Home Gardening How To - Gardening Tips and Advice Blog » Plant

How To Plant Herb Garden Tips

Admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:49:40 +0000

Growing herbs is rapidly gaining favor with gardeners today. Both the experienced and beginners are discovering the rewards of growing fresh herbs. They are joining an age old pursuit of seeking to enjoy the delightful products offered by herbs. This pursuit has touched all societies and ages. These how to plant herb garden tips will help the beginning herb gardener get off to a good start on the path to fresh herb enjoyment.

Herbs are easy to grow and starting out they don't necessarily have to be grown in their own garden. They can be planted in an existing flower bed or garden as long as it drains well and it will receive plenty of sunshine. They can also be grown in pots that can be placed either indoors or outside. If culinary herbs are being cultivated it is a good idea to plant them near the kitchen so they will be immediately available for cooking.

An enjoyable challenge to the beginning herb gardener is picking which herbs to raise. In addition to culinary herbs other types include medicinal, aromatic, ornamental, beverage, pesticidal and industrial. It is recommended for the beginner to start with familiar culinary herbs and expand with other type herbs as the confidence and experience levels grow.

Here are a few suggestions with comments for the new gardener's considersation.

SWEET MARJORAM - This is a good plant for growing in pots because it only grows to twelve inches and needs only six inches of space. In warmer areas it can be a perennial but in cooler climes with frequent frosts it is an annual. Its reward is the delicate flavor it adds to soups, salads, fish and lamb.

THYME - This herb is used to flavor poultry dressing and soups. It grows to twelve inches and needs eight inches of space. It is a hardy perennial that becomes a shrub that produces leaves for flavoring. It also needs rich soil.

SUMMER SAVORY - Excellent when used to create mouth-watering fish specialties and to flavor soups and beans. This is a delicate little annual that germinates in only seven to ten days and grows up to twelve inched and requires five inches of space.

BORAGE - This plant's leaves are a great addition to a tossed salad with its subtle flavor. It does not like to be moved so it should be planted directly in the garden where it will reach a height of two feet and need twelve inches of space. It is an annual.

LAVENDER - Here is an aromatic that a new herb gardener might like to try. It is a hardy perennial with gray leaves and spikes of fragrant lavender flowers. The leaves can be dried by hanging them in a cool dry space like and attic or garage. The pleasant scented dried leaves can be used for a variety of purposes including freshening up a linen closet.

Armed with this information you are now ready to start your adventure in herb gardening so go for the gusto.

Fall Gardening Tips: Time To Plant Your Spring Flowers

Admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:53:00 +0000

Nothing says spring quite like a daffodil, crocus or tulip. Bulbs can fill your garden with vibrant color from early spring through late summer. They are, in general, very hearty, easy to grow and care for, and will bloom year after year. With just a little care, you can have colorful blooms from your bulbs all through the spring and summer. Daffodils, iris, tulips, gladiolus, hyacinth and daylilies are just some of the many bulb favorites.

Choosing Bulbs -

Good bulbs should be firm (avoid signs of rotting or softness), and should not exhibit signs of external damage such as cracks and deep scratches. Avoid bulbs that are already growing shoots or roots. Before planting, keep bulbs stored in a cool, dry location without direct sunlight.

When deciding which type of bulb to purchase, think about timing. Are you looking for color for early spring? Mid-summer? Perhaps you would like several types of bulbs that bloom at different times so that you have color throughout your garden extended throughout spring and summer? Ask your nursery or garden store which bulbs are recommended for your area. Of course, you can also ask your lawn care or landscaping professional for gardening tips and advice.

Planting Bulbs -

As a rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted in the fall (roughly early- to mid-October). You want to get the bulbs in the ground about six weeks before the ground starts to freeze. Plant the bulbs in well-prepared soil. Planting depth is determined by the type of bulb (4" deep for crocus, 6" deep for daffodils and hyacinths, 8" deep for tulips).

Spacing is also determined by the type of bulb. In general, plant bulbs about 4" to 6" apart. If you prefer a more formal look of rows, you may wish to invest in a bulb planter. If you desire a more natural, clumped look, dig a wider hole that can accommodate several bulbs (five to ten) planted together. A small amount of fertilizer can be added at the bottom of each hole, and then covered with a thin layer of soil so that the bulb is not resting directly on the fertilizer. Bulbs should be placed into the hole pointed end up with the flat, rooting side facing down. Cover the holes with soil and give the bulbs a thorough soaking of water. Bulbs are a wonderful way to bring vibrant color to your garden throughout the spring and summer (with minimal effort). With just a little work - and a few gardening tips - in the fall, you can enjoy beautiful blooms as early as next spring!

Caring for your spring bulbs -

Annual bulbs are classic additions to a home landscape. When you plant bulbs for spring, you give yourself the gift of great expectations. All winter long you wait for what will come and then one day in early spring, you are rewarded with green sprouts breaking through the soil. When you plant your bulbs, make sure you know the mature height of the different bulb types so taller blooms do not cover the shorter blooms.

