Benefits of Terrace Gardens

Nature is man’s best friend. It is only in the lap of nature one can forget all the worldly worries. Nature has the power to provide that comfort and peace which one requires. That piece of mind provides relief and removes tension away. Nature teaches man to be humble and patient. Nature it is always a giver for humanity. There are very few chances when nature is violent, and that too because of excess wrong things done by us humans. However, that aspect of nature is also beneficial until it does not harm anyone.

After working long one needs peace and comfort. Gardens or greenery in any form serves this purpose. It is very important for everyone in order to have some fresh air. Due to popularity of multistory skyscrapers, and condominiums, it is difficult for people to have gardens at home. To provide some relief terrace garden is the new alternative. Terrace garden is new trend for having surrounded by nature. Terrace garden not only gives rich look to the house but it is also helpful in providing good health. Walking early morning is helpful in removing many diseases. Walking itself in morning and evening keeps the heart strong. Old people can be benefited the most. They always complain about joints pain and other problems. Having various medicinal plants is a good approach. Much common lifestyle diseases can be solved at home if you have some greenery in form of terrace garden and some medicinal plants there. Also having fresh vegetables like tomato, chilies, mints, cabbage, ladyfingers, cauliflower, gives real joy.

The taste of home vegetables have own pleasure. It is also good for health due its purity. No harmful chemicals are mixed. Even beautiful flowers with like rose, lily, marigold can steal the heart. The sweet aroma of various flowers relief all tension. Walking on green grass early morning with dew drops falling is very pleasing. Is good for eyes. One can even do party at terrace. With garden on one side and fountain with lotus flower one can really enjoy the weather. Terrace garden is beneficial for the person who does not want to go out but can enjoy their evening.

In terrace garden people can play, can do exercise, party with friends, can have candle light dinner, it gives lots of joy enriched life. One can do gardening also for passing their time. Terrace garden is beneficial in all aspects of life.

Soap Nuts vs Chemical Detergents and Soaps

Soap nuts are natural soaps that grow on trees. These are the fruits of the tree called Sapindus. They do not contain any harmful chemicals and dyes or any other artificial fragrance. Sapindus grow in warm tropical regions and are native trees of India, Indonesia, Nepal and other South East Asian countries. They are easy to use and can be trusted for long term safety from any adverse chemical reactions on the body and nature.

A comparative study of the two can give a clear picture of what soap nuts can offer you in terms of a natural detergent. To begin with we can discuss the harmful effects of the chemical detergents.

CHEMICAL DETERGENTS: These laundry detergents and chemical soaps are made up of chemicals and toxins that may have some long term affects. These effects are listed below:

• The chemicals, dyes and artificial detergents which are used in the laundry detergents are harmful and used for cleaning clothes, these chemicals and dyes stay back within the pores of the fabric even after cleansing. When these clothes are worn, these chemicals come in contact with the body skin and enter into our blood and causes adverse reactions which are harmful to human body. When these toxins are exposed to sunlight, they release vapors giving us an unhealthy air to breath.

• The laundry detergents contain enzymes which are known to cause allergies and dermatitis.

• Sodium hypochlorite presents in the detergents cause lung irritation, respiratory reactions, and cardiovascular damage and damage your eye and skin.

• Nonylphenoxy Ethoxylates present in the detergents are responsible for increase in breast and prostate cancer. This particular chemical can also cause infertility and is a key ingredient in declining amphibian population.

• The chemicals in the detergent can cause premature wear and tear of the clothes.

When compared to these drawbacks of the laundry detergents, the soap nuts are actually blessings in disguise.

SOAP NUTS: The soap nuts are natural and do not contain any harmful chemicals or toxins. They have a natural chemical called Saponin. The Saponin present in high concentration (nearly 10-18%) acts as a natural detergents when comes in contact with water.

• These are 100% organic and bio-degradable.

• They have a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal action which destroys the harmful micro organisms.

• Due to the anti-microbial property, soap nuts are used for bathing and keep the skin smooth and germs free.

• The soap nuts do not cause any allergic affect on the skin because of the absence of enzymes and contains hypo allergic elements which prevent allergy.

• The detergent which goes out as end and waste has the antimicrobial properties which causes cleaning of the drainage and sewer system and thus becomes eco-friendly.

• This anti-microbial and hypo-allergic property of the soap nuts is good for people suffering from eczema and any other skin infection.

• They don’t damage the linen fibers and protects color.

• Last but not the least they are re-usable.

Thus, when it comes to create a green and natural world, when it comes to the economical aspect, laundry detergents and the soaps are nowhere to stand in comparison to soap nuts. We need to decide.

Container Herb Gardens

fresh herbs available. There are many people who enjoy fresh herbs in but don't have the available space in their living conditions. This can be due the need to live in an apartment like setting or due to renting space. Container herb gardens can provide as easy solution that comes from having fresh herbs for adding to home cooking.

Creating Container Herb Gardens

Creating your own container herb gardens is not as difficult as it first sounds. Firstly, you will need to research the type of herbs that you want to grow. Herbs have a number of health advantages. Some of them can help with headaches, and other different medical conditions as well as tasting great in food.

