When you consider herb gardening, you present yourself with the opportunity to add a new wrinkle to your home cooking. This new hobby can prove exciting, but also cheap and easy. Read on into the following paragraphs for some simple steps you can take that give you herbs you can use in your recipes at dinnertime!

Figure out which herbs you actually would use. There are probably a number of herbs that you use in your regular cooking right now that you could start growing in order to save yourself money at the grocery store. However, as long as you are going to herb garden, you might as well try out some new ones. Still, it is best to know which ones you would actually wind up using in your personal cooking style.

Make sure that you get only the best seeds and soil. You are not just growing flowers you want your guests and neighbors to be impressed with. The herbs you are growing are going to get eaten, so you want them as pure, strong and healthy as possible.

Finding the right pot is a decision you need to get correct from the start. The pot needs to be big enough to accommodate the plant at maturity. The amount of drainage that needs to be at the bottom also varies on the specific herb you are going to grow in it. Know how much room an herb needs at maturity, in terms of both width and depth of the roots.

Do your homework about where to best grow your herbs. Certain plants might do better outdoors than in or need some moving around depending on weather. Some herbs are going to be nice to you and can just sit on any counter in your home indoors.

For ones you plant outside, and especially in the ground, you need to be mindful of invasive species. Removing and preventing these has to be done, lest you lose your crop. However, you can not just spray down lots of weedkiller close to your herbs, otherwise you might be loathe and suspicious to eat them yourself after harvest. Use natural or manual removal methods of invasive species.

Sow your seeds according to any instructions that come with them, but also make sure to talk to other herb gardeners in your area for local advice. Make some friends among the staff at your local gardening shop, and find an online or local chapter of herb gardeners for socialization and advice. Not only can this serve as a source of future friendships for those that share your passion for gardening, but you can also perhaps start a cooking club and share meals using all your herbs after harvest!

When you have a good herb garden in your back yard, you have a constant supply of the same ingredients that cooks use at your favorite restaurant. When you follow these simple steps, you can be on the successful path to making gourmet cooking a luxury you enjoy every night, all thanks to your very own herb garden!

Great Tips On How To Keep A Journal On Your Garden

Keeping a journal on your garden is a great way to keep track of how your garden is doing. By keeping records and writing down notes, you can learn more about your garden’s particular needs and demands. Your garden is alive, and it is ever evolving. That means changes are inevitable. Part of your responsibility is to find out how you can adapt to the changes that you encounter in your garden, and your journal is a tool to help you you do that. Read this article to find out how you can start your own garden journal.

Make a list of the names and varieties of the plants that you want to monitor. Include the full scientific names as well as the common names. These names will be needed when you need to research these varieties in a plant book.

When you plant, jot down the date of your planting. You may also want to jot down the the time of day and the weather conditions for that day. Little details like this can tell you a lot if you have to diagnose any problems that your plants may develop.

As you monitor your plants’ growth performance, record which plants are doing well in which location. Write down anything extra that you have been doing for the plants, like pruning, fertilizing, etc. You want to develop a list of strong performers so that when you need to replant, you will have tried-and-true varieties to select from.

In addition, do not forget to note down what does not do well. Write down the plant names and locations, and also what actions you have been taking to nourish these plants. You will need this information so remind yourself what techniques were futile so you will know what to avoid in the future.

It is a good idea to include a diagram of the the layout of your garden. For each area, write down notes about the sun exposure, like what time of day this area gets sun, how much sun and for how long. Also write down notes about the soil condition of each area. Finally, write down the names of the plants in each area.

If you are growing different types of vegetables, write down which vegetables are strong performers, and which yield little in harvest. Write down at which locations these were grown. This will help you remember the ideal conditions to grow certain types of vegetables.

If you are planting bulbs, use plant markers to mark the spots in your garden where you had planted them. Once the bulbs are underground, it is easy to forget where you had planted them. Using plant markers will prevent you from digging them up by accident.

By just taking down simple details about your garden, you can see trends and identify peculiarities that affect how your garden looks. This garden diary helps you keep track of how you are taking care of your plants, and it becomes your reference book whenever you think about replanting.

It is fun to start a garden, and anyone with a green thumb knows how wonderful it is to grow a garden and see things bloom. But even if you’ve succeeded in growing a garden, there is always more to learn. Let this article provide you with some great gardening tips you can put to use today.

