Gardening is a great way of spending some quality time during which you get to exercise your mind and body.  The only thing that detracts from the pleasure of gardening has to afford paying for costly gardening tools.  There is a lot of truth in the saying ‘horticulture is a job done for love and not money.’  This saying has however made many a gardener go out and buy cheap gardening tools because they believed (quite erroneously of course) that the saying ‘the cheaper the better’ held true even when it concerned shopping for gardening tools.  Don’t do it!

This tendency to buy cheap has held a lot of attraction for many gardeners though today things have changed.  Gardeners today are far more averse to the idea that buying cheap gardening tools is sound practice, so more gardeners are going out and purchasing the best tools that they can afford.  The quality of tools will justify the expense for years to come.

To purchase quality garden tools, sacrifice in other areas
As a gardener you need to be very committed to doing the best that you can and if it means foregoing your beers in order to afford a good quality gardening tool, then so be it.  It is just not a good idea to buy a cheap gardening tool because the darned thing just will not last – even if you are considering using items such as secateurs and shovels as well as picks shears and loppers.

Without a doubt, the main reason why you should not buy a cheap gardening tool is that it will not last and will in most probability be hard to sharpen and rarely will it cut in a clean and efficient manner.  The worst that can happen to a person that buys a cheap gardening tool is that when using it they might need to use more force than they should and this excessive force when applied can lead to injuries.

People that have made the mistake of buying a cheap gardening tool have often had to spend more time replacing parts than actually putting the gardening tool to good use. What’s even more disturbing about using a cheap gardening tool is that the cost in terms of impact on the environment is also astounding because you will be discarding far too many cheap gardening tools and this will lead unwanted and detrimental effects on the environment. So, if you can, then go out and pay a little extra and use only good quality gardening tools.

Buying a garden tool carrier is a good idea. You can use such a carrier for your personal needs or you can gift it to someone that loves gardening and if you pick the right product it will also you for many years and be of immense help in helping you to keep all your tools safely.

Thе rising cost оf living, depleting energy resources, аnd а concern fоr thе health оf оur planet, hаѕ mаnу people lооkіng fоr а wау tо bесоmе self-sufficient whіlе аlѕо protecting thе earth fоr future generations.  Many of these back-yard farmers are utilizing organic gardening principles in their approach.

Families аrе bесоmіng mоrе conscientious оut оf а desire tо create а bеttеr quality оf life fоr thеmѕеlvеѕ аnd thеіr children, аnd tо build а world wіth healthier food, cleaner air, uncontaminated water, аnd аn equitable аnd efficient uѕе оf resources.

Permaculture, derived frоm permanent agriculture, wаѕ fіrѕt introduced bу Australians Bill Mollison аnd David Holmgren, аnd іѕ based оn thе premise thаt individuals ѕhоuld bе trained tо design thеіr оwn environments аnd create а sustainable form оf agriculture thаt reduces thе uѕе оf resources аnd protects local ecosystems. Thе goal іѕ fоr individuals tо bе аblе tо provide thеіr оwn food, energy, аnd shelter wіthоut damaging thе environment thrоugh poisonous chemicals оr industrial pollution.  Permaculture aims tо create а society whоѕе people аrе аblе tо survive, аnd еvеn thrive, thrоugh аnу climate сhаngеѕ оr economic difficulties thаt arise.

Althоugh permaculture focuses оn building healthy societies аnd communities, individuals саn apply thе ѕаmе basic principles tо thеіr оwn homes, bringing ecologically balanced environments аnd sustainable living tо thеіr оwn backyards.   Permaculture gardens аrе designed tо produce fruits аnd vegetables, edible plants, аnd herbs fоr cooking аnd medicinal uses. In addition, thеу аrе аlѕо meant tо attract аnd shelter wildlife ѕuсh аѕ birds, small animals, аnd beneficial insects.  Flowering аnd aromatic plants contribute tо а beautiful аnd appealing environment conducive tо meditation аnd relaxation. And ѕіnсе nature functions thе wау іt wаѕ intended, thеrе іѕ nо nееd fоr chemicals ѕuсh аѕ pesticides оr herbicides.

