Life Lessons Reinforced by Gardening

Gardening often reinforces life lessons that were learned in school, at work, or from your parents. Here are a few examples:

Stay Flexible

Of course it helps to be physically flexible; but, it's even more important to be mentally flexible to be willing to see things differently, to change plans based on new information, or to reorder priorities as circumstances change.

First Things First

In his hugely popular book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven R. Covey lists putting first things first as a key attribute of effectiveness. Simply stated, putting first things first suggests that we should do what is important vs. what might seem to be urgent.

An Ounce of Prevention

Sure, it's a cliche but a lot of cliche last because there's a lot of truth to them. Gardening offers all kinds of support to the cliche that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Two activities that remind us of this truism are early season spraying of fruit trees and early season mulching of flower and vegetable gardens. Both activities take just a little bit of time, but pay off with big dividends later in the season and prevent a lot of extra mid-season work, as well.
 
Break Big Jobs into Smaller Pieces

We are well aware of the fact that sometimes we procrastinate when facing a big job, especially if the job includes some elements that are less than enjoyable or involve some degree of uncertainty. Big jobs are easier to start, and easier to accomplish, if we break them down into smaller pieces. The fact is that most big jobs can be broken into smaller pieces; and very few big jobs need to be accomplished in one continuous flow of effort. Fall garden clean up can be viewed this way, as a bunch of little jobs not one single task that has to be finished the same day or weekend that it's started. It makes the job much easier, and you will get started much sooner than if committed to doing it all at once.

Life Includes Some Luck

The reality of life, and of gardening, is that there's always some degree of luck involved both good and bad. Volunteers such as unplanted flowers in the vegetable garden - that offer a pleasant surprise are good luck. Weather extremes or a disease or pest, in spite of all of our preventative actions, are sometimes just plain bad luck. In life, as in gardening, we can be grateful for the good luck, and learn from the bad.

Hard Work Often Pays Off

Gardening, like life, isn't always easy. There's certainly some effort required to enjoy the rewards. (For some of us, the effort in gardening IS the reward exercise, being outside, observing the miracles of nature.) For some of us, at least parts of our gardening are work. Building and maintaining good soil takes some effort; but, the reward of having good soil is significant.

Smart Work Almost Always Pays Off

It's often been said work smarter, not harder. For example, building good soil can be hard work but, it doesn't need to be. The smart approach to building good soil is simply to add compost year after year. Of course, heavy clay soil may need to have some sand added as well. But, you don't need to dig out your clay soil and bring in loads of topsoil to replace it. That would be hard not necessarily smart work!

There's Always Something to Learn

In life, as in gardening, we'll never know it all. There will always be things to learn, mysteries to solve, and obstacles to overcome. But this is a great time to be alive and a great time to be a gardener. For one thing, the Internet has made learning a whole lot easier for most of us!

Writer for Mantis and Mantis Owners

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Winter Vegetable Gardening - The Basics For the Beginner

Growing vegetables in the winter is really a matter of harvesting, not so much growing. The idea is to get the vegetables growing during the late summer and then harvest them during the winter by protecting them from exposure to the elements and denying them water. Water in the plant cells is what freezes and kills the plants, so watering must stop as frost starts to set in.

It's necessary to select cold hardy vegetables -- think kohlrabi, broccoli and cabbage -- the cruciferous vegetables. You can't grow or harvest summer vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and squash during the winter.

Winter Vegetables

Some of the most cold hardy vegetables are leek and kale. Many of the Asian greens like Bok Choi are also cold hardy.

Leek is a plant commonly used in soups and stews, and can be substituted for onion in many recipes. This type of plant offers us the stalk for consumption. The white lower portion of the stalk is often sliced across for nice "rounds" in a soup or it can be used much like an onion in stir fried vegetables and the like. Leeks can "winter over" in growing zones 4 and higher if given some protection.

Kale is a green, much like Swiss chard, mustard or turnip greens. We consume the leaves of the plant. It is used in soups, stews and prepared as a steamed green by itself. It's very cold hardy and can withstand frost and winter weather with little or no protection in zones 6 and higher. Given a little protection, Kale will survive in zones 4 during the winter.

I have harvested Bok Choi from my unheated greenhouse after minus 14 F. Lettuce can easily go below freezing, and radishes, turnips, peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are also very cold tolerant.

Protection During the Winter

The basic resources necessary to protect vegetables from winter weather are row covers, garden tunnels, unheated greenhouses and cloches. Many can be made from simple materials.

In milder climates, a single cover is all that's necessary. In colder climates like zones 4 and lower, a double cover is called for. A cold frame with an additional clear plastic cover works very well, but a hoop house or greenhouse type structure will give you much more room to work, and it keeps you out of the winter weather as well.

The clear plastic covering of a garden structure protects plants from the harsh winter winds, and allows for the capture of sunlight to help heat the area where the plants are growing. Don't use raised beds during the winter as they will give up their heat to the surrounding area very quickly.

Cold weather growing and harvesting of vegetables must be done at ground level, so the natural heat from the earth will be trapped by the layers of clear covering. That's one reason why root crops and other close to the ground vegetables are the best selection for winter gardening - they can easily be covered with a row cover or cold frame.

Think of each layer of plastic as a blanket. For cold weather use one blanket, for very cold weather use two.

Harvesting

Most of what you're going to do in the winter is harvest. Planting and growing are for the most part out of the question. You need to save that for spring.