Instructions for Container Herb Gardens

When building a container herb garden you will need to decide on the location and the amount of space you want to use. This will determine the size of the containers you will need to use. You will also need to decide the herbs you are want to grow.

This is important because, there are also a variety of different growing conditions, depending on which herb, you want to grow. You may want to consider different sized containers so that they can be placed in many areas. Once you have decided on the type of herbs, group them together based on the best lighting and growing conditions.

This will allow you to place the herbs together in similar growing groups.

The next step is to decide if you are going to use-grown plants or start from seeds. Usually container gardens are created using already grown plants. It is also a good idea to have fertilizer prepared and to use quality topsoil. This will help to reduce the shock of already living plants that you transplant and help to increase the chances of having seeds grow.

Once you have planted everything, place the containers in places around your home that meet the lighting requirements for the plants. It is also a good idea to name, date and label the herbs.

Log Cabins For The Garden Are Here to Stay

Log cabins set in the middle of a green open space under an open, blue sky – looks like the very picture of beauty, doesn’t it? Picture postcard perfect beauty. Log cabins have a certain rustic charm about them, which is an undeniable fact, and they’ve been around for a long time. They have the simplest of structures and can be found all over the world, both in rural and urban areas wherever wood has been readily available. It is believed that log cabins began to be constructed initially in the northern part of Europe, around 3500 BC. Later on, the construction of such cabins began in the USA, Germany, Russia and Scandinavia. A number of the log cabins constructed years ago still stand in some parts of the world.

The styles in which log cabins have been constructed vary from one part of the world to another. Two common styles of log cabins, classified on the basis of the style of their roofs, are the purlin style and the gable style. In the middle of the 18th century, elaborate log cabins began to be constructed, known as the Adirondack style of cabins. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a number of log cabins began to be constructed as a part of the United States Park Service, most of which were built as per the Adirondack style.

The construction of a log cabin is rather simple, as it is usually built with logs horizontally piled one on top of one another. Logs used for building a cabin can not be picked on a random basis. They need to be selected carefully as logs with only a few knots are preferred, as such logs can be smoothed easily with a bit of whittling. This ensures that the gaps between the logs are as small as possible. In days gone by the gaps were filled in with grass and sticks, known as ‘chinking’, or with mud, known as ‘daubing’.

Major decisions to be taken when constructing a log cabin are – the cabin size, number of storeys, the type of roof, and the type of doors and windows. Years ago the availability of logs as well as that of labour were two of the most important factors affecting the size of the cabin. For instance, if logs were not readily available in the vicinity of the site, the size of the cabin would have to be restricted. Similarly, if labour – human or animal – was not available near the site, again the cabin size would have to be restricted.

In today’s times however, the construction of log cabins has been made extremely simple by the availability of ready-to-erect log cabin kits. Such cabins have the same look and feel as traditional log cabins, but are cheaper and easier to construct. You do not have to look for the various materials for construction and collect them from different places, as they are readily available in a single kit. Moreover, when log cabin kits are being used, there is no need for cranes and other heavy equipment. Due to their advantages, log cabin kits are widely preferred by people all over the world.

Initially, log cabins were built by travelers to stay en route. They were not meant to be permanent dwellings. With the passage of time, they began to be used as residences, as well as outbuildings for various purposes such as storage of garden equipment and raising animals. Some people use log cabins as an extension of their home: as a gym; an office; as a playroom; or as a place for rest and relaxation.

In conclusion, log cabins have been around for a long time because they have always been versatile and remain an asset for any homeowner.

Add Style to Your Garden with Fountains

Fountains are becoming extremely popular these days. One of the reasons is the unlimited possibilities that fountains provide in creating a style that is both unique and enviable for our own homes and gardens. Whether it is an outdoor or indoor fountain, floor or tabletop fountain or one of those incredibly soothing wall mounted or hanging wall fountains, there is no question that people would grab at that chance to have one, if they can.

Outdoor fountains will surely liven up a garden, driveway, patio and just about any outdoor place while exuding an over-all sense of relaxation and tranquility. It serves as a centerpiece especially in outdoor areas where entertaining and socializing is often done. Both visually appealing and pleasant to the ears, the resulting calm setting is an invitation to guests to feel welcome and enjoy themselves. Hundreds of different styles of water fountains are available, with some suppliers having the ability to custom design a fountain according to their clients’ requirements.

A fountain almost instantaneously adds a sense of elegance to one’s garden. It is a beauty that weaves its own magic, the more it is looked at and appreciated. Historically, garden fountains were placed in enclosed courtyards of dramatic homes. Outdoor fountains were extensively used by the Mesopotamians in their formal gardens which brought a lush landscape highlighted with garden fountains to the harsh highlands. Water fountains fulfill practical and aesthetic purposes such as landmark fountains that were designed to impress as well as refresh. The use of various materials like stone, metal and concrete plus the mastery of water’s interplay with light and its surrounding environment determine the success of any fountain design.The different designs available have made it a lot easier to incorporate fountains in our planning schemes, not only in gardens where we usually envision them to be, but also inside our homes and offices previously limited by space considerations. The wide range of sizes, styles, materials, colors and prices combine to provide a delightful selection of indoor and outdoor fountains, all producing the highly desired calming effect of cascading waters.

