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Global warming

Did you know that the earth’s soil gives out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity?  This comes from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe, digest food and then die. Although in the past plants have been capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale tillages, this isn’t the case nowadays.
The increase of the globe’s average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.

Good Fungi

In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually forms a symbiotic relationship with plants.  Their filaments increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant.  They give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus.  Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return.  It is possible to grow a garden without tilling the sooiil at all by mulching heavily until the soil is soft and friable.

Surplus Nitrogen

Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise. Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure.  Kate Burroughs of Sebastopol California, uses the same rule for her home-grown lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear trees, farmers only need a small amount.  Notice that gardeners apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers. Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizer but also their money.

The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation. Keep in mind that too little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the most valuable advice one can have in gardening.

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1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.

Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.

When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don’t heap soil or mulch up around the stem. If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.

2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.

Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.

3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.

Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant produce more flowers. Just make sure that you don’t discard the deadhead on the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.

4. Know the good from the bad bugs.

Most garden insects do more good than harm. Butterflies, beetles and bees are known pollinators. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for survival.

Sowbugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are necessary to help in the decomposition of dead plant material, thus enriching the soil and making more nutrients available to growing plants.

Other insects like lacewings and dragonflies are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphis.

An occasional application of liquid fertilizer when plants are flowering will keep them blooming for longer.

Always prune any dead or damaged branches. Fuchsias are particularly prone to snapping when you brush against them. The broken branch can be potted up to give you a new plant, so it won’t be wasted.

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A Couple of Options

Because a small vegetable garden doesn’t take up much room, you have a couple of different options when it comes to planting and raising the veggies.

You can get a small area ready on your property that can house your small vegetable garden which is a viable option, but can cause some problems when it comes to the climate your veggies experience throughout the year.

Another less intense and easier option is to use planting pots to grow your small vegetable garden. This allows you to move there location when needed due to weather, and to easily navigate the garden’s soil when needed to keep the veggies healthy.

When to Start Your Small Vegetable Garden

Spring is a good time to plant most vegetables if you are starting with seeds. Otherwise, you will want to wait about a month before purchasing and planting already started veggie plants.

Make sure you’re aware of which vegetables in your small garden need more sun than others, and which veggies tend to do better in shady areas. You can choose to plant and grow similar vegetables in a garden area in the ground, or you can choose to plant and grow them in pots so that you can grow multiple kinds of vegetables, knowing you can easily separate them when needed due to climate conditions at the time.

What You’ll Need

In order to create and maintain a small vegetable garden, you’ll need to make sure you have the necessary tools in hand. Don’t worry, there aren’t many but you don’t want to overlook anything.

You’ll need a shovel to help grind the soil, and a 3 forked pitch to help with the same thing. You will also want to purchase soil. You’ll need enough to fill your big gardening pots, or to cover 6 inches worth of ground in your designated in ground small vegetable garden.

You’ll also need to read about how to care for every veggie that you choose to grow, and purchase the needed items that coincide with each choice. Most veggies won’t need anything special, but some do so you’ll want to pay close attention to the information provided about gardening the particular vegetables you choose.

Growing a great rose garden isn’t always the easiest thing to do so I went for a long time just ignoring the rose but today I came across this great ebook with 101 tips for growing your own rose garden. Now I can have great looking and healthy roses, just like our neighbours.

More than 25 years ago I was an employee of Sears and sold roses through their garden department. I loved that job but then computers became popular and my life changed, but that’s a story for another day.

Selling roses is how I met Patricia, who would later become our lawyer. She and her father would come in all the time and buy roses and more roses.

Now we have a home with a property big enough to enjoy some rose gardening so I am learning what I need to know so that we can have some beautiful roses as part of our flower garden.

Not everyone is comfortable growing their own roses so they don’t but this little ebook has the answers and tips that will give you the confidence to plant your own roses, care for them correctly, pruning included and even how to cut them for your own bouquet and arrangements.