As long as you haven't watered your plants during the winter, they should be in relatively decent shape for harvesting. The key is to allow them to warm up a bit before harvesting. Let them get well above freezing for at least a couple of hours before you attempt to harvest.

This might mean waiting a day or so in between harvests, but if you don't wait until it warms up under those "blankets," you'll be harvesting mush. Let the sun do its job and warm things up for a few hours before you start gathering your crispy crops from that life-size refrigerator.

Clair Schwan is an experienced vegetable gardener year round. See how he accomplishes winter vegetable gardening with his homemade greenhouses. The key is to grow winter vegetables so you're not fighting nature.

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Some Benefits of Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouses are a great place to grow plants. This is because of a number of factors related to the environment in which the plants would normally be exposed to. Plants growing in a greenhouse are placed in a more controlled environment which benefits them in a number of ways.

When radiation from the sun enters into the structure it is absorbed by surface is inside the structure, such as the plants or ground. The air is then warmed up by hot surfaces of the plants and ground. This warmed air cannot escape the structure, but the radiation from the sun continues to enter. Thus the air inside the greenhouse becomes warmer than the outside air. The humidity inside the greenhouse also increases as the moisture given off from the warming surfaces cannot escape outside the structure.

Because of the greenhouse effect that occurs inside the structure, the growing season for the plants is effectively made longer then what it would normally be outside the structure. If managed properly a greenhouse can provide an optimum environment for growing plants. The environment inside the greenhouse will enhance plant growth as the amount of heat and water vapor in the air can be controlled.

A greenhouse can protect delicate plants from extreme weather such as heavy rains and wind. A greenhouse could also protect your plants from hailstones often produced by thunderstorms. Plants are also protected from frost and early season snowfalls if they are placed in a greenhouse.

Using a greenhouse for the purpose of growing a garden has many advantages. Knowing what these are and making proper use of them will only benefit the plants you grow inside your greenhouse.

Best Regards

Building a greenhouse for your garden will require some greenhouse plans. Click "greenhouse plans" to find out more. These plans include PVC piping, lean-to, victorian style and small grow rack style greenhouses.

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Put Your Window Sill To Work For You - Container Gardening

With window sill gardens, the growing season is never over even with back to school and the end of the outdoor gardening season in the Northern tier of the world. But, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of the gardening season altogether. Did you ever hear of a Window Sill Garden?

What to do with that green thumb and taste for fresh and homegrown? No matter where you live, if you have a sunny window or not you have some gardening choices. As long as you have a tabletop, bookshelf, top of a refrigerator, washer or drier or any unused or under used flat surface where you can put a container, you can garden indoors.

I don't have any pots or planters, you say. It doesn't matter. Let's deal with each issue. A sunny window with a wide sill or ledge is ideal, but a small stand, plant stand, book case, ironing board (you have heard of an ironing board haven't you?) or dresser in front of a sunny window will be a great grow spot. Not only that, growing plants indoors adds much needed humidity and cleans air to your indoor winter living quarters. Any container from a coffee can to soup can, glass pickle jar or soda bottle, an old ash tray, dish pan, or boot will be a fine container to use to plant in.

First you will have to decide what you want to plant so that you know what size container you will need. Any number of herbs, leaf lettuce, a tree tomato, and other possibilities are limited only by your space and your container. Herbs are the most natural or popular choice. Parsley, thyme, basil, and rosemary and sage are all delicious additions to your cooking, teas or garnishes.

Next, choose appropriate containers. They do not need to be flower posts, but they do need good drainage. You may have to poke holes in the bottom of a boot, the base of a can or put drainage material in a glass jar to make sure your plants aren't sitting with wet feet. (that's not good for humans, nor plants.) You will want to be able to put some sort of sauce or catch basin under your container for this reason. You can use those foam packing peanuts to put in the bottom of your container to insure good drainage, or small rocks, pieces of broken clay post or just something to keep your container grown plants from soaking in the water. The foam packing peanuts (some are biodegradable) and they make a lightweight base for your planter, where rocks, twigs, or broken clay pots can become heavy to move.

You will want a good indoor potting mix to use for the soil in your plants. Miracle Grow™ is one I highly recommend because it also has timed release fertilizer included, but there are other good ones. Ace Hardware has a brand of their own that is quite good as well. Your budget and your preference are your only considerations. Never use soil from your garden to pot indoor or container plants even outside. The soil is just too heavy, even when filled with organic mulch, to allow for good drainage and root penetration. It often becomes hard packed and not conducive to good root formation. Potted or container grown plants need indoor formulated soil for nutrients and fertilizer compatible to the growing method.

Your seed packet will tell you how deep your seeds need to be planted. A good rule of thumb is the seed should be covered three times the depth of the seed diameter. Tiny herb seeds need the barest of soil covering them. Dampen the soil thoroughly before you sprinkle the seeds on the surface. Then sprinkle dry soil over the top of them. Pat the surface gently to insure good contact with the soil. Cover with clear plastic wrap to retain moisture and place them near a light source. If you don't have a sunny window spot, a grow light designed especially for plants will do the trick.

Once the seeds are up remove the plastic and mist the plants daily until the growth is steady. Start snipping to use when the plants reach a couple of inches in height to encourage bushy compact growth.

If you have a cat, grow her a container of catnip and she'll leave your plants alone.

