Guest Post by Rich Brinkley

It’s no secret that a garden takes a lot of time and effort. At the end of the day you want to sit back and look at how beautiful your garden is and look at how your hard work paid off, not laying in bed sore and reaching for the pain killers. The best option for longevity and safety while gardening is using ergonomically designed garden tools.

Ergonomically designed tools are specifically designed to distribute pressure in natural patterns which reduces the amount of pressure applied to one specific area. Not only does an ergonomic tool design distribute pressures, but many designs aim at keeping the hands and feet in the most natural position and form as possible. Up to this point, the idea of ergonomic tools sounds great, but why don’t more people have them?

The fact is many stores, even the ones that have designated home and garden sections, simply do not carry ergonomic gardening tools. Sure they may sell a small hand shovel with a “sponge” grip, but that’s the most basic form of ergonomics and they really aren’t that durable.

I can’t quite tell you the reason why many stores sell the “basic” ergonomic designs or the standard non-ergo designs and not the tools that have made a name for themselves and are proven to enhance your gardening pleasure. Perhaps profits are the bottom line. In any event, your best bet at finding the top of the line ergo designs that have millions of dollars of research into them is online.

Ergonomics For Specific Conditions

There has been an influx of ergonomically designed tools as of late for people who have specific health concerns such as a bad back, arthritis, bad knees and other ailments. The truth is, these tools may cost a bit more (we aren’t talking big bucks here), but they really are worth the investment.

Tools For Gardeners With Arthritis

Gardeners who have severe arthritis can actually get tools that are designed to fit into a special holder that allows the user to use their whole arm and shoulder to move the tool, rather than just the wrist alone.

An automatic hose reel is by far one of the best options for gardeners with arthritis. Winding up a hose can be quite hard on the hands and arms, especially when you have to deal with kinking and coiling the garden hose up to but back into storage. Automatic hose reels are either water or electricity powered. Many of the electric models feature a foot pedal in which you simply press down on with your foot and the hose automatically rewinds.

One product I had seen on the internet just a few days ago was a pair of garden sheers. The main change on them from standard grass sheers is that the handles are extra long. This is great for people who may have knee or back problems and can’t really bend down. The handles are long enough so that you can actually stay in the upright position and do all of your sheering work!

If you have chronic pain or another type of ailment such as arthritis, back pain or knee pain, you should really look into getting the tools that will help you garden without pain. It is a lot easier to find these specialized ergonomic tools on the internet rather than in the corner home department store.

Guest Post by: Maire

While many people don’t start their lawn and garden maintenance, redesign and care until it really starts warming up, getting a head start can really save you a lot of time and energy. Get ready for spring with these easy steps that can get your lawn in better condition than it was last season.

Clean, Clean, Clean

Clean your yard of debris that will have gathered through winter, get the leaves and twigs out of the garden, and clean off those pavers and stepping stones. A good Dewalt radio playing can make the time slip away while you’re doing this. Once the stones are clean and the garden’s all tidy, then you can move on to the stuff that is going to make your landscape be the envy of the entire neighbourhood.

Get the Snow Under Control

If you live in an area of heavy snowfall or just get some from time to time, you’re going to need to address the snow issues before spring sets in. When soil starts to thaw but there is still snow about, it can lead to disease. Plant disease can affect the lawn and the garden, so you’ll need to spread that snow around to help it melt. Make a nice even layer of snow on warm days so that it melts quickly without harm to the plants underground or your lawn.

Get Tools Ready

Examine tools you haven’t used since last spring. If they are broken or dishevelled, you’re going to need to replace them. The earlier the better, too. That way on those rare days before spring when you can work some in the garden and lawn, you have workable tools to do so. Go ahead and sharpen your pruners and mower blades and get that weed trimmer restrung. This is a great time to do all this so that your spring can be focused on better things. Don’t have your only day off be spent cleaning and getting the lawn tools ready when you could be actually working on the lawn. Spring should be for going forward, not for this type of maintenance.

Spring can be a great time when you are ahead of the game and getting an envy-worthy landscape. On the other hand, it can be a time when you’re frustrated and working twice as hard to get things going. With these simple tips, you can choose to be working smarter instead of working harder.

