Proper Potting Will Give Your Epiphytal Orchids A Great Start

Orchids are traditionally placed into two main overall families, epiphytal and terrestrial. Epiphytal orchids grow upon the bark of tree trunks and tree branches. There are a number of ways to grow this type of orchid in one's home or in a greenhouse. It all begins with the potting.

Epiphytal orchids, in nature, have their roots more exposed to the air than the majority of other plants do.  As a consquence, by "potting" we do not mean to pack them all around with thick potting soil.  Rather, we want to place them in a pot containing loose, organic material, from which they can draw necessary nutrients, along with rocks or broken pottery pieces to create sufficient open space as well as to help the plants stand up.

The generally recommended recipe for potting material appropriate to epiphytal orchids is 1 part sphagnum moss to one part peat. Place a layer of this matter in the bottom of your pot, followed by a layer of rocks or pottery pieces, then another layer of the compost, and so on. When the pot is about a quarter or at most a third full, carefully place the orchid's root system down into it. Then proceed to add more rocks and compost, packing all of this potting material just tight enough to support the orchid plant.

You should gradually add the compost until it is up to and even somewhat above the top of the pot. The height you should go above the top of the pot depends on the size of the pot as well as the depth to which you have placed the plant. The rule of thumb is to allow the crown of the plant to rest on the top of the mix. By crown is meant that part of the plant from where the roots start.

If you are repotting an orchid, you have to take special care when removing it from its previous pot. If there are any new roots clinging to the exterior of the pot, you should attempt to ease them off with a penknife. It there is a mass of living roots -- that is, roots with sap in them -- attached to the inside of the pot, then you might need to break the pot and pick away all that you are able to. You may need to then repot it with pieces of the old pot still clinging to the roots, and this is acceptable.

It is usually not a good idea to water the orchid for a day or so before or right after potting.

This has been a general introduction to potting epiphytal orchids. The subject can be more complicated than this, particularly when talking about some of the more delicate or senstive species. People have written entire books on the subject of potting the various different types of orchids!  Fortunately, most of us don't need books devoted soley to the art of potting in order to achieve success with orchids. A recognized, comprehensive guide to all aspects of orchid growing is sufficient.

Nowadays, of course, we have a huge amount of good information on the best way to grow orchids. The most thorough guide to 21st-century orchid growing, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. Howard's clearly written guide will furnish a thorough understanding of the subject. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets website, which features an ever-growing database of postings on all aspects of orchid care.

Starting Facts for Growing Orchids

At one time, many folks assumed, perhaps with some reason, that growing orchids was an occupation reserved for the quite affluent. These days, most people are aware that orchid cultivation is a pastime open to almost everyone.  Yet one other big myth still persists: that it is very difficult to grow orchids. You should be relieved to know that this is not so.

The fact is, some of the most astounding of the orchids are surprisingly relatively simple to grow. What you need is foreknowledge, gleaned from books, whether they are the hard-copy kind or the convenient digital kind that you can download from the Internet. If you live in a mild or warm climate, you will be able to grow many varieties outdoors, in your yard or garden.But even if your climate is a cold one, you can still grow gorgeous orchids in a greenhouse or even a regular room, dedicated to the purpose.

Why grow orchids rather than other types of plants?If you have spent any time in caring for an orchid, the question wouldn't occur to you. Orchids can grip us, infecting us with a sort of fever that never goes away once we catch it!

Nevertheless, here are some possible answers to the question. The great advantage of growing orchids over other plants is their extreme beauty coupled with the great length of time that they will remain in bloom. Some orchids will remain in bloom for three or four months. A few will continue blooming for six months. Even with a small collection of different species of orchids, you can have blooms all year round since these plants vary in their season of blooming.

The topic of orchids, and how to cultivate them, is both broad and deep. You should dig deep into the subject, learning as much as you possibly can before acquiring your first plant. Nontheless, there are some basics you need to know at the very start. One of those basics is that orchids are divided into two great groups based on their growing habits.

One of the major orchid groupings is known as the epiphytals. These orchids grow naturally on the sides of trees, or perhaps in the crotches where two tree branches are joined. They are the air dwelling orchids, because they seemingly live on nothing but air and sunlight, though this of course is not actually true. It was these mysterious species that first grabbed the imaginations of collectors and resulted in the first great orchid mania of a more than a century ago. They remain the ones that hold the most fascination for people.

Epiphytal orchids are not parasites, though. The get only a little of their sustenance from the tree bark on which they grow, and this doesn't harm their hosts at all. They also pull nutrients from water, fungi and moss, as well as the decomposing leaves that sometimes get caught on them. Orchid devotees adore the epiphytals because of the enjoyment of recreating their unusual habitats in a garden or greenhouse.

The other primary group of orchids is the terrestrial ones. As you probably can guess, this type grows in soil like most plants with which we are familiar. Growing them requires potting, just as with any other familiar houseplant. Some of the most beautiful species of orchids will be found in this group.

Many orchid cultivators begin by focusing exclusively on one or the other of these two main groups. Inevitably, though, they end up growing at least a few species from both. It's a good idea to learn about both kinds of orchids if you are serious about wanting to join the world of the orchid cultivators.

Nowadays, of course, we have an abundance of good information on the correct way to grow orchids. The most complete guide to expert orchid care, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's ebook is a thorough course, immensely practical for beginners as well as more experienced devotees alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets site, which is publishing an ever-growing database of entries on all facets of orchid care.

Ornamental Grass Provides Different Lines In Your Garden

Providing a unique texture and beauty to the garden as well as showy displays, ornamental grasses are occasionally overlooked when planning a garden design. They may be used as a sole clump that provides a variation on the normal foliage within a garden bed or they could be made as a living showpiece at the centre of the garden. The can even be grouped together to form hedgerows or ground covering borders, such is their versatility.

For the most part, ornamental grass varieties aren’t fussy about the soil types they are given. With water conservation an ever-present consideration these days, ornamental grasses become an ideal garden choice with many of them drought tolerant with the exception of sedges. Although it is best to look up exactly which position is most suitable for an individual type of plant, ornamental grasses generally prefer a sunny to partially shaded position.

The diversity of the various types of ornamental grass can be seen by taking a brief look at a few well known grasses ofdifferent sizes.

Some, such as Muhly Grass can sit quietly in the garden blending in with its neighbours as an unremarkable looking plant that grows to a height of around 3 foot. But come the end of summer it really comes out of its shell and produces a resounding display of deep pink-red inflorescence giving it a real cotton candy look.

Making an ornamental grass plant such as Pampas Grass a feature in the garden provides a central showpiece character with a difference. Growing up to 12 feet tall and crested with a showy plume of feathery white or pink it can put on a real show. You have to be careful not to let Pampas Grass grow out of control as it is considered a noxious weed in some areas.

Moving from the big to the small, some ornamental grass varieties such as Mondo Grass are used to show off other plants in the garden by providing a lush green background canvas. Used as a groundcover or low border the can really define the tone of a garden.

A quick run through of some of the popular ornamental grasses to consider includes: Fountain Grass, Blood Grass, Blue Fescue, Maiden Grass, Pennisetum, Northern Sea Oats, Zebra Grass and Bunny Tails.

The various types of ornamental grasses have a lot to offer a garden and is well worth considering when planning a new garden design. Whether using them as a ground cover, a striking floral statement or a border they will give the garden an added memorable elemental design.

Killing Insects The Natural Way

You may be one of these people who think that all insects should be nuked.  An abnormal paranoia of anything that creeps and crawls or slithers can sell a lot of chemicals and natural insecticides.  It is true to say that there are insects that can be dangerous, normally the insect only is defending themselves.  So think again about how you kill ants.

If there are insects in your home and garden that you truly are unable to live with, please only target the insects that are genuinely doing harm to your home or your health.  People who are allergic to certain insects have little choice but to rid their homes and property of them.  A wasp or bee sting could put some people in the hospital.

Some insects that are beneficial and do not cause harm to us will cause harm in some form to our plants.  Butterflies are beautiful creatures, but gardeners and fruit crop growers may not appreciate their caterpillars!  Beneficial insects that don't hurt us or our crops are ladybugs and some species of wasps.  Honeybeens will sting you if they feel under threat but if we didn't have them we wouldn't be able to enjoy honey and also our plants will have great difficulty in pollenating.

For umpteen years a product called boric acid has been used in the area of controlling roaches.  Ants have always been quite a problem because they love to come into our homes and can also bite.  Wasps that do sting cause allergic reactions, fear in small children and many adults because of their aggressive nature.  People usually use some form of spray to attack them so they don't have to get too close and risk their painful stings.  A useful thing to learn too is foods that ants consume.