Drying, using, freezing herbs for use is another topic we will look into in another article. Once you get started, you will see you can grow more than herbs in small winter spaces all year round.

Sources for more information: 

Organic Gardening Magazines
Gurney Seed and Nursery catalogues - reading all about the seeds and their growing needs, the various tips and tricks in gardening catalogs is a valuable and free source of information.

Organic Food Gardening A Beginner's Manual, by Julie Turner
The Edible Balcony by Alex Michell

Billie A Williams, http://www.eatingcheapandhealthy.com began gardening as a youngster under the tutelage of her grandfather on his farm where she spent her summers. Visit the website to sign up for her newsletter.

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3 Best Tips for Home Organic Gardening

People often think that gardening is hard work and not worth the effort for what they receive in vegetables for their family. Could it be that home organic gardening can be fun and easy? By fun and easy I mean there is work to do, but that work can be made a fun project for the family and not a chore that must be done.

Here are three tips to gardening that will help you make your gardening more pleasurable and much easier. Those tips are to use compost for fertilizer, properly prepare the soil and use lots of mulch.

Compost for fertilizer

If you are an organic gardener you will want to use compost. I know you think that maintaining a compost pile is a lot of work, right? It does not have to be. You do not need to have any fancy bins or break your back turning the compost.

I keep my compost in a pile; I try to keep it neat. And, I do not turn my compost pile. Just let it sit until everything breaks down and put it on the garden. Now, you will need more compost to use this system, but to me, that is better than turning the pile. That gets to be work.

Make your pile out of kitchen scraps, yard waste and anything else you can find. I mix in about an inch of compost before planting and scratch a little around the plants as they grow. It really does not take that much compost to grow great veggies.

Soil preparation

If you are starting a new garden bed you will probable need to till the soil to get it loose enough to plant. But, once you get established you do not need to till very often if you are doing everything else right.

Once your garden is established, and you are keeping it well mulched, you can just pull the much back and set your plants or sow your seed. There is no need to run the tiller every time you plant something. This saves a lot of time and labor, plus it helps your soil structure.

Mulching

Mulch can be a life saver. It makes your gardening so much easier and is so much better for your garden. With mulch you do not need to spend a sweaty tiring weekend weeding the garden. Why? There are few weeds. Just walk through the garden, every once-in-awhile, and pull the little weeds as they stick up their heads and that's it.

Your mulch can be a commercial biodegradable material or it can be leaves leftover from the fall. I use straw, as I can find it locally, but you can use most anything organic to smother out the weeds.

Following the above three tips for home organic gardening will help you garden easier with a lot less work and a lot more fun. Get the family involved in the gardening project. Many kids do not know where their food comes from.

If you liked these tips you can get free garden tips in a newsletter by clicking here. A web site on organic gardening can be found at http://solutionsfororganicgardening.com

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Some of the Best Gardening Tips

It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned professional or the most novice of gardeners, you will quickly realize there are many people out there who will offer you their tips on how to plant and care for your garden. No matter what gardening problem you are facing, the solution to that problem is out there. You may even find that there is more than one suitable solution. Of the many gardening tips that you will find, there are a few in particular that stand out.

How to rid household Plants of Pests

A very common problem that many gardeners face is how to deal with pests and insects on their houseplants. You need to take caution here and choose a solution that will get rid of the pest but not harm the plants.

You will need to find a solution that will allow you to deal with the pests safely. One of your first steps should be to remove the insects from the plants. Daily cleaning of the plant will allow you to take physical control of the pests and also give you a chance to monitor the health of your plants to see how well any of your other efforts are working.

One way to clean the plant is to use an insecticidal soap. This process works by smothering or suffocating the insects as it comes in contact with the product. You will need to apply the soap liberally and frequently until you have rid the plant of all pests.

Another common method of ending an insect problem is by simply dusting your plants with a light chemical insecticide. Make sure to review the warnings on the product packaging so you don't accidentally kill your plants. Follow the application instructions carefully.

When to Start Seeding

One of the often overlooked gardening tips by the novice gardener is not paying attention to the proper time to begin seed starting. One thing is for sure, you do not want to begin too early. If you plant too early in the year you risk having your plants killed by a frost. As a rule of thumb it is generally accepted good practice to begin most seedlings in mid-March.

Another technique is to start your plants indoors and then move them outdoors once they are healthy enough to survive outside. This technique involves a bit of math to get the timing just right but basically you will plant your seeds so that you can safely move them outdoors in about 6 weeks. Depending on your plants, this gives you about a week or two for germination and then about a month of growth before you can safely move it outdoors.

These are just a small portion of the thousands of gardening tips that are available. The more you can learn the more plentiful your garden will be. Gardening can be an extremely enjoyable activity when you follow a few basic steps. So if you are interested in gardening and you want to produce some beautiful plants you should try to learn as many gardening tips as you can to give you a garden you will be proud of.

And oh yeah, don't forget to water.

Gardening Reviews.com is a site that shares gardening tips, gardening tools and product reviews and information for the home gardener. Please visit us at [http://www.gardening-reviews.com]

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Gardening in a Small Space

With a lot of people moving back into urban areas, apartments and condominiums, space for gardening has become a top notch commodity. Many people living in the afore mentioned places may only have a small balcony, patio or if really lucky a small patch of yard in which to use to design a garden space. It can be done and can look quite nice too. Sprucing up a small drab area into something vibrant and colorful.

