Whenever I am asked for recommendations for evergreen gardening plants, I invariably advise people to start with the ubiquitous Box plant. Box, or “Buxus” is a genus of about 70 species in the family “Buxaceae” – Common names include box (majority of English-speaking countries) or boxwood (North America).
Box plants are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, with the majority of species tropical or subtropical; only the European and some Asian species are frost-tolerant. Centres of diversity occur in Cuba (about 30 species), China (17 species) and Madagascar (9 species).
They are slow-growing evergreen shrubs and small trees, growing to 2-12 m (rarely 15 m) tall.
The leaves are opposed, rounded to lanceolate, and leathery; they are small in most species, typically 1.5-5 cm long and 0.3-2.5 cm broad, but up to 11 cm long and 5 cm broad in some species. The flowers are small and yellow-green, monoecious with both sexes present on a plant. The fruit is a small capsule 0.5-1.5 cm long (to 3 cm in B. macrocarpa), containing several small seeds.
Box is a slow-growing and very low maintenance wintergreen shrub which is ideal for Evergreen Gardening. Box is most suitable to a clipped hedge or for shaping, and can easily be put around flower beds such as roses. It can be used as a wintergreen shrub potted in containers. In summer it can be planted alongside white annuals for example or in winter alongside cyclamen. Box needs very little attention and is very easy to grow.
Because of its long life cycle, Box Shrubs are often used in Ornamental Gardens where the plant can be shaped and trained in amazing ways and they grow in most soil conditions. The plant tends to do better in shaded areas but needs support in Winter months when cold winds can turn the leaves to a bronze colour. Best to grow Box where exposure to wind is not a problem.
Similarly in Summer, the shallow rooted plant will need protection from the Sun. Some bark mulch will do the trick here.
If planting a box hedge ensure the plants are well watered until they become established. They do require well drained soil but can be allowed to dry out a bit between watering. Usually, a trimming once a year is sufficient to keep the hedge looking neat and crisp but sometimes a second pruning is necessary.
If you are looking to start evergreen gardening, then this would be my recommendation for the first step
You’ve decided to plant a garden but you need basic gardening tips for beginners, this is the place to be. Gardening has become a delightful hobby for people all over the world.
There are many rewards for the gardener, the visuals of his creation, the scent of the blooms, great fresh air and lots of exercise. Imagine a weekend spent in the yard with your feet up drinking in the spectacular gardens that you have created the fruits of your labor and love. If you are a beginner gardener, here are some basic gardening tips. No matter how much room you have, you can create a masterpiece garden.
The basic garden tips for beginners will help you create new gardens and make it a successful and joyful experience. In the beginning go slowly, start small but use your imagination. Choose a project that will not take a long time to complete. If it takes you weeks to finish a project you will get frustrated and start to hate the project you wanted to enjoy. Even if you have 75 or 100 square feet you will be amazed at how much you can plant.
If you are determined to have a larger project, then work in sections and turn your attention to one area at a time. This way as each section is finished you can enjoy that completed job. This will also build up your confidence as you go along making the next section not so daunting.
But for a beginner gardener a small scale garden is optimal. You are going to have to learn the basics of gardening, all about disease, the best way to control weeds and pests, the all important watering and when and how to fertilize. After your initial project you can enlarge the garden or plant one somewhere else in your yard with your new found confidence.
To cut down on the weeding of your garden, place mulch around the plants. This serves three purposes; it cuts down on weeding, as well as aiding in temperature control and water retention. Granted there are some gardeners that love to work the soil and weed the plants but it would be more rewarding to tending to the plants or just watching them grow. To maintain really healthy plants water for longer periods of time but less frequently. Do not let the plants dry out. Always water early in the morning so the plant leaves have time to dry out during the day which helps prevent fungal disease.
After planting, try to have your garden remain pesticide free. An especially good natural deterrent is as follows:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.
