to accomplish this, it is asserted, is to make or purchase decor for your garden.
Make Your Garden Unique
Garden decor, along with things related to gardens, provides a return to nature, a sense of spirituality, and a return to the earth as people journey on their quest for significance and ultimate meaning. Moreover, through the use of decorations, gardeners reveal their quirks and shortcomings, their wit, their creativity, and their desire to make their gardens unique.
Transform Your Life
Gardens and their ornaments are symbols of enchantment, of mystery, of meaning, and of ultimate being. Another way of looking at this is to see that gardens and garden accents provide the power to transform one's mood and one's life. To be sure, garden accessories can become symbolic reminders of life's blessings as they encourage people to enrich their surroundings by transcending the mundane.
The Gardening Imagination
Garden ornaments help people take an active stance in their lives by enabling them to create a niche in the world that is in concert with their values and their dreams. Indeed, it is this "gardening imagination" that provides people with the opportunity to select meaningful objects that speak to their senses, to their experiences, and to their lives.
An Invitation to Add Garden Decor to your Life
Websites that sell garden decor can be viewed as invitations for people to experiment and let their imaginations run free so that they can, with conscious effort or with playfulness, select the accents that they like-decor that speaks to their dreams and to their soul. With this in mind, look at the different products that are sold and select garden accessories that help elicit childhood fantasies. Examine the different garden accents and choose ornaments that speak to your inner self.
Let Your Personality Shine Through
Garden decor helps calm the spirit, soothe the soul, and delight the senses. By letting your individuality shine through as you select your decorative accents, you will transform your garden into one of the most meaningful experiences in your life. The challenge is to capture moments of wonder, joy, and inspiration and experience the lasting pleasures of beauty and the splendors of nature by decorating your garden in a way that is congruent with your noblest thoughts, feelings, and aspirations.
Your Garden Sanctuary
Strive to decorate your garden with ornaments that magically call you to return to your garden sanctuary. Look at different garden products and decide on decorations that motivate you to tap into your playfulness or into your artistic bent as you contemplate how you will decorate your garden. In a word, you can add richness, depth, and a sense of discovery to your garden with different garden ornaments.
The Importance of Garden Decor: Summary
In conclusion, garden decor is significant because it is an invitation for people to open themselves to the magic, to the wonder, to the meaning, and to the pleasure that gardens and garden related accessories can bring to their lives.
Copyright 2005 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Planting a vegetable garden can be fun and fairly easy to do. In fact, a lot of satisfaction comes from planting a vegetable garden and producing your own fresh vegetables. Planting common vegetables really doesn’t take a lot of research, and a person doesn’t need to a master gardener to grow a beautiful and health-producing vegetable garden.
So You Want to Plant A Vegetable Garden
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image: boy in vegetable gardenThe desire to plant a vegetable garden is likely fueled by the yearning to have an assortment of fresh vegetables at one's fingertips. When it comes to eating fresh produce, fresh, homegrown vegetables are beyond compare. In fact, typical grocery store produce simply cannot compare. Planting a vegetable garden, however, takes some forethought and some work.
The location where you will plant your garden is the first consideration to be made. Your garden needs to be a site that will get full sunlight about seventy five percent of the daytime hours. You also will need to pick a site that is on level ground. Planting on ground that is not level can cause all kinds of problems, such as erosion.
When planting a vegetable garden you need to have a certain type of soil. Many times, you will need to add things to the soil to help it become more accommodating to the seeds you want to plant.
The ground will need to be tilled in order to ready it for planting. However, the ground can't be too dry or too wet at this point.
image: green plants in vegetable gardenA good way to check the soil for readiness is to take a clump of soil in one's hand and squeeze it. If the soil is crumbly, then it is ready to be tilled.
Deciding what you want to grow is also important when planting a vegetable garden. Different types of vegetables need different types of growing conditions such as soil temperature, planting depth, and amount of water.
It is important to read the directions that come with the seeds you are planting so that you can have a greater chance of success with producing healthy and hearty vegetables.
Insect and Weed Control
Another important consideration to make when planting a vegetable garden is how to control insects in your garden. There are commercial chemical preparations that can be used in the form of granules one can place on top of the soil. There are also sprays that can be applied directly to the leaves of plants. Organic preparations can also be purchased, if a person desires a garden not treated with chemicals and/or pesticides.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Weed control is another issue that gardeners face. A weed barrier can be placed in the soil after tilling to control the majority of weeds. Another option is to use mulch as a layer to prevent weed growth. No method, unfortunately, is foolproof. Keep in mind that some light maintenance such as hand pulling the weeds or using special tools to get rid of them will be necessary from time to time.
Planting a Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
image: vegetable garden with cartSite selection, soil preparation and planting your plants at the correct time according to where you live are the most valuable tips for planting a vegetable garden. Controlling pests and weeds and making sure that the plants are well watered are examples of “going the extra mile” that will help ensure that you produce delicious and healthy vegetables from your garden.
The good news, however, is that with a little planning and some hard work, planting a vegetable garden can be a worthwhile and enjoyable experience that produces nutritious and delicious fresh garden vegetables for you and for your family.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
So You Want to Plant A Vegetable Garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: boy in vegetable gardenThe desire to plant a vegetable garden is likely fueled by the yearning to have an assortment of fresh vegetables at one's fingertips. When it comes to eating fresh produce, fresh, homegrown vegetables are beyond compare. In fact, typical grocery store produce simply cannot compare. Planting a vegetable garden, however, takes some forethought and some work.
The location where you will plant your garden is the first consideration to be made. Your garden needs to be a site that will get full sunlight about seventy five percent of the daytime hours. You also will need to pick a site that is on level ground. Planting on ground that is not level can cause all kinds of problems, such as erosion.
When planting a vegetable garden you need to have a certain type of soil. Many times, you will need to add things to the soil to help it become more accommodating to the seeds you want to plant.
The ground will need to be tilled in order to ready it for planting. However, the ground can't be too dry or too wet at this point.
image: green plants in vegetable gardenA good way to check the soil for readiness is to take a clump of soil in one's hand and squeeze it. If the soil is crumbly, then it is ready to be tilled.
Deciding what you want to grow is also important when planting a vegetable garden. Different types of vegetables need different types of growing conditions such as soil temperature, planting depth, and amount of water.
It is important to read the directions that come with the seeds you are planting so that you can have a greater chance of success with producing healthy and hearty vegetables.
Insect and Weed Control
Another important consideration to make when planting a vegetable garden is how to control insects in your garden. There are commercial chemical preparations that can be used in the form of granules one can place on top of the soil. There are also sprays that can be applied directly to the leaves of plants. Organic preparations can also be purchased, if a person desires a garden not treated with chemicals and/or pesticides.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Weed control is another issue that gardeners face. A weed barrier can be placed in the soil after tilling to control the majority of weeds. Another option is to use mulch as a layer to prevent weed growth. No method, unfortunately, is foolproof. Keep in mind that some light maintenance such as hand pulling the weeds or using special tools to get rid of them will be necessary from time to time.
Planting a Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
image: vegetable garden with cartSite selection, soil preparation and planting your plants at the correct time according to where you live are the most valuable tips for planting a vegetable garden. Controlling pests and weeds and making sure that the plants are well watered are examples of “going the extra mile” that will help ensure that you produce delicious and healthy vegetables from your garden.
The good news, however, is that with a little planning and some hard work, planting a vegetable garden can be a worthwhile and enjoyable experience that produces nutritious and delicious fresh garden vegetables for you and for your family.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Realizing the importance of all forms of life, environmentalists attempt to keep various animals from becoming extinct by placing them on an endangered species list. Perhaps it’s time for environmentalists to expand their perspective and focus upon various human activities that are also approaching extinction and place them on an “endangered activities list.” Read why the author claims that gardening is dying and fast approaching extinction.
A Response to a Gardening Blog Post
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Recently, a well-known gardener who has an outstanding gardening blog wrote a post saying that she had received an assignment to write an article for the magazine entitled "Washington Home and Garden." In her post this gardener invited suggestions, comments, and ideas from her readers on topics that "they" would write about for a magazine with an “upscale suburban readership.” The following represents my comments to this post.
Congratulations. Since variety is the spice of life, I am going to write from an entirely different perspective than the views articulated by your other commenters (who, by the way, made some excellent suggestions and comments) :-)
The Gardening Imagination
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I am very concerned that certain rock solid, healthy, meaningful, productive, rewarding, and therapeutic activities such as gardening are dying a slow death. Let me explain. Right now in our country there are millions upon millions of people who have gardens.
Thousands of these individuals will go out-of-state to visit other well-known gardens and countless others will go online everyday to read about gardening. These people have what I call “the gardening imagination.” These are the people who have been bitten by the “gardening bug.”
With such a vibrant gardening "base," you may ask, where’s the evidence that gardening is dying a slow death? Please continue reading for the answer to this question.
The Desire To Involve Yourself in Gardening
Anything, including gardening, needs to be passed on to future generations if it is to survive and prosper. I recently read a blog post about a farmer/gardener who is in his 50s or 60s and who fondly remembers getting involved in gardening at seven or eight years old because he "wanted to garden badly.”
Does anyone out there get ANY indication, with extremely few exceptions, that the youth of today want to “garden badly”? My sense is that the vast majority of today’s young people don’t want to do much of "anything" badly except drive around with their friends, watch TV, party with their friends, listen to music on their iPods, talk on their cell phones for hours with their friends, play online games, and “hang” with their friends.
The Blind Leading the Blind
Perhaps I am missing something here but what in the world is so “special” about doing absolutely nothing that can be called productive or meaningful with your friends? To me, this is just an extreme example of the “blind leading the blind.” The result: many, if not most of our young people are staying away from healthy, outdoor physical activities (such as gardening) similar to the way they would avoid the plague. Let me state the obvious: this is NOT progress, this is NOT healthy, and this is NOT making a meaningful contribution to society. It is, however, to use a gardening term, a great example of "horse manure."