Maire enjoys decorating inside and out. She blogs on the behalf of Sears and other quality garden products.

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When Jenny and I bought the home we have today here in Moncton it was before we had actually started gardening other than container gardening.

Our first year here we raked up the leaves that blew into our backyard from a big old maple tree in our neighbour’s yard.  By the time the raking was done, more than once actually, we had about 10 or 12 big green garbage bags full of fall leaves.

Not really knowing any better yetIn the past we would put the bags of leaves at the curb for pick up and they would haul them to the dump. What a waste of time and resources but we weren’t yet aware of composting and like I said hadn’t started gardening.

The second year we were living here we used the leaves in our compost bin. I also buried a lot of the leaves under our fist little garden. We even ran the lawn more over the lawn after the second wind storm and then left those leaves there. That was actually are suggestion we heard locally on the radio and gave it a try.

We are happy to say that not a single bag of leaves went to the curb that year.

We have a couple of raised beds in our backyard. I love sitting here in my home office and admiring them. It so relaxes my mind.

Using Fall Leaves As Raised Bed Winter Cover

I was planning to get some bails of straw from our local Co-op but at the last minute decided to use some of those bags of leaves as cover instead. I put at least 2 bags on each raised bed and I think it will do just fine.

Using Fall Leaves To Cover Our Raised Beds

Now they have a covering of snow and I am sure I heard the clematis and strawberry plants we grow in them say thank you and after that I just heard snoring but that could have been Jenny.

Shhhh… our Clematis are sleeping

Now if the snow happens to disappear again the strawberries and clematis won’t be freezing their nodes off. And once the winter chill has passed and it’s Spring once again we should be able to add the remaining leftover leaves into our compost bin.

It sure beats raking them up, bagging them and then putting them to the curb when they can be recycled right here in our own yard.

Give your flowers the right amounts of water and sunshine and you stand to have gorgeous blossoms, all summer long. However to make them even more vibrant they require some fertilizer.

When I first started using fertilizers I had no idea how to use them for specific plants. It was quite a challenge as I have multiple varieties of plants growing in our home garden areas. It turns out that one kind of fertilizer isn’t always what your plants need.

Hopefully you have a concern about our environment and the future of our children and have made the choice to go green with organic gardening, like we have chosen to do and will go with all natural fertilizers. Natural fertilizers are made using all-natural components like fish emulsion or even chicken droppings. Wish they were around collecting that chicken poop when I was kid as it was sure hard on the nose and eyes.

As a guy I don’t always read instructions, it’s not always gone well. It’s no different when using fertilizers, you have to get the right stuff for the task at hand. I kind of over did it a few times and my plants suffered for it. So pay close attention to what it says on the package, even if it’s natural too much isn’t a good thing.

What you’re looking for in fertilizer is usually nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Each provides specific requirement for your flowers and plants. But how much to use, well that’s on the package as well and is why it’s important to read them. What does each provide for the plant?

1. Potassium assists the plant grow a wholesome root growth.
2. Nitrogen assists in the growth of healthy leaves and stalk and is good for young plants.
3. Phosphorous will promote gorgeous, large blossoms. You can use fertilizer higher in phosphorous just before the plant begins to bloom and all during the blooming season.

Fertilizers come in liquid form or granular form based on the needs or requirements you have.

Usually the liquid fertilizer needs to be used every couple of weeks. This is because the liquid will tend to dissipate quickly and won’t last as long as the granular fertilizer will. It will dissolve over time and may only be needed once a month.

There is a lot of competition in the garden fertilizer industry so your likely to find a lot to choose from so I would suggest you hit your local nursery where you will be able to ask questions before making a purchase.

If you don’t have a local nursery you may have to go further or do what I do and that’s to check online. Also if I can’t find anything locally I head to Amazon, so take a few minutes and head over to check out Garden Fertilizers on Amazon.

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Jenny and I were more than a bit intimidated when we first started gardening but at the same time so stoked  as beginner gardeners.