Neem comes from the Indian lilac tree.  It prevents feeding and is a growth regulator.  Pyrethrum is one of the most popular natural insecticides for attacking insects.  It is used to paralyze and must be applied directly.  It's contained in many pet shampoos for flea and tick control.  Nicotine is well known as a tobacco product, it of course causes major problems to people's health.  Some insects can actually be controlled by it.  Rotenone and sabadilla dust can be considered exotic natural insecticides because they are made from plants that exist in other countries.  Sabadilla can wreak havoc on a honeybee population, though, and is a short-term insecticide.  So consider the possibility of homemade natural ant killer.

Some Useful Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips

We all want to stay healthy by eating chemically free, fresh, vitamin filled and natural foods. When we grow our own food, it makes us less dependent on commercially grown foods, which are coated with chemicals and are also quite tasteless.

The US Department of Agriculture compiled data that reveals that the mineral levels in vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat has decreased substantially in the foods that are commercially produced. Chemical fertilizers that are used for commercial produce swell it with more water. Organic food on the other hand has more dry matter and is loaded with essential nutrients. It is also much higher in antioxidants, which is another big reason to go organic.

How is Organic Gardening Different

The main difference between conventional gardening and organic gardening is in the areas of pest control and fertilization. In organic gardening, organic and natural methods and materials are used rather than synthetic chemicals which are detrimental to the environment and our health.

If you are fond of home gardening for organic vegetables, some of the useful home vegetable gardening tips are to choose your crops carefully, select a garden site that is appropriate for plants, plan your garden, prepare the soil and choose appropriate fertilizers.


Successful Organic Vegetable Gardening

The most important organic vegetable gardening tip is that you need to provide good growing conditions for the healthiest produce. A good crop does not happen by accident, it needs lots of hard work and suitable conditions. The most important factor responsible for adequate growth of any plant is at least six hours of direct sun each day. You also need to make sure that the soil is full of organic matter.

Another organic vegetable gardening tip is to choose the plants sensibly. There are some plants that are more susceptible to diseases and pest problems as compared to other plants. To save unnecessary problems for yourself, look for varieties that are disease-resistant.

One valuable organic vegetable gardening tip is to feed your organic plants naturally. Fertilizing your plants may not be necessary in most soils, but it definitely helps them grow better. Feeding your plants with well-rotted animal manure is a good source. Organic matter improves tilth, structure and the condition of the soil. It also improves the ability of soil to hold water and nutrients.

Another handy organic vegetable gardening tip is to be absolutely intolerant of weeds as they rob plants of water and essential nutrients. They also attract pests that can spread diseases from one plant to another. It is therefore important to walk through your garden and pick up weeds and shed foliage.

Another important organic vegetable gardening tip is to water wisely. Use water saving soaker hoses to water the plants directly at the roots. Also, jamming the plants in the plot can cause problems. Do not plant the organic vegetables too close to each other. There has to be good airflow between the plant for them to grow well and prevent any fungal disease.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

A Healthy Option: Green Gardening

There is a new world developing in the gardening world that is called green gardening, otherwise known as organic gardening.  Since it is becoming more popular, there is more gardening help available to help a person who has been gardening for years change over to green gardening from traditional methods.There is also plenty of information that allows those who have not ever gardened before to become green gardeners in a short amount of time.

Going Green

Going green is a slogan that has been tossed around more and more in recent years, as more and more people become informed about the effects of our actions on the environment and more environmental problems surface due to man's negligence.  Since this is the case, people have been finding more ways to be environmentally friendly yet still able to participate in the activities they enjoy, such as gardening.

Green gardening means using products that are organic, such as compost instead of chemical fertilizers.The compost can be made through grass clippings, leaves or scraps from the kitchen that are organic.All of these items are thrown onto a pile called the compost pile, which begins to decay and let the nutrients from the decaying bodies into the soil, which plants love.  Earthworms also help to decompose the compost pile if the person doesn't mind their squirming.

In addition to growing flowers organically, green gardening includes growing food, so that most of what is eaten is home grown.  Organic food that is bought in a grocery store or specialty shop is always more expensive then alternatives.  Growing food in a vegetable garden saves time and money, including the gas required to get to the grocery store!  In addition, picking the vegetables and fruit from the garden, fresh, right before use always tastes better than those that have been shipped to the store.

For those who do not have the option of starting a green garden in the back of their house, there are a couple of different options available.  One option is to join a community garden in which people sign up to take care of the garden on different days of the week and the produce from the garden is shared amongst them all.  The other option for urban dwellers is to do container gardening, doing green gardening in potted plants.  All sorts of plants can be grown this way, including vegetables, so it is a viable option for those who do not have yards.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

Carnivorous Plants

If you want to add a unique touch to your garden, carnivorous plants are bound to get attention. There are several interesting exotic species to consider, such as the ever popular Venus Flytrap or the Cobra plant. Both these plants consume insects and can be of benefit to any garden in that way and in addition, they are a great conversational piece. The size of the plant you select will determine the amount of insects consumed, however, the entertainment they provide for both adults and children alike, is well worth the investment.

Basically there are five different types of carnivorous plants for you to consider. The most common type, is the Venus Flytrap found in cultivated varieties of the Dionaea muscipula family. The carnivorous Venus flytrap plant can snap its clamshell leaves around an insect in less than a second.

When a fly or insect walks on the surface, this activates a hair trigger and causes closure, as the traps closes it fills with an enzyme solution, and then it will dissolve the proteins from the insect. Digestion takes five to 12 days, after which the trap reopens, then the insect’s exoskeleton blows away in the wind or is washed away by rain.

These plants range from colorful to bland, and do not have moving parts like their snap trap counterparts.

Sundew plants of the Venus Flytrap family are amongst the most interesting to watch. These plants secrete a glue which traps and breaks down insects for nourishment. The type of secretion created by this particular plant can cause skin irritation to humans and therefore should be treated with caution.

The only carnivorous plant with a true "trapdoor" is the remarkable bladderwort. Numerous, tiny glands inside the bladder absorb most of the internal water and expel it on the outside, and as a result, a partial vacuum is produced inside the bladder and the pressure on the outside becomes greater than the inside. This causes the walls to squeeze inward and explains their slightly concave appearance. Bladderworts are more commonly found underwater than above ground, which is another distinct characteristic from other carnivorous plants.

Finally, the lobster pot traps are among some of the most unusual looking carnivorous plants that you can acquire, they function by giving insects an easy way to enter, but little chance of escape.

Corkscrew plants are interesting, in that, the inside of the plant mouth is filled with downward pointing obstructions, used to prevent it’s prey from escaping it’s grasp.

If you do not wish to have a true carnivorous plant in your garden, but would like something with similar characteristics, there are several related species you may want to consider. These plants include the Brocchinia Roridula and members of the Martyniaceae species. These plants lack one of the three required aspects, which is to attract, kill and digest prey, to be classified as a true carnivorous plant.

Carnivorous plants should be placed where young children and babies cannot reach them. While most of them are relatively harmless to humans, digestion of these plants should be avoided, due to the digestive enzymes that the plant utilizes to break down prey.

How Our Knowledge of Orchids Came to Be

Since tulip mania (or "tulipomania") crested in the Netherlands until the present, no one group of plants has achieved such a tenacious grasp on popular imagination as the orchids. Believe it or not, though, today's orchid craze hardly compares to the extreme devotion that the plants roused in our Victorian forebears, particularly in England and America.

Certainly other plants had a degree of celebrity in the Anglo-Saxon sphere during the mid- to late 19th century.Among these were ferns, cacti, chrysanthemums, palms and roses. But orchids to a great extent represented the height of horticultural respectability in the 19th century garden. So highly were the tropical epiphytes esteemed that in May of 1885 the first general conference on orchids was held in London. The gala event brought together amateur as well as commercial growers to show off their prized specimens and to discuss important issues, including the culture and nomenclature of these marvelous flowers.

At the time of that great conference in London, the exotic tropical orchids had been known to most of the world for only around a hundred years. The Spanish botanist Francisco Hernandez casually mentioned a few orchids as curiosities in his account of his 16th-century voyage to Spanish America. Almost two centuries later, naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer and botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius, both working for the Dutch East Indies Company, described some of the Asian orchids. It was not, though, until just prior to the opening of the 19th century that many Europeans became aware of these exciting, mysterious plants.