Indoor fountains are highly preferred decorative items for home. Floor fountains can stand almost anywhere in the home. They can also be used to create a barrier between two rooms. Wall fountains, whether wall mounted fountains or hanging wall fountains, provide the desired effect regardless of space. There is nothing which should prevent anyone from enjoying the sounds of natural trickling water. A tabletop fountain is small enough to be placed on top of a coffee table or dining table and does not require any installation thereby simplifying assembly to get the fountain up and running.

There are many advantages in having a fountain in our environment. Indoor fountains act as natural humidifiers as they complement indoor plants by providing the needed humidity that is lost with heat and air units. They are also utilized as tools to camouflage noises thereby creating a more pleasant setting. A water fountain, as a piece, is a leader in the functional art industry and can do wonders to any empty space that requires decorating balance.

Gardens have become the primary personal outdoor living space of the busy people of today. It has become a place of refuge in the hurried pace of the modern life. Thus, it makes sense to make such space more pleasing by increasing its functionality and purpose without sacrificing style.

Add Style to Your Garden with Fountains

Fountains are becoming extremely popular these days. One of the reasons is the unlimited possibilities that fountains provide in creating a style that is both unique and enviable for our own homes and gardens. Whether it is an outdoor or indoor fountain, floor or tabletop fountain or one of those incredibly soothing wall mounted or hanging wall fountains, there is no question that people would grab at that chance to have one, if they can.

Outdoor fountains will surely liven up a garden, driveway, patio and just about any outdoor place while exuding an over-all sense of relaxation and tranquility. It serves as a centerpiece especially in outdoor areas where entertaining and socializing is often done. Both visually appealing and pleasant to the ears, the resulting calm setting is an invitation to guests to feel welcome and enjoy themselves. Hundreds of different styles of water fountains are available, with some suppliers having the ability to custom design a fountain according to their clients’ requirements.

A fountain almost instantaneously adds a sense of elegance to one’s garden. It is a beauty that weaves its own magic, the more it is looked at and appreciated. Historically, garden fountains were placed in enclosed courtyards of dramatic homes. Outdoor fountains were extensively used by the Mesopotamians in their formal gardens which brought a lush landscape highlighted with garden fountains to the harsh highlands. Water fountains fulfill practical and aesthetic purposes such as landmark fountains that were designed to impress as well as refresh. The use of various materials like stone, metal and concrete plus the mastery of water’s interplay with light and its surrounding environment determine the success of any fountain design.The different designs available have made it a lot easier to incorporate fountains in our planning schemes, not only in gardens where we usually envision them to be, but also inside our homes and offices previously limited by space considerations. The wide range of sizes, styles, materials, colors and prices combine to provide a delightful selection of indoor and outdoor fountains, all producing the highly desired calming effect of cascading waters.

Indoor fountains are highly preferred decorative items for home. Floor fountains can stand almost anywhere in the home. They can also be used to create a barrier between two rooms. Wall fountains, whether wall mounted fountains or hanging wall fountains, provide the desired effect regardless of space. There is nothing which should prevent anyone from enjoying the sounds of natural trickling water. A tabletop fountain is small enough to be placed on top of a coffee table or dining table and does not require any installation thereby simplifying assembly to get the fountain up and running.

There are many advantages in having a fountain in our environment. Indoor fountains act as natural humidifiers as they complement indoor plants by providing the needed humidity that is lost with heat and air units. They are also utilized as tools to camouflage noises thereby creating a more pleasant setting. A water fountain, as a piece, is a leader in the functional art industry and can do wonders to any empty space that requires decorating balance.

Gardens have become the primary personal outdoor living space of the busy people of today. It has become a place of refuge in the hurried pace of the modern life. Thus, it makes sense to make such space more pleasing by increasing its functionality and purpose without sacrificing style.

Aquarium Selection and Placement

Width: You should get the widest tank you have available considering the space you have to allocate for it. A mistake would be thinking that upgrading to a wider tank later would be easy. You might be able to get a larger tank but you would also have to upgrade all of the equipment in it, making the upgrade project up to five more times as expensive then if you get the largest tank that will fit in the space you have allocated as possible. Also in that regard, fish tend to grow when you feed them. If you get a small tank and your fish grow, you will have to upgrade to accommodate them. But if you start with a wide tank from the start, then when your fish grow you will only have to provide them will more food. The environment you first created will still be sound.

Height: Fish swim horizontally not vertically, so the more feet wide your tank is, the happier an environment you are creating for your fish. A mistake is to think that height matters. Unless you are getting very big fish, then a higher tank will only make it harder to provide the right lighting. Opting for a wide, low tank is a much better option. Your fish won't know the difference, but you will when you get your water and electricity bill.

