Category Archives: Gardening

Is a Mini Herb Garden For You?

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Do you want to create your own herb garden but do not like the idea of hard work? Smile, because I have just the right solution for you – a mini herb garden in the size that you prefer!

First of all you may discover that maintaining an average size garden may not be hard work as in hard labour that one would baulk at. Think of it more like playing squash – hard work that you enjoy. And that is the way allotments owners feel. So having a garden may just mean not having to go to the gym. I think that’s cool because gardening gives the added benefit of a harvest of herbs in the end, in addition to the exercise bit.

But what if you can proportionately reduce the amount of maintenance required to a minimum? Would you then embark on creating your own garden of choice now?

Well today I want to introduce you to the mini herb garden.

But be fore-warned that the herbs you will be harvesting may just lead you into an adventure to explore the different cuisines from around the world. At the very least, you could be sipping relaxing chamomile tea on some mildly humid evening in the garden with that someone special, or to strip away all the stress from work. Some of the herbs from your mini herb garden may even make your life more comfortable by relieving some ailment that might be bugging you. As a former insomniac, I know what it means to be able to take a few drops of valerian tincture to help me go to sleep.

Now many people argue that the only true mini herb garden still has to be the one in the ground outside your house but I am of the opinion that the following are mini herb gardens that you may consider growing. Your final choice may depend on:

1. The amount of space you have available, indoors or outdoors.

2. Whether you want to have the convenience of the plants being actually in the house (meaning you do not have to go outside in the wind or rain to pick your herbs)

3. Whether you actually physically enjoy being in your own aromatic garden where you can sit and smell the aromas of your plants.

4. The conditions of the actual spot you are contemplating – like how much sun it receives, the type of soil on the ground and if it will get enough water naturally.

5. Whether you prefer to be able to control your garden environment so that you have crops to pick most year round.

And so on.

The type of mini herb garden you finally decide on will also depend on how much time you are willing to joyfully spend in it. So you may for example choose an herb garden kit because maintaining it will require the least amount of effort.

To my mind a mini herb garden can be any one of the following:

1. What some people would say is the true mini herb garden in a four by six foot plot of ground, whether it is in your backyard or on the rooftop!

2. A one-pot mini herb garden. This is a specially made ceramic pot that has “holes” located all around it from top to bottom into which you would put your young herb plants as you fill the pot up with your growing media of a suitable soil mix.

3. A flourishing garden contained in a herb garden kit

4. A mini herb garden can also be that container of herbs that sits on your windowsill or in individual pots arranged on a stepped bench beside it. I have seen decorative metal structures that have pot holders that branch out from the main central “pole”. These arrangements can be set beside the windowsill so long as it does not obstruct traffic flow.

5. An arrangement made up of herbs contained in individual pots in some area in the house, usually the kitchen, can also be construed to be an indoors mini herb garden.

6. It may also be an arrangement of a number of smaller herb plants in a large bowl much like a flower or plant arrangement that is displayed for decorative purposes. Like in a flower arrangement, the bowl or container used is entirely up to your imagination.

7. It may also be that outdoor area on your patio where you have placed several potted herb plants.

The actual herbs that you decide to grow will depend very much on the type of garden you have chosen to build.

Why not take your time and enjoy every process of creating your own mini herb garden, from the planning and designing stage down to when you experiment with your crops in your kitchen. Do not hurry because every stage of this new hobby can be a great adventure in itself.

Better still enjoy this process even fuller by downloading “Successful Herb Gardening ~ Step-By-Step”, the guaranteed expert guide to designing and creating the ideal garden for you.

Creating Your Very Own English Herb Garden

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To create your Very Own English Herb Garden, you must first take a look at the two types of gardens that you can create. The simpler of the two is the Cottage Herb Garden. This Garden is a very useful addition to your house if you cook a lot of meals at home, and have time to grow your own fresh ingredients. The more expensive, time consuming and difficult of the two is the Formal English Herb Garden. This garden requires much more space, and a much larger budget, but the end results are breath taking if done correctly. They intertwine form with function by not only giving you fresh Herbs at your disposal but also giving you an artistically symmetrical botanical Eden to cherish and enjoy.

The best location for an English Cottage Garden would preferably be touching the side of the house directly to either the left or right of the kitchen door. This location is perfect for the cook to effortlessly get needed Herbs and vegetables by going out of the kitchen door and retrieving needed ingredients whenever necessary. Traditional English Cottage Gardens have more then just Herbs, they also contained vegetables and Spices. These Gardens were made for harvesting fresh ingredients for the daily preparations of meals. These Cottage Gardens not only make fresh home grown produce to be readily available, but it also saved the owners large amounts of money. Buying produce can put a hefty dent in your wallet, and being able to grow your own produce lets you avoid all of the poisonous pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on all produce that is grown in bulk. This is a fantastic way to have easy access to cheap, fresh, and healthy ingredients.

When creating your Formal English Herb Garden, you must possess a creative spark that allows you to view the end result so you know what to work towards. If you are not apt to creative design, you can hire a designer to create a gorgeous, symmetrical landscape that you can then fill with the English Garden of your dreams. These Formal English Gardens are usually located as a centerpiece to your yard, and usually cover a large piece of land. Although this is the more expensive route to take, the character and beauty these gardens bring to a home is in valuable. Not to mention the fact that having Herbs ready to be picked whenever needed can improve your health, and in turn improve your lifestyle.