By the early 19th century, botanists were attempting to cultivate a handful of specimens at such places as London's famous Kew Gardens. Until 1820 orchids were looked upon as curiosities in botanical gardens, but about that time some showy Cattleyas and other species produced some stunning flowers, piqueing greater interest among the public. By the middle of the 19th century, new orchid specimens were making their way to Europe from all around the globe. Additionally, more and more people were attempting to cultivate orchids at home.

The orchid craze was in full swing by the late 19th century and continued unabated for many years to come. Somewhat suprisingly, a solid scientific understanding of orchid botany and what was needed to be consistently successful in growing orchids did not arrive until the 1920s.

Nowadays, of course, we have an abundance of good information on the proper way to grow orchids. The most accurate and clear guide to expert orchid growing, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide will furnish a full immersion in the subject. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets site, which has an ever-expanding database of articles on many aspects of orchid care.

How to Make Organic Gardening Compost

So you want to get involved in organic gardening and farming, and know that one of the first things that you are going to need to do is make some organic gardening compost. This organic gardening compost is what you are going to be using to provide nutrients to the soil which in turn will make stronger, healthier plants.

There are a few different ways to make organic gardening compost, but here is some basic information that you will need to be aware of.

Full Instructions

When it comes to organic gardening compost, the most important thing to learn about is what you can use to make compost. Basically, anything that was once living will make for great compost. You should avoid using meat, dairy and cooked food in your compost however because these foods can attract vermin and so you really want to avoid home-composting them.

All fruit and vegetable peels work well in organic gardening, and for the best results you want to always use a mixture of types of ingredient. The right balance for you here is going to really only be learnt by experience, and so just because you may not get it perfect right away, you should not become frustrated and after you practice and stay at it, you will continue to make better and better compost each time.

Keep in mind that some things, such as grass mowing and soft young weeds, will rot quickly, and so they do work as activators which means that they get the compost started, but they do end up decaying and causing quite a mess.

Any tea bags and leaves, coffee grounds, soft green prunings, animal manure, and poultry manure and bedding for instance, will all work very well in your compost. Make sure that you try a few different things, and see what works best.

Depending on the type of plants that you have in your garden, certain mixtures are going to work better than others. Only over time will you be able to recognize which mixtures work best on your garden.

Remember, your organic gardening compost can be as simple or complex as you want to make it. If you are just getting started, it will be best for you to stick to a simpler compost recipe, and then as you begin to get more used to making it and get more familiar with the routine, you can start adding in new things.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

Home Gardening

Home gardening can be a wonderful way to relax after a rough day in the office, allowing the individual to have time outside, physical activity, and produce a gorgeous garden that everyone can enjoy.Whether they choose to grow a flower garden or stick to vegetables, a garden comes in all shapes and sizes, from containers gardens, ornamental gardens or ones that provide food for the entire family.

Types of Gardening

There are different types of home gardening styles for individuals to choose from so that they can experiment to see what ones work best for them.Getting started in home gardening almost always starts with the soil, since that is the essence of all that will grow in the garden.Placement of the garden is of importance as well, since there are some flowers and plants that will not grow in direct sunlight or full shade, so the area where the garden is to be placed should be chosen with care.

There are different types of plants that can be planted in home gardens.  Besides the many varieties of fruits and vegetables, there are different types of flowers, grasses and bushes that can be grown in home gardens.  Annual plants are ones that only live for one growing season.  The downside to these plants is that they have to be replaced every year.However, they are great filler plants and add splashes of color and texture wherever they are planted.In addition, there are biennial plants that last for two seasons, so the individual gets more 'value' for their money.

Perennial plants are usually the foundation to any decorative garden since they continue to grow year after year and, if tended well, will fill in and make the garden look more and more luxurious with each year.  Rose gardening is another option of perennial that can make for a beautiful garden.Some people are wary of choosing roses for the garden, thinking that they are hard to tend and finicky, but with a few simple tips, growing a rose garden is a great choice in a home garden.

The other popular choice in flowers is growing from bulbs and tubers.  These flowers also grow back year after year, but have to be tended to ward off deer and other creatures who love the tender bulbs.Ornamental grasses and vines are also wonderful choices to edge home gardens or to use as ground cover, since they are decorative and easy to tend once they have grown in.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

Cattleya Flies

The Cattleya fly is among the most potentially devastating insects that couldinject themselves into your precious orchids. In fact, this insect is closely associated with orchids rather than any other type of plant, as you might guess from its scientific name, Eurytoma orchidearum.

Cattleya flies inject their eggs into the orchid plant's young growths. The eggs hatch and then nymphs (or maggots) hatch and begin to feed voraciously. These nymphs soon swell to a huge size within the orchid's bulbs. One signal that these maggots are doing their dirty work is that the bulbs will swell becoming club-shaped at the location where the pests are eating.

Eventually, the hungry little nymphs are changed into adult flies, which eat their way through the fleshy bulbs to freedom. Adult flies are deep black, have clear wings, and are approximately a quarter inch in length. Unfortunatelyy, by the time you see them it might be too late to save some of your plants. Nonetheless, you should try to kill the flies before they get a chance to inject their eggs into your remaining healthy plants.

If some of your orchids are already infected, the best course of action is to cut away any bulbs you see that are abnormally swollen. Then simply drop the nymph or maggot into a container of water to drown it. It is discouraging to have to slice away a plant's promising young growth, but it is better than leaving your other plants exposed to attack by the pest. With some luck, that plant that you did surgery to will produce a new bulb in place of the old one.

Here's a little good news, though, as far as these nasty little pests. They are actually not very common, and most orchid cultivators will never encounter them. Still, it makes good sense to inspect every new orchid for the tell-tale signs of these flies and their maggots. Besides looking out for abnormally enlarged bulbs where the fly's nymphs might be eating, inspect for tiny holes where a female fly's ovipositor might have inserted her eggs into the orchid. Absent such signs, you probably do not have a Cattleya fly problem.

To be really successful growing orchids it is important to know how to deal with all of the various threats to your plants, including insects. It is not as hard to grow orchids as many people believe, if you ground yourself in basic knowledge of these spellbinding plants.

The most complete guidebook to 21st-century orchid cultivation, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded over the Internet. Howard's delightful guide will provide a thorough education on the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets website, which features an ever-expanding database of information on many facets of orchid cultivation.

Natural Food Enthusiasts Enjoy Healthy Foods From Their Home Garden

Planting a home garden in order to provide wonderful quality, fresh foods for cooking, and also for preserving through canning and freezing, is an increasingly popular activity for many people. A primary motivation for growing their own fruits and vegetables is that there is more and more evidence that the produce available at the supermarkets is severely lacking in nutrition because of current mass-growing methods.

Not only that, but for many people starting and cultivating a home garden for the purpose of providing wonderful foods for the table is an enjoyable endeavor. Gardening has long been a popular hobby for many people all around the world, but when you add the extra incentive of being able to provide your family with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that have not been contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, it is easy to see why the popularity of the garden has grown.

In addition to these kinds of concerns about the safety and the nutritional value of grocery store produce, people are also finding that it is wonderful to be able to go to their home garden and pick their foods fresh from the vine at just the perfect moment of development. If you compare that to store-bought tomatoes which are harvested way before they have a chance to ripen naturally and then are packed, shipped and stored before finally reaching the store shelf, then it is easy to understand the advantages of garden-fresh food.

In that scenario, which is common of the vast majority of produce sold in the grocery stores today, the tomato has been detached from its life-giving parent plant for many days and sometimes weeks. But with a vegetable garden just outside your kitchen door, you can pick your tomatoes when they are at their peak of ripeness and be able to have the freshest tomatoes to add to your salad or for your famous tomato sauce.

Most of the common and popular vegetables that are available in the produce sections of grocery stores can be grown in home gardens. Some of the most popular varieties are carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage, and many varieties of squash, just to name a few. And don't forget about all of the wonderful berries that can be home grown as well. Technically a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most popular foods that people enjoy including in their home gardens. They are easy to grow and simply delicious plucked off the vine.

Produce from a vegetable garden can be used immediately or it can be frozen or canned for later use, and many people include herbs in their gardens too. In fact, herbs can be even more convenient as they can even be grown indoors, making your gardening efforts even more simple and easy. And, just as those fresh vegetables taste better and are better for you, you will also find that fresh herbs from the garden are superior in taste and flavor as compared to the dried and packaged varieties.