Water: No matter what size you select for your saltwater tank, you will want to have access to water for the purpose of making the task of changing the water in your task easier. The last thing you want to have to do is cart fifty-five to a hundred gallons of water up or down a flight of stairs. If you can be assured that you can at least have a hose to move your replacement saltwater into your tank, then you will have a far easier time changing the water, which you will want to do because of the positive effects on your livestock and the negative effects that changing the water has on pesky algae.

Environmental Factors: You want to keep your tank away from anything that will affect your ability to control the environmental factors in your tank. Allowing sunlight to beam onto your tank is a mistake as it will cause both heat and light, and will encourage algae to grow, and saltwater plants to not grow as well. Next you have to look at radiators or heaters, and ensure that your tank is not near them because the heat generated will definitely cause your control over the environment in your tank to get out of your control.

Type: Initially, acrylic may appear to have a nicer image, but it is very easy to scratch, and over time, micro-scratches create a dull look that counter-acts the initial beauty. Regular glass tends to look a bit greenish because of the iron, so for the best look, spend the money and get a tank made of low iron float glass.

Decorative Flowering Bonsai Trees

Indoor or Outdoor Decorative Flowering Bonsai Trees

Some bonsai trees – like any other tree – flower and produce fruit. A regular apple tree for example produces a lovely apple blossom and later yields a crop of apples. The huge difference however is the size of the tree! A well cared for bonsai tree is an extremely attractive and decorative tree whether it’s kept indoors or outdoors in a highly visible area.

The Flowering Crab-apple or Malus Sargenti is an excellent example of an outdoor bonsai tree. The miniature tree produces a beautiful white apple blossom in the spring, followed by the small crab-apples, and then in the autumn the crab-apples will turn in colour to various shades of red, yellow and orange.

The Flowering Pink Hibiscus or anisodontea scabrosa is an excellent example of an indoor flowering bonsai tree. This bonsai tree originates from South Africa and produces wonderful pink flowers for most of the year.

If you are going to display your bonsai indoors then you can add to the quality of the display in a number of ways. The first and most obvious is to choose a suitable container for your bonsai tree – this will usually be a ceramic pot – frequently decorated with an oriental pattern! Choose whatever you like to see in your home – ensuring that it has suitable drainage holes. You then most likely want to have a drip tray or similar (I used to call them saucer!). This will prevent water draining from the pot onto the standing surface. The drip tray / humidifier should hold a little water at all times. Maintaining humidity around your bonsai tree will provide an excellent bonsai growing environment. Once you have made your choice for pot and drip tray then you may want some sort of stand – which could be anything from a simple wooden stand to a beautiful revolving purpose built stand enabling you to easily and frequently change your bonsai tree’s aspect within the room. Some of the very elaborate displays for indoor bonsai are almost breath-taking. Frequent use of stones and pebbles will provide a simple but attractive display background for your bonsai tree. Some of these displays, however, are a true art form in themselves and represent a miniature mountain and / or river landscape. With your miniature landscape and miniature tree you really have a "Landscape Penjing" meaning "landscape in a tray".

If you are going to display your bonsai outdoors then you have many more options depending on your own ‘outdoor area’. You may have a small balcony to your flat (or apartment), a large timber decking area, a stone (maybe concrete) patio or just a very pleasant garden. Whatever you situation you can be creative using attractive pots. Many bonsai displays involve pebbles or small stones. Again the choice is yours and the ideas are almost limitless for outside bonsai. If you are a real bonsai fanatic then you can easily create an entire bonsai display with several trees of different sizes and characteristics. Another alternative for out-side bonsai display is a purpose built display bench. A display bench could simply consist of 2 or more solid pieces of timber, suitably treated, laid across two small walls or purpose built wooden frame. The idea of the bonsai bench is to enable you to display the trees to their best advantage whilst making life is easy as possible for you - the bonsai carer. With a suitable bench you’ll be able to access the bonsai tree or probably trees easily for watering, pruning etc. without having to continually bend to the tree or move the tree to where is convenient for yourself.

The Value of a Garden Tool Box

There are a lot of tools and supplies involved in taking up the hobby of gardening. That means you’re going to need storage for everything you buy. You’ll also want a means of organizing everything so that you are able to find what you’re looking for easily. While it’s fairly easy to store smaller items, there are fewer options available for the larger tools.

There are a lot of companies who have tried to meet this challenge by designing and producing garden storage devices. You can buy anything from a basic garden tool box to a wall-mounted organizer as well as many other choices in storage for your garden tools and supplies.

Trying a Garden Tool Box on for Size

Garden tool boxes have long been used for storing garden materials. They can be purchased at many local home improvement stores as well as at garden centers. The most popular tool boxes these days are those made of heavy-duty plastic. They don’t rust and can be bumped and banged without damage. They are even puncture-resistant, which is a good feature to have when you’re storing sharp garden tools.

