Plant Gardens 101

Birds, birds, birds. They come in all shapes and sizes. They range in type from carnivores to herbivores. Birds have been the stars of their own movies. Birds have taught children the importance of personality over looks. Some are even the leaders of nations. Is it any wonder that bird watching is one of the world’s most practiced hobbies.

People from all walks of life enjoy bird watching. Anyone can do it. All it requires is patience, a pair of binoculars and most importantly, a bird feeder. And there are many types. Depending what birds you want to attract will determine what kind of feeder to get.

Hummingbird feeders are the most popular and come in two styles; inverted and basin style. The feeder usually has a small receptacle in which a sugar solution is placed. It has an opening just big enough for the hummingbird to put its long beak. But the solution is really just an energy boost for the hummingbird. A hummingbird’s main diet is gnats and other small bugs. Here’s a hint when choosing a hummingbird feeder. Choose one that can be taken apart easily. Your feeder needs to be cleaned every three-to-four days due to the unfortunate clotting habit of the sugar and water solution. (more…)

Mallow family
Malvaceae
Ma-lo’pe. A genus of 3 smooth or hairy herbs found in the Mediterranean region.

Description
Leaves alternate, without marginal teeth, occasionally 3-parted. Flowers showy, white, violet, or pink, surrounded by 3 bracts.

How to Grow    (more…)

Many people think that the first criteria when picking the “best spot” for a home vegetable garden is good soil; however, although good soil is important, good soil is made, not found. You can rebuild the soil once the spot has been chosen. When you are choosing where you want your home vegetable garden patch to be, you must focus on its convenience and exposure.

Convenience means your home vegetable garden should be “close by” or as close to your house as possible. You may think that a difference of only a few hundred yards cannot be that significant; however, if you have to largely depend upon spare moments for working in and for watching the home vegetable garden, convenience will be much more important than you think.

Don’t wait till you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass to gather those “vegetables of the day” to realize that “close access to your home vegetable garden” is important. (more…)

Introduction

Thyme (pronounced /taim/) is a well known herb and is a Mediterranean native of the mint family, which is one of the most widely used herbs. Thyme is considered by many herbalists as the very nearly perfect useful herb. The name may refer to any or all members of the plant genus Thymus, common thyme, Lemon Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes. It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to “give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs”.

Interestingly Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life. It was also a favourite fairy plant which could make them invisible to humans!

Growing

Thyme is a perennial herb requiring full sun and well drained alkaline conditions. It is widely cultivated for its strong flavour, which is due to its content of thymol. The plant is essential in scented gardens as it has an agreeable aromatic smell and a warm pungent taste. (more…)

Growing with hydroponics is easier than growing in the field

If you have decided grow your own plants, then you have a decision to make right now. Do you want to grow your plants indoors with hydroponics, or do you want to grow your plants outdoors in nature. There are many advantages and disadvantages to growing outdoors versus indoors with hydroponics. This article will discuss the differences between growing indoors with hydroponics and growing outdoors with soil, and the many advantages of growing indoors with hydroponics versus growing with soil.

Let’s begin by talking about gardening outdoors. Gardening outdoors has a lot to the advantages and disadvantages versus growing indoors with hydroponics. First we’ll talk about some of the advantages of growing outdoors. That’s the sun. This sun is the most powerful light bulb you will ever find. The amount of lumens of the sun puts out is not matched by any light bulb that man can manufacture. Meaning that plants grown in nature with direct sunlight will be able to grow like monsters. The sun doesn’t cost you anything. Light bulbs can get a little pricey versus this sun which is in a huge source of free energy, if you own a good piece of land that is. (more…)

A root hair; a small fiber.

There is nothing better than eating fresh produce grown in your very own backyard garden. Whether you have an acre or 20 square feet to work with, growing and tending to your own special patch of land can be immeasurably therapeutic and relaxing while filling you with as much enjoyment as your delicious crop fills your stomach. Inexperienced gardeners are “green” when it comes to the ins and outs of gardening, and for many, even watering their crop raises many questions that need be answered. This article will explain simple steps to follow in order to make sure your garden gets all the valuable H2O it needs, without flooding or saturating it with excessive amounts. (more…)