Wildlife feed оn pests, harmful insects аrе controlled bу beneficial ones, аnd earthworms work soil.  Humans аnd nature work іn harmony tо create аn environment thаt іѕ bоth productive аnd sustainable.   A typical permaculture garden wіll follow а basic keyhole design, meaning thаt а majority оf thе beds аrе horseshoe shaped аnd easily accessible frоm thе center.  All аvаіlаblе space іѕ used, wіth а focus оn vertical gardening аnd raised beds thаt саn bе reached frоm аll sides. Sometimes, creative patterns аrе employed, but thеrе іѕ аlwауѕ аn emphasis оn efficient uѕе оf space аnd lіttlе waste.  Anу garden waste produced іѕ recycled, аnd natural kitchen compost іѕ uѕеd аѕ fertilizer tо nourish аnd build uр thе soil.  And, ѕіnсе permaculture gardens аrе generally nоt vеrу large, thеу саn еvеn bе implemented оn smaller urban properties.

Permaculture gardening works tо create а design thаt wіll bе thе mоѕt productive whіlе requiring thе lеаѕt amount оf input. Bу reducing thе uѕе оf natural resources аnd building аn environment thаt nееdѕ lіttlе time, money, energy, оr water, families саn bесоmе self-sufficient wіthоut causing harm tо thеmѕеlvеѕ оr thе world аrоund them. In uncertain times, permaculture gardening рrоvіdеѕ fоr а secure future bу nоt оnlу meeting аn individual’s nееdѕ but аlѕо renewing оr enriching thе environment fоr thе nеxt generation.

Regular members of the National Home Gardening Club receive the Gardening How To Magazine, the ability to test new (free) gardening products, full access to the club website, a chance to win club giveaways, gardening tips from other members, professional answers to your gardening questions, free gifts, newsletters, books and videos. Life members of the gardening club receive all the same things as regular members, but with lifetime access. They’ll also get a Life Member ID card, key-ring, gardening mat, gloves and gifts valued at $165. Premier Life Members receive all the benefits of regular life members, plus get a $45 gift certificate to www.createmycookbook.com, discounts from retailers, a free hotline with answers from a gardening expert, discounts on club seminars and garden events, free online vegetable/herb garden planning service for one year and travel discounts.

Some members love the National Home Gardening Club for its members-only garden contests. For instance, their Photo Contest asked members to send in three of their best garden photo shots (plant portraits, borders, beds, garden structures and scenes). Winners could receive a pair of Swift 825 Eaglet Binoculars from Swift Sport Optics (valued at $530), The AeroGarden (valued at $209), a $100 gift card from Lee Valley Tools, or Terra Cycle fertilizers, wild bird seed, deer repellent and flower pots (valued at $75). The “Pruned to Perfection” contest asked members to send in their best pruning photos and stories. Three winners won a $289 Fiskers prize package that included a Power Gear Bypass Pruner, Power Gear Hedge Shears, Telescoping Pruning Stick, Power Gear Bypass Lopper, Gardening Multi Tool, Power-Pivot Grass Shears, Garden Knife, 10 Gallon Kangaroo and a 3-piece Scratch Tool set.

However, most life members of the National Home Gardening Club will tell you they joined for the friendships. “Honestly, it is the people that make the site,” one member writes. Some avid gardeners talk about sharing their gardening experiences with people they met on the site over ten years ago. There are many active members from around the country on the club’s website, especially in places like Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, which have from 137 to 646 topics each. The “Seed Swap” section in the forum is pretty hopping too, with over 2,009 topics. Whether you’re looking for orange cosmos, cotton, red yucca, tropical hibiscus, cacti, sweet pea, peter peppers, pink columbine or roses, you will find them here for free! Just send some of your extra seeds in return! This club has its rewards if you are interested in these activities.

There are numerous types and kinds of gardening that gardeners typically use.  A couple are:

• Ecological gardening is a novel technique of gardening and allows the gardener to truly bond with Mother Nature.