One of the easiest and least expensive ideas are flower boxes. They come in a variety of sizes and forms or if you are handy with a hammer you can build your own to the specifications you desire. With flower boxes you can plant flowers, of course, along with vegetables if you so desire. They are extremely versatile because you can hang them from a window sill, a balcony railing, set them on the ground or put them on an outdoor table top. There are many beautiful flowers you can plant in boxes such as pansies, zinnias, petunias, marigolds and the list is almost endless. There are a wide variety of vegetables you can plant in boxes as well. They include but are not limited to tomatoes, arugula, spinach and lettuce to name a few. All most any herb can be grown successfully in a box as well. Nothing like picking off a sprig of your favorite herb while cooking.

When living in an area where your outdoor space is limited, another route to go is with a vertical garden. These type of gardens are very attractive, especially if you have hanging plants in them. They are relatively inexpensive to build or can be bought at your local home improvement store. You can get/make them in various heights and usually only take up about 2-3 feet of ground space. I have found that ferns and strawberries work well in these types of gardens.

Another place to plant a garden in a limited space is a parkway garden. You know that strip between the sidewalk and the street that no one ever knows what to do with. You can make this type of garden very low maintenance. Plants that would thrive here are unthirsty, not picky about soil conditions, somewhat hearty and have varied bloom times. You can fill this space with wild flowers perhaps and give your yard that free and easy feel.

No matter how big or small your area is that you would like to plant a garden, all you basically need are desire, some dirt, a few seeds, a little water and a whole lot of TLC. A garden can make any area of your yard or patio look so much more inviting. One of the great things about a small garden is you can reap the benefits of flowers, fruits or vegetables with very little effort or invest of time and money. Go sow some seeds and enjoy!

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5 Tips for Gardening and Potting Soil

Here's a little tip upfront. Dispose of coffee grounds in the garden bed. This promotes the growth of plants because the coffee grounds contain useful nitrogen.

When you go to your local garden center or nursery, you may wonder why there is such a variety of different garden soils available. It always comes down to what plants you want to grow and what nutrients are needed to maintain healthy plants.

Tip 1: Humus soil
Humus soil is generally considered one of the most nutritious garden soils. If you want to put your plants in the ground, you should fill your garden with about a half to a foot deep layer of humus soil before putting plants in it. Humus soil is available in garden centers and nurseries, and it is very reasonably priced. Better yet, forest soil humus can be the optimal starting soil for any garden plant.

Tip 2: Traditional garden soil
Traditional garden soil is available in different compositions in garden centers.
The first and foremost distinction:
Typically, the clay content in a multi-purpose or general potting soil is higher than in other soil types. Special potting soils for flowers are particularly for mixed flower beds, and usually contain a humus-rich substrate.
Whichever garden soil you choose, always read the package instructions carefully. Some plant-specific soil mixes, such as for planting Rhododendron, are available in specialty garden centers and at nurseries.

Tip 3: Growing soil
A cultivation soil as pure and germ free as possible should be used when fresh seed is spread in the garden or new seedlings are planted. The advantage of the growing soil is that it is usually mixed with elements of water retaining volcanic ash. This helps to keep the top layer of the ground loose.

Tip 4: Compost soil
Created from rotting garden waste, it is an excellent fertilizer for new plants. You could make your own compost soil yourself if you have a garden allowing some space for a compost area. Compost soil can also contain animal manure, including from cows, pigs and horses. Note that fresh animal manure should never be used as direct fertilizer.

Tip 5: Sandy soil
If you have very heavy soil like clay, add sand or a pre-mixed sandy soil to it. This will allow roots to spread and improve growing of your plants. You can also add charcoal to the mix as this will prevent fungal diseases. Alternatively, if you have a wood burning stove or fireplace, you can use those ashes.

If you like these gardening tips, you will find more great tips and information at the Gardening Palace: http://www.GardeningPalace.com

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Gardening in the Month of September

With the summers receding and the drop in temperatures becoming quite evident as the month of September is approaching, days have become slightly shorter. Though the weather conditions would not have much to add to the ornamental aspect of your garden, there still are many reasons to cheer about.

An ideal harvesting month, it is the most perfect time to pick the perfect raspberries and apples for homemade jams and pies, as you can store those for long during the winter months ahead. This is also the month for you to initiate planting for spring, while enjoying the last few of the summer fruits.

Tips for Sowing and Planting in this Month

• Buy and plant spring flowering bulbs this month and you will love the colours that will bloom in your garden during winters and spring. Get Daffodils, Narcissus, lilies, tulips, crocus and iris. For tulips, it is best to wait till the end of October though. So start planting these now, before it gets too late.


• You also need to begin collecting seeds from annuals and perennials in your garden. Store them in envelopes after cleaning and drying them properly.


• For Christmas flowering, purchase already prepared bulbs and put them in bowls made of bulb planting fibre.


• For a blooming and colourful garden in the following spring, this is the right time to sow seeds of flowering plants and perennial and hardy plants, as it helps form good roots. You can sow seeds of sweet peas, greenhouse and other hardy annuals. Parsley can also be sown to reap crop in early spring. Adding fertiliser is recommended to give your newly-planted trees a great start.

Preparing your Garden for the Upcoming Winter Season

One of the best things about this month is that as it progresses, the need for mowing the garden reduces too. Start clearing your garden to prepare it for the coming months. Dispose the dead plants and shrubs, and dig and add manure to the soil to condition it.