Even with all the benefits to consider of having a home garden to supply fresh produce and savory herbs for your table, some people do it just because they enjoy the hobby of gardening so much. For many people, the satisfaction they get from planting and nurturing the garden is all the reward they need. And, when combined with the ability to share a meal with friends that includes fresh and tasty foods, for many people that is the perfect way to get the most from their love of planting and sowing.

No building is complete without some grass, a few plants and some shrubbery to help enhance the quality of the building. The enhanced curb appeal as well as the added value can make the final difference when selling a home or adding to the over all value of the house. Any little bit helps and you do not always need a professional to do the landscaping for you. It never hurts to have some professional advice or a little bit of knowledge before you start ripping up your front yard, though. Some trees, some pleasant green grass, and you will get it down pat before you know it Who knows? Maybe you will decide it as a career that you might be curious in pursuing. The following are some of the frequently asked question people have for landscaping so that you can have an idea of how landscaping is done and how it can be easier than you might think.

When should I hire a landscaper?

You should hire a landscaper if you do not have a "green thumb" and you are not going to have the time to devote to getting rid of the prior planting as well as landscaping the new. There are specific steps that must be put into place to stop soil erosion so it will need at a minimum a weekend of challenging work. Landscaper's are not cheap but you can find one at a reasonable cost depending on how extensive the area is and how much labor you intend to complete yourself. If you are going to maintain the area, you will spend less money as well.

If I decide to landscape my home myself, what are some designs as well as ideas to assist me?

There are many software programs out on the market currently that can help you design your own landscape. You will have to insert the shape of your yard and then select from the kind of terrain and climate you live in. The software can give you recommended plants as well as shrubbery that is best matched for your yard. If you wish to have manmade terrains or structures, you will wish to contact a carpenter for ideas or a do-it-yourself website for directions.

How do I decide which type to plant?

The kind of plant you select will be dependent on your climate and how much you want to water. It will also depend on how much sun your yard gets throughout the day. Some plants flourush in the shade when others will wilt. For those individuals who live in drought prone areas, they should consider planting plants that are hardy that require little water and really help to maintain the soil from eroding. Numerous people elect to have rock gardens as well as cactus if they happen to live in desert environments.

When is the ideal planting season?

The ideal planting season depends on what type of plant you want to grow. The best time to plany bulbs is in the fall so that they have time to root. Other plants are best suited to planting during the spring months. Some plants will not produce flowers or fruits for one or two seasons later so you have to prepare for this. Trees will need to work through several years before they become substantial enough to give adequate shade or produce fruit.

What is the best way to protect my newly planted shrubs and flowers from the weather as well as the elements?

At the time of the beginning weeks and months numerous plants are at risk of dying from the atmospheric condition however you can take steps to help prevent this from happening. Two of the greatest threats are the rain as well as the wind. To guard your plants from both you will need to furnish with protection. You can lay down a a barrier to protect between the ground and the plant. This will assist in securing the roots of the plant and preclude excess amounts of from absorbing into the ground. The additional gain will be suppression of weeds from growing up through the grating. To prevent wind erosion of the soil, spread hay or straw in the area of the plants to assist in protecting the soil. If you place a bag that protects around the plant that will maintain the plant warm enough to prevent frost.

To find out more head on over to Commercial Landscaping Contractor similarly
Landscape Lighting and certainly try Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Beautifying the Yard: Flower Gardening

Flower gardening is one way to make a huge difference in the yard and raise the value of any home.There are so many different choices in flowers that a flower garden can change every year or even every month!  In addition, there are ways to green garden, which means that all of the products used in the garden are organic, so that pesticides and fertilizers are not used which can be harmful to humans, pets and the environment.  

The first choice in flower gardening is what types of flowers to plant, since that will determine where the garden should be located.  If there is only one option for where the flower garden can be placed, then the plants chosen for the garden should be based on how much sunlight is available in the garden and what the overall climate is where the person lives.That way the flower garden will be more likely to be successful, and the gardener will not get frustrated with plants that will not grow or that die after a short amount of time.

Roses?

There are many people who would like to have a rose flower garden but are afraid to do so because they have heard that roses are temperamental flowers and are difficult to grow and maintain.  However, there are some tips that can be used to successfully grow a rose flower garden in any climate.   

The first tip was mentioned above – choose the flowers according to the climate.  Roses are tougher than they look and were found naturally in every climate.The trick to planting a rose garden is to choose the types of roses that enjoy the type of weather the person lives in.Also, roses enjoy sunlight, so a flower garden composed of roses should be placed where they can get direct sunlight.

When planting rose bushes in a flower garden, they should be planted apart from one another so that they can get air between the different plants.They also should be pruned regularly so that the bushes do not get too thick where they cannot get air within the branches of the plant.  Roses also like to be watered regularly, but not in the way other flowers are usually watered.Roses need to be watered at the roots so that they can more readily absorb the water.

If all of these instructions are followed, then a beautiful rose flower garden should be blooming in no time.  Keeping the roses well fertilized with healthy mulch from compost will also help them to stay healthy and strong.

For more about gardening please visit www.organicgardeningzone.com

A Green Thumb

Everybody has something he or she enjoys doing, maybe it is for relaxation or maybe a hobby. Sometimes that hobby can be hard work and sometimes it can help one unwind. I have found something that can be hard work at times but most often, it helps me unwind and relax. Want to know what my secret is? Well, it is gardening.

I first got started gardening while working with my mom in her garden. She helped me understand the basics of gardening like, the difference between annuals and perennials and the pros and cons of different plant types. At first, I would complain about helping, but after the project was completed, I felt a sense of pride in our accomplishment. She still tells me how much she wants me to come home and help her because, my brother and sister, who still live at home, do not help. My last trip home I spent two days putting in a pond and landscaping it.

Gardening can be hard work both physically and mentally. Someone may laugh at the thought of that, but digging up the ground and leveling it out to make a flowerbed can wear someone out. Maybe even harder than that is making sure you pick the right plants. The most important thing is, for it to be pleasing to the eye, but then I have to take into consideration the amount of sunlight the area receives, the make-up of the soil because all plants like different soil types. For instance, some plants like acidic soil while others will die if planted in it and other plants have to have the proper drainage or the root system will rot. Another important consideration, and most often overlooked is, how big the plant will be when it matures. Considering all this can be overwhelming, but if done right, the perfect garden is at your fingertips.

After the hard work is done, then it is time relax and enjoy all the time and energy spent creating my masterpiece. I like to come home and unwind by getting a cold glass of ice tea or maybe a beer, go outside and water my garden. I find it relaxing because I sit in an office all day in front of a computer, so I like going outside and getting some fresh air. After I have given all my plants a drink of water, I sit in my lawn chair and watch the kids play, spot some weeds that need to be pulled, and plan out my next landscaping project.

When I first moved to my house, there was not much landscaping in either the front yard or the back. Now all that has changed because of the hobby I enjoy so much. Yes, it was a lot of hard work at first having to dig up the ground, picking out the right plants and putting them in the ground but now I get to relax while either watering them or just sitting in a lawn chair enjoying my creation.

Zen Gardening

For a region that is predominantly Buddhist, Chan, or Zen, is an important philosophy. Zen is a term used for a school that teaches the teachings of Buddha and how they are active in the natural world. Buddhism was in China before the Zen teachings, and when the Indian prince Bodhidharma introduced the idea to the Buddhist in 526 A.D., they were amazed at his way of seeing the world for what it is. Zen took off after Bodhidharma's ideas were spread.

Schools of Zen teachings were a mix of the Daoism philosophy and Mahayana. These were very strict schools that insisted on the idea that separate things exist only in relation to one another, which means nature cannot be defined or classified in any way. The goal of these Buddhist practicing Zen was to accomplish the way of seeing the world as Buddha did, just as it is, with a mind that has no grasping thoughts or feelings. Schools that teach Zen recognize the importance of the arts, such as: painting, calligraphy, architecture, ceremonial tea drinking, and gardening. Other areas of Buddhism, such as Japan, practice arts such as Jujitsu as an art as well. Of the Zen arts, gardening is one of the most important and interesting forms of art.

Zen Gardening has been practiced for almost a millennium. In the eleventh century, monks began creating these gardens as a tool to teach the principals of Zen and Buddhism to students. These gardens take careful consideration and care to make a peaceful environment for meditation. It takes a lot of labor to keep them looking nice, but Buddhist think of it more of an opportunity to create than just a basic chore. The gardens have to be a perfect place to meditate.