You can buy many different sizes and shapes of garden tool boxes to fit your needs. Some larger boxes have built-in shelves for the storage of smaller tools making them easy to access when needed. Some boxes are taller and have clips inside which you can use to hang your larger tools on. These large boxes are stationary. Smaller boxes, on the other hand, may be more convenient for people who garden in small places. They are also easier to carry around the yard while working. In addition, they are small enough to be easily stored in the garage or closet.

Other Choices for Garden Storage

Some people feel that free-standing garden sheds are the best way to handle garden paraphernalia. You can build them in any size and configuration you want, or there are building kits available from home improvement stores which you can buy and put together. In these sheds you can store individual garden tool boxes, if you like, as well as larger tools. Stores carry wall-mounted tool holders which you can put on the wall in your shed to keep the larger tools organized.

Don’t you just hate it when you see people leaving good gardening tools just lying around their yards? No tool is hardy enough to face the elements twelve months a year. If you want to keep your tools in prime condition, it’s important to have good, organized storage for them. Everything from a garden tool box to a garden shed will be helpful in protecting your valuable tools and increasing their longevity.

Tips For Attracting Butterflies To Your Garden

Butterflies are beautiful to watch. They seem so delicate, with their tiny wings. Yet, they also have a whimsical feeling about them – a combination of their brilliant colours and the way they flit around, never going in a completely straight line. You may think that they come and go at random, but there are some things that you can do to attract more butterflies. Here are some simple tips that will bring you more joy and more butterflies.

Provide a Variety of Flowers

Carefully choose what flowers you plant, as this will influence how many butterflies come to your garden. Make sure as well, that these are flowers that you enjoy. The more you enjoy the flowers, the more you will want to sit and admire them. The more you are near your flowers, the more chances you will have to see the butterflies that visit your garden.

You should plant the most fragrant flowers, as these have the most nectar. Popular fragrant flowers include french lavender, sage, sweet alyssum and oregano. While the butterflies tend not to care about the colour of the flower, you probably do. Plant flowers with colours that are pleasing to you, so that you spend more time looking at the flowers and any butterflies that visit them.

As well, choose flowers that will bloom all season long, or a combination of plants that bloom at different times during the warm months of spring and summer. A spring favourite is the sweet pea, along with marigolds during late spring. This is soon followed by summer favourites, such as dianthus, purple coneflowers, shasta daisies and the black-eyed susan.

In addition, it is important to have plants that will support the butterfly larvae, such as snap dragons, milkweed, lupine and sunflowers. A butterfly starts off as a caterpillar. Once a caterpillar has reached adulthood, it is ready to transform into a butterfly. At this point, the adult caterpillar will form a cocoon in order to start the transformation process. While it is in the cocoon, the caterpillar is officially called butterfly larvae. After a short period of time, the cocoon will break open and a butterfly will emerge. A few hours later and the butterfly is ready to fly off into the world.

Provide Shelter and Protection

Butterflies need protection from the elements and shelter from the wind and rain. An easy way to provide shelter is to place small brush piles in your yard. Also, it is very important that you don't use pesticides. It will kill both butterfly larvae and adult butterflies very easily. Adult butterflies are even more susceptible to pesticides because it is in the water they drink and the insects that they eat.

Provide Water

While butterflies need water to drink, they will avoid places where the water is deep. They can easily become trapped and drown in deep water, so provide places where the water is shallow. Even drops of water, damp sand or plants that hold water on their leaves and petals can provide sufficient sources of water.

Provide Sunny Spots

Sunshine helps to warm the wings of butterflies so that they can fly. Make sure that you position both rocks and flowers throughout your garden so that at every part of the day, there are always some flowers and rocks that are in the sun. Rocks are just as important as flowers, since butterflies also need time to rest during the day. Rocks provide not only a place to rest, but an area to soak up the sun as well.

Lovely Swings for your Lovely Gardens

What else but a swing can make your garden look so lovely and cozy? It can make your yard or garden a perfect place for relaxation in any time of the year. These outdoors types of swings can suit all ages from babies to senior people, because both children and adults love garden swings. They can enjoy swinging all year round breathing fresh air and admiring the nature around. On hot summer days swinging can cool you off. There are many types and designs of garden swings. Some of them are designed for only one person; the other swings can suit the entire family. Swings with covered tops can keep you from the sun or even rain, so you can enjoy swinging whenever you want. You will show real hospitability to your guests inviting them for a cup of nice tea or coffee in your garden, where a decorative swing can serve a perfect seat for all of you. You can sit hours talking about old good days, the weather and your children. Fresh air, friendly conversations and a soothing and relaxing effect of swinging will create the atmosphere of unity of nature and people. The negative part of it is that your guests will not wish to go home.

Garden swings are still very popular Garden swings were and still very popular nowadays, they are used in many outdoor places, such as terraces, bars and others. You can also put them on a porch, by your garden, on a patio, in the middle of your yard. Adults can enjoy themselves while their children are busy merrily swinging back and forth. Even some of them like using swings to rock with their children or grandchildren. Swinging sets come in different shapes and sizes, and their well-constructed forms are made to be out in different types of weather. Moreover you can order a special designed swinging set, which construction can hold more than four people if you wish. The materials, used for making windup swinging sets on cranks are such as wood and metal, that is why windup swings can serve you for a pretty long time, because they are 926durable and last for years. Thanks to various styles and sizes of garden swinging sets you can choose one for your local home to make your garden or yard the most fantastic and comfortable place to relax.