The Need for Gardening Education
Perhaps you can address the points made above with a post on your blog or with an article in a magazine. The reality of the situation, however, is this: if the “older” generation does not make a gigantic effort to teach today’s youth about gardens and gardening, then today’s young people will NEVER discover the magic about working with their hands in the soil and they will NEVER feel and experience the special “connection with the earth” that is intrinsic to gardening. In short, without such an extensive educational effort, the “magic of the garden” will have lost its appeal with our youth. And when this happens, there will be no opening for a “garden writer” at "Washington Home and Garden" or anywhere else.
Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
A Response to a Gardening Blog Post
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Recently, a well-known gardener who has an outstanding gardening blog wrote a post saying that she had received an assignment to write an article for the magazine entitled "Washington Home and Garden." In her post this gardener invited suggestions, comments, and ideas from her readers on topics that "they" would write about for a magazine with an “upscale suburban readership.” The following represents my comments to this post.
Congratulations. Since variety is the spice of life, I am going to write from an entirely different perspective than the views articulated by your other commenters (who, by the way, made some excellent suggestions and comments) :-)
The Gardening Imagination
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
I am very concerned that certain rock solid, healthy, meaningful, productive, rewarding, and therapeutic activities such as gardening are dying a slow death. Let me explain. Right now in our country there are millions upon millions of people who have gardens.
Thousands of these individuals will go out-of-state to visit other well-known gardens and countless others will go online everyday to read about gardening. These people have what I call “the gardening imagination.” These are the people who have been bitten by the “gardening bug.”
With such a vibrant gardening "base," you may ask, where’s the evidence that gardening is dying a slow death? Please continue reading for the answer to this question.
The Desire To Involve Yourself in Gardening
Anything, including gardening, needs to be passed on to future generations if it is to survive and prosper. I recently read a blog post about a farmer/gardener who is in his 50s or 60s and who fondly remembers getting involved in gardening at seven or eight years old because he "wanted to garden badly.”
Does anyone out there get ANY indication, with extremely few exceptions, that the youth of today want to “garden badly”? My sense is that the vast majority of today’s young people don’t want to do much of "anything" badly except drive around with their friends, watch TV, party with their friends, listen to music on their iPods, talk on their cell phones for hours with their friends, play online games, and “hang” with their friends.
The Blind Leading the Blind
Perhaps I am missing something here but what in the world is so “special” about doing absolutely nothing that can be called productive or meaningful with your friends? To me, this is just an extreme example of the “blind leading the blind.” The result: many, if not most of our young people are staying away from healthy, outdoor physical activities (such as gardening) similar to the way they would avoid the plague. Let me state the obvious: this is NOT progress, this is NOT healthy, and this is NOT making a meaningful contribution to society. It is, however, to use a gardening term, a great example of "horse manure."
The Need for Gardening Education
Perhaps you can address the points made above with a post on your blog or with an article in a magazine. The reality of the situation, however, is this: if the “older” generation does not make a gigantic effort to teach today’s youth about gardens and gardening, then today’s young people will NEVER discover the magic about working with their hands in the soil and they will NEVER feel and experience the special “connection with the earth” that is intrinsic to gardening. In short, without such an extensive educational effort, the “magic of the garden” will have lost its appeal with our youth. And when this happens, there will be no opening for a “garden writer” at "Washington Home and Garden" or anywhere else.
Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Why would anyone want to get involved with indoor vegetable gardening? Certainly large plants like sweet corn and squash are not the typical vegetables that gardeners grow indoors, but many root crops, leafy crops, tomatoes, and other vegetables can be grown indoors during the warm months and especially during the cold months of the year.
Indeed, growing vegetables indoors may not be the same thing as growing the same plants outdoors, but it can be a lot of fun to tend to an indoor vegetable gardening project when the snow is falling and the winds are blowing outside!
Fresh Vegetables From Your Indoor Garden
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image: leafy green plants for indoor gardeningThere is nothing quite like fresh vegetables. Cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet peppers are just a few of the fresh vegetables that many people enjoy growing and eating.
Many individuals have discovered that they can grow healthy and great tasting veggies by involving themselves in indoor vegetable gardening.
While it is a fact that indoor gardens have different requirements than outdoor gardens, a gardener can still successfully grow many different vegetables such as those listed above and others indoors.
The first thing to think about when considering indoor vegetable gardening is the location. The location will need to be somewhere where six to eight hours of light is available each day. An insulated sun porch or an unused room with plenty of windows to let sunlight in would be ideal. If needed, supplemental lighting can be used to ensure that the plants receive the amount of light that they need for proper growth.
Consider Planting Your Vegetables in Containers
Another consideration is what to plant the seeds or seedlings in so that they can grow into productive plants. The simple solution is to use containers. The containers can be similar to those used for ordinary house plants, or they can be something else that you choose to use for your indoor vegetable gardening project. The containers can be plastic, wood, metal, or even tin.
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The important thing to keep in mind is that the containers that you use need to have some kind of drainage holes in the sides and bottom so that excess water can drain out. If the containers you choose don't already have drainage holes, make sure that you drill some.
The Correct Soil and Your Indoor Vegetable Gardening Project
The kind of soil that you use for your indoor vegetable gardening project is also important. Using regular soil from your outdoors garden is not recommended because of the insects that may be present in the soil as well as any diseases that the soil may harbor. The best choice of soil for your indoor vegetable garden is a lightweight mixture that will allow drainage. A recommended mixture is four equal parts of potting soil, peat, vermiculite, and perlite.
Indoor Vegetable Gardening: Conclusion
image: indoor gardeing with okraIf you follow the above indoor vegetable gardening tips, you should have success with your indoor vegetable gardening project. For instance, the right container, the correct amount of light, the proper mixture of soil, and an adequate amount of water should produce the kind of nutritious, fresh garden vegetables that you and your family will enjoy.
Indeed, your friends and family will be pleasantly surprised when your serve a salad that has green onions, lettuce, short-vined squash, radishes, spinach, small-rooted carrots, and cherry tomatoes and they discover that you harvested these veggies from your indoor vegetable garden!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Indeed, growing vegetables indoors may not be the same thing as growing the same plants outdoors, but it can be a lot of fun to tend to an indoor vegetable gardening project when the snow is falling and the winds are blowing outside!
Fresh Vegetables From Your Indoor Garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: leafy green plants for indoor gardeningThere is nothing quite like fresh vegetables. Cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet peppers are just a few of the fresh vegetables that many people enjoy growing and eating.
Many individuals have discovered that they can grow healthy and great tasting veggies by involving themselves in indoor vegetable gardening.
While it is a fact that indoor gardens have different requirements than outdoor gardens, a gardener can still successfully grow many different vegetables such as those listed above and others indoors.
The first thing to think about when considering indoor vegetable gardening is the location. The location will need to be somewhere where six to eight hours of light is available each day. An insulated sun porch or an unused room with plenty of windows to let sunlight in would be ideal. If needed, supplemental lighting can be used to ensure that the plants receive the amount of light that they need for proper growth.
Consider Planting Your Vegetables in Containers
Another consideration is what to plant the seeds or seedlings in so that they can grow into productive plants. The simple solution is to use containers. The containers can be similar to those used for ordinary house plants, or they can be something else that you choose to use for your indoor vegetable gardening project. The containers can be plastic, wood, metal, or even tin.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
The important thing to keep in mind is that the containers that you use need to have some kind of drainage holes in the sides and bottom so that excess water can drain out. If the containers you choose don't already have drainage holes, make sure that you drill some.
The Correct Soil and Your Indoor Vegetable Gardening Project
The kind of soil that you use for your indoor vegetable gardening project is also important. Using regular soil from your outdoors garden is not recommended because of the insects that may be present in the soil as well as any diseases that the soil may harbor. The best choice of soil for your indoor vegetable garden is a lightweight mixture that will allow drainage. A recommended mixture is four equal parts of potting soil, peat, vermiculite, and perlite.
Indoor Vegetable Gardening: Conclusion
image: indoor gardeing with okraIf you follow the above indoor vegetable gardening tips, you should have success with your indoor vegetable gardening project. For instance, the right container, the correct amount of light, the proper mixture of soil, and an adequate amount of water should produce the kind of nutritious, fresh garden vegetables that you and your family will enjoy.
Indeed, your friends and family will be pleasantly surprised when your serve a salad that has green onions, lettuce, short-vined squash, radishes, spinach, small-rooted carrots, and cherry tomatoes and they discover that you harvested these veggies from your indoor vegetable garden!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Before attempting to plant a garden for the first time, you should always do your research. For instance, look at your landscape and find out what the most optimal site is for your garden and for the plants you will grow.
After your research, if you plan your garden carefully and follow through with your plan, the result will be great tasting, nutritious vegetables that with a little extra work such as freezing and canning, can be eaten throughout the year. And from a health perspective, planting your own vegetable garden lets you to control whether harmful chemicals are used on the vegetables you and your family eat.
The Roots of How to Plant a Vegetable Garden
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image: tomato plants in a gardenThere is nothing as enjoyable as reaping the rewards of your own labor of love. I'm speaking of the joys of gardening! Do you ever wonder how others seem to have homegrown, beautiful fruits and vegetables, while yours seem to be lacking something? The following tips should answer some of your questions about how to plant a vegetable garden your neighbors will envy.
Space is always the first consideration. Making the most of what you have is a key element in any gardener’s magic. Plan to grow only a few favorite vegetables if your space is limited. Be aware, however, the bigger the garden, the more work it will take.
A very close second to space, is to prepare the soil properly. Consider that water is your best friend, but can be your worst enemy. This means that you should mix good fertilizer with dirt so that the end result is a loamy soil with plentiful nutrients. If the soil is too porous, water will not stay around the roots long enough to absorb.
On the other hand, soil that does not drain well will drown most roots and stymie growth in others. A good mixture is about a third potting soil, a third fertilizer (or compost) and a third dirt. Thoroughly till these with a spade, or better yet use a commercially available tiller. You cannot over till your garden! Remove large rocks, roots and sticks while tilling.
The Importance of Adding Fertilizer to Your Garden
image: planting silverbeets in a garden
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Choosing a quality fertilizer is important. If you don’t have a compost pile, start one! Dad always used compost and horse manure. Two year old, or more, manure is excellent and can be found on farms and ranches. If you really want to get fancy, take a sample of your soil to your local conservation district and have it tested.