Follow the tips below and enjoy a beautiful spring garden.

Where to plant bulbs in your garden -

If left up to the bulbs themselves, most would ask to be planted in an area that provides both sun and shade. Ideally, the area would have shade during the hottest part of the day. This extends the life of the blossoms, so you can enjoy their spring color as long as possible.

It's wise to avoid areas that have deep shade all day long, because the leaves need some sunlight to create the carbohydrates needed to provide vibrant blooms the next season. Exposed to constant shade, the plants perform less satisfactorily year after year.

Bulbs don't like wet feet! -

It's a good idea to select a planting area that is well drained. If you live in an area that has heavy clay soil, your bulbs will do best if you add some good-quality garden soil (not top soil) and spaghnum peat moss to the bed, then work it into the soil. If this is not an option, you can make each planting hole a bit oversized, and then fill them with a mixture of planting soil and peat moss when the bulbs are set.

Depth is important when planting bulbs -

Not all bulbs should be planted at the same depth. Smaller bulbs, which are planted in shallow holes, can be planted at the same depth (regardless of the type of soil in the bed).

Larger bulbs, such as tulip, daffodil and hyacinth, should be planted as much as two inches shallower in heavy soils than in light soils. Tulips, for example, can be planted at a depth of around five inches (to the bottom of the bulb) in heavy clay soil.

The same bulbs, however, should be planted at a depth of around seven inches in light soils. Following these simple guidelines will pay off handsomely year after year.

Nutrition for your bulbs -

Some gardeners prefer to use bone meal, mixed into the dirt at the bottom of the planting holes. Others prefer a balanced-formula bulb food that contains all three of the major nutrients -- nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

Your neighborhood lawn service company retailer can help you choose the right nutritional products for your needs. If you have questions about the differences, the store's lawn and garden specialists can answer your questions. They can also help you select the right fertilizers and soil additives.

Learning How to Plant a Vegetable Garden Can be Fun

Admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:53:16 +0000

Learning how to plant a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. If done correctly it pays off with big benefits in so many ways. Before you know it you will be picking perfectly ripe, perfectly delicious tomatoes without having to wonder what chemicals went into growing them.

The most important part of successful gardening is to properly prepare the soil. A routine soil test gives information on any lime requirement, phosphorous and potassium needs and estimated nitrogen requirements. A good soil mixture contains two parts loam, one parts and, and one part organic matter and many pre-mixed soil mixtures are available at garden centers. When manure is added to the soil, it must be composted prior to planting, because fresh, hot manure will also burn your plants. Vegetables need a lot of nutrition to grow well, so the better you prepare the soil before planting, the better chances you have of producing a bountiful crop. For information on soil testing, call your local county extension educator or the local university soil testing laboratory.

Planting a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. Tilling the soil in late fall facilitates earlier spring planting. Cool versus warm planting periods are determined by your choice of cool-season vegetables and warm-season vegetables.

Successful vegetable gardening involves far more than just popping a few seeds into the ground and waiting for a tomato to appear. When sowing your seeds stretch a string between the two stakes you set to mark the row, or use a straight piece of lumber, and use it as a guide to open a 'V' shaped furrow with the corner of your hoe. Tear the corner of the seed package off and use your finger to tap the package lightly as you move down the row, carefully distributing the seeds evenly. Larger type seeds may be placed individually in the row. You will want to plant extra seeds in each row to allow for failed germination, and for thinning. Cover the seeds with fine soil (no clods or rocks). After the seeds sprout, the weaker seedlings should be pinched off to give the rest enough room to grow.

Vegetables that are leaves or stems, such as cabbages and onions, can usually be harvested over a long period as they are needed. Vegetables that are the fruit of the plant, such as peas, beans and tomatoes, should be picked every two or three days to get them when they are first ripe. Any vegetable garden should receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight during the day and grow best on soil that is well drained. Vegetable gardens do not always have to be laid out in large plots in the backyard; you can grow them nearly anywhere as long as all their growing conditions are met and your choice of plants will be largely determined by the likes and dislikes of your family. If the same garden plot is used for vegetables for many years, your crops should be rotated, so that each type of vegetable is in a different position during the following season.

Planting a vegetable garden is hard work but for both the beginner and experienced gardener the rewards can be delicious.

7 In 1 Plant Care Garden Tool Set

Admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:58:25 +0000

Everything you need to love and care for your plants, all in one roomy, compact bag. Set contains six essential tools for plant care and one convenient carrying bag with room for all the tools.Features include:Leaf and flower trimmerWater spray bottleBranch and twig prunerConvenient carrying bagWood, metal, and plastic constructionIncludes retail packaging

Product Description
"Everything you need to love and care for your plants, all in one roomy, compact bag. Set contains six essential tools for plant care and one convenient carrying bag with room for all the tools.Features include:Leaf and flower trimmerWater spray bottleBranch and twig prunerConvenient carrying bagWood, metal, and plastic constructionIncludes retail packaging"... More >>

7 In 1 Plant Care Garden Tool Set