We know these gardens simply as the desktop sand box with a rake, but there is a lot more to a Zen garden. Everything in a garden is there for a reason. Every single rock, plant, sand spread, water form, and bridge serves a purpose for the garden. The number 3 has importance in Buddhism because of the Buddhist trinity and the sky, earth, and humanity. Odd numbers are used because of the Buddhist belief that the earth is not an even structure and nature is naturally uneven. All gardens are meant to be massive landforms on a much smaller scale.

The materials used in the gardens represent different things. Of the objects used, rocks are the most meaningful. Tall rocks are used to symbolize the sky and wide flat rocks are used to symbolize the earth. Some rocks are even used to represent animals or specific landforms. The sand spreads are the most interesting part of Zen gardens; they are important because they are meant to give a sense of emotion while meditating. While many plants are used in the gardens, floral fixtures are rarely found because they are not naturally occurring. Not everything used is natural; pathways, bridges, a lanterns are frequently used to guide the visitor in the path that Buddha would take. They also are used to show Buddhist beliefs, such as, the Eight-Fold Path. Everything in a garden has a purpose.

These beautiful gardens are now all over the Buddhist countries in Asia. What began in China is now celebrated more in Japan and Korea. Japan is home to the world's finest gardens, such as, Kyoto, Nijo, Katsura, Sento and numerous others. Over time, the gardens have stayed true to the basic style, the only exception is Japan, many of their gardens have a lot of ponds and other water fixtures. The gardens, though a big tourist attraction, are still used today.

Overall, the ultimate goal of Zen and Zen gardening is to show the world from the point of view that Buddha saw it. Because of this, they are some of the most unique gardens in the world. They give monks a great place to meditate and are fun to look at. Their popularity in Asia has brought them to the United States. Americans use miniature dry rock gardens with sand and a rake as a relaxation devise. There are even a couple of Zen gardens in the Chicago land area. They look simple and easy to make, but they are really complex and need a lot of care. If a leaf falls in any design, it must be picked up, that's just how meaningful and important Zen gardens are.

When to Cut Your Orchid

You might notice that you have an orchid that seems to thrive, year after year, yet never brings forth more than one flowering pseudobulb. If you desire to increase the number of blooming growths, you might be able to do so by using a method of cutting in order to produce back shoots. With luck and an appropriate species (such as one from the Cattleyas), you will one day have a truly astonishing orchid.

Proceed this way: Take an orchid plant having at least four or five back pseudobulbs. Slice the rhizome in two between the bulbs, taking care not to otherwise disturb it. That's basically it, but here are some things to keep in mind:

• The best time to cut most orchids is during their resting phase, usually fall or winter. When they next enter into their growing stage, you may observe them sending forth two growths from one pseudobulb at the place where you cut it.
• No matter how eager you are to force more blooms, you should refrain from cutting any orchid that is not in good health. Cutting as described above will not harm a healthy plant, but could be stressful to a weak or sickly one.
• If you cut the same plant for back shoots every year, you will eventually have an orchid that is both bigger and more stunning that it would have been without the knife. This is the way some of the astonishing specimens are produced that you see in orchid shows.

There is more that can be said about the art of cutting to produce more blooms, as well as the process of taking cuttings to start more plants. To learn more about these and other secrets of orchid cultivation, a good guide such as that written by Nigel Howard is highly recommended.

The most thorough guide to contemporary orchid cultivation, many growers agree, is Mr. Howard's Orchid Care Expert, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete course of study, helpful for beginners and more experienced fanciers alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which features an ever-growing library of information on many topics of orchid cultivation.

Blossoming Orchids - Keep 'Em Cool

So, you've nursed and fussed over an orchid for many long months and now it is rewarding you with a gorgeous bloom.Should you handle the plant any differently now? The answer? Perhaps.

Although the variety of your orchid will be the final determinant, as a rule it would be wise for you to remove the plant to a cooler and drier place that that in which it was grown. This will assist the flowers to last longer than in a moist, warm greenhouse or other typical growing room.

Most orchids will not suffer by being place in a drier and cooler location when they are in bloom. Most will certainly benefit from it. Nevertheless, you should ensure that the temperature of your orchid's temporary new home should never get below 50 degrees F. at night.

Here's an experiment you can make if you happen to have two orchids of the same variety that bloom at about the same time. Leave one in your growing room, and place the other in a cool, dry place as recommended above. You will almost certainly notice that the one in your "cool room" will have fresh flowers for a significantly longer time than the one that was left behind.

The flowers of even the best-kept orchids will finally begin to fade at some point, of course. When this occurs you can re-locate the plant back into the warmer growing room. Take care to shade it from direct sun until it has re-adjusted to the warmth. If you neglect this, the plant could become scorched.

One of the keys to success in growing orchids is to understand their life cycles and the different stages they go through. Each of those stages demands a different type of care, and the blossoming phase has "rules" all its own.

The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid growing, in the opinion of many, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. Mr. Howard's guide is a thorough course, helpful for novices as well as the more seasoned growers alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which features an ever-growing library of information on all aspects of orchid cultivation.

Orchids of Our Imagination

One of the pleasurable side hobbies to orchid apprecation is that of seeking out references to these strangely fascinating flowers in literature and popular entertainment.

Among the earliest short stories in which an orchid plays a leading role is a strange little work by the pioneering science fiction writer, H.G. Wells.This story is really not so much science fiction as it is horror, though. You can easily find it in short-story treasuries as well as on the Web under the title of "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" or simply, "The Strange Orchid."

Wells lived and wrote during the years of the first great orchid mania, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was also a time when there were still some isolated and relatively unexplored places in the world, which fired contemporary imaginations with imaginings of undiscovered monsters that could yet be lurking in some jungle or mountain fastness.

For "The Strange Orchid," Wells built on the fact that flowers discharge their scent into the air to attract insects, which in turn spread pollen from one plant to another, assisting the plants to reproduce. What if--Wells wondered--there were a flower that took this a step further by evolving the ability to use its scent to overpower and feed on large animals?

The story centers on an Englishman with a passion for orchids who has acquired a rare specimen. After months of tending to it he is excited to see that it is about to blossom. He goes alone one day, eager to enjoy the first sight and odor of the unknown flower. Later, his housekeeper discovers him on the floor near the orchid, which is emitting a powerful scent and looking very strong indeed (and evil!). A blood red-tint suffuses its
leaves and it has already pushed some of its finger-like shoots round the orchid lover's neck and beneath his shirt front.

With an inarticulate cry she ran towards him, and tried to pull him away from the leech-like suckers. She snapped two of these tentacles, and their sap dripped red.

Then the overpowering scent of the blossom began to make her head reel. How they clung to him! She tore at the tough ropes, and he and the white inflorescence swam about her. She felt she was fainting, knew she must not. She left him and hastily opened the nearest door, and, after she had panted for a moment in the fresh air, she had a brilliant inspiration. She caught up a flower-pot and smashed in the windows at the end of the greenhouse. Then she re-entered.

She tugged now with renewed strength at Wedderburn's motionless body, and brought the strange orchid crashing to the floor. It still clung with the grimmest tenacity to its victim. In a frenzy, she lugged it and him into the open air.

Then she thought of tearing through the sucker rootlets one by one, and in another minute she had released him and was dragging him away from the horror.

He was white and bleeding from a dozen circular patches.

Thanks to the quick thinking of the housekeeper in this story, the orchid's victim survives--this time.

Fortunately, orchids that feast on blood do not actually exist.You can, though, view this tale as symbolic of the strange grip that orchids can have on anyone who falls under their spell. People who succumb to orchid fever--and that includes everyone who decides to try their hand at growing them--tend to contract the illness for life. You have now been warned!

If these intriguing plants have put the bite on you, you'll want to find out as much as possible about how to grow orchids successfully.  The most complete guide to today's orchid cultivation, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded online. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete course of study, helpful for novices as well as more seasoned growers alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of information on all topics of orchid cultivation.

Spark your Imagination in Your Local Garden Center

Whether you are a greenhorn with gardening or a certified green-thumb, there is nothing better than knowing just where to head for all of your gardening needs. Whatever the size and kind of your garden is, it is inevitable that you will still need to frequent your local gardening center for tools and products that you cannot do proper gardening without. This is why it is so important to stop by your local garden center so you can see what is available out there for you to use to make your gardening job a lot easier.

If you take time to look around, you will soon see that there are probably a couple of garden centers near you. These types of stores seem to pop up like mushrooms all over the place and are becoming a very popular place to shop at. The garden center is the most likely place where you will find just about everything on your garden shopping list. Although the prices can sometimes be steep, the convenience of one-stop shopping can certainly make it all worthwhile in the end.