As in all gardening expenditures, having a green thumb is very helpful. Looking after your English Herb Garden can become very tiresome at times, but can also provide fun and enjoyment to others. Sprouting consists of placing seeds in Peat Pellets for around a week or until a 1 to 1.5 inch or 25 to 40mm sprout appears. Once the Herb/Vegetable has sprouted, it is time to plant it into the ground, peat pellet and all. Be sure to leave a minimum of 50% of the sprout sticking straight out of the ground. Be sure to provide enough spacing so that each Herb/Vegetable does no touch one another. A great natural pesticide is onions, whether it is growing in a perimeter around your garden, or even sprinkling minced onions around your garden randomly. Onions repulse almost all insects and can help keep your garden pest free. Herbs only need light watering so be sure to separate your herbs from your vegetables mostly due to the fact that vegetables need an abundance of water in its flowering stages. One thing that is also very important is keeping small animals out of your garden. Depending on the area in which you live whether it is deep in the city, or out in the rural countryside, pests can ruin any garden. There are many ways too keep these pests out of your garden. The two most effective ways are an ordinary wooden fence with a gate, which can be anywhere from 3-4′ or 900 to 1200mm in height depending on abundance of specific species. Or a cheaper yet still effective way is to wrap fishing line around your perimeter at random heights. This nearly invisible barrier will stop almost all domestic animals including dogs and cats, and will also keep out deer. After your English Herb Garden is finished, you can relax in the spring shade and enjoy the wonderful fragrances and awe inspiring sites of a Botanical Eden made specifically for you.

Hydroponic Greenhouse, The Gardening Future Is Here

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Although hydroponic greenhouse gardening may have many benefits for individuals and food producers, the term may not be familiar to the public in general. Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants and vegetables in water, fortified with inorganic nutrients. The greenhouse would be the environment and shelter for your hydroponic gardening. In a controlled, greenhouse environment, you can optimize the nutritional value and yield of the garden.

For a bit of perspective, farmers practicing conventional methods of farming first prepare their fields, and then they grow their crops in the fertilized soil. Typically it would take enormous amounts of water as well as chemical pesticides. Science constantly came up with new ways to produce higher yields, but the lowered nutritional value and chemicals in the produce, made it less desirable for public consumption.

The negative effects of herbicides, pesticides, and other toxins in the produce, caused the public to become much more interested in the methods of organic farming, which produces food in a healthy way. Soon, grocery markets would have organic produce available for consumers. In many cities throughout the United States, communities have farmer’s markets, where consumers can buy super-healthy, super-delicious fruits and vegetables.

But in addition to the methods of organic farming, the emerging technologies of hydroponics began to emerge. And over a period of several decades, stores providing gardening supplies began to also carry a wide variety of products for hydroponic gardening.

One of the goals of hydroponic gardening was to maximize the nutritional value of the produce, and at the same time, increase the yield producible within a certain amount of area. Within a short period of time, it was demonstrated that the yield as well as the nutritional value could be greatly increased. And the only basic requirements needed to get optimal results were water with inorganic nutrients dissolved in it. This environment was perfect for the root system to receive its nourishment, and for the crops to flourish.

With hydroponic greenhouse gardening, all of the supplies and equipment are stored in the greenhouse for convenience. It is set up to facilitate the preparation of the nutrient solution fed to the plants. It is also a controlled environment where the temperature and other factors can be optimized.

In order to demonstrate the production capability of hydroponic gardening, a study was conducted to compare the growth of tomatoes against conventional methods. The tomatoes grown in soil were able to yield roughly ten tons. But the tomatoes using hydroponics was able to produce more than 60 tons. This conclusively demonstrated that hydroponic gardening yields more than 6 times the amount produced by conventional growing methods.

Hydroponics is capable of growing any type of plant. And certain types of vegetables will yield a higher crop than others. But the amount of time required to reach harvesting is much shorter with hydroponics, compared to the conventional method. And that huge time savings translates into many economic benefits for the farmer and the consumer.

And because the water environment is free of unwanted or nuisance plants, like weeds, etc, or plant diseases, it’s a huge time saver, which increases the ability of the farmer to make a profit, and the consumer gets a better price as well. Surprisingly, hydroponic gardening does not use a great deal of water, because most of it is reused.

In regards to the hydroponic greenhouse, because it is an enclosed shelter, the plants must be supplied with proper sunlight and carbon dioxide, for maximum growth. The way this condition is solved is by having grow lights and conditioning the air with carbon dioxide.

Another method of cultivating crops in a hydroponic greenhouse is called deep water culture. It is implemented by raising the roots of the plants in the air, and a pump releases air out to help it to grow. For grapes and other crops, this method of growth is very effective.

Aeroponics is another method, very much like deep water culture. The only difference is that the air and nutrients a blended and delivered in a foggy mist, which also effectively nourishes the plants.
Hydroponic Greenhouse

As you can see, there are many possibilities for hydroponic greenhouse gardening. Like most things, if you’re interested, just start out small. Find a few plants that you really like, and discover the best practices for growing them all the way to harvest. And finally, share your experiences. Let’s change the world, one gardener at a time.