These are the basic gardening tips for beginners. Remember, that you can create lovely gardens in containers which you can move around as you please. There are hundreds of different plant combinations and containers that you can use for a container garden. So, if you are an apartment or condo dweller, you can plant lovely gardens on your balcony or patio. The basic tip here is that container gardens will dry out much faster than the plants in the ground so be vigilant about checking them for moisture.
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There are so many opportunities that Container Gardening Vegetables offer to the avid gardener.
Anyone with space issues, or back problems, are able to grow vegetables in an abundant way. Some of the benefits include:
Growing on benches (no more bending)
No More weeding
Growing on patios or porches
Condos and Apartment growing
There are no longer any excuses not to be producing your own food. And to what, and how much, is completely up to the gardener. There are so many options available; the end of possibilities is limited only to the grower’s imagination.
Just like growing in a greenhouse, grow vertically rather than the traditional method of row gardening.
There are so many different varieties of containers available, that we don’t even have to be innovative, ourselves, to produce an abundance of Container Gardening Vegetables.
Here are just a few of the types of pots that are now available:
Topsy Turvey ™ – Hang tomatoes, and other vegetables for added growing space
Cedar grow tables – grow boxes on legs, a garden on stilts
Earth Boxes and Self watering containers – No Weeding, No Watering, No Feeding! (DIY Instructions below)
Railing Boxes – Turn flower boxes meant for your porch railings into salad producers.
Earthboxes ™
There are free instructions for the Self Watering container plans available using an average couple of buckets that you can usually pick up for free from the local grocery store.
If the budget is limited, these items can be made yourself. There are so many potential options out there.
If you have a community garden near by, they usually great sources of innovative ideas, and a great place to meet like minded people.
To name a couple, I have seen old tires stacked, one on top of another to produce a Tomato grow bed, and burlap sacks hanging from fences, filled with strawberries. Ingenuity!
We hear it so often: “I love to garden, I love to have the fresh food around my home….. I just don’t have the space!” – space is not needed. Plants want to grow, and they will, whether it be a weed, or any other type of seed. Plant the seed, Reap the Reward.
There are a few things to keep in mind when container gardening:
Adequate Drainage – make sure the container has drainage holes
Potting Mix – many available, ready to go out of the bag
Placement – quite heavy so locate plant in a place they will enjoy, or place on wheels to be easily moved around.
Disadvantages:
In many Strata situations, Apartments, or Condos, the placement of growing beds is sometimes frowned upon. This is understandable especially in a Condo setting.
Containers can look a mess, and the over flow after watering can leave dirty mud run-off that the person living below may not appreciate.
If this is the case you may be a perfect candidate for container gardening vegetables in Earthboxes or self-watering containers. These are totally self-contained, can look great, and should not give you very much trouble, or produce any evil glares from your neighbors. In fact they will probably become quick topic of conversation.
Sharing a couple of tomatoes here and there with your neighbors is often a quick way to make friends.
It’s time to start your gardening plan for the New Year. Here in Northern California we are having a cold and stormy winter so there are plenty of days to stay inside by the fire and work on my gardening plan. On the occasional sunny days I have been getting out and doing a little sheet composting and will soon be pruning our fruit trees. This is all part of the plan. As soon as things warm up a little I will also start some lettuce spinach and brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) in flats to plant out under cloches as soon as they are big enough.
So what goes into a good gardening plan?
First of all you need to think of what you like to eat most and what will grow well in your location.
Every good plan will consist of:
List of garden vegetables and flowers
Garden bed layout:
First and last frost dates
Compost
Garden area
Water system
Greenhouse
Think of how all these elements will interrelate and enhance each other, creating the beautiful garden of your dreams. Draw out a plan and order your seeds! Soon it will be time to prepare your beds and plant your garden. Although gardening is flexible and always growing, having a solid plan in place first will help you avoid frustration and give you a good start. You can draw out your plans by hand or use some of the new on line garden planning programs. These programs offer you an easy way to lay out your garden, make changes, and their fun to use. They also offer some good garden advice.