The feedback they provide will give you the best chance to make your garden the best it can be for your area! In a word, their expert advice may save you disappointing results. Don’t take shortcuts on selecting your seeds or plants. You can prepare your soil or read every book on how to plant a vegetable garden, and yet, if you select aged seeds or wilted plants, you won’t succeed.
You're ready to plant. You've planned, tilled, and purchased the best seeds or plants around. Now what? Plant when the time is right! There is no need to hurry this step because it is what you've been working towards with excitement! A friend of mine uses the almanac religiously. It provides a history on freezes, rain, and growing seasons. It also shows what grows best where you live.
Now that you know how to plant a vegetable garden, begin planting your garden with care. If your instructions say plant one inch deep, don’t plant deeper. If it says water 3 times a week, don’t do more. Ask the experts at you your garden center what has worked best for them and take heed.
How to Plant a Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
image: planting one vegetable in a gardenIf you have ever thought about having instantly available, great tasting, and healthy vegetables whenever you want, you have probably wondered more than a few times how to plant a vegetable garden. Planting a vegetable garden is not too difficult if you do your homework, plan, follow through with your plan, and add some TLC. The result will be delicious, nutritious, and fresh vegetables for the entire family.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
After your research, if you plan your garden carefully and follow through with your plan, the result will be great tasting, nutritious vegetables that with a little extra work such as freezing and canning, can be eaten throughout the year. And from a health perspective, planting your own vegetable garden lets you to control whether harmful chemicals are used on the vegetables you and your family eat.
The Roots of How to Plant a Vegetable Garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: tomato plants in a gardenThere is nothing as enjoyable as reaping the rewards of your own labor of love. I'm speaking of the joys of gardening! Do you ever wonder how others seem to have homegrown, beautiful fruits and vegetables, while yours seem to be lacking something? The following tips should answer some of your questions about how to plant a vegetable garden your neighbors will envy.
Space is always the first consideration. Making the most of what you have is a key element in any gardener’s magic. Plan to grow only a few favorite vegetables if your space is limited. Be aware, however, the bigger the garden, the more work it will take.
A very close second to space, is to prepare the soil properly. Consider that water is your best friend, but can be your worst enemy. This means that you should mix good fertilizer with dirt so that the end result is a loamy soil with plentiful nutrients. If the soil is too porous, water will not stay around the roots long enough to absorb.
On the other hand, soil that does not drain well will drown most roots and stymie growth in others. A good mixture is about a third potting soil, a third fertilizer (or compost) and a third dirt. Thoroughly till these with a spade, or better yet use a commercially available tiller. You cannot over till your garden! Remove large rocks, roots and sticks while tilling.
The Importance of Adding Fertilizer to Your Garden
image: planting silverbeets in a garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Choosing a quality fertilizer is important. If you don’t have a compost pile, start one! Dad always used compost and horse manure. Two year old, or more, manure is excellent and can be found on farms and ranches. If you really want to get fancy, take a sample of your soil to your local conservation district and have it tested.
The feedback they provide will give you the best chance to make your garden the best it can be for your area! In a word, their expert advice may save you disappointing results. Don’t take shortcuts on selecting your seeds or plants. You can prepare your soil or read every book on how to plant a vegetable garden, and yet, if you select aged seeds or wilted plants, you won’t succeed.
You're ready to plant. You've planned, tilled, and purchased the best seeds or plants around. Now what? Plant when the time is right! There is no need to hurry this step because it is what you've been working towards with excitement! A friend of mine uses the almanac religiously. It provides a history on freezes, rain, and growing seasons. It also shows what grows best where you live.
Now that you know how to plant a vegetable garden, begin planting your garden with care. If your instructions say plant one inch deep, don’t plant deeper. If it says water 3 times a week, don’t do more. Ask the experts at you your garden center what has worked best for them and take heed.
How to Plant a Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
image: planting one vegetable in a gardenIf you have ever thought about having instantly available, great tasting, and healthy vegetables whenever you want, you have probably wondered more than a few times how to plant a vegetable garden. Planting a vegetable garden is not too difficult if you do your homework, plan, follow through with your plan, and add some TLC. The result will be delicious, nutritious, and fresh vegetables for the entire family.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Planting a home vegetable garden can be an overwhelming task at first, but with some hard work, planning, good crop selection, and daily weeding and pruning, your home vegetable garden can be producing healthy, great tasting vegetables for you and your family.
Dreams of a Home Vegetable Garden
image: southern vegetable home garden
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One of my daughter’s resolutions this year was to grow a home vegetable garden Due to the fact that she had been thinking about and preparing for a garden for years, this decision actually made sense.
For instance, for the past few years she has been storing potting soil and has been window shopping looking for garden ideas at every lawn and garden store in the surrounding communities. There is even a barren spot in her backyard that looks perfect for a home vegetable garden.
Last year, during one of my visits, my daughter proudly showed me a few onions that had sprouted in her front yard. The onions gave my daughter an incentive for planting a garden in the back yard. "First things first", I said.
The space she chose had sunlight for about 8 to 10 hours a day but hadn’t been "worked" yet. In a word, I could see that there was a lot of work to do before she was ready to plant her garden.
Preparing For Your Garden
We started preparing the new garden area by removing the top layer of grass and weeds, removing any sticks and rocks we found, and removing about two inches of sandy soil.
image: backyard home vegetable garden
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I brought over a load of horse manure and unloaded it in the backyard by the garden. Not having a tiller, my daughter and I began to dig and turn the fertilizer in the hard dirt.
To loosen the soil, we added potting soil. Since the area we were preparing was about 8 feet by 20 feet, it took us around two or three hours to “work” the soil.
To get below the grass line that surrounded the garden, we made sure the depth we tilled was at least 8 inches. We added shredded paper around the edges of the garden because paper makes a good shield against invading roots. A paper shield not only works better than plastic or rubber, but it is also less expensive.
Our home vegetable garden was taking shape. We made 4 rows about 8 inches high the entire length of the garden. This design allowed good water runoff and made it relatively easy to weed. We also left an un-rowed patch in the corner about 4 feet by 6 feet for planting onions and garlic.
The Crop Selection
image: home vegetable garden with signAfter this, our garden was ready to plant. We visited the local nursery and purchased three healthy tomato plants, three green pepper plants, and three Yukon potato plants. We also bought a number of packages of seeds for carrots, onions, radishes, beets, and corn. To finish our purchase, we bought some garlic cloves.
We planted the tomatoes about 2 to 3 feet apart, allowing space to blossom. We did the same with the potatoes and the peppers. In one row we planted carrots, and in another we added radishes and beets. In the last row we planted corn, seeding every 8 inches. Finally we added onions and garlic to our little corner and gave the whole garden a good drink.
Your Home Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
Each day we went to visit our precious home vegetable garden with excitement, eagerly searching for new sprouts. Regarding maintenacne, about an hour of daily weeding and pruning kept the garden looking well manicured. A couple of months passed by and before we knew it we had the most beautiful, great tasting, and nutritious vegetables imaginable. We actually surprised ourselves with our first home vegetable garden and along the way, we learned first hand about the joy of gardening!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Dreams of a Home Vegetable Garden
image: southern vegetable home garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
One of my daughter’s resolutions this year was to grow a home vegetable garden Due to the fact that she had been thinking about and preparing for a garden for years, this decision actually made sense.
For instance, for the past few years she has been storing potting soil and has been window shopping looking for garden ideas at every lawn and garden store in the surrounding communities. There is even a barren spot in her backyard that looks perfect for a home vegetable garden.
Last year, during one of my visits, my daughter proudly showed me a few onions that had sprouted in her front yard. The onions gave my daughter an incentive for planting a garden in the back yard. "First things first", I said.
The space she chose had sunlight for about 8 to 10 hours a day but hadn’t been "worked" yet. In a word, I could see that there was a lot of work to do before she was ready to plant her garden.
Preparing For Your Garden
We started preparing the new garden area by removing the top layer of grass and weeds, removing any sticks and rocks we found, and removing about two inches of sandy soil.
image: backyard home vegetable garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
I brought over a load of horse manure and unloaded it in the backyard by the garden. Not having a tiller, my daughter and I began to dig and turn the fertilizer in the hard dirt.
To loosen the soil, we added potting soil. Since the area we were preparing was about 8 feet by 20 feet, it took us around two or three hours to “work” the soil.
To get below the grass line that surrounded the garden, we made sure the depth we tilled was at least 8 inches. We added shredded paper around the edges of the garden because paper makes a good shield against invading roots. A paper shield not only works better than plastic or rubber, but it is also less expensive.
Our home vegetable garden was taking shape. We made 4 rows about 8 inches high the entire length of the garden. This design allowed good water runoff and made it relatively easy to weed. We also left an un-rowed patch in the corner about 4 feet by 6 feet for planting onions and garlic.
The Crop Selection
image: home vegetable garden with signAfter this, our garden was ready to plant. We visited the local nursery and purchased three healthy tomato plants, three green pepper plants, and three Yukon potato plants. We also bought a number of packages of seeds for carrots, onions, radishes, beets, and corn. To finish our purchase, we bought some garlic cloves.
We planted the tomatoes about 2 to 3 feet apart, allowing space to blossom. We did the same with the potatoes and the peppers. In one row we planted carrots, and in another we added radishes and beets. In the last row we planted corn, seeding every 8 inches. Finally we added onions and garlic to our little corner and gave the whole garden a good drink.
Your Home Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
Each day we went to visit our precious home vegetable garden with excitement, eagerly searching for new sprouts. Regarding maintenacne, about an hour of daily weeding and pruning kept the garden looking well manicured. A couple of months passed by and before we knew it we had the most beautiful, great tasting, and nutritious vegetables imaginable. We actually surprised ourselves with our first home vegetable garden and along the way, we learned first hand about the joy of gardening!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
If having the space required for an outdoor vegetable garden poses a problem, consider growing your favorite vegetables in containers. Indeed, virtually every vegetable that can be grown in an outdoor garden also can be grown in a container—especially when compact or dwarf varieties are selected.
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
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You may think that in order to grow vegetables you need land or an actual garden plot, but did you know that you can successfully grow vegetables in containers? If your only outdoor living space consists of a balcony or patio outside your apartment or condo, you can still tend a container vegetable garden.