Move plants and shrubs to other suitable areas according to the requirement and also, dig up all the potatoes before they get spoilt due to slug damage. If you have a greenhouse, you can relocate your cacti and other houseplants that have spent the summers outdoors.

Essential Things to Do

• To prevent pests and insects from crawling and destroying the fruit on your fruit trees, September is the month to tie grease bands around the trees.

• Tidy up your garden, trim the evergreen hedges and weed out the plants to give your garden a neat look for winters.

• You'd need to reduce the frequency of watering your houseplants, as the temperatures drop. However, ensure to water your new plants regularly.

• As autumn is approaching next, cover ponds and other open water areas to avoid leaves getting underway.

As evenings will become a bit too cooler for comfort, there would still be a few days before summer officially gets over. Enjoy the time outdoors with the early varieties of apples of the season.

Graeme is writing on behalf of Seeds provider Kings Seeds

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Gardening Tools for You

What makes a house more attractive is not the paint. But the well trimmed grass which grows around the yard and the sight of colorful flowers which beautifully blooms. Some consider plants as their pet; they talk to it, feed it and even spend some time with it. For them having a plant is like having a non talking friend. Not everyone could have a garden and if you are lucky to have one, you should take good care of it. And taking care of it means having the right tools to do the job. There are several tools which you would like to have to maintain a beautiful sight outside your homes:

1. Lawn mower - this is a powerful tool which would definitely make your garden well-maintained. Its blades cut thoroughly into your grass making it evenly cut. It wouldn't take the whole day for you get the job done. With lawn mowers you could easily trim your grass without further hassle.

2. Grass shears - these special kinds of scissors are used to trim the edges of your lawn and cut the grasses which are not cut by lawn mowers.

3. Pruning shears - this type of scissor is used cut and trim your shrubs, and are also strong enough to cut branches of trees in your garden.

4. Spades - this tool is used to remove dirt and help you dig a hole whenever you would like to plant some flowers in your garden. It would easily remove earth and dig a hole for you without getting your fingers dirty. Choosing a best spade is a good investment because it will definitely last for a gardening lifetime.

5. Hand Trowel - this is a perfect tool for digging small holes, mixing soils in a pot, planting container plants and digging out weeds. It should have a rubber grip to maintain a smooth gardening.

6. Rake - this are needed especially if you have tall trees in your garden. It serves its purpose by raking out fallen and dried leaves.

7. Hand cultivators - this hand tool is especially useful in removing small weeds and roughing up the soil for seeding.

8. Sprinklers - of course, every plant needs watering. A sprinkler help your job becomes easy. It automatically waters your lawn and with just the right amount of water. You could both the automatic which is ideal for a wide lawns and a manual which could be used for your hanging and potted plants.

9. Garden gloves - having garden gloves is important, aside from getting your hand getting dirty it would also prevent any finger cutting accident that may occur.

Gardening tools are generally invented to make gardening life easy and fun. So there is really no reason for you to not have one. With the right gardening tools, you could maintain your garden with not much effort and hassles.

If you want to know more about gardening then you should visit this site gardenerezine.

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5 Important Benefits of Gardening Towards a Healthy Well-Being

It is not a secret that gardening has a lot of benefits. It does not only provide nutritious food on the table but it also allows you to have an improved your well-being. This is why more and more people are picking up their gardening tools to plant different kinds of herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers. However, knowledge and patience are just a few among the many elements needed for successful gardening. Most gardeners say that gardening is not an easy task but the fruits are definitely worth all the hard work. Here are some of the many benefits of home gardening.

1. Improve physical health. Gardening is a good form of exercise. Raking, digging, hoeing and carrying garden supplies can be good alternatives for expensive gym workouts or equipment. In a research conducted by the American Council on Exercise, activities related to gardening are proven to build muscles and effectively burn around 300 calories in the human body in an hour. Like almost all exercise routines, gardening also has certain cardiovascular benefits even when done at least 30 minutes a day. It can also lower insulin resistance which could result to metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

Being physically fit affects mental alertness and improves mental abilities. Experts suggest that a good exercise helps in the development of nerve cells in some parts of the brain where learning and memory retention are involved. It also boosts other mental skills such as scheduling, planning and multi-tasking.

2. Heal the mind. There is such a thing called as a "healing garden" which is said to work wonders on special children, Alzheimer's patients and stroke victims. Being one with nature and taking comfort with the familiar sounds, sights, smell and texture of a beautiful garden stimulates a patient's sensory organs in non-conventional ways. In a study done by Roger Ulrich, a professor at Texas A&M University, natural scenes improves stress recovery by stirring up positive feelings or emotions and blocking stressful and negative thoughts.

Gardening helps ease depression, anxiety and stress. Ulrich's research also states that by looking at nature, a person may incur a change in the electrical activity of his brain, respiration, muscle tension and alter emotional states. Thus, stopping and smelling the roses can actually help you have peace of mind and free yourself from stress.

3. Boost nutritional intake. It is most likely that gardeners will eat their vegetables than non-gardeners. Fruits and vegetables are rich with nutrients that the body needs to have a strong immune system. It is also an abundant source of antioxidants which keep the brain healthy and lessen the damages caused by aging. Dark colored veggies such as broccoli, beets, red, eggplant, bell pepper and spinach have high levels of antioxidants.

