Organic Gardens Make Simple

Some info and guide on Organic gardens

The key to a great garden is to implement organic gardening methods. You will not only improve the taste of your fruits, vegetables and herbs but you will improve growth and harvest all while reducing chemical pollution on the earth and inside your body. After all, growing your own food is the healthiest way to eat if you take control as to what you use for fertilizer and disease and pest prevention.

Organic gardening means you won't be using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but that doesn't mean your plants are left to fend for themselves. There are an array of tools you can use to bolster plant health and ward off pests. Organic gardening also isn't just about what you don't do, it's about trying to foster a more holistic, natural ecosystem.

You've been trying to eat more organic foods, both to decrease the amount of pesticides you and your family consume, and to help protect the environment from overloading with toxic chemicals. But organics can get a bit expensive, we know. Luckily, there's a way to grow your own delicious, fresh produce, while having fun and learning at the same time: organic gardening!

Many of today's gardeners are rejecting toxic chemicals and pesticides in favor of more environmentally friendly, non-toxic organic solutions for their gardens. There are many simple, organic remedies for common garden problems that can be made from items usually already found in the home.Weeds are a common and very frustrating problem for many gardeners. Pulling, digging and treating with harsh chemicals are not the easiest or most environmentally friendly solutions to weed growth. For a non-toxic, cost effective weed treatment, spray the unwanted plants with full strength household vinegar in full sun. This treatment is non-toxic, safe to use and very inexpensive and it works!

An Introduction to Organic Gardening Techniques

When you start planning how to reduce the use of chemicals in your garden, imagine how a primary forest grows. In a primary forest, you will find a thick layer of hummus on the ground and plenty of beneficial critters in the soil, including earthworms and fungi.

You will also see a variety of trees, shrubs, and ground covers that have grown together in mutually beneficial tiers. A primary forest typically hasn’t seen the introduction of non-native and often invasive species that may shift an ecosystem out of balance. Unfortunately, most of our created urban landscapes are over-run with non-natives, often times creating a
challenging environment for the gardener.

If we keep the imagine of a primary forest in our heads when we garden, we can use the following techniques to boost our garden’s ecosystem so that it functions more like a natural forest. Here are some basic things you can do to grow a healthier garden with stronger plants, so that you can use less chemicals when gardening.

Like all gardens soil is the most important components, so work the soil;

Work the Soil

Healthy soil is the key to growing healthy plants. Composting garden waste and kitchen scraps is one of the best ways to improve your soil. By adding compost to your garden soil, you can:

* Add needed nutrients to the soil
* Improve soil drainage
* Boost your plants’ immune systems
* Encourage the presence of beneficial soil organisms and earth worms
* Reduce the need for artificial fertilizers, as beneficial soil organisms will naturally produce
nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus
* Reduce the amount of water you use, as organic compost helps retain moisture in the soil

Soils may become too acid if you live in an area with heavy rains or if your soils have been treated over the years with high doses of N-P-K fertilizers. In these cases, simply add more organic compost to restore the balance. Soil drainage is also critical to organic gardening. If you notice water pooling in any areas of the garden, your plants may suffer from root rot or other problems. Mixing in compost is one of the best ways to improve drainage. You can also try digging out a good quantity of the soil, around 16 inches deep, and placing a layer of fine gravel at the bottom. Mix the soil you removed with compost, and fill it back in. Organic gardening focuses on building up the soil, using native plants and plants appropriate for your garden, and looking for a natural balance in your garden. We must recognize that pathogens generally attack weak plants that are not properly adapted to their environment and that live in poor soil. Therefore, if we work our soil and encourage the presence of beneficial soil organisms, our plants will generally be stronger and more resistant to pests and diseases.

Win-Win Situations

Companion Planting:
Another useful concept in organic gardening is known as “Companion Planting.” Companion planting recognizes that plants grown together in thoughtful combinations will benefit the entire garden-ecosystem. Roses and garlic are a good example. If you grow garlic close to your roses, you’ll keep most pests away.