Knowing how to fertilize, water and prevent diseases will give you the confidence you have lacked in the past. If this sounds like I am talking to myself well I am. We didn’t have any confidence even though I work in a garden center. They never taught me how to grow them, just to sell them.

If you have an interest in growing your own rose garden then you need to read 101 Tips for Growing and Enjoying Your Own Great Rose Garden.

Barbequing has become a standard American tradition for families. The reason as clear as to why, not only does the food that comes from barbequing have a taste that is unmatched by other cooking methods, but barbequing presents a reason for families to gather together. Some on my most memorial experiences happened outdoors at one of my families many get-togethers.

Planning A Barbeque

First, no barbeque would be complete without guests and proper outdoors weather. Plan ahead of time, checking with your potential guests for scheduling conflicts and issues. Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone should not be to hard as long as you everyone enough advanced notice. Alternatively, be sure to check the weather for that type of year. If you live in a climate that cannot be predicted, then you may want to have a backup plan just incase unusual weather comes. You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests. A barbeque in cold weather may hold more negative memories of trying to keep warm rather then good memories of family and friends.

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire. Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque. 12 to 24 hours before you plan on beginning the party, make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditional sizes. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes and potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish, and onions. These foods are typically severed at barbeques because they are easy to prepare and store until the event happens. You may want to cook other items, but any barbeque is complete with just the items listed above.

A themed barbeque may present more opportunities to hold a festive event. With a themed event, you can splurge on the atmosphere and decorations. Matching tablecloths, napkins, and plates can be found at any local store. You can also match your décor to the party. For example, a luau could simply be creative colored utensils, leis, and Tiki torches, all of which are extremely cheap. You can even reuse the Tiki torches later!

Your party area should be set up before guest arrive. It only takes a few minutes to get everything ready, but the reaction you get from your arriving guests may make you feel like you were preparing and decorating all day. Depending on the situation, you may or may not want to have the food already cooking on the grill. The smell will surely be inviting if you start cooking ahead!

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The major factor in determining vegetable garden design is the space available for the garden. Not everyone will have a large enough plot of land to devote a major portion of it to a garden. However, it may be surprising the amount of produce that can be harvested from even a small garden. People living in apartments have been successful in raising some of the best vegetables in small patio gardens and in containers, provided they establish a vegetable garden design to make the most use of the limited space.

Other than rich soil, about the only other requirement to growing a successful garden is an abundance of sunshine. Making sure the plants receive sufficient water is also part of the equation, but with the right vegetable garden design and the right soil mixture, watering can be kept to a minimum while still providing all of the plants with the amount of water they require.

Most Sunshine Available To The South

The majority of areas above the equator receive the most sunshine from the south and a good vegetable garden design will be planted with rows running north to south. This provides sunshine to all of the plants in the garden, instead of those that are planted with rows running west to east, where the first row will have plenty of sun and the subsequent rows will be shaded from the previous rows. Planting some of the plants in small hills in the garden can have the same affect on the plants.

Many plants can be started indoors from seed, instead of having to buy starter plants, but some plants are not conducive to being transplanted and will have to be planted directly into the soil. When considering the vegetable garden design, it is important to consider how much space some plants will need compared to others, and if planting from seed, insuring the design leaves sufficient room for those growing from seed in the basement or garage.

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My wife and I have just recently become Canadian gardeners and are loving it so far. Things haven’t grown quite as fast as we had hoped but it’s all a new learning experience for us so we aren’t worried that much.

As Canadian gardeners we love to share what we learn with our readers and friends as well as learn from them, so don’t be shy to leave a comment when you read something that helps you or you think of something that will help us grow as gardeners.

I was raised in Ontario for the first half of my life and as a kid we had a huge garden that supplied us with goodies through out the entire year. Now that I am living in New Brunswick with a family of my own I want to learn to be a Canadian gardener just like back on the farm.

Canadian gardening has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies. I love hobbies that taste good. I guess that is why I am so nuts about fly fishing in New Brunswick as well.

I have a lot to learn about gardening in Canada but I am willing to learn and each year we learn more and do a better job.