Your outdoor space will need to get some sun or partial sun at least part of the day and with minimal space you can be on your way to homegrown vegetables!
Start with large decorative pots that have good drainage. In addition, and this is important, all the pots you use must have a hole in the underside so that excess water can drain.
For a growing medium consider a synthetic mix rather than a soil. The peat and vermiculite combinations are wonderful for allowing airflow and water as well. They are sterile and have the correct acidity to support healthy plant growth. Another consideration for your container vegetable garden is the fertilizer. When you plant the seedlings you can add a time-release fertilizer that will last the entire growing season.
Choose the plants you wish to harvest and plant them in combination containers to have a novel "salad" arrangement. Some plants that share light and water requirements also make a great combination on your plate! Cucumbers, chives, and tomatoes are one example of a trio that grow well together in a large pot and that also complement one another in a raw salad when harvested.
What Kinds of Vegetables Can I Grow in Containers?
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image: indoor container gardeningThere are many varieties of vegetables that are well suited to the container method of growing. Compact varieties (also known as bush and dwarf varieties), however, are clearly better choices for growing in containers as compared with full-grown varieties that normally are planted outdoors.
Some specific examples are Salad Bush Hybrid Cucumbers, Evergreen Bunching Green Onions, Buttercrunch Leaf Lettuce, Cherry Belle Radishes, and a large choice of tomato varieties including Toy Boy, Pixie, Tiny Tim and Small Fry just to name a few.
From a more general perspective, the following vegetables are great candidates for container gardening: eggplant, radishes, squash, peppers, carrots, bush beans, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and beans. Clearly, the choices you have when planning your container vegetable garden are limited only by your imagination.
The main difference between gardening in a plot of land and gardening in a container is that the containers will require much more frequent watering. For this reason it is a good idea to place the containers near a water source or be prepared to fill a watering can and attend to them your plants daily if necessary.
Moreover, there may be times when the heat of the summer sun dries the soil and plants that were watered in the morning. Under this circumstance, your plants will probably need additional watering later in the day.
Container Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
If space presents a problem, consider growing your favorite vegetables in a container vegetable garden. Not only will be you and your family be eating fresh, nutritious vegetables from your home container vegetable garden, but by growing vegetables in containers, you will add beauty to your deck, balcony windowsill, or patio. In a word, with minimal space and effort, your container vegetable garden will yield delicious and healthy results!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
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You may think that in order to grow vegetables you need land or an actual garden plot, but did you know that you can successfully grow vegetables in containers? If your only outdoor living space consists of a balcony or patio outside your apartment or condo, you can still tend a container vegetable garden.
Your outdoor space will need to get some sun or partial sun at least part of the day and with minimal space you can be on your way to homegrown vegetables!
Start with large decorative pots that have good drainage. In addition, and this is important, all the pots you use must have a hole in the underside so that excess water can drain.
For a growing medium consider a synthetic mix rather than a soil. The peat and vermiculite combinations are wonderful for allowing airflow and water as well. They are sterile and have the correct acidity to support healthy plant growth. Another consideration for your container vegetable garden is the fertilizer. When you plant the seedlings you can add a time-release fertilizer that will last the entire growing season.
Choose the plants you wish to harvest and plant them in combination containers to have a novel "salad" arrangement. Some plants that share light and water requirements also make a great combination on your plate! Cucumbers, chives, and tomatoes are one example of a trio that grow well together in a large pot and that also complement one another in a raw salad when harvested.
What Kinds of Vegetables Can I Grow in Containers?
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: indoor container gardeningThere are many varieties of vegetables that are well suited to the container method of growing. Compact varieties (also known as bush and dwarf varieties), however, are clearly better choices for growing in containers as compared with full-grown varieties that normally are planted outdoors.
Some specific examples are Salad Bush Hybrid Cucumbers, Evergreen Bunching Green Onions, Buttercrunch Leaf Lettuce, Cherry Belle Radishes, and a large choice of tomato varieties including Toy Boy, Pixie, Tiny Tim and Small Fry just to name a few.
From a more general perspective, the following vegetables are great candidates for container gardening: eggplant, radishes, squash, peppers, carrots, bush beans, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and beans. Clearly, the choices you have when planning your container vegetable garden are limited only by your imagination.
The main difference between gardening in a plot of land and gardening in a container is that the containers will require much more frequent watering. For this reason it is a good idea to place the containers near a water source or be prepared to fill a watering can and attend to them your plants daily if necessary.
Moreover, there may be times when the heat of the summer sun dries the soil and plants that were watered in the morning. Under this circumstance, your plants will probably need additional watering later in the day.
Container Vegetable Garden: Conclusion
If space presents a problem, consider growing your favorite vegetables in a container vegetable garden. Not only will be you and your family be eating fresh, nutritious vegetables from your home container vegetable garden, but by growing vegetables in containers, you will add beauty to your deck, balcony windowsill, or patio. In a word, with minimal space and effort, your container vegetable garden will yield delicious and healthy results!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Once you plant your first container herb garden and start using fresh herbs in your cooking you will more likely than not want to venture into additional container herb garden projects.
For ideas on what herbs to grow, consider the foods you prepare most frequently and what spices you will need in the cooking process.
Your First Container Herb Garden
image: woman smelling herbs
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Gardening is such a rewarding hobby. If you live in a small condo or apartment you can reap some of the satisfaction of gardening by creating a container herb garden.
Indeed, you don't need land or a large amount of space for an impressive selection of herbs. You just need a few supplies and a spot indoors or outdoors that gets plenty of sun.
When starting a container herb garden, it is important for you to choose the type of container you would like for the space you have to work with.
For instance, you can select round clay or ceramic pots, cloth-sided soft planters, or window boxes. Be certain that your planters drain well and that they will get adequate sunlight at least part of the day.
Selecting Herbs for Your Container Herb Garden
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For the beginner, planting herb seedlings is the easiest way to start out with your container herb garden. When thinking about which herbs to choose, try to select a mix of herbs you would like to use in your cooking. Some popular choices would be the following:
* Thyme
* Parsley
* Dill
* Epazote
* Lavender
* Oregano
* Sage
* Rosemary
* Basil
* Cilantro
* Mint
* Chives
Soil, Water, and Pest Control
image: herbs in a boxChoose a potting soil mix and fill the pot or window box approximately half way with loosely packed soil. Remove the seedling from its container and with your hands or a small garden shovel create a well to put the seedling in. Repeat this process with all of your herbs. You may wish to mix the herbs in container or keep all of one kind in each separate pot, box, or planter. As you can determine, there are few “hard and fast” rules for a container herb garden.
After covering the seedling herbs with more potting mix, lightly pat the soil down to secure the plantings. Water thoroughly but not too heavily and place the filled container in its location. Remember that small containers will dry out quickly, especially during hot summer days. And when it is image: dill in a containersunny most of the day, you may need to water the herbs more than once a day.
Even though a container herb garden requires minimal maintenance due to the fact that there is rarely any weeding, herbs are not immune from squirrel and other pest attacks. Consequently, you will periodically need to keep an eye on your container herb garden and ward off pests when necessary.
When watering, you may wish to add a light fertilizer to the container herb garden to encourage the flourishing of the leaves. And for some of the herbs such as basil, moreover, you can increase the production of leaves by pinching off the tops from time to time.
Container Herb Gardening: Conclusion
image: growing herbs in a containerWhile the space required for a container herb garden is amazingly small and the effort you will expend is minimal, the satisfaction you reap from the container herb garden, however, is surprisingly large! It is so satisfying to be able to clip fresh herbs on your deck or patio, rinse off the fragrant and potent leaves, and add them to your soups and sauces.
Keep in mind that cooking and gardening are both creative and trial-and-error activities. As you learn more about growing herbs and using them in the cooking process you will begin to experience more satisfaction and fun. This, in turn, will lead to further experimentation and resourcefulness as you plan your next container herb garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
For ideas on what herbs to grow, consider the foods you prepare most frequently and what spices you will need in the cooking process.
Your First Container Herb Garden
image: woman smelling herbs
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Gardening is such a rewarding hobby. If you live in a small condo or apartment you can reap some of the satisfaction of gardening by creating a container herb garden.
Indeed, you don't need land or a large amount of space for an impressive selection of herbs. You just need a few supplies and a spot indoors or outdoors that gets plenty of sun.
When starting a container herb garden, it is important for you to choose the type of container you would like for the space you have to work with.
For instance, you can select round clay or ceramic pots, cloth-sided soft planters, or window boxes. Be certain that your planters drain well and that they will get adequate sunlight at least part of the day.
Selecting Herbs for Your Container Herb Garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
For the beginner, planting herb seedlings is the easiest way to start out with your container herb garden. When thinking about which herbs to choose, try to select a mix of herbs you would like to use in your cooking. Some popular choices would be the following:
* Thyme
* Parsley
* Dill
* Epazote
* Lavender
* Oregano
* Sage
* Rosemary
* Basil
* Cilantro
* Mint
* Chives
Soil, Water, and Pest Control
image: herbs in a boxChoose a potting soil mix and fill the pot or window box approximately half way with loosely packed soil. Remove the seedling from its container and with your hands or a small garden shovel create a well to put the seedling in. Repeat this process with all of your herbs. You may wish to mix the herbs in container or keep all of one kind in each separate pot, box, or planter. As you can determine, there are few “hard and fast” rules for a container herb garden.
After covering the seedling herbs with more potting mix, lightly pat the soil down to secure the plantings. Water thoroughly but not too heavily and place the filled container in its location. Remember that small containers will dry out quickly, especially during hot summer days. And when it is image: dill in a containersunny most of the day, you may need to water the herbs more than once a day.
Even though a container herb garden requires minimal maintenance due to the fact that there is rarely any weeding, herbs are not immune from squirrel and other pest attacks. Consequently, you will periodically need to keep an eye on your container herb garden and ward off pests when necessary.
When watering, you may wish to add a light fertilizer to the container herb garden to encourage the flourishing of the leaves. And for some of the herbs such as basil, moreover, you can increase the production of leaves by pinching off the tops from time to time.