Budget-conscious Shopping

If you need or just want to be a bit budget-conscious, it is fairly alright to avoid several high-end garden center stores. Not just because their retail prices is something that you can beat elsewhere, but for those who love the outdoors, their wide selection of items can make overspending surely tempting. These are just some of the many reasons why people would go to the extremes just to avoid these high-end garden centers. Although some people believe those are the only places to shop, there are still other options out there.

Flea markets and yard sales proliferate throughout the summer and these are the perfect places to find some of the tools that you are searching for. Just about everything that you would need from the garden center can also be found at a yard sale or two throughout the summer. Even if the item is slightly used, as long as it is still in decent shape, there is nothing wrong with picking it up and saving yourself a good amount of money. In the end, it will all depend on your skills and intuitions to find the best garden center that could expand your collection of gardening tools while keeping your pockets happy.

 

 

Organic Vegetable Gardening - Good Forr Your Health And The Environment

Organically grown fruit and vegetables

Organic vegetable gardening has now become a fast growing market and industry all over the world. People are now becoming more and more aware of the dangers of traditional farming and gardening as well as the benefits of organic vegetable gardening. Primarily, organic vegetable gardening is a method of food production that has little or no chemical taint involved. This means that farmers and gardeners that promote organic gardening use alternative organic gardening supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

The term organic implies that the products of organic gardening are free from chemicals and others substances that may have a negative effect on humans and the environment. Organic vegetable gardening means that the farmers/workers who plant the vegetables and the consumers who buy them are both safe.

Ways to Grow Vegetables Organically

Organic vegetable gardening can be done in many ways. For those space-conscious individuals, flower pots and flower boxes can be used in making their own organic vegetable gardening. Small-scale organic vegetable gardening is sometimes better because you can really pay attention and skills on just a few plants. This is beneficial for those who work full time and may have just a little time to attend to their plants. Planting vegetable in pots and flower boxes may seem diminutive but the vegetables can actually flourish in them with a little tender loving care and attention. Organic fertilizer may be necessary for vegetables grown in pots and flower boxes because of the limited soil and nutrients they have access to. Organic vegetable gardening is great especially for vegetable that thrive in small pots

People with limited yard space can also take advantage of making hanging gardens which do not need soil. This method of organic vegetable gardening would require more care than any other methods mentioned because you will need to regularly supply nutrients for the plant.

For those individuals with enough space for plots in their garden, this may be a great opportunity to create your very own organic garden. With just the right space in your yard, you can enjoy the bounty of fresh organic vegetables everyday. Organic vegetable gardening can be very enjoyable and beneficial if done properly and with the absence of chemicals and other harmful substances.

The bottomline is whichever organic gardening methods you use; there is still a lot to be gained from going organic. The benefits you reap not only affect you and your family but the environment as well.

Successful Orchid Cultivation Requires Resting Your Plants

Orchids require "rest" time every year. The particular time for this depends on the Variety, but for most orchids it should start some time in the autumn and continue well into winter. You need to handle your plants differently at this time than you would during their forceful growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is an important part of growing orchids successfully.

A good rule of thumb is to provide your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. You do this by restricting the water you give them, and by making the place where you keep them cooler.

For tropical species, keep the temperature at about 60 or 65. For species originating in colder locales, you can lower the temperature to around 45 degrees.

During this time, provide your orchids only enough water to keep them from shriveling. Most of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking steps to keep the air humid. Occasionally, though, you should poke down into the soil and examine the stem, roots and rooting medium of your plants. If these are beginning to dry out you should water them directly.

A few species will continue to grow during the winter. These will need somewhat more water than those that truly go dormant. If you see new shoots emerging, though, try to avoid wetting them or they else they might rot.

Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will drop their leaves after they have finished their growth for the year. You need to give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will let their pseudobulbs ripen, in turn letting them grow stronger and flower more freely.

Caring properly for orchids during their rest is not that difficult. But to prevent problems will require more detailed information than can be included in a short article. The most thorough guide to today's orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide is a thorough education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for beginners as well as more expeienced orchid cultivators. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing library of information on many facets of orchid cultivation.

Lady Slippers and Other Cold-Climate Orchids: An Introduction

It is common "knowledge" that the orchid is a tropical/subtropical plant. But in fact, orchids can be found in almost every part of the globe except for the deserts and the polar regions.

About 85% of orchid species will inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large number to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a cool area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a hothouse or other such area in which do so so.

The number of known orchid species is in the tens of thousands. You might be surprised to learn that there might be wild orchids growing in your own neighborhood, even if you dwell in one of our more northerly climes. Take the relatively common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady's Slippers and Ladyslippers) is the name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many members that grow in cool climates across North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountains, or even in Canada, you could have Lady Slippers growing wild in some woods near you.

One species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you're thinking of growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be used to your particular climate, and--if you live in a place that has low temperatures in the winter--you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

In North America, one of the most striking native orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.The Yellow Lady Slipper should be your choice, unless you are an experienced orchid cultivator already.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to acquire. They furthermore tend to be less costly to acquire than orchid plants whose origins are farther away. They are a great orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more "foreign" species.

All of the rules governing successful orchid growing apply to the Lady Slippers and related plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid cultivation, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Howard's wonderful guide will provide a thorough immersion in the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.

Creating Your Own Culinary Herb Garden

In creating sumptuous dishes, nothing is better like adding fresh herbs instead of dried herbs. Normally you can get fresh herbs at your nearest grocery store but these have a very short shelf life and they are usually expensive. One alternative is to create your own culinary herb garden. Most herbs are easy to grow and maintain and can provide you throughout the course of the year.

With small pots and a few packages of seeds, you can begin growing your own culinary herb garden right in your own kitchen. If you would prefer to keep your plants outside you will have no problem creating a culinary herb garden there either.

Choose Your Herbs

It is fun to create a culinary herbal garden that features a wide variety of herb plants. One popular herb plant that should certainly be in a culinary garden is sweet basil. Basil has a very wonderful smell when it’s growing and it brings so much flavor and aroma to meals when added fresh. Dried basil is generally unable to capture the true taste of basil. If you prefer to make your own pesto, now you can have your own fresh basil to use in it.

Another herb that should take part in your herb garden is rosemary. This herb plant serves two purposes. Today, it is predominantly used for culinary purposes. Foods in the Mediterranean region are commonly seasoned with rosemary. As an added bonus, rosemary is a source of iron and calcium, complementing its medicinal purpose as well.

If you enjoy Greek, French, or even Spanish cooking, you might want to make sure you have some Thyme planted in your culinary herb garden. This herb is used to add flavor to a variety of meats and even adds a little kick to the bland flavor of eggs. Thyme is also proven to have antiseptic qualities that have been used for centuries.

Sage is an herb that makes another great addition to your culinary herb garden and has the added benefit of producing beautiful flowers. Sage is set to have numerous medicinal benefits as well.

In the end, whatever you decide to plant, do not forget to have fun tweaking your garden. Create a unique herb garden with the different varieties of plants that you have selected. Organize them according to their usage and purpose. Just make sure your herb plants are nurtured with all the nutrients and ample space they need to grow. Otherwise your hard work will be wasted and you will be forced to start all over again or the worst, settle for dried and tasteless herbs.

 

Looking For Outdoor Garden Decor?

For the gardening enthusiasts, their gardens are more than just a hobby. They constantly try to make their gardens better by planting, weeding, and acquiring new outdoor garden décor items to make the garden more attractive. There are thousands of gardening buffs in the country on the look out for the best places to find outdoor garden décors, and fortunately manufacturers have responded by making these items more accessible than ever. There are a number of different places to go to obtain quality outdoor décor items and chances are, there is certainly one near your place.

Nursery Stores

Just about all of the stores described as nurseries have an extensive selection of outdoor garden décor items to be found within their store. Nursery stores try to present a one stop shopping center for all your gardening needs and this includes having some décor items on hand that can be used to enhance the look of your outdoor garden. There is a wide range of products available in nursery stores, from the larger types of outdoor garden décor items such as fountains and pedestals, along with many smaller items designed to complement the flourishing plants in the garden area.

Nursery stores usually have competent employees that are more than willing to give advises on outdoor garden décor items that could be helpful in improving the looks of certain types of plants in the garden. For example, some decorative trellises are great for plants like climbing roses and ivy, allowing the plants to accomplish their instinctive climb towards sunlight while providing a picturesque structure. Having a salesperson that is knowledgeable about plants is definitely a great help in choosing outdoor garden décor items since he/she will steer you away from items that may harm specific types of plants that are in your garden and will guide you towards outdoor garden décor items that could improve the overall health of your garden.