Purchasing a garden swing Purchasing a garden swing for your home is a crucial and important moment. You can buy them in specialized stores and they are also available online. The Internet gives us a great possibility to make a choice sitting home and looking through a large selection of many swings of different styles and sizes. You can find a great deal of such companies which offer you their products. Some of the less expensive garden swings can be found for less then one hundred dollars. But larger swings may cost a lot more. And it is up to you to decide which one will be the most suitable for you to decorate your place.

Hydroponics

You see fish nibbling on plants in an aquarium, and seaweeds in the ocean, and you observe—these plants can grow without soil. You call this technology, hydroponics. Hydroponics is also called soil-less gardening, soil-less culture, chemiculture, and water gardening.

Taken from two Greek words—“water” and “work”, hydroponics simply means growing plants without soil. Hydroponics system is used to grow plants without soil in water to which nutrients have been added. Thanks to the people who conducted experiments on the feasibility for growing commercial crops using the hydroponic system in the early 1900s—a century before that, hydroponics was just used as a research technique.

Now, you will practically find hydroponic home gardens and commercial cropping operations all throughout the US and other countries—indoors or outdoors in various mediums, like water, gravel, sand, sawdust, vermiculite, or other soil-less materials. But don’t think that hydroponically grown plants are entirely different--like all plants, plants that are grown hydroponically need light, water, and oxygen to survive.

Hydroponic home gardens

Since hydroponically grown plants never come in contact with disease-ridden soil, they are healthier than their garden counterparts. In a hydroponic garden, the plants are also given an optimum balance of the nutrients they need. Hydroponic kits give specific instructions on how this is attained. The fruits and vegetables that are grown are therefore rich with the desired nutrients and vitamin content that are delivered via a solution rather than via the soil as in a regular garden.

Some mediums that have been successfully used are shredded compound like coconut or peat, rockwool (may come in cube form, a spun synthetic fiber found in potted aquarium plants). One of the best horticultural rooting medium that has been developed for hydro systems is a sponge, which is quite expensive. Another one that has been used is in grow rooms is perlite.

Hydroponic systems for commercial operations

For commercial operations, a big advantage for growing using hydroponics is that plants can be grown closer together rather than if they were grown in the field. The yield is much greater n volume. Multiple cropping or growing several plants or crops in the same tank can be practiced. Space is saved, and weeds and pest problems are eliminated when you use the right hydro sysmtem.

One downside that can be told for hydroponic systems is that the equipment can be costly, and personnel needs a lot of training. In addition, the amount of physical support required is tremendous. The plants are usually held upright by wire supports. Another option to grow hydroponics is to root them in a sterile medium, like pure sand or gravel. The elements, like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential nutrients that are normally found in soil must be supplied not only in optimum concentrations but in correct balance.

And more…eliminating toxins from the soil

Grow hydroponics—but there is more to this. Inversely, contaminated land can be cleaned up—by harvesting waste. It may seem strange, but possible by using plants that could suck up toxic metals from the soil. Land contaminated with metals can be cleaned up in an environmentally friendly way—by simply harvesting and disposing the plants that were earlier made to suck up the toxic metals from the soil.

What Vegetable Garden Is Right For You?

Two Types of Vegetable Gardens

For those of us who love to nurture and consume vegetables, home gardening is a great activity to take part in. Once you have decided to have your own vegetable garden, the next step is to decide what type of vegetable garden you want. There are two types of gardens: land gardens and container gardens. When one plants vegetables in the ground, it is called land gardening. When one plants vegetables in pots, it is called container gardening. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Find out which is right for you through this simple guide to land and container vegetable gardening.

Land Vegetable Gardening

To plant a vegetable garden on solid ground, you must carefully determine the size, location, and soil of your garden.

When you're planning a garden, it's important to decide the size of garden you want. In order to easily maintain a garden, you should start out small with a small garden and gradually expand if you later on desire to. I recommend starting out with a garden of 25 square feet or smaller. As you get the hang of gardening, you can expand your garden to be as big as you wish.

Before beginning a vegetable garden on solid ground, consider the location of your garden. Plants need about six hours of sunlight in order to fulfill their potential. Therefore, it is inadvisable to place your garden where there is a lot of shade. You should also make sure that you can locate your garden in a place with sufficient drainage. To protect your vegetables from drowning, make sure you can position your garden away from the bottoms of hills and other places where water is likely to collect.

Before planting in the ground, you should make sure that the soil is compatible for gardening. Soil that's slightly loose and simple to till is best. Stay away from hard, difficult-packed soil. If your yard has mediocre soil, mulch or compost will be a big help for your garden. In fact, composting won’t only greatly help your garden, it will also decrease the amount of your trash.

