To figure out how much water your designated patch of soil retains, dig a hole about ten inches deep. Fill it with water and check it in a day when all the water has disappeared. Fill the hole again with water and if the second time the hole is full of water, your soil has a low saturation point. This is not good for almost any plant to survive and you need to fix it. The method for improving drainage in your garden is to create a raised bed. You can create a small border for a raised bed and add enough soil and compost to raise it above the rest of the level of the yard by at least 7 inches. Just doing this small border will improve drainage significantly.

The two main areas that you would want to build a raised bed are on grass or dirt. Both of these situations should be built slightly different. If you want a raised garden in a non grassy area, this will be easy to build. Just find some type of border to retain the dirt you will be adding. What really works for me are the good old two by fours. Just grab a few and place them around the area where you want your raised bed. Once the two by fours are in place, add some soil and maybe some manure. I normally wait a while before planting on the raised bed just to make sure there is no deterioration taking place. (photo courtesy: srgc.org.uk)

If you are planning to build a raised bed where sod already exists, this may be a little more difficult to do. For starters, you need to cut the sod around the perimeter of the garden and then flip it over. This is not as simple as it sounds and you need something that has a very sharp edge to slice the edges of the soil and be able to get under it. Once the sod is turned upside down, you can add a layer of straw to prevent the grass from growing back up. On top of the layer of straw, you can add all the soil and manure that a normal garden would need.

After your raised beds are built, you can start planting your plants the same way you’ve planted them before in any other areas of your garden. Be careful and make sure that the roots don’t extend too far into the original ground level. Keep in mind that the whole point of creating a raised bed is to keep the roots out of that ground level that saturates easily. The beauty of a raised bed is that you will notice a great improvement almost immediately after planting you new plants. The new soil added facilitates better root development, evaporation is prevented and decomposition is completely discouraged. Combine all these things and it makes a perfect environment for almost any plant to grow beautifully. So go ahead and start building that raised bed and you will see that the results are worth every bit of work you’ve put into it. (photo courtesy: thenaturalgardener.co.uk)

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If you practice Tai Chi or some form of yoga or meditation, having a water fountain in your garden is good as the constant sound of water will help you to concentrate on what you are doing. Even if you are not into yoga or meditation, just being in a flower garden with a fountain flowing constantly you will get some sort of meditative quality without really trying. Having a water foundation in you garden is something that I recommend to anyone.

Another positive notion here is that putting in a water fountain in your garden is easy and inexpensive. It is also easy to maintain. When you are ready to put in a fountain, take your time and spend some time picking out the one that will go well with the rest of your garden. If there are any other decorations in your garden, make sure the water fountain goes well with the rest of the decorations. Just look around and ask yourself if the fountain you have in mind will stand out like a sore thumb or will it look like it was meant to be there. (photo courtesy: ceramicfountains.com)

If you have any doubts whether or not a fountain will look good in your garden, don’t buy one just for the sake of having it. Take a picture of your garden and bring it to your local store that sells fountains and ask them to give you ideas. You will be surprised how much help you will get from an expert working at a store that sells fountains. They will help you pick a fountain and show you exactly how it will look in your garden. So don’t stress over this and let the experts help you choose the fountain that will blend nicely in your garden.

Remember that a water fountain needs power so be sure you have electric outlets to plug it in. If your garden is not very close to your home, don’t run an extension cord across the yard. This is not only dangerous but it will also look tacky. Instead go to your local home improvement center and ask them for an extension cord that is meant to be buried in the ground. Yes, you will have to dig a small trench across the yard but this will solve the problem and you will have power for the fountain. (photo courtesy: relaxationproducts.com)

So if you’re looking to enhance your garden’s beauty and make it look real classy, go ahead and install a water fountain. It is not difficult and it will not cost you a lot of money. Having a water fountain in your garden is not only soothing but it also adds lots of character to your flower garden. To me, a garden is not just for having flowers planted but also a place where I can go to relax and not be disturbed by the outside world.