1. Get rid of salt deposits easily. To to this, just take some equal parts of rubbing alcohol, water and vinegar. Combine and put into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on any pot with salt deposits and give it a good scrub. You’ll find the salt falls off nicely and your pot is resurrected for use. Just make sure it dries before putting anything in it.

2. Avoid getting too much dirt under your fingernails. An easy way to do that is to simply take a bar of soap and run it across your nails. The soap acts like a seal, allowing you to get soap under your nails instead of dirt. After your time in the garden, just use a nailbrush to help get the soap out, as the soap will wash away anyway and you’ll have clean hands.

3. Spray your string trimmer line with olive or vegetable oil. That way, it will be less likely to snap or jam as you trim.

4. You don’t need to go running to the toolshed every time you need to measure something. Anything with a long handle can be used to measure things. Use tape to mark different lengths, and mark it with a marker. Then, when you need to space your plants or simply measure a distance, your tool doubles as a measuring stick.

5. Use clay pots in order to protect your seedlings from sudden deep freezes and frosting. You can’t always know in advance when a freeze is coming on, so if you get that feeling, it’s great to know you can just run out and cover your young buds with a clay pot until temperatures rise again.

6. Mark your garden out. Just use stones around your property to write their names on. Put your marking stones along the perimeter of the garden so that you will remember what goes where.

7. Use leftover veggie juices to nourish your plants. When you cook vegetables in water, keep the water after cooking. Then use it to water your plants, and you will be surprised at how well they really respond to that veggie juice!

8. Take care of pests naturally with diatomaceous earth. Sometimes pest control methods can be toxic or you may worry that they are. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substance that can kill pests while not harming you nor your pets. Just sprinkle it about and protect your plants.

Gardening is an enjoyable hobby, and it is only made better when you find out new things you can experiment with. Let the tips laid out here truly help you to have an even better garden than you had before.

Growing your own produce in your garden has many benefits, but the latest advantage to gardening is that it supports the concept of going green. The information in this article outlines some of the ways gardening helps us support “going green.”

One of the most important ways a garden helps society by being green is the reduction of transportation needs. Nearly all the produce for sale in grocery stores is transported by trucks that consume incredible amounts of fuel. These trucks cannot be converted to hybrid engines, and all of them use diesel fuel which creates more pollution than gasoline engines. The more individuals that can grow their own produce, the less produce that needs to be transported.

The size of your garden is related to the size of your family and how much of your own produce you would like to grow. Do not plant more than you can use, unless you also plan to preserve some of it by freezing or canning. If you have a family and your children are old enough to help with tending the garden, they will be much more interested in eating the vegetables they have helped to raise. Of course, some children will never be interested in broccoli and some other veggies, but it does increase their interest in what is healthy for them.

Many times it will be necessary to water your garden, especially during the hot months of summer when rain may be scarce. You can maximize the water you use by using soaker hoses. This type of hose gradually releases water, and you can give your plants a continuous supply by running the hose along the plant stems. In this way all the water can be used by the plant, and none is wasted through evaporation. Plants do love to be misted also, and the best time to do this is early in the morning or in the late evening. Do not spray cold water onto plants when the sun is shining hot on them, because the sharp contrast can shock the plants and kill them. It is important to never spray hot water on them either, so make sure your hose is not stored where the sun can heat the water in it.

Although it takes time, it is a good idea to make your own compost. Stack the leaves you rake off your yard in the fall, along with grass clippings and vegetable scraps in a compost bin. Turn the compost regularly to allow the heat created at the bottom of the pile to evenly break down all the compost material. Compost can be used in the spring after it has been “cooking” over winter.

Some people plant marigolds around the perimeter of their garden to repel pests. Most critters and bugs find the scent from marigolds distasteful, so they avoid the area. Marigolds are very easy to grow, they are pretty and they are also very heat tolerant.

Growing your own garden not only helps reduce your grocery bill, but it does reduce the amount of fuel used when you make extra trips to the store. Use the tips in this article to help yourself make a “green” contribution by growing a garden of tasty produce.

When you first decide to plant a garden, you may only have in mind the prospect of enjoying all those fresh, good-tasting vegetables. But achieving that result will take careful planning as well as time and hard work. Sometimes people overdo it at first, aren’t able to keep up with the weeding and watering, and let the garden go to ruin. Then they decide gardening is not for them. To avoid this, plan conservatively according to the time you have available. Once you have succeeded on a small scale, you can always increase your garden in the future.