For more advanced garden planning you will also need to think about plant successions, crop rotations, cover crops, using a green house or cold frame and how best to utilize your garden area.
Plant successions will give you a continuous supply of garden veggies instead of having all your lettuce or summer squash mature all at the same time.
Crop rotations will insure long term soil fertility and will help you avoid diseases and pests.
Cover crops also known as Green Manure are a great part of any garden plan. Cover crops are a way to enrich your soil by growing grain and legumes in the off season or unused garden areas and turning them in which will enrich your garden soil.
Green houses, cloches and cold frames are a great addition to any garden and will give you a place to grow your garden starts. These will also act as season extenders giving you a longer growing season so you can start and grow your veggies all year long.
Garden Journals are great tools for helping you with your future plans. Whenever I plant something turn in a bed or do a gardening experiment I always think it will be easy to remember what and when I did it. Now I have to admit that experience has proved me wrong and I usually can’t remember at least one of the important factors in the what, when or how category. So write it down! Last year’s timing, successes and failures will guide next year’s garden planning.
Now for a few words of caution: Make sure to put your garden in a good location with lots of sun, available water and potential for good soil. Start small if this is your first garden be reasonable and don’t get overwhelmed. It is better to have a beautiful well maintained smaller garden than you can take care of than a big weed patch that is so overwhelming that you dread going in. You can get an amazing amount of great food out of a small productive garden. Don’t delay stat your compost today! No matter how big your garden is and where you put it you will need to feed your soil and there is nothing that compares with rich compost for growing rich gardens.
See our “Victory Garden” for more garden hints and a step by step guide that will make starting a vegetable garden easy.
Personally, I think gardening in containers is the best thing since sliced bread! The possibilities really are endless. You can grow vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers or even a combination of. How great is that?
Household containers become garden art (recyclers rejoice). With a little ingenuity one can turn items that originally were not designed as planter but have great potential as a garden container.
For instance:
Big Plastic party bowls (usually reserved for dips and chips) can be useful and colorful. Great place for growing herbs.
Large metal or plastic buckets are attractive because they are deep and wide with the added bonus of handles (easy to move).
Wire or wicker baskets, just line with plastic or moss.
Large old toys like a dump truck or wagon, especially if they still have wheels.
Just on rule to follow, no matter what material you use, it must have drainage holes!
As a “container gardener” (yes we are in our own class) you do have an easier time then the “traditional gardener”. You can make use of the smallest of space. Smaller space means less variables to deal with. Skip the backbreaking work of tilling and adding soil amendments to the beds. Harvesting is easier, you can bring the pot to you! Almost never have weeds. Containers are mobile, regroup them into a pleasing combination and take advantage of the changing seasons.
What about that old saying”location, location, location”? Anyone with a speck of outdoor space can enjoy the therapeutic and rewarding pursuit of gardening. Balcony or porch, deck or patio even steps are places to display year round interest. Fill the pot with a sweet smelling plant and welcome your visitors with a heavenly aroma. It is an easy way to bring the garden closer to you! Or a window box planted with herbs and lettuce, easy picking for a salad. Even in the yard, you can integrate garden containers in the overall scheme. Fill in seasonal gaps and take advantage of specialized micro-environments. Put each container where it fits best and move aside when it is past prime.
There are many great books that can offer how to advice on preparing, selecting plants, choosing containers and creating various themes. Books can be a guide for anyone wishing to transform even the smallest corner with flair and confidence. Make efficient use of your space with container gardening, where you can grow good things to eat or just look at! Even with one container and a little planning you can have garden for all seasons!
If you have been considering raised bed vegetable gardening, then you are not alone. In fact, many people are starting to grow these vegetable gardens. The popularity has spread because of how many advantages one will have when choosing to use a raised bed. Not only that, but you can build a container in any shape you wish and can use this gardening system no matter where you live. You can make your vegetable garden as simple or complex as you wish. Perhaps the best thing about raised bed vegetable gardening is you can choose which soil you want to use. This allows your vegetables to stay healthy and produce year round. Below are a few more advantages to building a raised bed vegetable garden.