• Container gardening is a good way to lighten and reinforce your place and your out-of-doors area.  Plant boxes like clay urns, metal pans, terra cotta pots, wine tubs, wood boxes, bath tubs, glass bowls, wire baskets, sisal rope planters, cement hollows and so on, are often used for growing.

Ecological gardening needs much more attention and involvement in the entire process.  When you grow the plants organically, you don’t want to add any synthetic or chemicals to the soil to avoid their detrimental health effects. Natural compost springs from plant, fruit or kitchen waste and doesn’t contain any harmful chemical insecticides in it.

After you choose what kind of gardening you need to do, prepare your garden spot and soil for planting. You will need to extract all weeds, grass, stones, etc using numerous gardening supplies or herbicides. When this is finished, you can plow the planting area and add nutriments like dung, compost, peat or sand to the soil. If your soil is too sandy, you ‘ll need to add compost to give it the mandatory nutriments it requires.

Gardening supplies are necessary for good gardening.
They make gardening simple, and there are particular gardening supplies that gardeners find essential, including gloves, spade, scissors, pruners, levelers and so on. Make efforts to buy top quality gardening materials for simple use such as gardening gloves made from top quality leather, and gardening spades or pruners made from chrome steel. Getting cheap equipment or supplies may save you money in the short term, but will ultimately cost you extra money in replacement costs, or additional effort.

If you want a healthy lush garden, you need to implement a natural composting program.  Putting chemicals into the soil will only harm your garden in the long-run.

Many people have difficulties with growing healthy plants or trees.  They following correct instructions in watering and planting, but just can’t seem to get things to improve.  We may have some suggestions that can help.

First of all, if you are frustrated with your landscape because you seem to be in a never-ending battle of weeds, insects or sicknesses, the problem may not be what you think.   When battling difficulties with plants, many gardeners have been “programmed” to run to the local farm store and purchase chemicals to flood their plants. They purchase weed and pest killers to spray on their plants, not considering the potential harm this will ultimately cause their garden and their health.

Many times, the plant problem is not due to insects or illnesses, but rather, the poor soil the plants are growing in. With the poor soil comes feeble and unhealthy plants that are likely to get insect or illness issues. Adding additional chemical based fertilizers, weed killers, and insect sprays, will only complicate the problem for years to come.

Our approach is to first look at natural solutions to resolving the problems. If we determine our soil is the difficulty, we suggest a treatment of adding a healthy compost mix.

Anytime is a wonderful time to add compost.

Compost is made from rich organic material, which is vital to growing healthy and successful plants. It is the result of a natural activity of rot and recycling of materials such as leaves and twigs. All over the planet, in each meadow, forest and wetland, composting is happening to improve plant growth and production.

Composting is nature-generated process and function, but can be a direct result of human intervention for the purposes of increased yield and soil improvements.

Some of the benefits of composting include:

• The major advantage of composting is that it ties water and nutrient elements in reserve, freeing them when plants need it the most.

• Utilizing compost is a cheap way to improve the soil.
• Compost cuts the necessity to fertilize since it’s loaded in plant nutrient elements and slowly discharges them over a period of time, and by not being forced to replace plants each year and the expenses connected with plants that die due to poor soils.

• Plant crops tests indicate that Humic Acid, even in low concentrations, produces healthy, lush plants.

There are a few paths to make good compost. Regardless of whether you purchase a compost can or build one from wood pallets or concrete blocks, here are some pointers that should help you get going:

1. A compost pile should be roughly three feet tall and three feet wide.
2. All items going into the compost pile should be wet. When the yard waste is dry when added, it’ll cut back the decomposition process.
3. Layers of the yard waste should be applied using different components of the yard waste. To give a well-balanced blend and create a strong compost, you will want to add diverse elements to your compost. For example, you will want to add a layer of grass clippings, then a layer of leaves, etc.
4. Keep your compost turned. To turn a compost pile isn’t necessarily a comprehensive task, unless you are in a major rush. By turning the compost pile it will accelerate the decomposition process.
5. The finalized product compost can be applied to a new or an established garden or landscape. If you’re still planning your project, be certain to add lots of compost onto your soil before you plant.
6. Compost, over the course of time, will integrate itself with your current soil. The stronger your composting program, the healthier your soil. There is usually no necessity to replace soil or add chemicals. Natural composting will improve your soil and add nutrients that are vital to plant growth.
7. It does not make any difference if your soil is sandy, clay, or rock, adding compost will improve it. To top-dress a longtime landscape, you are able to add a layer of compost directly to the top of the existing soil.
8. If you have established plants, add one – two inches of compost all round the plant. The plants will still get the advantages of the humic acid and other vital plant nutriments extravagantly found in compost. The plants and landscape will reward you with a lush, healthy expansion. In addition, it will help give your plants a stronger natural resistance to insects and diseases.