Container Herb Gardening: Conclusion
image: growing herbs in a containerWhile the space required for a container herb garden is amazingly small and the effort you will expend is minimal, the satisfaction you reap from the container herb garden, however, is surprisingly large! It is so satisfying to be able to clip fresh herbs on your deck or patio, rinse off the fragrant and potent leaves, and add them to your soups and sauces.
Keep in mind that cooking and gardening are both creative and trial-and-error activities. As you learn more about growing herbs and using them in the cooking process you will begin to experience more satisfaction and fun. This, in turn, will lead to further experimentation and resourcefulness as you plan your next container herb garden.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
A number of people are turning to a novel way to grow fresh veggies both in season and throughout the year: container gardening vegetables. And what is interesting is that container gardening “works” both indoors and in more traditional outdoor garden settings.
In fact, one of the main reasons for growing vegetables in containers is the ability gardeners have for moving the containers in their gardens or inside their homes, condos, or apartments in order to take advantage of the sunlight that different locations provide.
Options for Container Gardening Vegetables
image: okra in a container garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
People who don't have the space for a large outdoor vegetable garden can still grow some of their own delicious vegetables via container gardening.
For instance, there are numerous options that are available for people who want to grow container gardening vegetables.
In fact, with the increase in the number of people who are doing container gardening, there are even some vegetable varieties developed by seed companies just for this purpose.
Many conventional or dwarf varieties, however, can also be used for vegetable gardening, depending on the vegetables that are selected.
The vegetables that work the best for container gardening vegetables are those that don't have very large or deep root systems. For example, dwarf varieties can work well and so can bush varieties. Not only this, but herbs grow particularly well in containers.
A Great Variety of Container Gardening Vegetables
The following represents some of the vegetables that can be grown in containers, especially if compact varieties are selected:
*
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leaf lettuce
* carrots
* peas
* tomatoes
* beans
* radishes
* cress
* summer squash
* peppers
* green onions
* parsnips
* eggplant
* cabbage
* swiss chard
* cucumbers
* kale
* turnips
* mustard greens
* lettuce
* brussels sprouts
* broccoli
* onions
* spinach
Due to the fact that container gardening is becoming increasingly more popular, it is not surprising that a lot of different resources devoted to container gardening are available online and in print form at various large department stores such as Home Depot and Kmart and at your local garden center.
In short, it is possible to obtain quality information and recommendations that can shed some light on the best varieties of vegetables to grow in containers as well as information that reveals the most optimal container sizes for a person’s container garden.
Sun and Shade and Getting the Needed Supplies
image: fresh container gardening vegetablesWill your vegetables require more sun or more shade? You need to do your homework and know this information before you select your vegetables.
Be sure to pick vegetables that match where you want to place your containers (that is, inside, outside, in the shade, or in the sun) and to group similar vegetables together. Also consider a vegetable’s rate of growth. That is, try to avoid planting slow growing vegetables in the same container with veggies that grow more aggressively.
Once you have decided what types of container gardening vegetables you would like to grow, you need to get the rest of the necessary supplies, including the optimal size and type of containers, the proper type of soil for the containers, and fertilizer, as well as any supports or trellises that might be needed by the plants as they grow. Getting the right materials will make a big difference in the success you will have when growing container gardening vegetables.
Watering Your Container Gardening Vegetables
image: woman adding soil to containerWhen you are growing container gardening vegetables, the care that is required is a little different than the maintenance and care of plants grown in a more traditional garden setting. One of the most important differences, for example, is the fact that plants, flowers, and vegetables grown in containers need to be watered more often because they dry out more quickly due to the smaller size of the containers.
Indeed, some flowers, vegetables, and plants might even need to be watered more than once a day, especially on hot, sunny days. Consequently, be sure to pay attention to the moisture level of your plants, vegetables, and flowers on a daily basis.
On the other hand, you don't want to over water your vegetable, flowers, and plants because this increases the risk that the roots may rot. To help prevent this form of rotting from happening, the containers need to have adequate drainage. In short, regardless of the type and size of the container you select for your vegetable garden, it should have holes at the base of the container that allow for the proper drainage of excess water.
Container Gardening Vegetables: Conclusion
image: fresh vegetables from container gardeningWhy do so many people have container gardens and why do so many of these individuals focus on container gardening vegetables? After all, why would someone want to grow vegetables in containers when they can grow the same veggies in a more traditional garden setting?
Some people simply do not have enough space for a large outdoor garden. Other people such as renters, moreover, may not have any garden space whatsoever. Fortunately, these individuals can actually grow delicious and healthy vegetables inside their homes, condos, or apartments via container gardening.
Indeed, many people are starting to discover that a doorstep, balcony, windowsill, or a patio may be the only space they have for growing various container gardening vegetables in their condo, home, or “apartment garden.”
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
In fact, one of the main reasons for growing vegetables in containers is the ability gardeners have for moving the containers in their gardens or inside their homes, condos, or apartments in order to take advantage of the sunlight that different locations provide.
Options for Container Gardening Vegetables
image: okra in a container garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
People who don't have the space for a large outdoor vegetable garden can still grow some of their own delicious vegetables via container gardening.
For instance, there are numerous options that are available for people who want to grow container gardening vegetables.
In fact, with the increase in the number of people who are doing container gardening, there are even some vegetable varieties developed by seed companies just for this purpose.
Many conventional or dwarf varieties, however, can also be used for vegetable gardening, depending on the vegetables that are selected.
The vegetables that work the best for container gardening vegetables are those that don't have very large or deep root systems. For example, dwarf varieties can work well and so can bush varieties. Not only this, but herbs grow particularly well in containers.
A Great Variety of Container Gardening Vegetables
The following represents some of the vegetables that can be grown in containers, especially if compact varieties are selected:
*
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
leaf lettuce
* carrots
* peas
* tomatoes
* beans
* radishes
* cress
* summer squash
* peppers
* green onions
* parsnips
* eggplant
* cabbage
* swiss chard
* cucumbers
* kale
* turnips
* mustard greens
* lettuce
* brussels sprouts
* broccoli
* onions
* spinach
Due to the fact that container gardening is becoming increasingly more popular, it is not surprising that a lot of different resources devoted to container gardening are available online and in print form at various large department stores such as Home Depot and Kmart and at your local garden center.
In short, it is possible to obtain quality information and recommendations that can shed some light on the best varieties of vegetables to grow in containers as well as information that reveals the most optimal container sizes for a person’s container garden.
Sun and Shade and Getting the Needed Supplies
image: fresh container gardening vegetablesWill your vegetables require more sun or more shade? You need to do your homework and know this information before you select your vegetables.
Be sure to pick vegetables that match where you want to place your containers (that is, inside, outside, in the shade, or in the sun) and to group similar vegetables together. Also consider a vegetable’s rate of growth. That is, try to avoid planting slow growing vegetables in the same container with veggies that grow more aggressively.
Once you have decided what types of container gardening vegetables you would like to grow, you need to get the rest of the necessary supplies, including the optimal size and type of containers, the proper type of soil for the containers, and fertilizer, as well as any supports or trellises that might be needed by the plants as they grow. Getting the right materials will make a big difference in the success you will have when growing container gardening vegetables.
Watering Your Container Gardening Vegetables
image: woman adding soil to containerWhen you are growing container gardening vegetables, the care that is required is a little different than the maintenance and care of plants grown in a more traditional garden setting. One of the most important differences, for example, is the fact that plants, flowers, and vegetables grown in containers need to be watered more often because they dry out more quickly due to the smaller size of the containers.
Indeed, some flowers, vegetables, and plants might even need to be watered more than once a day, especially on hot, sunny days. Consequently, be sure to pay attention to the moisture level of your plants, vegetables, and flowers on a daily basis.
On the other hand, you don't want to over water your vegetable, flowers, and plants because this increases the risk that the roots may rot. To help prevent this form of rotting from happening, the containers need to have adequate drainage. In short, regardless of the type and size of the container you select for your vegetable garden, it should have holes at the base of the container that allow for the proper drainage of excess water.
Container Gardening Vegetables: Conclusion
image: fresh vegetables from container gardeningWhy do so many people have container gardens and why do so many of these individuals focus on container gardening vegetables? After all, why would someone want to grow vegetables in containers when they can grow the same veggies in a more traditional garden setting?
Some people simply do not have enough space for a large outdoor garden. Other people such as renters, moreover, may not have any garden space whatsoever. Fortunately, these individuals can actually grow delicious and healthy vegetables inside their homes, condos, or apartments via container gardening.
Indeed, many people are starting to discover that a doorstep, balcony, windowsill, or a patio may be the only space they have for growing various container gardening vegetables in their condo, home, or “apartment garden.”
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Container gardening is not only more popular than ever, but increasing numbers of people of all lifestyles, ages, and gardening capabilities enjoy this wonderful hobby. In addition to providing the opportunity to bring a part of nature inside the home, container gardening is popular because it offers significantly more flexibility than is provided by traditional outside gardens.
In order for container gardens to thrive, however, quality container gardening soil is a necessity because without healthy soil, plants, flowers, and vegetables simply will not grow.
Container Gardening Soil - Where to Start and What to Do
image: plant growing in garden soil
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Getting your container gardening soil just right can be frustrating. With all the types of soil mixes, compost, and fertilizers that are available, it can be difficult to get the right mix. Here are some tips to get you started.
Let's start with potting soil. Check for the amount of peat in the mix. The more peat it has, then the more clumps you get when your plant dries out. So the trick is to not let your plants dry out too much. You can eliminate this problem altogether, however, by making your own container gardening soil.
Start with half a container of potting soil that contains humus and then fill the other half with an equal mix of builder’s sand, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite. You can also add fertilizer to your homemade mix if you want to.
One important thing to remember about your container gardening soil is to not use any soil from your garden.
Why? Because regardless of how “good” your outside garden soil may be, it is likely that it will fail to provide the correct drainage and, as time goes by, it will become hard and packed down, thus robbing plant roots of much needed oxygen that in turn will reduce the absorption of essential nutrients.
Compost and Fertilizer Can Be Added to Your Container Garden
A lot of people like to add compost to their container gardens. Composts, however, can be good or bad depending on what type you get. Generally, composts are good because they provide nutrients for your container gardening soil.