I can remember worry that I was planting my plants in our veggie garden like dad use to do and he’s not around to ask question to any more.

A few starter plants didn’t make it into the garden in the best of shape, after trying to extract them from their starter post, our first time around. Well the good things is I didn’t kill anything in the process and eventually my thumb started turning green.

I wasn’t actually sure how deep to plant each plant and remember re-digging holes more than once before accepting the depth and planting the poor things. Maybe we got them a little too deep or shallow but they survived and we learned as we went.

Even though we learned a lot by trial and error we also had help from online readers and friends. I have listed a few things that will help you get past those initial fears of planting plants correctly in your gardens.

1. Now Where Should I Put These Plants

Our first blunder has to be digging our vegetable garden where it was going to be shaded until about noon every day. Where the heck was my brain. I think I remember enjoying the shade while I was digging it up. DUH!!

Fortunately the trees along our east property fence are our trees. We plan to remove the trees that are blocking the garden. We would move the garden but really it’s the only place in our backyard that has the space for our garden. So glad we have control over those trees, as they are getting bigger every year.

To make it even tougher that section of our backyard is also the lowest in the yard and hold water enough we get ducks landing in our yard come spring. I have put a lot of work into drainage for our veggie garden but any new gardens are going to be raised bed gardens because my back hurts.

2. How Deep And Wide For Starter Plant Planting

Even though Jenny and I both had gardens while we were growing up we didn’t actually create or maintain them. Yeah we had to do some weeding but that wasn’t our issue when we first started vegetable gardening. We were just a bit intimidated but not enough to give up.

I work from home here in Moncton and use the Internet to make money online so when I’m stumped I head to my office and check online for answers.

I seemed to worry a bit about digging holes to transplant potted starter plants. Was the hole to small, too wide, too deep, was it not round enough. Okay that last one was an exaggeration but you get my point.

The thing is it was pretty simple to just plant it to the same depth as the container but I figured it had to be tougher than that, but it wasn’t. Gotta stop second guessing myself.

I have learned that when transplanting tomatoes I can plant them a little deeper and put dirt up the stalk a bit to help grow bigger root systems for healthier tomatoes.

3. From The Container And Into The Ground

Okay this one was pretty simple but of course I had to be in a rush to get my garden in so I could start watching it grow. This led to a few starter plants being partly destroyed getting them out of those little containers.

Once I learned I could just squeeze the size a little to loosen the roots a bit and then I turned them upside down with the stalk between two finger for support and slowly pulled them out of the container.

4. Getting Your Plants Finally Planted

Once I have the plant root ball safely out of the container I gently spread the roots out without breaking them if at all possible. This will help them to spread out through the earth easier after being balled up in a tiny pot.

I like dig the hole a little deeper and put a small pile of dirt in the middle to drape the roots over to keep them spread out as I fill in the dirt around the plant. I also try to push the dirt into all the spaces so there are no air pockets.

6. Caring For Your Plant After Planting

Excellent, now you can transplant plants with confidence but you’re not quite finished yet. Your plant may go into shock before the roots can get established so you need to give your plant a good watering, allow it to drain well and repeat.

Happy home gardening and do share your experiences with our reader through commenting below.

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Guest Post by: Liz

One certainly doesn’t have to be in Italy to enjoy fresh Italian herbs and vegetables during the summer months. The secret to much of Italian cooking is the strong emphasis on fresh ingredients. Sure we can get fresh produce at the market – but even that doesn’t compare to dashing out the back door right before dinner to grab some new born fresh basil or parsley for that special chicken dish you’ve been raving about.

Anytime I write about what to put in an Italian garden, I always stress to only include items which you already know you will use. For example, it’s one thing to use flat Italian parsley, but unless you like the slightly bitter taste, you might be better off sticking to regular curly parsley.

Therefore, don’t think about what an Italian garden "should" have, but what you "want" your Italian garden to have. Here are five key ingredients to get you started on creating your Italian garden.

Parsley

Parsley is a staple in any garden and rightly so. Even if never used in a recipe, it makes a perfect garnish and breath freshener! Surely you didn’t think restaurants used it just because it was pretty next to that garlic and onion laden steak?