With a raised bed vegetable garden everything stays in place. You do not have to worry about certain plants or vegetables growing wildly within your garden. You will also be able to pick and cut over grown plants with much ease. No more bending over to pull weeds out of the ground and fight with deep plant roots. With your raised bed garden, weeds and plants can be removed easily. This is a major reason why raised bed vegetable gardening has become so popular.
Another great thing about having is the ability to have no concerns with draining. You will be able to see the water draining from your plants out of the bottom of your container. In order to ensure proper drainage however, you must make sure your container has small holes about an inch from the bottom. Another great tip is to place rocks under the soil to help drain the water. No longer will you have to drag a heavy hose all around your yard, because you can strategically place your raised bed garden close to a water source. Are you starting to see the beauty in this type of vegetable gardening?
You do not have to worry about pets or children messing up your produce. You can build your bed high enough to avoid any interactions with dogs or kids who may harm your plants. Another great precaution is to line the bottom of your bed with netting so you can also stop burrowing pets.
If you are thinking about raised bed vegetable gardening then you have an exciting road ahead. It takes time and money to get started, but the advantages of building a raised bed are too great to overlook.
Thank You to all of our gardener friends and we really appreciate your support. Please contact us anytime with any questions,
Many of us garden just for the sheer joy of it. But did you know that all over the country the healing aspects of gardening are being used as therapy or as an adjunct to therapy?
Although this might sound like a new concept, garden therapy has been around for decades. For example, the Garden Therapy Program at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, and in regional hospitals in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Rome, Thomasville and Savannah, has been helping people for over 40 years through gardening activities known as social and therapeutic horticulture.
So what exactly is social and therapeutic horticulture (or garden therapy)?
According to the article “Your future starts here: practitioners determine the way ahead” from Growth Point (1999) volume 79, pages 4-5, horticultural therapy is the use of plants by a trained professional as a medium through which certain clinically defined goals may be met. “…Therapeutic horticulture is the process by which individuals may develop well-being using plans and horticulture. This is achieved by active or passive involvement.”
Although the physical benefits of garden therapy have not yet been fully realized through research, the overall benefits are almost overwhelming. For starters, gardening therapy programs result in increased elf-esteem and self-confidence for all participants.
Social and therapeutic horticulture also develops social and work skills, literacy and numeric skills, an increased sense of general well-being and the opportunity for social interaction and the development of independence. In some instances it can also lead to employment or further training or education. Obviously different groups will achieve different results.
Groups recovering from major illness or injury, those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health problems, older people, offenders and those who misuse drugs or alcohol, can all benefit from the therapeutic aspects of gardening as presented through specific therapy related programs. In most cases, those that experience the biggest impact are vulnerable or socially excluded individuals or groups, including the ill, the elderly, and those kept in secure locations, such as hospitals or prisons.
One important benefit to using social and therapeutic horticulture is that traditional forms of communication aren’t always required. This is particularly important for stroke patients, car accident victims, those with cerebral palsy, aphasia or other illnesses or accidents that hinder verbal communication. Gardening activities lend themselves easily to communicative disabled individuals. This in turn builds teamwork, self-esteem and self-confidence, while encouraging social interaction.
Another group that clearly benefits from social and therapeutic horticulture are those that misuse alcohol or substances and those in prison. Teaching horticulture not only becomes a life skill for these individuals, but also develops a wide range of additional benefits.
Social and therapeutic horticultures gives these individuals a chance to participate in a meaningful activity, which produces food, in addition to creating skills relating to responsibility, social skills and work ethic.
The same is true for juvenile offenders. Gardening therapy, as vocational horticulture curriculum, can be a tool to improve social bonding in addition to developing improved attitudes about personal success and a new awareness of personal job preparedness.