Beneficial Insects:
Organic Gardening Means Befriending Beneficial Insects. Not all insects are pests. In fact, the majority of bugs living in your garden are helping your plants to grow in numerous, unseen ways. If you are having a problem with pests in your garden, you probably have an imbalance of fauna or an imbalance of soil nutrients. The more insects and other fauna in your garden, the less likelihood the “pesky” ones have of surviving. You will find that most insects eat those moths and maggots that are eating your plants.

Balancing act:
Organic gardening is about maintaining balance. Be aware when introducing insects into your garden intentionally, even beneficial ones. Do not introduce insects if their prey does not exist in your garden. If you introduce a population of insects but not feeding them, then you are harming
the diversity of your garden rather than encouraging it by throwing off the balance.

When you look at your garden is it a mess of beautiful color? Are birds, bees and flies hovering overhead? Does your garden fit naturally into the landscape with a variety of native plants and animals? With a healthy diversity of insects and other fauna, your garden will be healthy, have very little insect herbivory and local populations of animals will maintain healthy populations.

Common Deficiencies
Here’s a list of some common deficiencies you may encounter while growing an organic garden.

-Nitrogen deficiency - older leaves at base of plant turn yellow then develop a burnt look.
-Iron deficiency - leaves turn yellow or pale green while veins remain green.
-Sulfer deficiency - young new leaves turn yellow.
-Potassium deficiency - plants are more prone to disease, forming spots and leaves curling.
-Phosphorous deficiency- growth is stunted, leaves turn very dark , blue-green or purple with
red veins.
-Calcium deficiency - blossom end rot occurs. Young leaves die or wrinkle.
-Boron deficiency - stems turn brown and mushy.

Starting Your Organic Garden:
First choose your location that hasn't been sprayed with chemical pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers. You need an area that gets adequate sunshine and that has good drainage.

Next step in starting an organic garden is to make a list of all the types of fruits and vegetables you want to incorporate and give them all a number. Don’t forget to add beneficial plants like marigold, garlic and herbs.

Now, you’ll need to decide where to place everything. This is a great time to learn about companion planting and what needs to go next to what and where things don’t like to be.You need to decide what you will use for plant food, whether compost, worm castings, or other options. Also, decide what you will use in case of disease and pests. Having these on hand prior to the problems can help prevent Murphy law from invading. What will you use for mulching? Do
you have leaves or clippings that can be utilized? Will you start seedlings or buy plants? Do you know where to purchase quality organic seeds and plants? You’ll need to research different varieties that fit well with your climate and taste. Once you’ve got you layout and ingredients figured out, it’s time to plan the actions.

Now the work begins in starting an organic garden. Measure out twine the length and width of your garden and tie the twine onto stakes. Place stakes at all corners of the area where your garden will be to form a perfect rectangle. Cut the existing sod with the tip of a shovel and peel the sod away. If you have lots of weeds, make sure they get pulled out or buried deep. If you have a rototiller, you can use that to make the next part easier. You need to loosen the soil and blend in organic matter. Add organic topsoil several inches on the top of the beds.

Have fun, eat organic and stay healthy.

Collection from many great articles...thanks

Beautify your garden with morning glory

Excite your morning with Morning Glory

Morning Glory Ground Covers - Excellent Plants For Mediterranean Gardens
by Jonathan Ya'akobi

Morning Glory is commonly associated with rampant climbing plants belonging to the genus Ipomoea. There is however a species known botanically as Convolvulus sabatius, (C. mauritanicus) which while having climbing properties, can be grown as a low-growing ground cover plant. Considering that its water requirements are very modest, and that is so easy to grow, it is an excellent plant for gardens in Mediterranean and other dry climates.

Convolvulus sabatius is a semi-woody perennial that covers about 1 meter (3ft) in each direction, reaches some 30 cm in height (1 ft) with small, oval shaped leaves of a medium green hue. The foliage is not especially attractive, but the lavender-blue, bell shaped flowers create a stunning carpet through much of the summer. A path of flagstones meandering through this pastel sea of lavender is classically Mediterranean in style.