Should you plant only your favorite vegetables? Or should you plant lots of broccoli because it is good for you, even thought you don’t particularly like it? Since motivation is a factor when it comes to taking the necessary time to maintain a garden, many advise starting with your favorites. First make sure they will grow well in the soil and amount of sun you have available. Tomatoes and sweet corn are nearly universal favorites. Your home grown ones will beat the commercial ones in taste every time. This knowledge will keep you out there watering and weeding.

A garden rake, two or three different tools for weeding and cultivating, a watering can and a garden hose, a shovel and a trowel. With these tools you are ready to begin. You may want to add more tools as you become an experienced gardener, but these are enough to start with. Cultivating between the rows keeps weeds from getting started and aerates the soil. The tomato roots especially need air in the soil to grow well.

Your plants need good soil, water, and fertilizer, but most of all they need sunlight.

Depending on your climate, you may seldom need to water your garden, or you may need to be out there with a hose several times a week. You will want to figure this into your planning before you start. Watering can be a time-consuming chore. But it can also be a pleasant time outdoors in the fresh air.

There may be a particular disease going around, sometimes due to dampness, during the summer. If so, you may need to treat it with some chemical or else lose your crop of tomatoes or some other vegetable for that year. However, the regular use of pesticides is generally not necessary. Your motive for gardening may be to produce your own organic vegetables. In that case, you will want to avoid commercial products. There are, however, natural remedies that can greatly reduce pests while keeping your garden “organic.” A simple chicken wire fence will keep out the rabbits, gophers and other animals that want to get to your ripening produce before you do.

These tips will give you a lot to think about as you plan your garden. As your plans go forward, you will learn more and more from experience. You will find out how much work goes into successful gardening, but you will also reap its immeasurable rewards.

Many people have the dream of creating and nurturing their own garden, and it can be a very fulfilling activity if you get started on the right foot. Beginning in a simple yet structured way can make all the difference in your success and the enjoyment you derive from it over the years. Read on for some easy tips on preparing and implementing your own unique garden plans.

As with any new venture, it is wise to start small and build your way up to a more grandiose theme. As you grow in your knowledge and expertise, you can add to the foundation in a more productive way. Test out ideas and techniques before jumping in with complex gardening methods that may cause frustration. See what works for you, and enjoy the process of learning how to nurture the soil and see things begin to grow. Never take on more than you have time for or can manage on a daily basis.

Though it is tempting to just in and start planting, take the time to properly prepare the soil. Remove all weeds ahead of time, because they will inevitably proliferate and cause damage to your new seedlings. Eliminate this headache before you ever plant the first flower, seed or vegetable.

Pay attention to planting times in your region, and follow guidelines from experts who know the temperatures and seasons. You may love a particular plant or flower, but if it is not planted in the correct season, it will not flourish in your garden. Be patient, and learn to love what is in season.

Devote the needed time to spend in the garden, including weeding, transplanting and applying nutrients to the soil. If you neglect any of these things, it can jeopardize your success, and you will end up feeling guilty and overwhelmed. Even if it is just a few minutes in the morning or at the end of your day, have a dedicated time for walking around and gauging what needs attention and nurturing. Take a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with you, then relax and enjoy your budding new project.

Constantly look for weeds and pests, which can proliferate overnight if you do not stay on top of them. Remove problems before they get bigger or out of control. If you have children, bring them in on the process, giving each member of the household a small chore to do. After all, everyone will reap the benefits of a successful garden, and they will all have a sense of pride and ownership by being involved in small ways.

All living plants need water, but resist the urge to overdo it. The natural process of heat, sunshine and moisture is essential to both new and old growth of plants and vegetables, so do not interfere unnecessarily. By all means, keep them hydrated, but check to see that they actually need it first.

Even in the summer months, there can be unexpected cold snaps or periods of high winds and heavy rains. Prepare for this ahead of time, and check to see if plants need protection. Have coverings on hand and be ready to bring new seedlings inside if necessary.

Do not harvest vegetables, fruits and flowers before they have completely ripened or flourished. It will interfere with the natural process of proliferation, as well as reduce your enjoyment of them in their prime.