Mass Merchandisers

Many stores that are known to be mass merchandisers would certainly have a home and garden section where outdoor garden décor items can be found. These stores will generally have a limited supply of décor items because of the wide variety of items, and the items that they do stock will be the ones that are most popular to the majority of consumers, meaning that the décor items that they carry will not be exclusive or unique garden decor. Many people like to purchase items for their gardens from these stores because they provide the customer with the option of doing the rest of their shopping in the one store.

 

Do We Really Need More Orchid Types?

If you are just starting to investigate and learn about orchids then you will probably have read that there are believed to be over twenty thousand different orchid types or species which grow naturally.  This seems like a lot of orchid types, but once you have added in the hybrid orchids you are looking at an extra hundred thousand orchids.  People often become obsessive about orchids and as a result there are some orchid types which have been declared protected species and they are not allowed to be picked or cut.Photographs of protected orchids are allowed, but that is a near as you can get.

The orchid family is continually growing and it is believed at the moment that the number of different orchid types increases by as much as eight hundred each year.

Hybrids do not have to be created in a laboratory or nursery, they are occurring all the time naturally.  Many people think that nature will always produce the most beautiful of the orchids and that mans attempts will always be second rate.Much cross pollination occurs with when wasps, bees or moths fly between plants and carry pollen from one to another and hence create a newly arisen species.  Some of these cross breeds do not survive; this is natures management of the environment.

Man has become so obsessed with creating the most beautiful and perfect orchid that there is a register which details all the different orchid types, and the breeding methods used for each one.  This registry is held and maintained at the Royal Horticultural Society.  Creating orchid hybrids has been happening for a long time, infact, since 1854.

The addiction of the orchid may seem strange to those who are new to orchids, however, with a bit of research into the history it becomes more understandable.  The orchid is an undeniably beautiful plant, a plant which is so delicate and yet can some be found in some harsh and inhospitable environments.To add to this fineness there are the external roots which appear to be so vulnerable.   All this creates a plant which calls out to be protected and nurtured.

An Orchid History Lesson

Orchid cultivation is so widespread today that it is hard to picture a world without these marvelous flowers. Yet, not so very long ago, the inhabitantspopulace of the so-called civilized world were totally ignorant of the overwhelming majority of species of orchids.

Europeans naturally knew about their native orchid varieties, such as the extravagant Bee Orchid. But knowledge of the many amazing tropical orchids had to await the results of explorations of the jungles and mountains of South America and the eastern Indies. Even then, orchid specimens were slow to make their way back to England and other European countries.

Possibly the first living orchid to be transported from the tropics to England was an Epidendrum cochleatum, one of the more showy of its genus. It flowered in London in 1787. Another species from the same orchid family was brought in to England in the year 1778. It took ten years for its caregivers to bring forth flowers from the plant.

Admiral Bligh, of Bounty fame, brought 15 species of epiphytal orchids to England from the West Indies around the early 1790s. These were planted at the famous Kew Gardens in London. For many years thereafter the West Indies, along with India, were the central sources of tropical orchids for Europe. In 1793, however, a species of Oncidium was carried to England from Panama, followed a few years later by orchids from Uruguay.

By 1818, Brazil in partcular was contributing to what was becoming a steady stream of orchids back to England and other European lands. By 1830 collectors were traveling throughout Brazil on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society, seeking out never-before-seen orchid varieties.

The orchid exchange soon became a serious profit making enterprise, with businessmen in Brazil working out agreements with their opposite numbers in London to ship plants to England for resale there. William Harrison, a merchant in Rio de Janeiro in the 1830s and 1840s, sent many wonderful orchids to his brother Richard in Liverpool. Richard's house quickly became a magnet for orchid enthusiasts who pilgrimaged there to see the latest arrivals.

It was one thing to introduce orchids to Europe, but another thing completely to cultivate orchids succesfully. For more than half a century, England indeed was the graveyard for tropical orchids. The plants that survived did so in spite of rather than because of the treatment they received. Growers continuing experimenting and making mistakes until, by about 1850, they had largely worked out the art of orchid cultivation. That is when the orchid craze really took off, because now the knowledge was available by which even non-botanists could grow these stunning plants.

Knowledge of successfully growing orchids has greatly expanded during the intervening years and today we know so much more than did those Victorian devotees. We also have, of course, better technology to assist us in the greenhouse and garden.

The most complete guide to today's orchid cultivation, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Mr. Howard's ebook is a thorough course of study, helpful for novices as well as the more experienced growers alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on all aspects of orchid cultivation.

New Orchid Plants Need A Thorough Washing to Halt Pests

Orchids, like all plants, have natural enemies in the form of insects and other small creatures. Among them you should look out for red spiders, woodlice, thrips, slugs and snails. Cockroaches and beetles can also be threats.

To grow orchids successfully, you must take measures to defeat these pests before they can damage your plants. There are particular measures you can take for each kind of pest. To shield against all pests, take steps to clean your new orchid plant thoroughly.

Despite the best intentions of agricultrual control regulations, imported plants will often come with pests attached.But even nursery grown orchids can have pests clinging to their roots, or hiding in their potting soil.

Many problems could be avoided if people would inspect every plant thoroughly before they allowed them to enter their homes. Inspect your plant visually and immediately destroy all pests that you see. If you don. The flowers also will be ravaged by these invaders, a frustrating thing if you've doled out both care and money on a plant.

It is wise to treat every new plant with suspicion, especially if you already own other orchids. It's an excellent idea put it in an "isolation" room or other structure for the first few days. If you spot insects on it, do not put off the task of rdding it of them.

If you wash every part of your orchid plant, you will leave little opportunity for pests to ecape destruction. The best procedure is to thoroughly cleanse the bulbs and foliage. Carefully tap the plant out of its pot, trim off any decayed roots, wash the good roots in clean water, and then re-pot using new material and a clean container.

Done well it is a sure means of eradicating pests that a neophyte grower would have to search closely for to see. Some pests could be found in the shape of eggs. Others appear as insects but are so tiny they cannot be seen without a magnifying glass. However, a good cleaning regimen, as suggested, will destroy even the pests that you cannot see.

A good guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that a pest doesn't put an end to your prized plants. The most thorough guide to modern orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete education in itself, suitable for the novice as well as those more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing database of postings on all topics of orchid cultivation.

Budget-wise Shopping for Garden Tools

If you are one of those gardening enthusiasts who have a very limited budget, do not despair. You can still find reliable garden tools and garden tool organizer at very affordable prices. It is just a matter of ;ooking for the best bargain at the right place. Here are a few tips to help you shop for affordable but durable garden tools.

Shop at Budget Stores

Bargain shops are one of the best places to find affordable garden tools. There are certain times were we simply cannot afford to buy all those branded products. Times have change and you too must learn to flow with the times. If you have not tried shopping at these budget shops before, now is the best time to check them out. Some people think that going to a budget shop is a no-no because of poor-quality items, but don’t let this get in the way of your bargain-hunting. Just make sure that you inspect the garden tools thoroughly before purchasing them. Some budget shops are notorious for selling poor-quality products so make sure that the ones you pick are worth your money. After all, you would not really want to end up with a broken garden tool the day after you bought it.

Watch Out for Clearance Sales

If you are looking for good quality garden tools for half their original prices, be on the lookout for clearance sales. Many garden supplies distributors and outlets put up some of their products on sale periodically. During clearance sale, these items are usually sold at about half their original price. The best way to look for garden supply shops having their clearance sales is to take a look at the classified ads in your local newspapers and magazines.

Visit the Flea Market

The flea market is a remarkable place. If you are in the pursuit of the best bargain, the flea market is the best place to be. Though most of the things sold at the flea market are second hand, the good thing is that these things are still very much useful. Take some time to look around the flea market. Who knows, you might be surprised to find a set of garden tools that are still as good as new and are sold at very affordable prices.

Visit Online Auction Sites

For those people who don’t have enough time or are simply busy to go out and search for best buys, the internet is the best alternative. Try to visit some of the online bidding sites and find out if they have some cheap garden stuff up for bids.

Search for the Best Wooden Garden Furniture

Nowadays, the retail market carries a wide selection of wooden garden furniture, but this makes it difficult to choose the best type of furniture for your needs. There are several different aspects that you should consider when choosing wooden garden furniture because there are a number of fundamental distinction between furniture styles. By taking the time to carefully consider your decision, you should be able to find the right wooden garden furniture for your needs.