Some gardeners may be put off by the name Convolvulus, associating it with the infamously noxious Bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis. The garden species can be invasive, but this tendency is easily kept in check by hand weeding and occasional monitoring. It can also be a nuisance by climbing its way up nearby herbaceous plants and smothering other ground covers. The answer is to keep a good distance between the Morning Glory and its prospective neighbors!

As mentioned, Convolvulus sabatius is easy to grow. It requires trimming at the end of the winter to prevent it become bald and woody. It prefers less water to more, but does need well-drained soil. Frequent watering tends to produce more vegetative growth, while the occasional soaking seems to induce more flowers. It grows satisfactorily on less than a quarter of the water needed for grass, and even less compared to annual flowers.

The flowers of this Morning Glory reach about 25cm wide (1in) and their bell shape combines beautifully with flowering plants belonging to the Deadly Nightshade family (Solanaceae) such as Solanum rantonetii and Nierembergia, and with other bell-shaped flowers of similar size, like Penstemon. Always bear in mind that flowers possess shape, size and texture as well as color, and that mixing radically different flower shapes together, looks incongruous and out of place. Therefore, Convolvulus sabatius should not be planted next to large, garish, tropical type flowers.

Using rocks to decorate a landscape

Classy Rocks' landscaping

Decorative Landscaping Rocks By Jake Gorney
One of the best ways to add a special touch to your yard and flower beds is by using decorative landscaping rocks. Using these rocks you can achieve a classy look that does not have to cost much. The uses of landscaping rocks are almost endless. You can use them to make borders or rings around trees. The latter can be a great way to keep both animals and people away from tree trunks to prevent damage. Rocks can also be used to make paths in your yard. This way you will not have to walk through the mud when the weather gets rainy. Steps can also be made using rocks as can walls, railings and even seats and tables.

One way to use landscaping rocks is by stacking them around the edges of places where you don't want people to walk. This is not only effective, it also looks great. You can use large stones for this and put them in the ground when the earth is slightly wet. Smaller stones can also be used. These should be stacked on top of each other. You will find that when stacking you will have to dig down into the ground a bit to anchor the bottom stones into the ground.

Doing landscaping with rocks can be quite a bit of work and you should also be careful as it is easy to injure yourself when working with them. Before beginning your work it might be a good idea to do some research online on how to safely handle rocks and how to protect your hands and toes while working. If you will be using very large rocks you will probably need to rent equipment to move them around. This is why it is very important to plan ahead when using big rocks. Once they are in place you will not be able to move them easily.

An addition to the landscape...ornamental grass

Different types of ornamental grass

Ornamental Grass
Grasses, sedges and rushes are a great addition to the landscape. The ornamental grasses can be very short, from just a few inches tall to 10 feet or more. Some of the ornamental grasses are very fertile and can cause problems in the landscape and in the wild if they escape. Other ornamental grasses seem quite tame. I use the ornamental grasses and similar plants often to soften a border or to provide movement in the landscape. Or in some cases to make a very lush environment. The ornamental grasses will rustle in the wind. Many of these plants, such as Scirpus, Carex, Juncus, and Chondropetalum, are great in or near water. Though if you are near a wetland you should have caution when planting plants that might do just a little too well if they escape. Lomandra is even fragrant. One can smell as one walk down the garden path long before getting there.

Lomadra longifolia
Lomadra longifolia has done well for me in some of the most difficult conditions. I have grown it in full sun, dark shade, near swampy winters and baked summers without irrigation. All Lomandra longifolia has done is produce sweet smelling blooms. While the fragrant spikes on the flowers look like they could do some real damage when you go to smell them they are not very stiff. Plants can be expected to grow to 5 feet tall and wide, the dwarf varieties 3-4 feet. Lomandra longifolia is a natural understory to Eucalyptus. Two dwarf varieties of Lomandra that are available in the marketplace are Gary's Dwarf, and Breeze (aka Tanika). Our plants have shown no winter damage when temperatures dipped into the mid teens.