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To mention a few, there are plenty of heavy bags and pots to be carried, holes to be dug, weeding to be done, planting new plants, and pruning old ones. Almost every muscle in your body gets a workout when you do all these things. If you don’t garden regularly, be sure to stretch out before you start working even if your goal is not to workout or get exercise. You should also pay attention to your posture when gardening. I’ve seen some gardeners hunched over or bending over for a long time and this is not good for your back. My advice here is to take frequent breaks and give your back a rest.

To me, weeding and pruning gives you the best workout when gardening. Your legs will get a great workout because of the constant standing and crouching. If you have weeds that are difficult to pull out, you will be giving your arms a good workout just from the effort needed to remove those nasty weeds from the ground. If you have lots of weeding to do, be sure to switch arms and positions to spread out the work between different areas of your body. (photo courtesy: ajsgrass.co.uk)

Another great way to get exercise is by carrying and lifting those heavy bags of soil and large heavy pots around the garden. Just think of it this way. Between the nursery and your home you will have to move the bags and pots several times like going to the checkout, to the car, to the garden and then spreading them out where you want them. As long as you remember to lift with your legs and not your back, transporting bags and pots can give you a fairly good workout, even though you probably don’t make those purchases very often.

Mowing your grass can also be a great exercise. If you’ve got an older mower that isn’t self propelled, just the act of pushing it through the grass will give you more of a workout than going to the gym. During the course of mowing the grass, you use your chest, arms, back, and shoulders to keep the mower ahead of you. Your thighs and butt also get worked a lot to propel the mower. Not only do you get an all around muscle work out, but it can improve your heart’s health too. It’s good for you as a cardiovascular activity, as well as a great way to loose weight due to the increased heart rate and heavy breathing. (photo courtesy: environment.about.com)

So like I told you earlier, gardening is not just a chore that needs to be done. It can also be a great way for you to get in shape and possibly loose some weight. Remember that it is a good thing to stretch out before you head over to do some gardening. Also, drink lots of water and don’t forget to use sunscreen. You need to avoid dehydration, sunburn and pulled muscles at all times. Just have fun gardening and you might even end up being a healthier person.

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Some of the ways you can try to conserve water include drip irrigation (the use of a pipe or hose with small holes to gradually seep into the roots of the plant), the placement of plants in groups of equal watering needs to prevent wasting water on plants that don’t need it, and using compost or mulch to insulate the water and prevent drainage. But one of the best ways to keep your garden alive during a drought is to take preventive measures.

If you watch your local weather forecasts, you will know that a drought will be predicted far in advanced. You will also be informed on the areas already experiencing a drought and when to expect some heavy rain. If you know in advance that heavy rain is heading your way, plan on setting up several rain barrels. Some people think this would be a time
consuming silly thing to do. But it can save you many gallons of water, and hardly requires any work. By the way, you can get some very pretty painted barrels at the stores. (photo courtesy: kentuckybarrels.com)

Finding the barrels will probably be the hardest part. You can use your own garbage cans or visit your home improvement store and get a few 55 gallon plastic drums. Before you go running to the store, keep in mind that these drums or garbage cans are big and bulky so figure out how you will bring them home. I usually borrow a neighbor’s truck to get them home. You will probably want to cover the top of the barrel with a screen to filter out any unwanted leaves or debris that might fall off the roof of your home.

Once you have your barrels ready, you are faced with the decision of where to place them. Usually during rainfall, there is one corner of the house that rain tends to pour off heavily. If you are taking the simple approach to barrel placement, just place the barrel under all the places where you see large amounts of drips. While this might be the easiest way, you won’t see very high volumes of rain in the barrels. But, if you tweak your gutters in the roof of your home and remove each individual segment and place them at slant, all the rain water will be diverted to the nearest corner of the house. Once done, place a rain barrel at each corner to catch all the rain water. Believe me you will have plenty of rain water to use in your flower gardens. (photo courtesy: sbprojectcleanwater.org)

Some people may think that the use of water barrels is an antiquated idea and that is not true. Maybe these people don’t live in a drought prone area and with lots of watering restrictions. I have been doing this for years and know for a fact that those barrels of rain water have been put to use in my gardens and I am saving money in the long run.