If any all possible, use organic methods of gardening. This includes chemical-free fertilizers and soil nutrients, as well as fungicides and weed killers. It may require more of an effort on your part and can even cost a bit more, but they are healthier for the environment as well as for your family. Read up on homemade remedies that utilize ordinary things from your household.

Exercise patience and do not feel despondent if you do not see immediate results. Growth takes time, and is part of the natural order of things.

Apply these simple ideas to get your garden flourishing in a gentle and natural way, them enjoy the fruit of your labors.

Gardening In Urban Spaces: How To Make The Process Affordable

If you live in the city, you may have felt that creating a garden in your small space was impossible at times. However, the reality is that there are many successful gardeners living and working in urban spaces. This article will point out a few ways that you can create a successful, affordable garden in the city.

First, make sure you know what you’re doing before you get started. Think about how you are going to lay out your plants and where everything is going to go. Many people wind up spending a lot on plants because they simply have no idea how many they are going to need or what they have space for. If you are brand new to gardening, and you aren’t sure how to do this, use the Internet to your advantage. There are websites that can assist you in this process and allow you to create a space that is uniquely your own.

Do a little research to determine which plants will grow the best in the city. There are certain items that just make more sense to buy in the store; for example, corn is one vegetable that would be hard to grow in a small space and should be purchased instead. Always consider how to make the best use of your space; perhaps one vegetable would take up half of your garden, but if you chose not to grow it, you could put three different vegetables in the same area instead. Do what will give you the most variety and quantity of produce. You will save money and be happier with your garden in the long run.

Look at which recipes you make the most often for your family. Make sure that the majority of the vegetables you are planting are in those meals. Otherwise, you may wind up with a large amount of produce that you never use and still have to purchase a fair number of items from the grocery store. Get your family involved in this process as well. Explain that you only have a certain amount of space available and you are interested in knowing what they would like to eat. If everyone feels invested in the garden, they are much more likely to eat what comes out of it.

Regardless of whether you live in the city or you live in a rural area, it is crucial that you take the seasons into consideration when planting. Some crops grow better in the fall or spring, while others can withstand the summer heat. If you don’t do your research prior to planting, you can waste a whole group of plants because they simply can’t thrive in the current weather.

Even if you have a limited area to work with, you can still have a successful garden and make it work for you without costing a lot of money. Use the tips in this article to your advantage when getting started; before you know it, you will have a beautiful garden that you enjoy spending time in!

If you have a busy schedule, you may think that gardening is not for you. This can be especially true when you have children and a family; you may think that there isn’t enough time to care for the garden or maintain it. Happily, however, that could not be further from the truth. Here are some simple ways to grow a beautiful garden in spite of your full schedule.

1. Make a commitment to having a garden. Whatever your reason for gardening, whether it be spending time outdoors, wanting to grow nutritious food for your family or just spending some time alone, you indeed have a good reason. Let your motivation for gardening be your motivation to build and maintain one.

2. Provide a good foundation in order to cut down on maintenance. In order to have a garden that doesn’t give you too much trouble, you are going to need to spend a bit more time in the planning stages. That way, you will have to do less maintenance as you go along. Design what you will grow, taking care to think about which plants don’t need very much care and which plants you might want to avoid due to the care they require.

3. Start a small garden. Because you aren’t sure how much time you will have, there is no reason to plant too much. Err on the side of caution and start small. You can always add more when you feel confident, but you can be happy that you stopped procrastinating and finally created the garden you always wanted.

4. Consider an irrigation system, or another way of watering your garden. If you are truly busy, you may forget a time or two to do the watering that you need to do. Instead, set up a system for irrigation or find alternate ways to deal with watering your garden when it needs to be watered.

5. Get your family involved in the garden. When you point out to your spouse that you can save money on groceries by growing your own food, that may be all the convincing you need to do! Kids are natural in a garden, and often love helping and being told all about gardening. You can all take turns doing gardening-related chores, and you will find that it is nice to have something the entire family can be involved in.

6. Make your garden part of your daily routine. This is a great way to unwind after a busy day at work, or before the day starts. Doing a little bit every day will give you the pleasurable feel of working on your garden, and the sense of accomplishment gardening can provide. Not only that, but when you do this, you maintain your garden a little every day instead of waiting and therefore giving yourself a huge job at the end of the week.

When you realize all the resources you truly have, and how easy it can be to make time for your garden, you will find yourself with a thriving garden in spite of yourself! Use the tips here and your garden will be absolutely gorgeous.