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image: container garden soilThe downside is that if the type of compost you bought wasn't heated to approximately 150 degrees, you could end up with a container full of weeds. In short, since the high temperature gets rid of weed seeds, you need to check the composts’ temperature and make sure it was heated high enough before you use it. Putting the issue of temperature, aside, once you buy compost make sure to spread a layer on top of your pots or mix it into your soil.
Not unlike composts, many people like to add fertilizer to their container gardens. Liquid fertilizers can work fairly well but you will need to remember to re-fertilize because the liquid forms wash out. To be the most effective liquid fertilizers need to be added after you water your plants.
If you pay close attention to your plants, they will tell you when you need to fertilize again. On the other hand, the directions on the fertilizer package can also give you a good idea of how often you need to add fertilizer to your container garden. Keep in mind, moreover, that organic granular fertilizers are also available.
One of the benefits of going organic is that you can mix the granules in the soil at the beginning of the season and refrain from having to re-fertilize until the next growing season.
One final note about container gardening soil pertains to soil-less mixes. Since these mixes tend to dry out more quickly than regular potting soil, you will need to closely watch the water levels if you decide to use this type of soil. Also, soil-less mixes tend to be lighter as well, so there is a greater chance your pots can blow over if you get strong winds.
The soil in your container garden is so important that it is necessary to periodically check the soil’s moisture. To do this, stick a regular pencil into the soil. For small containers, insert the pencil around two inches and for large containers insert the pencil about four to six inches. If the pencil is dry when you remove it from the soil, your plant needs more water. If, on the other hand, the soil remains on the pencil when it is removed, your soil has enough moisture and is not in need of any more water.
Container Gardening Soil: Conclusion
image: garden soilWhile container gardening is growing in popularity, it needs to be realized that without adequate container gardening soil, flowers, plants, vegetables cannot sustain themselves over time. As a result, it is important to establish a solid growth fostering foundation for your vegetables, plants, and flowers by using soil that is a composition of potting soil, perlite or vermiculite, peat moss, and builder’s sand.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
In order for container gardens to thrive, however, quality container gardening soil is a necessity because without healthy soil, plants, flowers, and vegetables simply will not grow.
Container Gardening Soil - Where to Start and What to Do
image: plant growing in garden soil
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Getting your container gardening soil just right can be frustrating. With all the types of soil mixes, compost, and fertilizers that are available, it can be difficult to get the right mix. Here are some tips to get you started.
Let's start with potting soil. Check for the amount of peat in the mix. The more peat it has, then the more clumps you get when your plant dries out. So the trick is to not let your plants dry out too much. You can eliminate this problem altogether, however, by making your own container gardening soil.
Start with half a container of potting soil that contains humus and then fill the other half with an equal mix of builder’s sand, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite. You can also add fertilizer to your homemade mix if you want to.
One important thing to remember about your container gardening soil is to not use any soil from your garden.
Why? Because regardless of how “good” your outside garden soil may be, it is likely that it will fail to provide the correct drainage and, as time goes by, it will become hard and packed down, thus robbing plant roots of much needed oxygen that in turn will reduce the absorption of essential nutrients.
Compost and Fertilizer Can Be Added to Your Container Garden
A lot of people like to add compost to their container gardens. Composts, however, can be good or bad depending on what type you get. Generally, composts are good because they provide nutrients for your container gardening soil.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: container garden soilThe downside is that if the type of compost you bought wasn't heated to approximately 150 degrees, you could end up with a container full of weeds. In short, since the high temperature gets rid of weed seeds, you need to check the composts’ temperature and make sure it was heated high enough before you use it. Putting the issue of temperature, aside, once you buy compost make sure to spread a layer on top of your pots or mix it into your soil.
Not unlike composts, many people like to add fertilizer to their container gardens. Liquid fertilizers can work fairly well but you will need to remember to re-fertilize because the liquid forms wash out. To be the most effective liquid fertilizers need to be added after you water your plants.
If you pay close attention to your plants, they will tell you when you need to fertilize again. On the other hand, the directions on the fertilizer package can also give you a good idea of how often you need to add fertilizer to your container garden. Keep in mind, moreover, that organic granular fertilizers are also available.
One of the benefits of going organic is that you can mix the granules in the soil at the beginning of the season and refrain from having to re-fertilize until the next growing season.
One final note about container gardening soil pertains to soil-less mixes. Since these mixes tend to dry out more quickly than regular potting soil, you will need to closely watch the water levels if you decide to use this type of soil. Also, soil-less mixes tend to be lighter as well, so there is a greater chance your pots can blow over if you get strong winds.
The soil in your container garden is so important that it is necessary to periodically check the soil’s moisture. To do this, stick a regular pencil into the soil. For small containers, insert the pencil around two inches and for large containers insert the pencil about four to six inches. If the pencil is dry when you remove it from the soil, your plant needs more water. If, on the other hand, the soil remains on the pencil when it is removed, your soil has enough moisture and is not in need of any more water.
Container Gardening Soil: Conclusion
image: garden soilWhile container gardening is growing in popularity, it needs to be realized that without adequate container gardening soil, flowers, plants, vegetables cannot sustain themselves over time. As a result, it is important to establish a solid growth fostering foundation for your vegetables, plants, and flowers by using soil that is a composition of potting soil, perlite or vermiculite, peat moss, and builder’s sand.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
You can almost grow any herb, plant, or flower in a container garden that you would normally plant outdoors. The secret is to use your creativity and come up with some unique ideas for your container garden.
To accomplish this, you will need to do your homework, develop you own original container gardening ideas, get all the tools, plants, and accessories you need, and roll up your sleeves and get busy. Sure, there will be some hard work, but the fruits of your labor will be exhilarating.
Ideas for Container Gardening are Endless
image: patio container garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
If you enjoy gardening but do not have a lot of time or space for a large garden, consider container gardening. It makes no difference if you have forty acres in the country or an apartment terrace in the city, you can participate in this enjoyable pastime.
Container gardening is a popular alternative to traditional methods of gardening and is the perfect solution when space is at a premium. The concept is not new as flowers have been grown in pots and window boxes for years. Gardeners are now including vegetables, strawberry plants, and citrus trees in their container gardens.
Container gardening ideas are limitless. Any container that can hold a plant, water, and enough soil to support it nutritionally can be used. Too much water will cause your plants to rot, so remember that drainage is an important factor.
Sand should be mixed with the potting soil and holes drilled in the bottom of the container to facilitate drainage. Containers made of wrought iron, plastic, alabaster, wood, recycled plastic, concrete, terra cotta, metal, or wire make suitable containers and can be purchased at garden centers anywhere.
The Best Place to Look For Container Gardening Ideas: Your Home
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: three containers in small gardenOne of the best places to look for container gardening ideas is your own home. Look around for unique containers and let your imagination run wild. Take that old pair of work boots or sneakers sitting on the basement steps, fill with potting soil, and add a colorful begonia. This makes an eye catching accent piece on a porch or deck.
Other items that make unique containers are buckets, watering cans, crocks, barrels, and old pots and pans. People have even found uses for old appliances.
Just imagine a wringer washing machines blooming with brightly colored Gerber daisies sitting in your backyard. One of the most unusual container gardening ideas I have ever seen was a bedpan planted with impatiens.
Other ideas for containers include the following: metal pails, a plastic-lined bushel basket, wire frames lined with sphagnum moss, metal window boxes, ceramic pots, hanging planters, a child's red metal wagon, and clay or plastic pots.
Container Gardens: Flowers, Plants, Herbs and Vegetables
The plants used in container gardens can be as varied as the containers. Flowers and houseplants come to mind first when selecting plants, but don't overlook vegetables or strawberry plants. Wouldn't it be great to walk out onto your deck and pick a ripe, home grown tomato to use in your salad? Do you enjoy fresh strawberries but don't have room for a berry patch? Strawberry plants can be raised in specially made terra cotta pots image: loads of containers in gardenor hanging baskets. Choose plants that are as unique as their containers.
Container gardens are not just for the outdoors. Houseplants in attractive containers are perfect for people who spend most of their day indoors and long to bring a bit of nature inside. Do you like to use fresh herbs in your recipes? Grow pots of rosemary, basil, and oregano on your kitchen windowsill to keep you supplied.
Many people would like to add a water feature to their landscape but don't have the space or time for the upkeep. A water container garden is affordable, easy to maintain, and takes up a small amount of space. Wooden half barrels with plastic liners or containers made of clay or plastic are perfect for water gardens. Just add water and plants.
If you need help finding container gardening ideas there are many web sites full of helpful information. And don't forget your local public library for books on container gardening.
Container Gardening Ideas: Conclusion
image: garden container in garden walkwayThe ideas for container gardening are as endless as your imagination. Not only this, but container gardening can be functional as well as pleasing to the senses. For instance, in addition to foliage and flowers, you can also plant vegetables such as peppers, lettuce, peas, squash, tomatoes, and herbs into containers and add a little bit of homegrown, zesty taste to your meals.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
To accomplish this, you will need to do your homework, develop you own original container gardening ideas, get all the tools, plants, and accessories you need, and roll up your sleeves and get busy. Sure, there will be some hard work, but the fruits of your labor will be exhilarating.
Ideas for Container Gardening are Endless
image: patio container garden
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
If you enjoy gardening but do not have a lot of time or space for a large garden, consider container gardening. It makes no difference if you have forty acres in the country or an apartment terrace in the city, you can participate in this enjoyable pastime.
Container gardening is a popular alternative to traditional methods of gardening and is the perfect solution when space is at a premium. The concept is not new as flowers have been grown in pots and window boxes for years. Gardeners are now including vegetables, strawberry plants, and citrus trees in their container gardens.
Container gardening ideas are limitless. Any container that can hold a plant, water, and enough soil to support it nutritionally can be used. Too much water will cause your plants to rot, so remember that drainage is an important factor.
Sand should be mixed with the potting soil and holes drilled in the bottom of the container to facilitate drainage. Containers made of wrought iron, plastic, alabaster, wood, recycled plastic, concrete, terra cotta, metal, or wire make suitable containers and can be purchased at garden centers anywhere.
The Best Place to Look For Container Gardening Ideas: Your Home
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: three containers in small gardenOne of the best places to look for container gardening ideas is your own home. Look around for unique containers and let your imagination run wild. Take that old pair of work boots or sneakers sitting on the basement steps, fill with potting soil, and add a colorful begonia. This makes an eye catching accent piece on a porch or deck.