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Your summer garden can produce flowers, fruits, vegetables and even be designed so that it attracts certain birds and butterflies. When planning your summer garden, you don’t have to commit to a single prevailing purpose. In other words, it is not at all inappropriate to plant some flowering plants or even herbs as pest control along with your favorite summertime vegetables. It is also acceptable to add a few vegetables of your choice in your flower garden.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to having lots of color in your summer garden. Brightly colored flowers are in abundance during the summer months and these bring a gorgeous splash of color to those hot and humid months when the summer sun is at its peak. By brining a few well placed colors into your garden as a highlight or border you are adding dramatic appeal. If you choose to make your garden a sea of brightly colored flowers, plants, leaves, and vines you can also achieve great results that may be breathtaking in beauty. Do keep in mind that you need to spend time maintaining a summer garden to keep it healthy and beautiful. (photo courtesy: flickr)

If you prefer nice and lush greenery and live in a climate that will accommodate this particular style of a summer garden, there is no reason to avoid this either. Vegetable gardens are yet another option when creating your summer garden and another fine example of just how versatile these gardens may be. Keep in mind that many people are discovering the beauty of vertical gardening and hanging plants for a few favorite vegetables and this may be an option if you wish to use limited space wisely and to greater effect. (photo courtesy: wikipedia)

Another option when it comes to showing the incredible versatility of the summer garden is raised gardening. This is quite literally planting your garden above the ground. Some people create elaborate ‘sand boxes’ of sorts in which the garden is planted. This allows great versatility for those with smaller spaces in which to plant their gardens as well as those who have landscaping issues that are inhospitable for gardening.

These are but a few examples of just how versatile a summer garden may be but I think they provide excellent insight and food for thought for those who are looking for a little something new and different for their summer gardens. And remember that a summer garden is just what you want it to be.

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For example when working in the garden with your children, they can learn that life works in cycles. This is an important lesson for children and one that will be repeated often throughout the course of their lives. Of course this is only one of the many lessons that gardening will teach but gardening is one of the kindest ways I’ve seen this particular lesson learned by children. Somehow it helps ease children into those times when lessons about the cycle of life are not so kindly or gently presented.

The next lesson that gardening teaches children is that persistent effort often pays out with desirable results. Whether their gardening efforts yields pretty flowers or planting a small tree, there is often a desired result that they achieved. If you really want to capture your children’s attention when it comes to gardening, choose a fast growing flowering plant for their first gardening experience. The ability to see the fruits of their labor quickly appear is often one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. (photo courtesy: natures-desktop.com)

You don’t have to make this gardening experience sound like a chore to your children. It does not have to make them feel that they are responsible for the success of a summer garden. Make it fun for them and start with a potted plant or maybe a hanging flowering plant or something similar that will yield visible results with less effort or time required for them to see quick results.

Don’t forget to point out interesting facts about the different plants in your garden that may be exciting to your children and they can learn from. Remember your first gardening experiences and share them with your children. You may be surprised to find how much you have in common with your children when it comes to ideas and enthusiasm concerning summer gardens. (photo courtesy: subtleenergies.com)

When planning a summer garden with kids you need to consider all of the things you would consider when planning other summer gardens but relate those things to pint sized hands and sponge-like minds. Kids soak up every ounce of information we provide them at an alarming rate. Be careful that you aren’t teaching them incorrect logic when it comes to gardening and growing beautiful summer plants. More importantly, you should make a concerted effort to make sure that you are teaching your children the positive aspects of gardening so that this becomes an activity they look forward to for enjoyment rather than approaching it with dread.

You should also take great pains to insure that you allow your children to grow the things they will like in your summer garden too. Remember that when gardening with children there are many lessons that you can teach your children along the way. Science, math, and meteorology all have roles in gardening. But you should also be on the lookout for valuable lessons that your children can teach you about gardening and life in general when you take them out to work with you in your summer garden.