If you’ve been thinking that container gardening is expensive or difficult to operate, you fallen to the same misconception that many people recently have as well. We’ll walk you through it, step by step, the process of creating your own container garden. For a nice example, we’ll be growing basil.

Step 1: Buy container gardening supplies, which entail (if you know where to shop, it’ll cost you around twenty dollars or even less to buy all the materials, especially if you possess a sunny spot for plants. If you don’t, then you need to utilize artificial light. This will add to about fifteen to twenty dollars to your varying purchases):

- 3 plastic pots w/h holes for draining at the bottom. Preferably, these will have trays below that catch dirt and water damage around five to six inches in length and five to six inches deep

- 1 bag of basil seeds

- A fairly small container of compost (organic)

- 1 very small bag of peat moss

- 1 small gardening spade (also known as a trowel)

- A small, versatile watering can and/or spray bottle

- A sunny windowsill or artificial source of sunlight

Step 2: Prep the soil by mixing a bit of compost with moss (5 parts compost and one part peat moss. For every trowel of moss, essentially place five trowels of compost). Measure three pots until they are around.5 of an inch from the top w/h the mixture.

Step 3: Place the basil seeds in the dirt, making holes 2.54 cm (1 inch) down in the centre of the individual pots using your fingers. Around three seeds should be placed in each hole, and buried with soil. Hydrate in small quantities with water, and place them under sunlight. The seed should sprout soon and once they are around two inches in height, promptly remove any other sprouts. This will permit you to have only one plant per pot.

Step 4: Watering regularly and maintaining them like any other plant will keep them alive. Look through soil for moisture daily. If the soil feels clay-like, water. If you want the basil to continuously grow, clip off the tip of the stock every few weeks and any branches.

There’s nothing more to it! It’s that easy, and that fast to start your own container garden. We only planted basil in this example. But you can branch out on your own: try tomatoes, peppers, thyme, roses, or other, as any will work with a few small changes.

If you want to become the envy of your friends and neighbors and if you also want to save time, effort, and money and still make the garden of your dreams, go online to: Container Gardening [http://www.toporganicgardening.com/category/container-gardening/] and Organic Gardening Tips [http://www.toporganicgardening.com]

All you need to do to make your own compost that can be used in your garden or allotment is to get a compost bin. Compost bins vary greatly in size and price but all you need to get started is the largest bin that you can afford. You could try asking your local authorities as they often have subsidized bins available.

Once you have your compost bin put things like old fruit and vegetables that won’t be used in it, along with fruit and vegetable peelings and eggshells from the kitchen. Do not put cooked meats or raw meat in them.

From the garden you can add materials like grass clippings, weeds that are not in seed along with plants that are finished with. You can also add things like nettles and other vegetation. Nettles are an excellent addition as they act as an accelerator to get the composting process moving. Another excellent accelerator is comfrey.

To add even greater balance to the mix ensure that you include materials like thin twigs, straw, dead leaves or even cardboard. It might be an idea to shred these items if you have a tool like a garden shredder.

The way to ensure that excellent compost is made is to provide a wide range of material that will easily breakdown, concentration should be given to sufficient amounts of water and air, as well as the materials advised above which provide carbon and nitrogen content.

As the contents of the compost bin begin to decompose it is essential to turn the contents regularly which will get oxygen into the mixture.

It is perfectly possible to have a usable compost mix within a few short months, often between two to five depending on the time of year.