Unfortunately this year didn’t turn out so great as far as gardening goes. We have had nothing but rain, which destroyed most of what we started in our garden before it had a chance to become strong enough to survive.

Next year we will start our plants inside and put them out each day for a bit to climatize them and strengthen they stems and roots.

Canadian Gardening Tip

I guess what we have learned this year is to plant earlier and to have better drainage. The amount of rain we have had this year showed us pretty quick what happens to flowers and vegetable gardens when the water just keeps getting deeper. Maybe we should have planted rice this year.

In the plans, already, for next year are raised beds.

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Space, Where Art Thou?

Clearly, if you are seriously considering starting an indoor vegetable garden then there are a few things to consider. First, how much space can you realistically dedicate to your indoor vegetable garden? You may wish to feed the world with your harvest, but you should consider the hassle of an indoor vegetable garden that is too big.

Time Is A Very Fast Thing!

Next is the time it takes to raise a garden, and let’s be honest here for just a moment. We live in a busy world, and there seems to never be enough time for anything. Likely, you can find a few minutes in your day to water a few tomato plants. But, can you devote hours to a variety of plants that require special attention? It is better to start small and build your indoor vegetable garden piece by piece.

It is far easier for you to go out and buy more stock later than it would be to clean up the mess from dead, neglected plants. As well, you will want to think about how much of the harvest you can actually eat from your garden. Your enthusiasm for growing things can get the better of your indoor vegetable garden.

Know Your Limits

It seems like a good idea to grow a billion different vegetables. But, you should consider who you can give them to if it is too much for you alone to eat. It would be a waste to simply grow your indoor vegetable garden only to see the product of your hard work rotting on your counter. Not to mention, the increase in bugs and other vermin that such a thing would bring to your happy home.

Finally, you should consider what kinds of plants work best in the environment you can provide for it. And, if you are true beginner at the gardening game you will want to read up on the proper care and development of your indoor vegetable garden. But, most of all you want to make sure you are enjoying your indoor vegetable garden. After all, if your hobby is not fun why are you doing it in the first place?

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First Off

The water in backyard ponds can’t be kept still.  This will kill off any valuable nutrients in the water and encourage the growth of algae slime and biting insects.  By keeping the water moving, even for half the day, you can keep the water from becoming a nursery for insects and green slime.  Stagnant water also tends to have an offensive stench to it which moving water does not.

Naturally, the water in backyard ponds are kept moving because they are connected to an underground or above ground creek, stream or river.  But because of overdevelopment and human overpopulation, the odds are that many backyard ponds have been cut off from their lifeline.  You need to revive your pond again by installing a filter and pump to keep the water moving.  There are even solar powered pond filters available!

You also need to be sure that the water in your backyard ponds are not getting too much sunlight or nutrients which can unbalance the chemistry of the water and make it nasty.  If there are many trees or plants dropping leaves into the water, consider trimming back the plants.  If too much sun is the problem, you can get a tarp to cover the pond from the worst of the sun and take it off at night.

Let The Games Begin

Now that the water is healthy, here are some game games you can play with backyard ponds:

The Duck Pond Game:  Get a whole bunch of rubber ducks or floating bathtub toys and mark the bottom so you can tell them apart.  Everyone chooses a duck/toy.  Gather them up at one end of the pond and let them go!  The first duck to get to the other side wins.

Duck Bingo:  This is with real ducks.  You can’t touch the ducks.  You section the land around the pond of into a bingo grid.  If the real duck poops in your pre-picked square, you’ve won.

As The Pond Water Turns:  You go sit and watch the activity around backyard ponds.  You pretend it’s a soap opera and make up impossible situations suggested by any plant, ripple or wildlife activity on the pond.  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

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Here is a squirrel repellent that usually does the trick.

1 ounce Murphy’s Oil Soap

1 ounce hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix everything together and put the mixture in a 22 ounce spray bottle. Fill the bottle to the top with water. Gently mix. Spray everything around where the squirrels are unwanted.

Of course if this does not work you may just find the squirrels looking for a hot chili recipe.