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Post tags: educational gardening, fun gardening, garden lessons, Gardening, gardening for children, potted plants, small trees, summer gardening

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The sad thing about butterflies is that these beautiful creatures have very short life spans. Maybe that is the reason they seem to be attracted to beautiful things during their short lives. Butterflies are attracted to bright color flowers and flowers like aster, black eyed susan, marigold and butterfly weed are known to attract them in droves.

When selecting flowers for the purpose of attracting butterflies to your summer garden take into consideration that butterflies flock to a garden to get their food which is the nectar of the flowers. So a garden that is filled with more nectar producing flowers will likely get more than its share of attention from butterflies nearby. The greater the selection of nectar producing flowers in your garden, the greater the number of butterflies your garden will attract.

Besides planting lots of colorful flowers in your garden, you can also place several pieces of ripe fruit around your garden and this will attract even more butterflies. This is another method that is used by many butterfly lovers. Also keep in mind that butterflies love the sun which means that shady types of gardens are not best suited for attracting them. So your butterfly garden should be planted in an area where it gets full sun most of the day. In addition, keep in mind that different butterflies are attracted to different plants both as caterpillars and as butterflies. For best results, visit your local nursery and ask lots of questions when seeking the most suitable plants for your butterfly garden. (photo courtesy: home-and-garden.com)

The use of pesticides in a flower garden set up to attract butterflies should be avoided. Pesticides will harm butterflies and it doesn’t make sense to harm these beautiful creatures through the nourishment they receive when they visit your garden. The good news is that you can use organic gardening methods in your butterfly garden for best results and protect them from harm.

Butterflies need to be kept hydrated so make sure there is a source of water nearby. Some gardeners add water fountains that keep the water running while having it available for birds and butterflies. If you decide to use this method, be sure the water runs to avoid attracting mosquito infestation. The most important thing to remember is that a summer garden is an investment and adds beauty to you home. It is a great thing when we can accomplish more than one beauty as the result of our hard work and effort. A summer garden designed to attract butterflies is a great way to achieve just that. (photo courtesy: flickr)

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Before you start planting, keep a list with the date that each area in your summer garden will be planted as different flowers and vegetables have different growing seasons. Some prosper by earlier plantings while others prosper later in the season. If you are planting a summer vegetable garden then it is quite possible that some of the plants will need a precise number of days between planting and harvesting. Both the plant and harvest days should be noted. This provides an excellent opportunity to plant more of the vegetables and maybe some flowers every two weeks to provide a continuous rotation of the vegetables you love well into the gardening season.

An important thing to remember is that climbing plants can be trained to climb poles that you can easily set up in the garden. This is highly recommended if your garden space is limited. Doing this also provides an opportunity to shade plants that prefer less direct sunlight when planted next to these climbing vines that are climbing vertically. Also make sure you have enough stakes for all the plants that require them for best effect. Be sure to read the planting instructions that are provided with each plant and plant them so that those needing shade get the shade they need and those that require the most water are located on a downward slope so that they get the water that runs off from the plants that require less water. (photo courtesy: home-and-garden.com)

This is a trick that seasoned gardeners know and it makes the most of sometimes limited resources such as water for the purpose of creating a better environment for optimal growth. At the same time you want to avoid planting vegetables and flowers that require less water at the bottom of these slopes as they are likely to become over hydrated, which can be just as devastating as not getting enough water.

Another important thing is that you need to be sure your soil is healthy so that it can create the healthy plants you are hoping to have. Fertilize the soil where these plants, flowers, and vegetables will be grown. This provides the foundation necessary for optimal performance from your plants and greatest yield from your vegetables. You should also take great care once the planting is done and be sure that the plants, flowers, and vegetables that make up your summer garden are well fed in order to produce even better results.

There are plenty of fertilizers and plant foods from which to choose so be sure to check local laws in order to make sure you aren’t using a combination that is not recommended for your region where you live. This is often overlooked but keep in mind that there are regulations that vary from one state to the next Also, plan your pest control before you begin planting your summer garden. There are some plants, flowers, and herbs that work as natural pest controls. These make an excellent addition to your garden as they offer no harmful side effect and can rid your garden of many of the pests that create problems for you. Another thing you may wish to consider is the use of chicken wire to protect some of your plants from things a little bigger than the average bug. The more humane the methods of pest control and the less you rely on pesticides the better it is to protect our environment.