If you have the desired size, location, and soil for a land garden, you will enhance your chances for success in gardening on solid ground for beginners.

Container Gardening

If, on the other hand, you have little space, little sunshine, infertile soil, or impaired mobility, you may want to grow vegetables in containers. Container gardening allows you to position the plants in places where they can receive the best growing conditions in your area. Container gardening also creates better pest management and a chance to have color in areas where you want color. The downside of container gardening is that containers demand daily watering, which you must do by hand.

Some plants are especially fit for container-gardening. Vegetables that grow appropriately in containers are those that are used to growing in confined spaces, such as salad greens, spinach, eggplant, Swiss chard, beets, radish, carrots, peppers, bush beans, tomatoes, bush varieties of summer squash and cucumbers, green onions, and many herbs. Other plants will also grow well in pots, even if they are not meant for container gardening.

Regardless of the type or size of container used, adequate drainage is a necessity for successful plants. It is wise to add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of the container to control drainage. For most vegetable crops, 5-gallon containers are the most appropriate size.

Some Last Notes

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to have a garden without pests, and land gardens attract the most bugs. Unless you want to use chemicals, you will have to kill any pests on the plants yourself and with the help of pest-eating bugs. You can buy these pest-eating bugs, such as ladybugs or praying mantis, from garden stores to get rid of pests. For larger bugs like grasshoppers and such, you will have to pick them off by hand.

Another issue you may have while vegetable gardening is to make sure the weeds do not take over your garden, especially if you have a land garden. If you don’t go out daily to pick the weeds, the weeds will choke out the plants and take over. Watering your garden is important not only to keep your plants alive and healthy, but also to repel some of the bugs that might otherwise eat your plants.

Your Final Decision

Vegetable gardening is a rewarding experience, because you end up with a delicious plant harvest. The question is whether you should start a land garden or container garden. This question is usually answered by one’s own resources. If you have an area outdoors that is sunny for at least six hours a day and yields good soil, opt for the land garden. If you live in a city, let’s say, and do not have a parcel of land to garden on, then create a container garden. Either way, don’t miss out on the cherishing moments of farming in and eating from a vegetable garden. If you loved the ripe vegetables that grandma used to grow, you should relive those precious memories by starting your own land or container vegetable garden.

What You Need to Know When Buying Bonsai Trees As a Gift

The first thing you will need to buy is a bonsai tree. Before buying a bonsai tree you need to determine whether your recipient will require an indoor or outdoor bonsai tree. Does the recipient live in a warm area year round like New Mexico or New Orleans or do they live in an area where the seasons change like New York or North Dakota. Next you will need to determine which bonsai tree species to buy. There are many types of bonsai trees like the Japanese maple, elm, ficus, maple, and juniper. Some bonsai tree species are more difficult to grow than others so you will need to make sure that you choose the appropriate species for the person who will be receiving the bonsai tree.

The second thing you will need to bonsai pot. Today there are various styles, colors, shapes and size to choose from so you can easily find a bonsai pot for the bonsai tree that is perfect for anyone. When selecting the bonsai pot, you will need to the correct size for the bonsai tree to ensure the tree fits inside the pot.

The third thing you will need to buy is bonsai soil. Unlike other types of plants, bonsai trees require a certain type of soil to grow. Some soils are already mixed with fertilizer to make your life easier. However, when buying bonsai soil you need to make sure that you not only buy enough soil to fill the pot but you will need to include extra soil as well.

The fourth thing you will need to buy is bonsai fertilizer. Bonsai trees require fertilizer for growth and nutrition. There are many kinds to choose from starting with organic and non organic types. Regardless of which fertilizer you choose, you will need to understand what nitrogen level your bonsai tree requires. To be safe buy extra fertilizer and package it with your bonsai gift.

The fifth thing you will need to buy is wire and tools. These items are essential especially for the novice in bonsai growing. Bonsai tool kits are available and they come with the standard tools such as the bending jack, concave cutter, scissors and wire cutters. The wire is also essential since wire is used to form the bonsai tree.

The last thing you will need to buy is a watering pot or can. Like most plant life, bonsai trees need frequent watering. Including a watering pot is a must since it is a subtle reminder that the bonsai tree requires water.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, when it comes to bonsai trees, anytime can be a good time to buy a bonsai gift. When giving a bonsai tree as a gift make sure you include a pot, soil, bonsai fertilizer, wire tools, and a watering pot. By including these items your bonsai gift will be the perfect gift!

Local Garden Supply Center

Another area of marketing is the loyalty card schemes and related gardening clubs. These are the sort of methods that are not offered by the larger chains of garden supply centers. (With the exception of loyalty cards perhaps)

One of the advantages enjoyed by the large garden supply center companies is the pricing they can offer their customers. Due to the large quantities they purchase for resell they can usually get a better deal than the smaller independent operators. However, the one thing that many smaller garden supply centers have that many of the big chains lack is service and knowledge of the products they sell. Of course the economies of scale are also a disadvantage because you will have the same plants as everyone else. If you like growing a more eclectic range of flowers and vegetables you will only get these from the smaller garden suppliers.

