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Category: gardening

  • BW benefits of gardening for kids

    BENEFITS OF GARDENING FOR KIDS

    Apparently, we can see how nature is treated these days. It is a sad thing to know that people do not pay attention so much anymore to the environmental problems. What can we do about this? It’s as simple as starting with the children. It is good to see the children’s involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. Why should you consider gardening for your children?

    Here are the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:

    1. Science

    In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant’s life cycle and how human’s intervention can break or make the environment. They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through a seed. This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.

    2. Life

    Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child. In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated — it should be with care. The necessities to live will be emphasized to kids with the help of gardening – water, sunlight, air, soil. Those necessities could easily be corresponded to human necessities, i.e., water, shelter, air, food. By simply weeding out, one could educate how bad influences should be avoided to be able to live life smoothly.

    3. Relaxation

    Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect. This is applicable to any age group. More so, it stimulates all the five senses. Believe it or not, gardening may be used as therapy to children who have been abused or those who are members of broken homes. It helps build one’s self-esteem.

    4. Quality Time with the Family

    You can forget about your stressful work life for a while be soothed by the lovely ambience in the garden. You can play and spend quality time with your children. You can talk while watering the plants or you can work quietly beside each other. The bottom line is, always do what you have to do, together with your kids. You might discover a lot of new things about your child while mingling with them in your garden.

    Let kids become aware of their environment’s needs. And one way to jumpstart that environmental education may be through gardening. It’s hitting two birds with one stone — teach them to respect life while you bond with them.

  • gardening website

    HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR GARDENING WEBSITE

    Are you thinking of promoting your gardening website online? This could actually pose a little bit of a problem to you. Let’s face it. On the Internet, searching for gardening websites could yield hundreds, or even thousands of results in just one click. Therefore, the possibility of people visiting your website is one in a thousand. Here are six techniques on how to promote your gardening website.

    1. Free directories

    One very effective tip on how to promote your gardening website is to get listed on free directories online. Visit www.dmoz.com. There are a couple of websites that copy their directory. If you have your site listed, you can get yourself linked on to a lot more websites online.

    2. Competitor’s popularity

    You always need to check your competitor’s popularity. You need to know where you stand in the market. Having a new gardening website does not have to mean lower online visits or hits than other gardening websites around. It is just a matter of knowing your competitors by simply searching them out on Google. Also try checking www.linkpopularity.com. This website can help you determine how popular your website is compared to others. Aside from that, it can also help you get hooked up on many different sites you can find.

    3. Quality and Reliable Links

    One-tenth of your visitors may have possibly found your gardening website through the use of a search engine. The key here is to find quality links that will point to your website. Choose quality websites with a great number of customers. You could ace your gardening website promotion in no time at all. Related gardening websites will help you rank well in search engines for the reason that you have a targeted audience.

    4. Competitors Visitors

    Obviously, this is a very big factor in promoting your gardening website. In www.alexa.com, you may see a lot of information regarding your competitors’ websites, specifically their visitors and where they live, how many times they visit and the other gardening websites they go to.

    5. Signature

    Why not get your own signature for your email? Most people often ignore this idea. But if users come across your signature file, it could boost your “visit” or “hit probability”. It can also show users that you are a website owner who is serious in publishing your site.

    Strategy is the key in promoting your gardening website. Do not be content on being just one of those gardening websites scattered around. You can always strive to be one of the most visited sites on the Internet.

  • BW How to improve your flower gardening

    Care of the Flower Garden

    Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants. Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health

    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.