4. Self expression. Gardening is also considered as a form of art which can be used as an effective means of expressing yourself. Being able to express yourself improves your wellbeing. A garden can be used as an extension of your personality and thus, tells so much about you.

5. Develop good traits. Gardening helps you develop some valuable traits such as maturity and care for other living things. Furthermore, as you nurture your plants, you grow more attached to nature and develop a sense of responsibility to take care and preserve the environment. These traits can also be passed to your children as they see how much you value your garden and the importance of growing plants in your own backyard.

To find the best bloom enhancers for your garden and best nutrients for flowering, visit the CX Hydroponics website at: http://www.cxhydroponics.net/products/head-masta

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Pet-Safe Gardening

With Memorial Day just around the corner, many of us are fishing our trowels and gloves out of the sheds and heading into the backyard for some serious (or not-so-serious) gardening. If you're gardening with your pet this year, we have some great ideas to help keep them safe and your garden intact. When tending to last year's garden or establishing a brand new plot, keep these ideas in mind to make the best of a great summer's harvest and quality time with your pets.

Be Careful with Chemicals: Fertilizers and pesticides are dangerous to people as well as pets, but what makes them so dangerous for our four-legged friends is that they can't protect themselves against the chemicals' effects. Pets can come in contact with dangerous garden chemicals through their skin, their paws, and through their airways. Their respiratory systems work much more quickly than ours, so our pets will begin to feel the ill effects of these chemicals long before we even begin to realize we may be using too much. The best way to keep your pets safe and your gardens lush is to choose pet-safe chemicals. Look for veterinarian- or EPA-certified fertilizers and remember that even plant-safe organics can pose a hazard to our pets. Choose from these 3 options when possible: grass compost (recycled lawn clippings can make for a nutrient-rich garden fertilizer), calcium (egg shells can be blended into a powder and applied for a vitamin-rich fertilizer great for both plants and soil), humic acid (a combination of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium that is great for your soil and harmless to your pets).

Outdoor Summer Safety: Spending long hours under the hot summer sun is a concern for all of us, and gardening with your pet is no exception. Just as you should wear proper sunblock and light clothing, drink plenty of water, and take breaks when you need to, your pets will need to be properly protected as well. Take special consideration with a planned shady spot, setting up an outdoor umbrella for your pet to relax under if your space doesn't have natural shade, and be sure to have a bowl of cool water easily accessible. Remember that they need more rest breaks than you do, so be sure to coax them back inside more often than you would need to rest.

Keeping Pets Safe from Plants: When planting a garden in a pet-accessible location, keep your pets' curiosity in mind. Even the best-behaved pet may not be able to keep his curiosity at bay and may try to sneak a nibble of a plant at nose-level. Unfortunately, several species of common garden plants are toxic to both dogs and cats, including all daffodils, apple blossoms, English ivy, dahlias, hibiscus, all varieties of lilies, geraniums, irises, etc. If you are planning a garden that includes toxic plants, be sure to keep it inaccessible to your pets and if you plan to bring cuttings of toxic flowers into the house, remember to keep them away from curious critters. For a full list of plants that are toxic to both cats and dogs, take a look at the list compiled by the ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants

Keeping Plants Safe from Pets: A gardener's worst nightmare might be to design and establish a beautiful, healthy garden only to find one day that her beloved pet has spent the afternoon playing in, digging in, lying on, or otherwise making an absolute mess of her prized plants. Luckily, you have several options to help keep your pets and plants safe. Mainly, pets need to know their place in your garden. Are there special areas they are allowed to roam around in or is the entire garden off-limits, for instance? Training your pets every time you both head out to work in the garden is a great way to ensure that they understand where "their" areas are and where they aren't allowed. A great way to do this is to make gardening interactive. Dogs in particular will want to play and explore with you and will quickly grow restless if you're paying more attention to your plants than your pups. To help them feel more at ease, you might have a special stash of toys that your dogs only get to play with in the garden. These should mostly be solo toys that dogs can use to occupy themselves while you're busy, but you can also include a few toys that you can throw or play with as well. Again, these should be garden-only toys to help your pup realize that gardening is a special time for you both and that there are special toys available only during this time. Most importantly, this discourages your dogs from using your plants as playthings.

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Gardening For All Seasons

For some, gardening is just a hobby to pass the spare time on their hands and yet to others, spending time in the garden is the ideal way to creatively use the space in and around their homes to achieve good decor, while at the same time achieving other benefits.

These can take various forms, with some people opting to use their garden to just grow flowers and shrubs or using rockery plants. Others use their garden space as a source for organic foods by planting vegetables, fruit bushes or trees.

Planning your planting and which plants to use can extend your growing season and ensure that you can have vegetables and some fruits to enjoy even outside the normal cropping season. This is where a good greenhouse or a polly-tunnel can be of great benefit.

A home garden gives you the opportunity to experiment, and in the process reap (if you pardon the pun) a host of benefits. Imagine the nice scent of roses wafting into the house with the breeze; imagine the melodious chirp of little songbirds or the sight of bees pollinating your flowers. Better yet, imagine the convenience and cost saving of picking your very own fresh fruit and vegetables for your meals!

There is no denying the joy gardening can bring to you and your guests alike. Take joy and pride as you share and tell your friends what you have just grown.

However, there are challenges like the changing of seasons and countless pests or diseases that can interfere with your garden from time to time. A common mistake among gardeners is choosing the wrong types of plants to ensure your garden flourishes all year long!