For the home gardener who knows exactly what they want and how to use it, the larger corporate garden supply center is going to have a larger selection from which to choose while saving a little but of money. However, seeking advice from the same chain's employees can be hit or miss as to whether they understand home gardening or just there for a summer job.

Local Garden Centers Have the Advantage

While there are pros and cons to both the small independent garden supply center and the large chain-owned outlets the needs and preference of the customer are often different, resulting in some customers sharing their business between the two. There is also a perception that the independent garden supply center must be priced higher than their corporate competition and in some cases that may be true, but customers are often surprised by the savings they can find at the small outlets.

Where the independent local garden supply center will score is in the choice of plants. They will be localized to your area and will grow well for you. The large chains will have the same inventory for a wide geographical area. But not all the plants that grow in the south of the country will work in the north because of different daylight sun hours and rainfall. The other reason why the plants will be more suitable for you is that they will work in your soil.

The expertise of the garden centre staff will know the general conditions of the soils in your area and they will make sure they sell what grows best for you.

So while the large multiple garden centers do have a place for the serious gardener you need to lose your local garden supply center.

The Top 5 Mistakes Most People Make

As a rose grower myself and author of a gardening website, I get many questions about why a certain rose bush has failed or what a person might be doing wrong. Over time, these many mistakes people make, began to fall into five major categories.

The five major rose growing mistakes that most people could avoid!

1. Planting in the wrong location:

Before you actually dig the hole for your new rose bush, consider the location. It will need six hours of good light including some time in the sun. It will need healthy soil where water drains well and other plants and trees haven't taken over with their own roots. Not in the shade of a large tree, or over a concrete pipe or in a pot small enough for a geranium! Take time to choose the right location.

2. Choosing the wrong bush in the first place:

My rose bush, Savoy Hotel, grew so large I had to move the neighbors fence! The estimated size was actually on the label when I purchased it, so check how big it will get and plan the space accordingly. Rose bushes are programed to grow to a certain size, not necessarily the height you want, so check the labeling carefully.

While doing this check, look up the hardiness of the particular rose. Not all roses grow at minus 20 degrees centigrade in Calgary! Some are very susceptible to certain diseases such as blackspot, and guess what, some rose bushes only bloom once a year!

Check these things out BEFORE you purchase.

Type of rose, color, scent, size at full growth, hardiness and blooming time: make your choices before you plant, not after.

3. Pruning at the wrong time of year:

I have an acquaintance who continues to question why her roses don't bloom: even though, every year she cuts out all the new growth as it tries to bud, because this new growth blocks her view out of her living-room window. Pruning at the correct time will promote growth and increase blossom production.

Climbers should be pruned in the fall and trained to travel where you want them to travel. Fall is the time to train your climbers, not the spring, because all you would be doing is removing the new shoots that produce the new stems and the new blossoms.

Hybrid Teas and minis that have a repeat blooming, get cut back in early spring and just given a short haircut in the fall to prevent wind damage during the winter. This cut back in spring promotes new growth and helps you to re-shape the bush.

Bushes that don't re-bloom such as most Old Growth Roses, get pruned right after the blossoms fade, sometimes after the hips have formed if you like to encourage the hips to grow: perhaps as late as the fall. Pruning at the correct time will produce a healthier bush and a lot more roses!

4. Not knowing exactly what you planted:

You will not have much success with one, two or three above if you haven't dealt with this one, and you would be surprised how many people tell me ”...I don't remember the name....and I can't for the life of me find the metal tag....are you sure there was one?”

All roses come with a metal name tag and if they don't, go buy them somewhere that does!

Keep the tag on the bush and make a note of what it says, then in a year or two when you need an answer to a question about something that has gone wrong you can look it up and people like myself can help you.

Not knowing if the bush is a climber or a Polyantha, Rosa Mundi or Queen Elizabeth, makes a lot of difference. Knowing the name means you can check with your National or local society about the likely growing characteristics of your plant: knowing what it should be doing goes a long way to solving most problems.

5. Not tending to the W.F.D:

Of course, I know of several beautiful roses that have spread themselves along twenty feet or more of stone wall, and produced arm-loads of fabulous roses every year while getting no attention whatsoever: even abuse from passing car exhausts. But if you are going to be successful, don't fall into the trap of ignoring the W. F and D!

Water, Food and Dead-heading, all play their part in rose growing 101 and you ignore them at your peril. Mistake number five, ignoring the W. F and D chores.

Water deeply at least twice a week. Put down organic rose fertilizer in early spring and early summer. Liquid fertilize every week or two and keep the rose clean of dead blooms otherwise the bush thinks it's finished for the season and go dormant, produce hips, and get completely confused. Keep the roses coming by removing the old faded ones. Your rose bush wants to make more babies....encourage it to do so!

If you tend to your rose garden and avoid these five major mistakes, the chances are high that your bushes will flourish and your roses will be the envy of your family and friends. Growing roses will have it's reward if you take notice of the five mistakes.

Growing roses just got easier.