The mental benefits don’t end there. Increased abilities in decision-making and self-control are common themes reported by staff in secure psychiatric hospitals. Reports of increased confidence, self-esteem and hope are also common in this environment.
Prison staff have also noticed that gardening therapy improves the social interaction of the inmates, in addition to improving mutual understanding between project staff and prisoners who shared outdoor conditions of work.
It’s interesting that studies in both hospitals and prisons consistently list improving relationships between participants, integrating with the community, life skills and ownership as being some of the real benefits to participants.
But in addition to creating a myriad of emotional and social benefits, the health benefits of being outdoors, breathing in fresh air and doing physical work cannot be overlooked. In most studies, participants noted that fresh air, fitness and weight control where prime benefits that couldn’t be overlooked.
Although unable to pin down a solid reason, studies have shown that human being posses an innate attraction to nature. What we do know, is that being outdoors creates feelings of appreciation, tranquility, spirituality and peace. So it would seem, that just being in a garden setting is in itself restorative. Active gardening only heightens those feelings.
With so many positive benefits to gardening, isn’t it time you got outside and started tending to your garden? Next time you are kneeling in fresh dirt to pull weeds or plant a new variety of a vegetable or flower, think about the tranquility you feel while being outdoors in your garden. Let the act of gardening sooth and revitalize you. Soak up the positive benefits of tending to your own garden.
If you have someone in your life that could benefit from garden therapy, contact your local health unit to find out more about programs in your area. Not only will the enjoyment of gardening help bond you together, but it will also create numerous positive mental and physical benefits for both of you.
So get gardening today for both your physical and mental health. You’ll enjoy the experience so much that you’ll immediately thank yourself.
Container vegetable gardening is a great concept that will help people to do gardening even if they have a space constraint in their houses. Especially, those who live in apartments and condos will definitely find this concept highly useful. The best thing about this gardening is that you can have this garden anywhere inside your home. The only point you should ensure is to have a good ventilation and sunlight in the place you choose. The place should also be comfortable to work in.
You should buy the containers of the right size so as to fit the space you choose. The containers that are already available with you can also be used. There are no hard and fast rules about the sizes of the containers. They should be of the right size to accommodate the plants you choose to grow in your container vegetable garden. The point that is being emphasized here is that the roots of the plants should be able to grow. The containers should not be very heavy because you may like to move them when there is a need. Drainage holes should be there along the sides slightly above the bottom. For improving the drainage, you should put a 1 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the containers.
The greatest advantage in container vegetable gardening is that the usual hassles that are associated with out-door gardening such as unfavorable weather conditions, soil-borne disease, and poor soil conditions are either not there or can easily be avoided in this.
The plants that can be grown in such containers are eggplant, green onions, beans, etc. You can also grow peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and squash. Those who have tried this type of gardening have succeeded in growing even cucumbers and pole beans. The only thing these plants need is a little extra care and a little more space because they need vines for their growth.
You should understand that synthetic soil is very good for this type of gardening because this soil is quite light and drains well. This synthetic soil is also capable of holding moisture and nutrients. The composition of this soil is compounds that include wood chips, sawdust, vermiculite, peat moss or perlite.
If you want to get this synthetic soil, you can get it from the local retailer who sells gardening items or you can make this mixture yourself. Superphosphate, horticultural grade vermiculite, limestone, peat moss and garden fertilizer are mixed in the right proportions to make this synthetic soil mixture.
In short, if you do your container vegetable gardening properly, you will not only enjoy the experience but you will be able to grow useful plants also.
Thank You to all of our gardener friends and we really appreciate your support. Please contact us anytime with any questions, The Watch Us Grow Team
Tropical flowers are tough to deny as some of the most breath taking and gorgeous species that mother nature has bestowed upon us. Expanding flowers in a tropical climate can at times be a tiny difficult, but if you are ready to bear in mind some of the simple guidelines, you need to be in a position to compliment what mother nature has provided us.