Plant choice-
This is a decision, that if you get it wrong, it can make or break your garden. Are the plants you are aiming for suited to the soil type in your garden? Are they adaptable to the weather around your house? Choose a range of plants that flower early, mid and late season, and the same with vegetables. Some vegetables benefit from a good frost, like brussel sprouts for example.

Garden type-
If you opt for a big or long garden design, you should be sure you have ample gardening time and skills to manage it otherwise it could have a negative effect when some parts of your garden don't get enough attention. This is why a bit of planning will help to spread you workload out over the year, having an even call on your time and energy levels! Make use of cold frames or greenhouses to work when the weather is against you. You can prepare so much in advance.

Space available-
Some plants and flowers will need proper spacing for them to thrive and grow to desired height. Others will thrive best if mixed with other plant species in the same garden.

Protection-
Gardens are susceptible to attacks by birds, rabbits, rodents and many other pests, all of which can irreparably damage your garden. Traps and pesticides come in handy when dealing with these intruders. Like any living organism, the plants that make up your garden are susceptible to diseases which you can prevent with the right products. Be sure you know the ones that are safe for your garden in particular.

These are just some of the considerations that you need to make to ensure the hard work you put into your garden does no go to waste. However even the most experienced gardener is at the risk of making costly errors in the course of their garden care activities.

If you want to make the properly informed decisions to TRULY save time, money and effort, you can do so here: [http://www.usefulgardeninfo.com]

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Benefits of Gardening: Healing the Mind and Body

Gardening is one of the many small pleasures many people, especially those who live in the suburbs, can indulge in. Gardens not only beautify the environment but also help people in so many different ways. Having a garden of you own is a great thing to have in any home. It gives you a space to relax and ease your mind while at the same time provide a space to simulate your senses.

There are many benefits of gardening that one can get out of this simple task or hobby. Mentally and physically - both can benefit well from gardening. Here are some of the benefits people can get out of gardening.

It Helps Fight Depression
Gardens have that special vibe that uplifts the mood of any person. It has actually been a prescribed activity of many psychologists and psychiatrists to many patients to help them overcome depression, anxiety and stress. Gardens have the healing effect on people and with constant exposure to such, people feel less stressed and actually feel better. This is one of the many benefits of gardening that people can get. If you are fighting some form of depression - mild or severe - do some gardening stuff and you'll be surprised at how much better and happier you'll feel over time.

It can be a form of Exercise
Exercise is also one of the many benefits of gardening. The positive effects of exercise to our bodies are undeniable. But many of us hardly have the motivation to do so because of the muscle fatigue and the feeling of soreness after some time of working out. Other people get bored with exercising because it is not something that they want to do but they have to do in order to stay fit and healthy. If you find yourself bored and undetermined to exercise, try gardening instead. The constant motion and activity to plant, arrange and dig earth are all forms of physical activity that can be considered as exercise. It has less monotonous movements and more appealing than other forms of exercise as you see results in not just your body but in your garden as well.

Reducing Stress
One of the many undeniable benefits of gardening is reducing stress. It has been common knowledge ever since that some form of greenery can uplift the spirit and reduce any stress. It helps ease your mind and provide a sense of tranquility you won't get elsewhere. In gardening, you engage yourself in an activity that can take your mind off your stressors and give you something more beguiling to focus on. And when you see great results after, it gives a sense of fulfillment that can reduce stress levels as well.

Heals the Mind
Aside from fighting depression and reducing stress, one of the many benefits of gardening is to heal the mind. The different sensory stimulants found in a garden stimulate people with all sorts of mental illnesses. It helps them heal their mind.

The benefits of gardening are irrefutable. It is an activity that anyone can engage in - not just the elderly. You can find peace and serenity with gardening.

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Gardening Safety Tips

Many people enjoy gardening as a daily pastime, especially in the spring. There are even some people who take their gardens very seriously, and enter them into expert gardening contests! However, most gardeners are either newbies or seasoned green thumbs who just enjoy making their flower beds look lovely and presentable. Whatever your interest in planting flowers and plants, you should take steps to be safe in the garden.

Stay Cool in the Heat
One of the worst things that can happen while you are gardening is that you can get dehydrated. Being outside in the heat can sap your energy and hydration level pretty fast, so be sure to keep a cup of ice water in the shade nearby, and take breaks often. Make sure you rest in a shaded area so you do not get sunburned while you are inactive. And speaking of sunburns...

Use Sunscreen
The sun can get hot and cause your skin some major damage if you do not protect it with some sunscreen. Check the sun protection factor (or SPF) level on your sunscreen and make sure it is at least SPF 15 or higher. You also must remember to reapply it every hour or two, because even if the SPF level is high, you will sweat it off depending on how long you are outside. Keep in mind that the sun's rays can get to you every day, even (and especially) when it is cloudy. Another thing you should use to help protect you from the sun is a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, if necessary.

Protect Yourself from Bugs
Keeping your skin safe from bugs that like to suck your blood is important while you are out in the garden. Be sure to wear breathable pants tucked into your socks and lightweight long sleeved shirts. There are even some types of clothing that come with insect repellent built in, so you might want to consider investing in those. Use bug repellent; the best ones contain a product called DEET.

Take Care in Lifting Heavy Objects
If you must lift a heavy object like a rock or some heavy equipment, be sure to bend at the knees. Do not use your back to lift, as this can cause major back strain. Lower yourself down on your heels, bending your knees as you go down, and use the strength in your legs to lift.