  • Herbs

    ࡱ> 1305@ bjbj22 ”,XX6666666J< J . . . . . . . .        $ R:B 6. . . . . B 66. . W  . 6. 6.  .   66 . " p]R D   m 0 'Z :' JJ6666'6 . . . . . . . B B JJ. JJ. 7. Herbs Herbs are the culinary and medicinal plants. These are the low-growing aromatic plants which are used fresh or dried for seasoning, for their medicinal properties, or in perfumes. There are a wide variety of herbs such as super kelp, garlic, parsley, green tea extract, horse chestnut, milk thistle and oregano oil. Herbs are very useful in strengthening the body and in treating the diseases. However they contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. So, they should be taken on the advice of an herbal practitioner. Super Kelp Super kelp (also known as Sea kelp and Sea wrack) is a sea herb that is one of the best sources of natural iodine and trace elements. It is also used as the principle agent in cures for obesity. In addition, it cleans out the kidneys and stimulates the thyroid and pituitary gland to produce growth hormones. Garlic Garlic is a natural anti-biotic and is used to disinfect wounds, treat ear infections, cholera and typhus. This herb is anti-fungal and anti-oxidant agent and can help lower cholesterol. It may also be beneficial for risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. The excess of garlic can cause upset stomach/flatulence, occupational asthma, postoperative bleeding, bloating, bad breath, body odor, and skin irritation. People with bleeding disorders should not use garlic. Parsley Parsley (Petroselinum) is one of the best known, diuretic and most nutritious herbs which contain large quantities of vitamins A, B, C and minerals calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. Its very useful for kidney and urinary problems and water retention. Its usefulness can be judged by the saying: if parsley is thrown into fishponds it will heal the sick fishes therein. Green Tea Extract Green tea extracts are one of the natures most powerful anti-oxidants. It helps prevent both heart disease and cancer by helping prevent vascular blood clotting and reducing cholesterol. It possesses antimicrobial properties that support immune-system health and protects against digestive and respiratory infections. The excess of green tea extracts may cause irritability, insomnia, heart palpitation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite. Horse chestnut Horse chestnut supports the vessels of our circulatory system and helps strengthen capillary cells and reduce fluid breakage. It is believed to be an excellent antioxidant to prevent wrinkles. It also helps in the treatments of phlebitis, varicosity and hemorrhoids. Milk Thistle Milk thistle has some active substances that helps maintain healthy liver function by protecting the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins and alcohol. It is a herbal remedy for anthrax, asthma, bladder stones, cancer, catarrh, chest ailments, dropsy, fever, bleeding from the lungs or bronchia, hepatitis, rabies, jaundice, vaginal discharge, malaria, melancholy, piles, plague, pleurisy, spasms, and spleen and uterus problems. Taking excess of milk thistle may cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, rash or other skin reactions, joint pain, impotence, and anaphylaxis. It should not be taken in pregnancy and while nursing. Oregano Oil This herb has healing, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. It is used to treat a mildly upset stomach, bronchitis, nervous tension, insect bites, rheumatism, earache, toothaches and even athlete's foot. It is also useful in relieve bloating, gas, urinary tract problems, rheumatoid arthritis, swollen glands, and lack of perspiration. In addition, it is as powerful as morphine as a pain killer.    5F`kw  : C F G o x |   A ͳͳͳͳreXeXeKhYhBbOJQJ^JhYh#&GOJQJ^JhYhZOJQJ^JhYh.gOJQJ^JhYhOJQJ^JhYh/OJQJ^JhYh:0OJQJ^JhYheo^OJQJ^JhYhjOJQJ^JhYh`OJQJ^JhYhJOJQJ^J$hYhN"5B*OJQJ^Jph33$hYhY5B*OJQJ^Jph33  G H Z [ g KL^<=>MXYfgd’7gd*gdN”gdJ$a$gdYA
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  • BW rose gardening tips

    Dealing with Rose Diseases

    To make sure that your prized roses remain in the best of health, simply follow these tips.

    1. Black Spots on Leaves

    This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots appear as circular with fringed edges on leaves. They cause the leaves to yellow. Remove the infected foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose. Artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat this kind of rose disease.

    2. Stunted or malformed young canes

    Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes the leaves curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease.

    3. Blistered underside of leaves

    Known as rust, this disease is characterized by orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. It can survive the winter and will then attack new sprouts in the spring. Collect and discard leaves that are infected in fall. a Benomyl or Funginex spray every 7-10 days may help.

    4. Malformed or stunted leaves and flowers

    This is caused by spider mites. They are tiny yellow, red or green spiders found on the underside of leaves where they suck juices. The application of Orthene or Isotox may help in treating this infestation.

    5. Weak and mottled leaves with tiny white webs under them

    This is caused by aphids. They are small soft-bodied insects that usually brown, green or red. Often clustered under leaves and flower buds, they suck plant juices from tender buds. Malathion or diazinon spray may help roses to survive these bugs.