Other items that make unique containers are buckets, watering cans, crocks, barrels, and old pots and pans. People have even found uses for old appliances.
Just imagine a wringer washing machines blooming with brightly colored Gerber daisies sitting in your backyard. One of the most unusual container gardening ideas I have ever seen was a bedpan planted with impatiens.
Other ideas for containers include the following: metal pails, a plastic-lined bushel basket, wire frames lined with sphagnum moss, metal window boxes, ceramic pots, hanging planters, a child's red metal wagon, and clay or plastic pots.
Container Gardens: Flowers, Plants, Herbs and Vegetables
The plants used in container gardens can be as varied as the containers. Flowers and houseplants come to mind first when selecting plants, but don't overlook vegetables or strawberry plants. Wouldn't it be great to walk out onto your deck and pick a ripe, home grown tomato to use in your salad? Do you enjoy fresh strawberries but don't have room for a berry patch? Strawberry plants can be raised in specially made terra cotta pots image: loads of containers in gardenor hanging baskets. Choose plants that are as unique as their containers.
Container gardens are not just for the outdoors. Houseplants in attractive containers are perfect for people who spend most of their day indoors and long to bring a bit of nature inside. Do you like to use fresh herbs in your recipes? Grow pots of rosemary, basil, and oregano on your kitchen windowsill to keep you supplied.
Many people would like to add a water feature to their landscape but don't have the space or time for the upkeep. A water container garden is affordable, easy to maintain, and takes up a small amount of space. Wooden half barrels with plastic liners or containers made of clay or plastic are perfect for water gardens. Just add water and plants.
If you need help finding container gardening ideas there are many web sites full of helpful information. And don't forget your local public library for books on container gardening.
Container Gardening Ideas: Conclusion
image: garden container in garden walkwayThe ideas for container gardening are as endless as your imagination. Not only this, but container gardening can be functional as well as pleasing to the senses. For instance, in addition to foliage and flowers, you can also plant vegetables such as peppers, lettuce, peas, squash, tomatoes, and herbs into containers and add a little bit of homegrown, zesty taste to your meals.
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
For gardening enthusiasts, container garden ideas can provide the spark that adds something special to their lives. Indeed, container gardens not only let a person experiment with plant and flower combinations and colors, but due to their portability, you can let them “follow the sun” because they can be moved almost anywhere either inside or outside your home.
In fact, while container gardens are an admirable and beautiful indoor enhancement, they are also the perfect complement to a great outdoor garden. So start brainstorming with some container garden ideas so that you can use your green thumb to add something special to your home and to your life.
What are Container Gardens?
There are many types of gardens but for people who have a hard time bending down or kneeling or who for whatever reason cannot spend a lot of time outside, container gardens offer a viable option for gardeners. Simply put, container gardens are gardens planted in containers. In fact, if you have ever planted several plants or flowers in one pot you have planted a container garden.
Container Garden Ideas: The Wide Variety of Containers and Materials
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: garden container in garden walkwayThere is an almost unlimited variety of containers available for your container garden. In fact, containers can range in size from tiny house-plant pots to large planters and boxes.
There is also a great assortment of materials that containers can be made from. Indeed, some of the possibilities include plastic, copper, terra cotta, wood, tin, glass, brass, aluminum, fiberglass, bamboo, clay, and cast iron.
Even though the materials used will have their strengths and weaknesses, what typically goes into the selection process will be the cost, availability, appearance, weight, desirability, and the characteristics of the materials.
Container Garden Ideas Are Almost Endless
If you feel creative, moreover, you can come up with an almost endless number of container garden ideas.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Indeed, you can use all sorts of items from your home that many people either throw away or sell at garage sales. Examples include the following:
* old sinks
* wicker storage baskets
* vases
* empty paint cans
* crocks
* nail kegs
* old iron kitchen pots
* an old wooden toolbox
* frosting cans
* wooden barrels
* wash tubs
* coffee cans
* bathtubs
* jugs
* jelly tubs
* pails
* kettles
* laundry baskets
* olive oil cans
* old wheelbarrows
* wire wastebaskets
* cinder blocks
* rusty wagons
As you can see, the possibilities for container garden ideas are only limited by your imagination!
When setting up your container garden you need to decide what plants, flowers, or vegetables you want in your “garden.” Some container garden considerations include plant type, plant size, amount of sunlight, and watering requirements. Another important decision that affects the garden you will eventually grow is the size of pot or container you are going to use.
An Illustration: A Wine Barrel Container Garden
image: barrel container gardeningFor the purposes of illustration we have decided to use an average size wine barrel for our container garden. If you don’t have a wine barrel at home you may be able to can acquire one at an antique mall or perhaps get one from your local wine vendor.
To lessen the amount of soil that will eventually go in the container, you can put a cement block or a few bricks in the bottom of the barrel. In fact, some people even put crushed aluminum soda cans inside their large planters to take up some room. This will make the container easier to lift due to the fact that it contains less soil.
Continuing with our container garden example, you then need to fill the barrel with soil so that it is approximately 2 inches from the top of the barrel. Getting good soil is important because putting high quality soil in your containers is one of the foundational aspects for creating healthy, thriving container gardens. Ironically, one of the best types of soil is actually “soil-less” in that it contains soil substitutes such as perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss. Such a combination usually provides good drainage while at the same time offers adequate water holding capacity.
Now that you have your barrel full of soil you need to select the plants, vegetables, or flowers you want to populate your garden. Keep in mind that one of the key aspects in the selection process will be based on the type of sunlight the flower, plant, or vegetable requires. If you are using full sun perennials, for instance, you can select a wide variety of flowers such as English Daisies.
English Daisies can be planted in the full sun or partial sun, they prefer very moist soil, and grow better if you periodically remove the dead heads. For our container illustration, we will plant our English Daisies in a circle near the outside perimeter of the barrel.
Continuing with our container garden example, for our next flower we will select the Alyssum Saxatile Compactum, better known as a basket of gold. We will plant these flowers in a circle inside the English Daisies. We selected the basket of gold flowers because they enjoy the same sun patterns as English Daisies and offer a gold color that contrasts nicely with our daisies.
To complete our container garden we will plant a Day Lily in the middle of the barrel. Day Lilies require substantial sunlight and have an orange color that complements the daisies and basket of gold flowers we have already planted.
Time for Additional Container Garden Ideas
Now that you have finished planting the flowers in your “barrel” container garden, all you have to do is to water your flowers periodically and sit back and admire your handiwork. And now that you have created your first container garden, why not do some brainstorming and come up with some new and original container garden ideas!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
In fact, while container gardens are an admirable and beautiful indoor enhancement, they are also the perfect complement to a great outdoor garden. So start brainstorming with some container garden ideas so that you can use your green thumb to add something special to your home and to your life.
What are Container Gardens?
There are many types of gardens but for people who have a hard time bending down or kneeling or who for whatever reason cannot spend a lot of time outside, container gardens offer a viable option for gardeners. Simply put, container gardens are gardens planted in containers. In fact, if you have ever planted several plants or flowers in one pot you have planted a container garden.
Container Garden Ideas: The Wide Variety of Containers and Materials
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: garden container in garden walkwayThere is an almost unlimited variety of containers available for your container garden. In fact, containers can range in size from tiny house-plant pots to large planters and boxes.
There is also a great assortment of materials that containers can be made from. Indeed, some of the possibilities include plastic, copper, terra cotta, wood, tin, glass, brass, aluminum, fiberglass, bamboo, clay, and cast iron.
Even though the materials used will have their strengths and weaknesses, what typically goes into the selection process will be the cost, availability, appearance, weight, desirability, and the characteristics of the materials.
Container Garden Ideas Are Almost Endless
If you feel creative, moreover, you can come up with an almost endless number of container garden ideas.
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Indeed, you can use all sorts of items from your home that many people either throw away or sell at garage sales. Examples include the following:
* old sinks
* wicker storage baskets
* vases
* empty paint cans
* crocks
* nail kegs
* old iron kitchen pots
* an old wooden toolbox
* frosting cans
* wooden barrels
* wash tubs
* coffee cans
* bathtubs
* jugs
* jelly tubs
* pails
* kettles
* laundry baskets
* olive oil cans
* old wheelbarrows
* wire wastebaskets
* cinder blocks
* rusty wagons
As you can see, the possibilities for container garden ideas are only limited by your imagination!
When setting up your container garden you need to decide what plants, flowers, or vegetables you want in your “garden.” Some container garden considerations include plant type, plant size, amount of sunlight, and watering requirements. Another important decision that affects the garden you will eventually grow is the size of pot or container you are going to use.
An Illustration: A Wine Barrel Container Garden
image: barrel container gardeningFor the purposes of illustration we have decided to use an average size wine barrel for our container garden. If you don’t have a wine barrel at home you may be able to can acquire one at an antique mall or perhaps get one from your local wine vendor.
To lessen the amount of soil that will eventually go in the container, you can put a cement block or a few bricks in the bottom of the barrel. In fact, some people even put crushed aluminum soda cans inside their large planters to take up some room. This will make the container easier to lift due to the fact that it contains less soil.
Continuing with our container garden example, you then need to fill the barrel with soil so that it is approximately 2 inches from the top of the barrel. Getting good soil is important because putting high quality soil in your containers is one of the foundational aspects for creating healthy, thriving container gardens. Ironically, one of the best types of soil is actually “soil-less” in that it contains soil substitutes such as perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss. Such a combination usually provides good drainage while at the same time offers adequate water holding capacity.
Now that you have your barrel full of soil you need to select the plants, vegetables, or flowers you want to populate your garden. Keep in mind that one of the key aspects in the selection process will be based on the type of sunlight the flower, plant, or vegetable requires. If you are using full sun perennials, for instance, you can select a wide variety of flowers such as English Daisies.
English Daisies can be planted in the full sun or partial sun, they prefer very moist soil, and grow better if you periodically remove the dead heads. For our container illustration, we will plant our English Daisies in a circle near the outside perimeter of the barrel.