Factors to Consider

The first thing to be considered when choosing wooden garden furniture for your garden is the type of furniture that best suits your needs. Most people choose furniture that is basic and compact because it is smaller in size and does not occupy as much space as larger furniture models would do. This smaller furniture can be used in a wide variety of areas, from porches to near birdbaths, while larger furniture items are generally regulated to the center or the fringes of the garden area.

The amount of maintenance required is another factor that should not be overlooked when choosing wooden garden furniture. Some types of wooden garden furniture are considered high-maintenance which makes them much more difficult to preserve than some other types. A few types of wooden garden furniture need to be restained and resealed every few years to keep the furniture looking new while some others were never intended to be outdoor garden furniture and must be placed on a porch or some other shaded area to prevent fading and damage.

There are also some types of wooden garden furniture that can be modified into different styles by adding special cushions or coverings made for the specific furniture. These coverings can be purchased from the manufacturer of the furniture or from the retail store where the furniture was purchased from, although there are some styles that are considered to be universal and many different types of stores have coverings that will fit the furniture. These covers and cushions will allow you to change the entire look of the furniture in a matter of minutes and will protect the furniture from both dirt and the elements.

Lastly, wooden garden furniture has become a prevalent choice of furniture because it is preferred by the public and so easy to find. Just about every retailer, online or physical, that sells garden furniture will have a wide selection of wooden garden furniture to choose from. With the multitude of wooden garden furniture available from all these retailers, consumers wyll surely be able to find a furniture style that suits their preferences.

Bean Plant Growth

A favorite vegetable for gardenering, are the many varieties of the bean plant and by becoming aware of the grow zones and seasons you can reap the full benefits. Beans, snap peas and soy beans are a healthy addition to a persons daily dietary needs. High in protein, the bean is one of the base ingredients in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as an excellent side dish for those with a preference for meat.

When growing beans the beginning growth stages are important and you will need to only use good, healthy seeds for planting in your garden. Choosing a high quality seed will help to ensure a better chance of the plant taking root and growing to yield a larger amount of healthier vegetables. Even though it may cost more money for the good quality seeds, it is worth it because of the return you get for the expense and your labor will pay off by the delicious vegetables you get in return.

The best plant growth conditions for beans range in temperature from no lower than 61 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius. Temperatures below these levels will endanger the growth for the plant and in fact may even cause it to die.

Once your seeds are planted, the time it takes for the plant to reach the seedling stage can range from three to approximately forty days, with the average being eleven days. At this point, the bean plant growth stage is termed as a seedling because the plant is at a very young stage in its development. Gardeners need to pay close attention to this phase in the bean plant growth cycle in order for a fuller fruit yield from the plant. If your seedlings are dehydrated or over watered, as well as planted too early, your crops will suffer and the amount of beans gathered later in the cycle will be diminished.

After planting, it will take approximately fifty days from the point of the seedling stage cycle for the plant to begin producing pods that are ready to harvest. This means that there is realistically only one growth cycle for beans in a year. The season in which you plant your seeds should be no earlier than March, because they need enough time to complete the growth cycle before the colder months arrive and frost sets in. Frost can seriously harm bean plant growth, and care should be taken to avoid this. Greenhouses are sometimes used in colder climates for help in ensuring the growing stages of the bean plant are successful.

Because it is an annual plant, they can grow again each year for several seasons at a time. Seeds should be placed about two inches apart during planting a garden and when the plants have started growing, it is recommended to remove any weaker plants, so each plant has about 4 inches of space on each side. The soil should be fully cultivated to help prevent the garden from being overtaken by weeds.

Don't Let Cockroaches Damage Your Orchids

Cockroaches are among the greatest pests with which you will have to deal in growing orchids. They can do major damage in a few nights if not caught and killed.

Why are roaches the problem they are, and how can you deal with them?  The answer is that one of their favorite sources of food is a potted plant's tender young roots and flower stems. It is not unheard of for the roots of a plant to be entirely chewed off in one night by these pests.

How to effectively control roaches is a perennial topic. People have been fighting with them in their homes and kitchens for centuries, and we will probably be fighting them for centuries to come. They have evolved to be incredibly successful in living amongst us and in resisting extermination.

A wide array of poisons have been invented in an attempt to control cockroaches. If you go the poison route, you must of course only use the ones that will not do damage to your plants. Visit the garden supplies section of your local hardware store.

For a less potentially risky solution, many growers have had success using boric acid, sugar and flour mixed with water to make a paste. The paste needs to be spread in every crevice and corner you can reach to be most effective. To be completely safe, though, don't get any of this paste on the plants themselves.

You might also set out a few those "roach hotels."  These will trap many roaches and prevent a few at least from getting to your plants in the first place.

But really, the only way you can hope to keep roaches reasonably controlled is to hunt for them by both day and night. You should especially search for them on and around your plants in the evening, using a flashlight. They leave their hiding places in the evening to seek food and it is then that they are most easily caught and killed. Don't forget to move your pots and baskets around to uncover ones that may have run into hiding from you.

A decent guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that pests such as roaches don't put an end to your plants. The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid cultivation, I have found, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. Howard's well-written guide is a thorough education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for beginners as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on all topics of orchid cultivation.

Orchids Encircle the Earth

Of all the flowers on earth, orchids are particularly fascinating. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they often bring a bit of wonder and mystery with them. Although distributed widely, many can only be found in isolated or exotic locations--impenetrable jungles, the sides of volcanoes, mucky swamps, for examples.

Beginning quite seriously in the nineteenth century, orchid fanciers have devoted years and even careers to discovering as well as breeding new varieties of these flowering wonders. Although most orchids are obtained nowadays from nurseries that specialize in breeding the plants, many of them being developed through hybridization, it is beneficial to learn something of their origins in nature.

Orchids are herbacious plants of which tens of thousands of species are known, with more still being discovered.  They exhibit a startling range of color and form, which has contributed greatly to public interest. Master gardeners often delight in growing a wide range of orchids to demonstrate their mastery of the arts of cultivation.

Orchids grow in practically every part of the earth -- the exceptions being the deserts and the polar regions. About 85% of species occur in tropical or subtropical regions, but this leaves a huge number that may be found in much cooler zones. In some parts of the Himalayas orchids constitute the most abundantly represented family of plants in terms of sheer number of species.

By far the greatest number of orchids occur in three large tropical belts:

• Tropical Africa (including islands to the east in the Indian Ocean). These largely belong to the genera (families) Angnecum, Bulbophyllum and Disa. Orchids from here have not been as widely cultivated as ones originating from the other tropical zones, but Africa nevertheless harbors many species of interest.
• Tropical Asia. This region, which includes Indonesia and other islands as well as the mainland countries of Southeast Asia, is considered especially rich in orchid genera. Typical of the region are the large genera Dendrobium, Eria and Bulbophyllum and many smaller ones as well.
• Tropical America. This region embraces Mexico, Central America and the tropical parts of South America. Isolated from the rest of the world for millennia, this region contains an unusually high number of indigenous orchid genera, many of which contain hundreds of individual species. Among the large indigenous genera are Epidendrum, Pleurothallis and Oncidium; many smaller genera found here also contribute more than their share to orchids that have found favor among cultivators the world over.

In the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere may also be found many orchds, though not in so abundant number as in the tropics. In southern Africa the Disa and Calanthe genera furnish a few species judged valuable to cultivation. Australia has a number of genera in common with the tropical Asia. Southern South America boasts a number of temperate orchids, but by the estimation of orchid devotees, they are greatly overshadowed by those
from the vaster tropical-zone part of the continent.

in the norhern hemisphere's temperate areas, we should take note of the United States, particularly the New England/norhteastern region, as well as Canada. There you will find some 20 native genera, whose members grow particularly in swamps and other moist grounds. The most familiar of these are the Cypripediuins or Lady Slippers.

Europe also has many native orchids, but undoubtedly the most famous and showy is the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). The Bee Orchid grows on dry or semi-dry turf, often in open areas within woodlands. Bee Orchids are common near the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and grows (albeit less abundantly) as far north as Germany and the UK.

Orchids differ greatly from one another as far as ease of cultivating, but most of them are not the difficult plants that common wisdom would have it. The most complete guide to expert orchid cultivation, I have found, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Howard's guide constitutes a comprehensive education all by itself. And, it's suitable for beginners as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on many facets of orchid cultivation.