Parsley comes in two popular varieties – flat or curly. The flat is also called Italian Parsley and is frequently used in many Italian dishes and sauces. However, the flavour is more bitter than it’s cousin the curly variety and is more frequently used as an ingredient rather than a garnish or raw ingredient, such as in a salad.

Parsley enjoys cooler weather and does well in partial shade. Just this past week (and it is currently winter) I was surprised to see I had a bunch of parsley growing right outside in one of my pots!

Oregano

Although the most popular oregano is Greek oregano, it can still find its way comfortably into an Italian garden. Oregano became most popular in the US after WWII when soldiers stationed in Italy came home raving of the "special" ingredient used in their pizza sauce overseas. The key ingredient which was previously lacking in the American version was… oregano.

Oregano plants can grow up to 20 inches wide and do not do well in rich soils, therefore be careful not to over fertilize this herb. It enjoys moderate water as it is not a thirsty plant and perks up quickly with a good watering if it goes too long without it.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an excellent Italian herb used in many meat dishes such as roast chicken or lamb. Rosemary also acts as a natural bug repellent and I have planted them closer to the house for this very reason. However, these fragrant plants can be used as bushes to outline your garden, whether as a hedge or as a decorative corner. The choice is up to you!

If started by seed, rosemary can take just less than half a year to grow into a mature plant. Plant the seedlings during April and by the summer months you should be enjoying the benefits of its aromatic fragrance not only as the wind gently blows, but for any cooking as well. Once it has reached maturity, it will become one of your easiest herbs to maintain as you only have to water it during very dry periods.

Rosemary can be frozen or dried for future use. To freeze it, cut the sprigs in 3 inch lengths and gently wash away any dirt then pat them dry. Freeze on a tray in the freezer then once frozen, place in freezer bags, seal well and don’t forget to label them.

Basil

Basil is an easy herb to grow and in this case "should" always be in an Italian garden. It grows well when planted next to tomato plants and is therefore called a companion plant of tomatoes. I tested this theory this past summer and planted basil on one side of my garden as well as between my tomato plants.

To my enjoyment, the basil did exceptionally well near my tomatoes. It seemed as if it they did not go to seed as quickly as the ones on the other side. Could this have been due to another reason such as I may have happened to simply water these better – or was it due to some moderate shade the tomatoes provided? Could be a combination of all three – but I can tell you this year I’ll be putting them next to the tomatoes again without a doubt.

Basil if planted from seed can take 2 months, so planting from a seedling is much easier. The problem is finding "organic" seedlings. It is extremely important that basil never be planted when it is still cold and when the possible slight overnight frost can occur. Basil is a fragile herb and this caution cannot be expressed enough.

Basil is a great herb that can be frozen and used for future use during the winter months. Simply wash the leaves and let them air dry after you pick them. Once dry, lay flat in some plastic storage bags and remove any air and place in the freezer. Some people recommend freezing the leaves on a tray first, then place in a plastic bag – this is a good method too as it prevents the leaves from sticking to each other.

As an interesting note, basil can be used in a variety of ways, from scrambled eggs with tomatoes and basil for breakfast to being added as an ingredient into an ice cream gelato maker to make basil gelato or sorbet for dessert. Who knew basil was so versatile?

Tomatoes

We frequently think of tomatoes as a vegetable, but technically it is a fruit. No matter how you classify them, they make definitely make their way on our list of the Top 5 for an Italian garden.

Since tomatoes come in so many varieties, if you truly want an Italian garden, you have to think of Italian foods. Tomatoes are most commonly used for sauces therefore you want tomatoes that are meaty and juicy at the same time. Roma tomatoes are a good option, however there are other "Italian" tomatoes which are similar to Roma tomatoes but on a larger scale. You may have to look online for a source that sells these by the plant or seed.

My husband and I grow a variety which comes directly from his Aunt in Sicily. She shipped the seeds a few years ago and now we save the seeds and grow them each year. We don’t know the official name of the variety so we creatively call them Sicilian Tomatoes.

