Plant Gardens 101

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in a solution of nutrient enriched water. Since hydroponic plants have access to unlimited nutrition and water, they are able to grow up to ten times faster and healthier than soil grown plants. The rapid growth and incredible quality of hydroponically grown plants and produce is resulting in many commercial growers to use hydroponic systems in their indoor gardens and greenhouses. Plants grown in soil-free gardens have the perfect balance of nutrients and water delivered directly to their roots. Crops are not forced to expand their limited energy searching for water and food. They are able to grow faster, larger, and healthier and able to deliver the highest level of vitamin content, flavor, yield, and color possible.

Hydroponic crops do not have to fight the fungi, diseases, and pests typically found in soil and plants mature unhampered by competing organisms. Healthy plants are also less prone to insect infestation, so the use of toxic pesticides can be decreased or even eliminated. The crop’s water and nutrient needs are simpler and more effective which helps allow greater control over the crop’s life cycle. Instead of the need to guess what the plants need, it will be evident. Without the unnecessary complexity of working in soil, a few simple measurements will quickly determine the plants water and nutrient requirements. (more…)

When you first look at a set of garden shed building plans, there’s an excitement and often a temptation to rush in and get started. If you can curb your enthusiasm for a short while, you’ll find the shed building process easier, faster and much smooth.

To follow a garden shed plan, you need a plan!

The first step is to look over the plans. All good shed plans will come with step-by-step instructions. Work your way through these mentally, slowly, following the steps on the printed plans so you know what’s required in each phase of the construction. See how each section is built and how the sections connect to each other.

This ‘dry run’ will make the actual construction process easier as you’ll already have a mental picture of what needs to be done. Make a note on the plans if there are any steps require special care or may be problematic.

Pay particular attention to any details on the shed plan such as door and window jambs, the gable overhang, eave details and so on. Make sure you understand which parts are required and how they fit together. (more…)

Sometimes I get calls from people who have purchased a new home with an old pond that has a big problem. The number one complaint is that it won’t hold water; second is the water is green; third is that the rock work is ugly – an eyesore! At that point I ask if they have a pond liner pond and waterfall and they are surprised that I knew that, however eighty percent of all these type calls pertain to a liner pond and waterfall. We have replaced over $40,000 worth of defective liner ponds. One customer in Rancho Bernardo, California had spent $14,000 to have a koi pond and waterfall built by a large and well respected local pond liner supply company. They complained of needing to add water daily since the liner pond was constructed over a year ago. The pond liner installer’s response was that the loss of water was from evaporation. The liner pond was fitted with a manual auto fill system and they discovered the solenoid was turning on every 15 minutes to replenish the loss. In addition to the annoying water loss, they could not enjoy their fish for half the year because of murky green foul-smelling water. They reported the pond liner company came out dozens of times dumping various concoctions in the pond with a promise of startling results. The results were startling all right – our client sued the pond liner store and contracted with us.

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A kind of interesting symmetry of words. Why would anyone have the desire to build a garden made of knots? Of course if you have ever read,seen or heard aboutKnotGardens then this little introduction was lost on the informed ones.

Old things are sometimes good things. Sometimes they go away but quite often they come back stronger than the original time. This is certainly true in the case of what is called a knot garden. The idea of a knot garden came about in the Tudor reign ofEngland and progressed through the Elizabethan age with knot gardens constructed to copy the beautiful embroidery work associated with the English period. (more…)

See peat moss.