The Ornamentals' Plant

Information on Ornamental Plants

Ornamental plant From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, stem and bark. In some cases, unusual features may be considered ornamental, such as the prominent and rather vicious thorns of Rosa sericea. In all cases, their purpose is the enjoyment of gardeners and visitors. Ornamental plants may also be used for landscaping, and for cut flowers.The adequate spacing between pots of plants prevents them from competing for sunlight.

Similarly trees may be called ornamental trees. This term is used when they are used as part of a garden setting, for instance for their flowers, their shapes or for other attractive characteristics. By comparison, trees used in larger landscape effects such as screening and shading, or in urban and roadside plantings, are called amenity trees.
Meillandine Rose in clay pot

For plants to be considered as ornamental, they may require specific work and activity by a gardener. For instance, many plants cultivated for topiary and bonsai would only be considered as ornamental by virtue of the regular pruning carried out on them by the gardener, and they may rapidly cease to be ornamental if the work was abandoned.

Ornamental plants and trees are distinguished from utilitarian and crop plants, such as those used for agriculture and vegetable crops, and for forestry or as fruit trees. This does not preclude any particular type of plant being grown both for ornamental qualities in the garden, and for utilitarian purposes in other settings. Thus lavender is typically grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, but may also be grown as a crop plant for the production of lavender oil.

Adding Charm and Character to Residential Landscape

Garden Ornamentals An Accent in a Landscape

Overview
Garden ornamentals are used decorate and add charm and character to a residential landscape. Garden ornaments can provide an accent or emphasis in a landscape, drawing attention to a particular direction. The majority of a landscape is filled with plants, trees, flowers and grass. Garden ornamentals provide a great contrast to the living things in the surrounds of your landscape, as they are usually static objects and solid, they provide a different texture to your landscape.

Garden ornamentals very much contribute to the magic and beauty of a landscape. Whether you have a small terrace or a large open backyard, garden ornaments will compliment any landscape design.

Here are just a handful of different types of garden ornamentals that can be implemented in a residential landscape:

Ornamental Plaques
Ornamental plaques are used for decoration as walls within a landscape. This is just one of the many different castings that can be used to decorate bare areas within your landscape. Custom designs can also be accommodated to suit your individual taste. A theme can be created by using ornamental plaques. For the small amount of space they consume, ornamental plaques can make a great impact on a landscape.

Sundials
This garden ornamental dates back thousands of years. In the past, sundials were used to measure time by the position of the sun. A sundial can be positioned for any surface where a fixed object will cast a predictable shadow. These days, sundials can be used as a feature of a modern landscape. Sundials can come in different designs, but all represent a certain feeling of the old world charm.

Water Features
Water features add elegance and beauty to your landscape and are perfect garden ornamentals. Fountains especially can be implemented as the main focal point in a landscape design. No matter how small or large your landscape is, a water feature can be implemented into any garden. Not only are fountains beautiful to behold, but the sounds are trickling water can be very therapeutic.

Troughs
Troughs are perfect garden ornamentals for planting flowers that will bright up your landscape. Troughs are very traditional pieces that will give your landscape that old world charm. They can also be used for herb gardens. Troughs are available in a variety of patterns, colors and styles and will add beauty to your outdoor living area.

Bird Baths
Bird baths are a beautiful addition to a landscape. This garden ornamental can stand alone and still look beautiful. Bird baths are designed to attract wild birds and will create a sanctuary with the presence of these beautiful creatures. Birds bath easily be implemented as the main focal point in a landscape.

There is an endless variety of garden ornamentals that can be implemented into a landscape. Depending on individual taste and the theme of your garden, this will assist you in selecting the most appropriate ornamentals for your landscape. Garden ornamentals can range from urns and pottery to large life-size statues, there is no specific criteria.