    6. Flowers that don’t open or are deformed when they open.

    Thrips could be the reason behind this problem. They are slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings that also suck juices from flower buds. Cut and discard the infested flowers. Orthene and malathion may also treat this problem.

    Remember that roses are hungry feeders that require much fertilizer to become healthy bushes.

  • gardening gifts

    Gardening Gifts for All Occasions

    There is nothing nicer than receiving a gift relating to one’s passion. If your loved one’s passion is gardening, then show your thoughtfulness by giving a gift that will be truly appreciated.
    There are so many great gardening gifts that the only constraint is your own budget.

    If your budget is small, go for things like gloves, kneepads or even a shady hat. A pretty pot (or a watering-can) filled with a small bag of potting mix, a packet of bulbs, some gloves and a small trowel or other tool will be received with delight by most gardeners. There are many hand tools at hardware stores that are reasonably priced.

    If you feel that is too ordinary, how about a subscription to a gardening magazine? A tiny bit more expensive perhaps, but it will give twelve full months of delight. A book on gardening is another idea, but make sure your recipient does not already have the one you choose. Books are often heavily discounted at Christmas time, so you may get a bargain.

    On the other hand, a pot that contains a flowering plant is usually a welcomed gift. Be sure to choose a plant that is suited to your climate. Sometimes plants are sent from tropical to temperate zones and kept in artificial conditions in the store. These plants will not do well once taken from their environment. Shrub roses are hardy and attractive and grow in many climates. Tulips do best in the cooler climate.

    If your budget is strong, a more expensive tool may be appropriate. A pull-trolley is easier to use than a wheelbarrow and, like some electric tools, is still not terribly expensive. Small electric tools such as whipper-snippers can retail for as little as $20.00. Or if your friend has a hose but not a hose reel, then that would be a more useful gift that he would truly appreciate.

    Automatic lawn mowers, electric cultivators, hedge trimmers and brush cutters are in the more expensive price range and you are the only one who can decide whether that is an appropriate gift. However, when the recipient realizes you have given a gift that complements his passion, expensive or not, it will certainly become the best gift
    your friend has ever received.

  • Preparing Your Garden for the Winter

    Preparing Your Garden fo the Winter

    Some people believe that when the weather starts getting colder and the
    leaves start to fall, it is time to put away the gardening tools and wait
    until next spring to work on their garden again. Wrong. Winter is an
    important time to maintain your garden’s health and assure yourself a good
    crop for next year. You may think that might take to long to prepare your
    garden, but the truth is that it takes less than one day to prepare your
    garden for the upcoming winter.

    When the nighttime temperatures drop to less than forty-five degrees
    Fahrenheit for more than four days in a row, or frost is forecasted for
    your area (usually around late October or November) you know its time to
    begin preparing your garden. You should begin by evaluating your garden
    design, check which plants grew well in the past season, and which plants
    did not do well. Fall is a good time to decide which plants will remain in
    you garden next year, and which ones should go.

    It is also a good time to decide which new plants you want to grow. To
    make your garden more colorful and healthy, be sure only to plant the more
    hardy plants during the fall so that they can withstand the winter. Some
    plants that will do fine being planted in fall are: rudbeckia, Aster
    Novi-belgii, Anemone Japonica, panicle hyandea, endive, escarole, and
    Brussels sprouts. You can find all of these and more in gardening
    magazines or your local nursery.

    After you have finished this you should begin cleaning up your garden.
    Begin by pulling out weeds that may have cropped up, and raking fallen
    leaves. Weeds and rotten leaves can carry insects and diseases that might
    be harmful to your garden. You should also rid your garden of spent annual
    plants, and harvest your vegetables and other plants that cannot withstand
    the winter weather. After fall has come and gone, the leaves will be off
    your trees and you can see the rotten branches. Trimming off the unwanted
    branches from your trees isn’t necessary to your gardens health, but may
    help later on by not dropping branches on your plants and not blocking too
    much of the sun.