Keep Your Tools in Working Order
Take care of your gardening tools, and keep them in working order. Sharpen your pruning shears, because dull shears are actually more of a hazard than sharp ones. Check all your tools and make sure they are not rusting or falling apart.

Be Careful With Pesticides
If you use pesticides in your garden, make sure you wear proper protective gear before using it on your plants. You can end up inhaling some chemicals that can cause major health problems. Also make sure to avoid working with dangerous chemicals, like pesticides, on windy days. The wind can spread these chemicals far and really make someone sick; surely you do not want to be held responsible for that!

Lisa Andrews
Valentine's Day Flower Delivery
Safety Tips for Active Gardeners

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Tips For Planting And Gardening The Easy Way

With how busy most people find that they tend to be in life, one of the most valuable things anyone can do is find something that helps them to relax and to feel calmed by the course of their life; of course, there are different things that fill these qualifications for different people, but the simple truth is, most people have no idea what the things are that will effectively enable them to relax and feel as though they are getting the most out of life - and if you have found that this is the case for you, it will help you a great deal to find something with which you can fill your time to help you relax.

If you are in this position, where you are looking for something that will help you feel as though you are getting the most out of life, and have thus far failed in your efforts, one thing you should consider taking a look at is gardening; of course, some people see the word "gardening" and automatically assume it is not for them, but when you take a closer look at gardening, you may discover that this is not actually the case at all!
When it comes to gardening, one of the biggest benefits is that it will allow you to get outside for a bit, and until you start doing this and start enjoying this time outdoors, you will probably not have realized just how valuable this can be; a couple of the most important things for the human body are sunlight and fresh air, and because so many people spend such a huge chunk of their lives indoors, they end up with a huge shortage of these two important things, and this can be quickly remedied by some time in the garden.

Furthermore, gardening can be a relaxing endeavor in and of itself, as it will give you an opportunity to get outside where things are quiet and where you can be alone; a lot of people do not quite realize just how important a bit of solitude is, but the truth is, most people find that this is a great way for them to recharge, and to head into the next day with a lot more energy than they were used to having before.

And of course, by getting into gardening, you will have a yard that looks a lot more beautiful than it has ever looked before, which will cause your yard to feel a whole lot more relaxing, and will give you a yard you can be proud to show off to others - even throwing such things as garden parties that will give you a chance to see and keep up with the people you probably do not see often enough - and will allow you to really show off this garden you have put so much hard work into.

If you are interested in gardening already, or if you are simply getting started out taking a look at gardening and figuring out if it is a good hobby for you, a great website to look at is http://www.plantingandgardening.com, as this site is full of awesome information regarding planting and gardening; in fact, http://www.plantingandgardening.com even has plenty of great information on topics ranging from interior decorating to garden parties, which will help you to really put your life together in a more comprehensive manner than ever before!
Create a beautiful garden!

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Gardening on a Budget: Starting a Lovely Garden With Less Expenses

A lot of my readers feel that gardening may just be some distant dream they have that will never come true. I sometimes receive correspondence asking for advice on how to get started, without all the cost associated with hiring a landscape designer. I reckon therefore that we should be talking about gardening on a budget.

Many believe that gardening can cost a lot of money. If you want a lavish lawn of beautiful flowers or produce, you have to spend a lot, or so somebody who's either lazy or trying to sell you something might have you believe. However, take it from me, it doesn't really have to cost that much! You can always start a little project with little money while gardening on a budget! Just follow these simple tips:

Biting Off Only What You Can Chew. The key to gardening on a budget is gauging exactly what you can handle. You don't want a lot of your supplies to go to waste simply because you find that you no longer have a need for them. Before starting out, determine exactly how much you're willing to dedicate to this project.

Starting Out Small. The next tip is to start out small. The trick is to just get a few seedlings and care for them in a manageable garden. If you only have a few plants to tend to, your time and wallet will not be significantly impacted.

Keeping Track of What You Have. The next step is to be aware of what you already have in your supplies. It pays to list down all the fertilizers, insect repellents, pots and other supplies that you already have. A lot of new gardeners make the mistake of overstocking things because they thought that they were already running out. A little trick that I do: I keep a list of my supplies on a corkboard and a whiteboard right in front of my storage and another next to my refrigerator where I keep my grocery list as well. As I list down what I have, I keep track of what I am spending and what I still have a lot of. Keep up-to-date and accurate records as you would for any budget.

Listing What You Need. Now that you have a record of your supplies, after running out, make a list of the things you need. After making the list, check and recheck your supplies to see whether or not you are actually running out.

"Scheduling" Supplies. And lastly, make a habit of scheduling the use of your supplies. Have a planned schedule for applying fertilizers and repellents and make a habit out of it. By doing this, you will have a better handle on your inventory and how it's used. This way, you can spend and conserve accordingly.

Gardening does not need to be expensive. Just follow these few simple steps to spend less and get more green out of life!

Lisa Van Til is a dedicated gardener from Michigan. She enjoys gardening and exchanging tips and techniques with her fellow gardeners. She is a Bestselling Author on Amazon thanks to her series of Little Gardening Guides. For more information and samples of her guides, please visit http://www.lisavantil.com

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6 Common Tools Used in Gardening Space [Infographic]

P & M Gonzalez Landscaping, New Jersey

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