Italian tomatoes tend to produce later in the summer months, so if you are craving tomatoes for earlier months you will be better off planting a variety of tomatoes and enjoy them all summer long!

When all is said and done, growing an Italian garden is not difficult. In fact, odds are most of the plants you already grow are listed in this article. For more unusual Italian plants look for items like fennel, or Italian varieties of zucchini.

The options are many, but remember to always choose foods that you will actually use with your cooking. If you know you do not like it – don’t grow it… no matter how Italian it may be!

This article was contributed by Liz who enjoys gardening and has strong memories of helping her mother in the backyard garden as a child. Only until recently has she picked it back up again and was happy to experience the same excitement and joy she had as a child when gathering vegetables and herbs for the dinner meal.

Today she owns and operates an Italian cooking website where she stresses simple recipes and ingredients. She also writes reviews of various kitchenware products used in Italian kitchens such as a stainless steel meat grinder for making Italian sausage and gelato machines for making the perfect Italian dessert. She enjoys sharing her experiences with others and encourages others to use simple and fresh ingredients whenever possible!

Can’t believe that picture was taken 25 years ago. Wasn’t Steve a real cutie? We’ve had a lot of different addresses since then. So you can imagine how happy we’ve been with our home and gardens.

Steve is all grown up now, well he thinks so but he’s helped us get a few things done around the property that would have taken Jenny a long time to do. Great kid.

I love home gardening and I like to think I am a happier guy because of it. I have even been able to make a bit of extra income with this gardening tips blog. I have learned a lot about gardening since buying our home just 5 years ago.

However, I have learned a bit about marketing online as well and decided I to start a Work From Home Moncton blog to share what I have learned since starting Backyard Gardening Tips blog back in Nov. 2007.

If you have blogs that are profitable I am always willing to learn more ways to earn multiple streams of income. It all helps to make our garden blog better and gives me more to share on my new blog.

I appreciate the company over there as it’s rather lonely. I only started the blog a couple of hours ago and wrote my first post. So head over to Work From Home Moncton and I’ll see you there.

Feng Shui is the an ancient Chinese art and science of positioning objects such as furnitures. It is a practice based on the Chinese belief of yin and yang. Feng Shui helps people balance the energy or flow of chi in a particular space. It also has positive and negative effects.

The etymology of “Feng Shui” came from China. The Chinese word “Feng” means wind; “Shui” means water. Wind and water are associated with good health in Chinese culture. A good feng shui brings good fortune, while bad feng shui brings misfortune.

There are healthy plants that have good feng shui. By placing the feng shui plant in a good area, it will revitalize the senses and bring vital energy in your home. If you want to invite good feng shui, healthy and vibrant plants are essential in feng shui gardening. The beauty of nature is being incorporated in the luxury of your home through the healing essence and calming presence of air-purifying plants. Feng Shui Gardening is about creating a home with the essence of healing and energy.

There are various ways of using Feng Shui to improve the energy in one’s life. Choosing the right plant/s for your garden, adding a crystal in your garden and placing a fountain to attract wealth and good fortune in your home are just some of the things you need to consider in adopting feng shui.

Here are the Benefits of adopting Feng Shui to your garden:

• Feng Shui Gardening reduces stress and anxiety.
• It attracts wealth and longevity.
• It gives a vibrant and relaxed energy that is good for your garden and home.

Here are some Feng Shui Tips:

• A good feng shui design in your garden will attract good feng shui to your home. Choose ponds and fountains to decorate your garden. The cool waters and refreshing sound of the water fountain will surely add an elegant look and calming effect in your garden.

• Choose a garden layout with a good entrance, fences, shapes and colors. In designing your feng shui garden, allow gently curving pathways for Chi, or energy, to flow smoothly. Straight lines are rarely present in nature; so use relaxing, flowing shapes and pathways for your feng shui garden.

• Use herbs for good health, wealth, and longevity such as jasmine, basil, lavender and rosemary. You can also use bright lights, ornaments and essential oils to create a rejuvenating atmosphere that will make your garden look and smell fancier.