Several of the tropical flowers have some of the most great fragrances. Numerous of us would like to develop these flowers so that we may possibly be surrounded with the scent all day extended. If you are commencing your very own tropical garden, or you would like to know how to far better care for your tropical flowering species then it pays to contemplate some elements.
Make certain that the temperature that your plant will reside in, remains reasonably continual. It ought to variety among 50 to 65 degrees in the course of the darker hours and 70 to 80 throughout daylight time. Make certain that your plant has brilliant filtered light. Several of the plants that reside in the tropics get a substantial degree of light, though they do not develop in immediate sunlight. It is advised that the plants are not positioned in Northern facing windows, but Eastern sides in which there are hours of daylight and also western and southern sides exactly where there is filtered light is excellent.
Ensure that your tropical flowers obtain lots of higher top quality fertilizer, and are watered usually so that the soil remains moist. Do not soak the soil and leave the plant in soggy dirt. They take pleasure in a continually moist surroundings. In the course of the hotter a lot more nevertheless months, a fan to enable the air to circulate about your plants is a wonderful concept.
Attempt to mimic nature as a lot as feasible in order for your tropical flowers to thrive. If you reside inside a tropical climate then permitting for filtered sunlight, a continuously moist soil that has been fertilized with a great high quality plant particular fertilizer, and with sufficient air flow and constant climate, your tropical flowers need to bloom profusely.
Container vegetable gardening needs a good amount of hard work and patience. Not only beginners, even experts will face challenges at times. So, you need to do it carefully to derive the best results. But, when you look at the healthy and lovely plants you have grown, it gives immense satisfaction and happiness.
Perhaps, the concept of container vegetable gardening was inspired due to the space constraint people started facing. It has grown into a great hobby and millions of people are pursuing it.
The most important point in this type of gardening is that you should understand that conditions required by every plant are different. Conditions like the soil, drainage, size of the container, sunlight, etc. differ from one plant to another. So, if you adopt the same approach to all the plants, you will fail miserably in your container vegetable garden. Another benefit in this type of gardening, apart from doing it in the comfort of your home, is that you will not have trouble keeping weeds away. Further, unfavorable weather conditions will not deter you from carrying out your gardening work.
You should also make it a point to devote some of your time towards gardening work. If you do not attend to the plants consistently, you may not even know if they are affected by diseases. You may also not know when to put fertilizers or when to water them, etc. After beginning the work with all enthusiasm, you should continue to have the same degree of excitement and enthusiasm for succeeding in your efforts.
You must choose a particular space in your house for doing your container vegetable gardening. The next step is to buy the appropriate containers because according to the nature of plants, the sizes of the containers should also vary. You should position the containers in the allotted space in such a manner that those that require more sunlight must get sufficient dose of it and those that require moderate sunlight should be placed a little away from the rays of the sun. In other words, you should ensure to create the appropriate and suitable environment for the plants to have healthy growth.
The plants that can easily be grown in this garden are tomatoes, pepper, eggplant, squash, leaf lettuce, green onions, green beans, radishes, parsley and some specific herbs. You can also grow cucumbers but they require additional help to support the growth of vines.
If you follow the tips given by experts and experienced people, you can definitely succeed in your container vegetable gardening endeavor.
Thank You to all of our gardener friends and we really appreciate your support. Please contact us anytime with any questions, The Watch Us Grow Team
Phil Faustini, Grandson of Stephen Follett, creator of “Watch Us Grow” In the 1940′s Stephen Follett developed this unique Plant Food. After many years of trials and experiments on all types of plants and crops. 1952 was the year “Watch Us Grow” was made available to the public. Since then the positive testimonials have poured in from all over the world, from professional to novice growers “Watch Us Grow” has made believers out of them all. Go to http://AllPurposePlantFood.com try some for yourself and see why the gardening world is so excited about “Watch Us Grow”