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If you’ve never gardened before and want to start, don’t be afraid and get started. It is not meant to be difficult and as a matter of fact, it can be lots of fun. There are lots of gardening books and magazines with a wealth of information to guide you along or better yet, ask mom or grandma for advice. Most likely they will tell you how much they enjoy gardening and that it is not a hindrance to start growing your own plants outdoor or indoors. And what a joy it will be when you get to see your flower garden blossom and looking beautiful.

As a starting point, decide what it is that you want to grow in your garden. Don’t make it complicated; you can start with just a bed of colorful flowers initially. Once this is done, look around and maybe plan for an exotic country garden full of wild flowers and shrubs, all different kinds of little trees and shrubs or just go for a backyard full of containers planted with grown plants. This is not difficult to do because you can find lots of information on how you can start doing them. You can also visit your local gardening places and the experts for assistance and ask lots of questions.

Next you need to get the basic tools that you need to start gardening. For starters you will need a trowel, spade, rake, lawn mower and of course plants of your choice to grow. Remember that the kinds of plants to grow will depend on what type of garden you want, the availability of those plants, and the climate where you live. Keep in mind that there are plants that grow only for one season like annuals and there are others that can be cultivated to grow year after year like perennials. Before you buy the plants, make sure you have a basic plan on the space you have available where you want to start your garden. If you have a small space, buy some colorful annuals and perennials as a starting point.

While shopping for your desired plants, be sure to get some potting soil. Before digging any holes, simply place the plants in the area designated for the garden and see how they look. Move them around until you are satisfied with the look of your garden. Follow the planting instructions that are included with all your plants, dig the holes in the ground and plant. As you can see, gardening is not difficult at all and the satisfaction you will get from caring for your garden and watching your plants grow and flower into gorgeous blooms is priceless.

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What does this mean to gardeners when it comes to efforts directed towards keeping out potential pests? Quite honestly, it means we are going to have to get a little bit creative in those efforts turning to natural solutions rather than chemicals. One way in which this can quite easily be accomplished is by encouraging animals that prey upon the pests to make your garden their home. Of course, this could potentially bring about its own set of problems but from a gardening perspective it is often very sound reasoning.

Use organic mulch. While this isn’t necessarily a means of pest control it is a wise move when it comes to organic gardening. Not only does the mulch provide the very useful mulching properties throughout the growing season but once the growing season has ended can be turned over and used in order to boost the organic material within the soil. This in turns provides nutrients that are important to keeping the soil fit for sustaining plant life in future growing seasons. For great information on going green in the garden with compost visit The Gardener’s Rake site.

Attract birds to your garden. This has a two-fold benefit for the organic gardener. First of all the birds are often natural predators for many of the bugs that make a nuisance of themselves in the average summer garden. Second, birds leave behind their own little fertilizing additions to the landscape of your garden. Don’t you wish all solutions were this simple?

Keep your garden healthy, well fertilized, water regularly and appropriately, and free of weeds. A good offense is the best defense. A good immune system and constant hand washing are the best defense the human body has against catching colds and viruses. The same holds true for gardens and their ability to fight pests. Keep your garden strong and healthy and it will repel many of the pests that may cripple other gardens on its own. It certainly doesn’t hurt to keep this philosophy in mind and you may be amazed at how well it works.

Organic gardening is more than a plan for your garden it is a return to the ways of old in the world of gardening. For centuries before pesticides were created people managed to live off the abundance of their gardens. It makes sense that by returning to those ideals we can also enjoy great food and a bountiful harvest in the modern world. Make the choice today to make your summer garden an organic garden and reap the benefit in better health and greater enjoyment of the gardening experience. To learn more about going green at home visit Our Green Planet Earth site.

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Post tags: Gardening, Going Green Gardening, Organic Gardening, Organic Summer Garden

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