    If you have younger trees you should consider wrapping them and supporting
    them with stakes to help them survive the winter wind and cold. Putting
    mulch over your garden for the winter can be a helpful way to protect
    plants from sudden temperature changes and heavy snow. For mulch you can
    use about five inches of shredded bark, pine needles, or a variety of
    other materials. You have to be careful not to mulch too early, because
    some insects may still be alive and able to take shelter in it for the
    winter.

    Once you are finished with your gardening tools you should clean them and
    make sure they are in a safe place where they won’t rust and you know
    where they’ll be for next year. Before winter comes you should always set
    out slug repellent, as slugs are one of the worst bugs to have in your
    garden. If you have a pool or fountain in your garden, be sure to take out
    any fish that you have in them and bring them inside. Theres nothing
    sadder than a fish frozen in a block of ice.

    PPPPP

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  • BW safe pest control tips for your garden

    Safe Pest Control Tips

    Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.

    The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.

    Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.

    1. Use the physical pest control process.

    This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage.

    2. Apply biological pest control.

    Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.

    3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.

    Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.

    4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.

    Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:

    Against Green Aphids and Mites – Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.

    Against Cockroaches – Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.

    Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting.

  • Choosing and Planting Perennials

    Choosing and Planting Perennials

    If youve been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be feeling slightly disgruntled at how plain it is to look at. I too began my gardening career with a vegetable garden, but I decided that it wasnt quite as pleasing to look at as I would have liked. I heard from a friend that the use of perennial flowers could be a great way to liven up my garden without adding any extra work for me.

    Perennial flowers are strong, local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there (rather than just dying and looking like hideous brown clumps in your garden). When its time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were.

    Before deciding whether to put in perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the water stays saturated for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. To test, dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole isnt completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed.

    Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create an outline of the year. Research the different types of flower you want, and create a timeline of flowering. If you plan it right, you can have a different type of flower blooming at any point in the year. Getting just the right mixture of seeds can give your yard a constantly changing array of colors.

    When you go to buy the seeds from your local florist or nursery, you might be able to find a custom seed mixture for your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. Usually these blends are optimized for the local climate, and do great jobs of having flowers always grow in your yard. If one of these isnt available, you can ask the employees what they think would be a good mixture. They should be happy to help you put something together which will be optimal for whatever you desire.

    You should definitely use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do, by reducing the amount of weeds and increasing the water retention. Bark or pine needles work great, I have found, and depending on the rest of your yard you might have them on hand at no charge. As for fertilizer, you should use it sparingly once your plants start to come to life.

    When you actually go to plant the seeds, you should put them in small, separate clumps according to the directions. This is because they tend to spread out, and if you have too many too close together then they will end up doing nothing but choking each other out. As you plant them, throw in a little bit of extremely weak fertilizer. In no time at all you should start to see flowers blooming up.

    PPPPP

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  • containergardening

    Container Gardening Tips for Newbies

    Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colourful pots of annuals, or fill your window boxes with beautiful shrub roses or any number of small perennials. Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you’ll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden.

    Container gardening enables you to easily vary your color scheme, and as each plant finishes flowering, it can be replaced with another. Whether you choose to harmonize or contrast your colors, make sure there is variety in the height of each plant. Think also of the shape and texture of the leaves. Tall strap-like leaves will give a good vertical background to low-growing, wide-leaved plants. Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming.

    Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you’d rather make something really modern with timber or tiles. If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don’t want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.
    Cheaper plastic pots can also be painted on the outside with water-based paints for good effect. When purchasing pots, don’t forget to buy matching saucers to catch the drips. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors rotting.
    Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

    If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive pot plant on each one will delight your visitors. Indoors, pots of plants or flowers help to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.
    Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, then buy plants that suit the situation. There is no point buying sun lovers for a shady position, for they will not do well. Some plants also have really large roots, so they are best kept for the open garden.

    If you have plenty of space at your front door, a group of potted plants off to one side will be more visually appealing than two similar plants placed each side. Unless they are spectacular, they will look rather boring.
    Group the pots in odd numbers rather than even, and vary the height and type. To tie the group together, add large rocks that are similar in appearance and just slightly different in size. Three or five pots of the same type and color, but in different sizes also looks affective.

    With a creative mind and some determination, you will soon have a container garden that will be the envy of friends and strangers alike.