If you need lots of compost throughout the year why not get friends and relatives to save you their kitchen and garden waste, turning it into a useful product that is an excellent tonic for your soil, whilst also helping the environment at the same time. Happy Composting!

Having been a column writer for an offline magazine Lynne has now concentrated on writing for a broad range of topics and projects on the internet. You can view one of her latest sites here programmable slow cookers where she gives advice on cookers like the cuisinart programmable slow cooker

To compost successfully and efficiently you need the right equipment and an understanding of the principles of the decomposition process. Although you can compost organic waste perfectly well in a loose heap, it looks untidy and tends to decompose unevenly unless carefully managed. In most gardens a compost bin is a far better option. Ideally, a bin should contain at lest one cubic meter of waste to allow it to heat up adequately and compost material quickly. The bin can be a simple structure made from old pallets nailed together to form a box or a neater home made version fashioned from second hand, tantalized fencing timber.

Do not use untreated timber because it will rot along with the contents. Alternatively, you can buy a ready made compost bin, but make sure you choose one that will hold sufficiently organic waste. The compost should be easily accessible when it is ready to use. Almost all organic waste material from the garden and household can be recycled, but to decompose quickly and form a crumbly, sweet smelling, fibrous material, the right ingredients must be combined. Ideally, add dry materials, such as pruning, old newspapers and straw, with equal quantities of green, wet organic waste, such as grass clippings.

Before adding to the compost heap, make sure that dry and woody material is chopped finely with scatters prunes or a garden shredder. Do not add meat, fish, fat or other cooked foods to the compost bin because they will attract vermin. Also throw away perennial weed roots and annuals weeds that are setting seed because these may survive the composting process. Mix up the material before adding it to the compost bin or add the material in layers no more than six inches deep.

The author is a garden designer as well as a very experienced garden writer and editor. Come visit the author latest websites on trees, plants, bushes and shrubs at Plant Nursery Supplies. Besides that, the author also has a particular interest in Nutritional Supplement Products for healthy living.

The crops you choose to grow in your autumn garden, like every other garden, will depend on what you want to eat and how much space you have available for your fall garden. Even those plants that thrive in the heat (tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, peppers, etc.) will continue to yield until the first frost hits. In southern states, this can be as late as October or November. And if what we hear about climate change is true, you may have longer growing seasons nationwide in the future!

Some plants won’t grow well after the end of summer (snap beans, squash, cucumbers, etc.). But if you plant them around mid-summer, you’ll be able to harvest them through first frost. The more hardy vegetables will continue to grow and produce until the temperature falls to a chilly 20 degrees. Even roots and tubers whose top leafy parts are killed by a hard freeze can be saved if you’ve used a lot of mulch to protect underground temperatures.

Pick the vegetable plants with shorter growing seasons for your fall gardening. Seed packages should indicate the length of a plant’s growing season or the number of days to maturity. For these short-season growers, you can plant several times throughout the summer and harvest well into the fall. You may not be able to find seeds late in the summer, so buy the seeds early in the spring and summer. Just store them in a cool, dry spot (your refrigerator is great) until you’re ready to plant them.

In planning for fall gardening, you need to know when to expect the first hard frost in your area. The Farmers’ Almanac is a good information source for this, as it gives specific dates and has a great record for accuracy. Knowing the approximate date of the firs frost and the length of the plant’s required growing season, you can count backward to determine when your last good chance is for planting. That way, even the last plants you start will have plenty of time to mature and produce in your fall garden.

As with all gardens, preparing the soil for planting is critically important. You must first clear the soil of any remaining spring or summer crops and, of course, weeds. You’ve already done much of the soil preparation for the early plants, so you’ll just need to add a little more compost or fertilizer to amend the soil. If you used a lot of organic matter for your summer garden, fall gardening may not even require additional compost. But it’s a good idea to use plenty of mulch to cover the ground and maintain the warmth of the ground as long as possible. Wait from 12 to 24 hours after prepping the soil to plant your fall garden.