• Apply the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Metal) to your garden.
• The Feng Shui element Earth could be an excellent area for a Zen garden with beautiful rock formations. Feng Shui areas such as Southeast (Money & Abundance); East (Health & Family) and North (Career & Path in Life), are excellent areas for Water feng shui element energy.

• The best spots for planting are in the bagua areas that are nourished by the Wood element. The East, Southeast and South bagua areas are excellent feng shui areas to decorate with plants and flowers. It is possible that the North bagua area can be weakened by the presence of a strong feng shui Wood element, so it is best to avoid placing many plants in that area. The same applies to Southwest, Northwest, West and Northeast areas; only a moderate presence of plants is recommended.

What You Should Throw Away

Old gardening tools or broken tools should not be kept, instead, it should be thrown away. Anything broken should be repaired or fixed. Good gardening tools should kept.

Good Feng Shui Plants

Healthy plants are good feng shui plants. There are two categories of good plants: the air purifying plants and the Money Plant. Examples of these plants are the Jade Plant, Peace Lilies, Goode Foot Plant, Dwarf Banana Plant and Golden Pothos.

Bad Feng Shui Plants

Bad feng shui plants can bring negative energy to your home. An example is the Thorny Cactus plant because its energy is very spiky. The Snake is considered a bad feng shui plant because it has strong protective energies. Other examples of bad feng shui plants are Bonsai, Yuccas, Holly and Weeping Willow.

You can have a lot of fun in creating your own feng shui garden. Choose a theme for your garden such as a Japanese-inspired garden, a Zen garden, a Vegetable garden or a Herb garden. Designing your own garden doesn’t need to be expensive. Just design your garden with healthy plants and transform it into a lush garden that is both healthy and wealthy.

About the Author

Belle is a blog editor at Flowers and Chocos. She loves gardening, doing handicrafts and taking pictures of the beautiful environs. She loves to give flowers for her loved ones, both near and far.

What a timely guest blog post by Robert Loyst.

“Our garden hose has seen better days and over the years we’ve had it. It had been run over many times but the last time my son’s girlfriend drove over the nozzle and almost flatten it and I couldn’t get it un-flattened so it needs to be replaced.” – James Mann

It is understandable that garden hose maintenance might not be on the top of your high priority list, but if you want to consider yourself a great gardener, you need to have quality, dependable equipment.

One of the most important parts of any garden setup is the garden hose and with a couple of tips and methods, you can increase the life and performance of your hose.

Protecting the Garden Hose Nozzle

I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a friends house and been just appalled at the condition of their garden hose nozzle. The first signs that the hose isn’t being stored correctly is the presence of scratches or deep gouges on the nozzle. These marks are typically from someone dropping the hose on the ground after they are done using it.

Dropping your nozzle on the ground in such a manner will not only destroy the nozzle tip, it will also loosen the handle that you press to spray. A loose handle may simply break off or be limited in its travel, which will not let the right amount of water out(decreased water pressure).

Not only does the handle area get damaged when a hose nozzle is dropped or dragged on the ground, the actual connection where the hose nozzle and the hose meet will become loose, worn and will most likely develop a leak.

A perfect example of this is the hose that we have at work. If you simply turn the water pressure all the way up, the whole nozzle simply pops right off. You cannot have this in a real gardening situation.

Hose Reel and Hose Placement

A very common thing I see in many garden situations is the wrong location of a hose reel or hose storage area. Hoses are made of rubber, which is extremely vulnerable to sun and heat exposure.

You should always locate your hose in an area that is going to get a lot of shade. Obviously if your hose connections are in the sunlight you will need to cover your hose with a cloth or some other type of shelter or look into getting a hose reel cart that will allow you to move your hose out of the sun for storage.

NOTE: Just because your hose may not show that much sign of heat/sun exposure, you have to know that hoses are made of several layers of rubber and other materials. The outside layer may be slightly dry, but you will never know truly the condition of the inner materials.

My recommendation is that you purchase a hose reel cart that will kill many birds with one stone. They enable you to easily wind the hose up after each use which will protect against internal hose fractures, they allow you to store your hose in the shade, which will protect against heat damage and can be unwound in an orderly fashion, again which will relieve stress on the hose.