Continuing with our container garden example, for our next flower we will select the Alyssum Saxatile Compactum, better known as a basket of gold. We will plant these flowers in a circle inside the English Daisies. We selected the basket of gold flowers because they enjoy the same sun patterns as English Daisies and offer a gold color that contrasts nicely with our daisies.
To complete our container garden we will plant a Day Lily in the middle of the barrel. Day Lilies require substantial sunlight and have an orange color that complements the daisies and basket of gold flowers we have already planted.
Time for Additional Container Garden Ideas
Now that you have finished planting the flowers in your “barrel” container garden, all you have to do is to water your flowers periodically and sit back and admire your handiwork. And now that you have created your first container garden, why not do some brainstorming and come up with some new and original container garden ideas!
Copyright 2009 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski writes about garden decor, gardening, bronze garden sculptures, water fountains, and outdoor metal sculptures. For more information, please visit http://www.water-fountains-and-garden-decor.com right away!
Do high gas prices, taxes, and the war in Iraq make you depressed? Maybe you can't change the outside world, but you CAN change your own personal world and add meaning and joy to your life with gardening and by adding garden decor accents and accessories to your garden.
With gardening you will discover something very special about working with flowers, plants, and getting your hands in the soil. And you will also discover that you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden accessories, water fountains, garden decor sculptures, vases, planters, birdhouses and bird feeders, and other garden accents that make you happy and that speak to your inner self.
The more meaning you associate with the garden decorations and accents in your yard and lawn the more you can create a special garden sanctuary that will allow you to relax, renew yourself, and feel peace of mind when your life becomes too stressful, tense, or hectic.
Discover How You Can Transform Your Landscape Into a Special Garden Retreat
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: woman gardener with pitch forkChoose lawn and landscape ornaments and garden accessories such as wildlife sculptures, windchimes, or water fountains that remind you of your fondest memories and your happiest moments.
Select lawn decor and accessories and garden accents such as garden fountains, planters, and garden plaques that reveal your true personality. Purchase patio and lawn decor accessories such as outdoor fountains, birdhouses, and vases that will enhance the beauty of the flowers, plants and trees in your garden.
Add more joy to your life with garden decor accents such as water fountains, metal garden decor, and lanterns. Discover how you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden accessories, garden fountains, garden ornaments, and garden decorations.
Place treasured items in your yard that remind you of cherished moments from the past. For instance, whimsical birdhouses can add laughter as well as more meaning to your garden and to your life.
Garden decor is largely what gives your garden its individual character. Many gardens may have similar plants and flowers, but it's garden ornaments and garden decorations such as bird feeders and windchimes that can give your garden your own "personal stamp."
The Importance of Gardens, Gardening, and Garden Decor
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Why are gardens so important to so many people? Who do so many people add garden decor to their gardens? Why do millions of people throughout our country engage in gardening? The following represents a sample of why gardens, ardening, and garden decor are so important to so many people in our country:
*
To reduce stress and anxiety
*
To add their personality or their special signature to their garden
*
To relax
*
To enhance their special garden retreat
*
To create their own personal space
*
To make a difference in their own personal world
*
To help transform their lives
*
To make a more positive difference in the way they live their life
*
To enhance the flowers and plants in the garden
*
To provide more comfort in their garden
*
To remind people of their fondest memories and happiest experiences
*
To enhance the usefulness of the garden
*
To soothe the soul
*
To unwind the mind
*
To involve themselves in healthful outside activity
*
To enhance the look of their garden
*
To get relief from the "rat race"
*
For a sense of individuality
*
To find peace of mind
*
To satisfy the desire for meaning
*
To satisfy the desire for creative expression
*
To satisfy the desire for a connection with the earth
*
To satisfy the desire for finding their place in life
*
To add more life to their garden
*
To add things they like to their garden
*
To add to their garden decor collection
Add More Meaning to Your Life With Gardening and by Adding Garden Decor to Your Yard
image: water fountain by treesimage: Bonsai Gardening SecretsAre you a busy person who loves gardening and who also loves decorative accents, accessories, and ornaments such as water fountains and other landscape decor that can enhance the joy and pleasure you experience in your back yard? If this sounds like you, then you need to go online or offline and select garden decor items that can add something special to your yard and to your garden.
We believe that you owe it to yourself to focus on things that bring joy and happiness to your life. We believe that garden decor ornaments and accessories will make a positive difference in the way you live your life.
As you add decorations and accessories such as water fountains, birdhouses, and sculptures to your garden, you will experience more joy and happiness in your life. Why? Because you are creating your personal space--your garden sanctuary--that is in concert with your innermost dreams and with your most noble goals and aspirations.
Did you know that you can actually reduce tension and increase your ability to relax by adding water fountains or and other lovely decorative accents to your yard, lawn, or garden, or patio? In fact, the more meaning you associate with the decorative items you add to your garden, the more you can create a special garden sanctuary that will allow you to relax, to renew yourself, and to feel peace of mind when life becomes too stressful, tense, and hectic.
Add Joy to your Garden with Outdoor Fountains and Garden Accessories
image: bronze david garden decorWe believe that gardening and garden decor are transformational experiences. That is, gardening and garden decor can add something so special to your life that it changes your life in a positive, energizing, creative, and healthy manner.
We also believe that working in your garden can help you become more centered and connected with the Earth. Moreover, we believe that you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden decor accents and accessories that make you happy and speak to your inner self.
Whether you are looking for garden fountains, landscape decor, sculptures, vases, planters or garden plaques, you can create your secret garden or back yard retreat with these fine decorative accents. Indeed, by purchasing some lovely garden decor accents, garden fountains, lawn and landscape decorations, or sculptures, you will add special meaning and significance to your life!
With gardening you will discover something very special about working with flowers, plants, and getting your hands in the soil. And you will also discover that you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden accessories, water fountains, garden decor sculptures, vases, planters, birdhouses and bird feeders, and other garden accents that make you happy and that speak to your inner self.
The more meaning you associate with the garden decorations and accents in your yard and lawn the more you can create a special garden sanctuary that will allow you to relax, renew yourself, and feel peace of mind when your life becomes too stressful, tense, or hectic.
Discover How You Can Transform Your Landscape Into a Special Garden Retreat
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
image: woman gardener with pitch forkChoose lawn and landscape ornaments and garden accessories such as wildlife sculptures, windchimes, or water fountains that remind you of your fondest memories and your happiest moments.
Select lawn decor and accessories and garden accents such as garden fountains, planters, and garden plaques that reveal your true personality. Purchase patio and lawn decor accessories such as outdoor fountains, birdhouses, and vases that will enhance the beauty of the flowers, plants and trees in your garden.
Add more joy to your life with garden decor accents such as water fountains, metal garden decor, and lanterns. Discover how you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden accessories, garden fountains, garden ornaments, and garden decorations.
Place treasured items in your yard that remind you of cherished moments from the past. For instance, whimsical birdhouses can add laughter as well as more meaning to your garden and to your life.
Garden decor is largely what gives your garden its individual character. Many gardens may have similar plants and flowers, but it's garden ornaments and garden decorations such as bird feeders and windchimes that can give your garden your own "personal stamp."
The Importance of Gardens, Gardening, and Garden Decor
AdsSpy: 23 sites by this AdSense ID
Why are gardens so important to so many people? Who do so many people add garden decor to their gardens? Why do millions of people throughout our country engage in gardening? The following represents a sample of why gardens, ardening, and garden decor are so important to so many people in our country:
*
To reduce stress and anxiety
*
To add their personality or their special signature to their garden
*
To relax
*
To enhance their special garden retreat
*
To create their own personal space
*
To make a difference in their own personal world
*
To help transform their lives
*
To make a more positive difference in the way they live their life
*
To enhance the flowers and plants in the garden
*
To provide more comfort in their garden
*
To remind people of their fondest memories and happiest experiences
*
To enhance the usefulness of the garden
*
To soothe the soul
*
To unwind the mind
*
To involve themselves in healthful outside activity
*
To enhance the look of their garden
*
To get relief from the "rat race"
*
For a sense of individuality
*
To find peace of mind
*
To satisfy the desire for meaning
*
To satisfy the desire for creative expression
*
To satisfy the desire for a connection with the earth
*
To satisfy the desire for finding their place in life
*
To add more life to their garden
*
To add things they like to their garden
*
To add to their garden decor collection
Add More Meaning to Your Life With Gardening and by Adding Garden Decor to Your Yard
image: water fountain by treesimage: Bonsai Gardening SecretsAre you a busy person who loves gardening and who also loves decorative accents, accessories, and ornaments such as water fountains and other landscape decor that can enhance the joy and pleasure you experience in your back yard? If this sounds like you, then you need to go online or offline and select garden decor items that can add something special to your yard and to your garden.
We believe that you owe it to yourself to focus on things that bring joy and happiness to your life. We believe that garden decor ornaments and accessories will make a positive difference in the way you live your life.
As you add decorations and accessories such as water fountains, birdhouses, and sculptures to your garden, you will experience more joy and happiness in your life. Why? Because you are creating your personal space--your garden sanctuary--that is in concert with your innermost dreams and with your most noble goals and aspirations.
Did you know that you can actually reduce tension and increase your ability to relax by adding water fountains or and other lovely decorative accents to your yard, lawn, or garden, or patio? In fact, the more meaning you associate with the decorative items you add to your garden, the more you can create a special garden sanctuary that will allow you to relax, to renew yourself, and to feel peace of mind when life becomes too stressful, tense, and hectic.
Add Joy to your Garden with Outdoor Fountains and Garden Accessories
image: bronze david garden decorWe believe that gardening and garden decor are transformational experiences. That is, gardening and garden decor can add something so special to your life that it changes your life in a positive, energizing, creative, and healthy manner.
We also believe that working in your garden can help you become more centered and connected with the Earth. Moreover, we believe that you can make your special garden retreat even more wonderful and unique by adding garden decor accents and accessories that make you happy and speak to your inner self.
Whether you are looking for garden fountains, landscape decor, sculptures, vases, planters or garden plaques, you can create your secret garden or back yard retreat with these fine decorative accents. Indeed, by purchasing some lovely garden decor accents, garden fountains, lawn and landscape decorations, or sculptures, you will add special meaning and significance to your life!
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