If you’ve been hesitant to start a fall garden because you think the early frosts will destroy your work, don’t worry. With a little planning and careful thought, you can select hardy plants with shorter growing seasons that will give you tasty, healthy vegetables into the early winter. And what is nicer than having that last plate of tomatoes or that last bowl of steaming squash as you snuggle near your fireplace on those early cold winter nights!

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Yes, you can skip this the “seed” step entirely and purchase seedlings from your local nursery. However, this does not give you the option to start your own seeds from vegetables that you have harvested the previous year. A garden is self sustaining, and if you want to take advantage of this, you will need to start from seed each year- seeds that you have harvested from the previous year’s crop. Plus, when you start with your own seeds rather than seedlings you have purchased from a garden store, you are much less likely to introduce disease to your garden. You don’t really know where nursery seedlings have been or how they have been treated.

When you see the term “seed starting,” this usually refers to planting seeds indoors, in a controlled environment, and allowing them to germinate and sprout before transplanting them outdoors. This is a beneficial process for many types of home grown fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Tomatoes, for example, are best started indoors before being transplanted outside. If you see information on a seed packet indicating that the plant may be “direct sown”, this indicates that if you would like, you can plant the seeds directly outside in your garden rather than starting them inside.

In order to start seeds in your home, you will need:

- Small containers, such as Dixie cups or egg cartons

- Humus (compost that has reached its dry, crumbly finished state)

- High quality sterile seed starting soil mix

- Heirloom seeds, either those that you have purchased or those that you have saved from last year

- Plastic wrap

- A large tray or baking sheet

To begin, poke a drainage hole in the bottom of each cup, then fill each one with a mixture of 50% humus and 50% soil. Make sure that the soil is adequately damp. A good, loamy soil should clump together in your hand when you squeeze it, then fall apart when you poke it. If water drips out between your fingers when you squeeze it, the soil is too wet.

Gently press one seed into each container so it is covered with about ? inch of soil. Once all of your cups or egg cartons are full, place them on a tray, and lightly cover the tops with plastic wrap to help them retain moisture.

Depending on what type of seeds you are growing, they may not need any light to germinate. Tomatoes, for example, do not need light. Tomatoes are best kept in a warm, dark place. Many people prefer to place their seed trays on top of the refrigerator, as this is nice and warm, away from direct sunlight, and out of harm’s way. You can refer to your seed packets to see whether or not your seeds need light in order to germinate. Once seeds have sprouted, however, all plants need light in order to develop into strong, healthy seedlings. So if you germinate your seeds in the dark, move them to a sunny spot like a windowsill or in front of a sliding glass door once they have sprouted.

It is important to keep your seeds nice and damp, but not over-watered, during the germination process. Too much moisture may cause your seeds to rot. Every day, you can check your seeds’ moisture levels by lifting a corner of the plastic wrap and pressing a finger to the soil. If the soil is dry, lightly mist it with water from a spray bottle. Or, pour some water onto the tray, which will allow the plants to absorb water from the bottom up through the cups’ drainage holes.

When your seedlings have germinated and been moved to their sunny spot, it is very important to keep them well watered. Again, keep the soil moist but not swampy. Small pots dry out quickly, so it is likely that you will have to water them every day once they are exposed to light. It is also a good idea to fertilize them once a week with an organic liquid fertilizer that has been diluted to half strength. Plants are very delicate at this stage, so do not over fertilize them.

Once the last chance of frost has passed in your zone, you can transplant your seedlings outdoors. One week before you intend to transplant them to your garden, it is time to begin the process of hardening them off. This process means that you will be slowly and gradually exposing your seedlings to the outdoors in order to allow them to acclimate. One week before transplanting, set your trays of seedlings outdoors in a semi-shaded spot for an hour. The next day, increase the exposure time to 2 hours. Each day, gradually increase the amount of time they spend outside and the amount of direct sunlight they receive. After a week, you can leave your seedlings outside overnight.

After your seedlings’ overnight campout, they will be ready to transplant into your garden. Again, make sure that you have waited until the last chance of frost has passed, and you have selected a garden spot according to the plants’ sunlight needs. This will help to ensure that you receive that particular satisfaction that comes with starting your own garden from seed.

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