Saturday, July 31, 2010

How To Create Your Own Vegetable Garden

How To Create Your Own Vegetable Garden?

If you think about creating your own vegetable garden where you can pluck them out with your own hand, whenever you like, fresh and full of vitamins and minerals, there is nothing really, to compare or even come close to that. The veggies taste a lot better and they are much more nutritious than the produce that is not only shipped from long distance, but it is also staying in warehouses sometimes for weeks before they arrive on the shelf in the supermarket store.

For convenience, you probably used to go to the supermarket to buy your fruits and vegetables, but honestly, they just cannot compare with what you can grow and eat raw or cooked from your own garden.
If you never had the experience to create your garden yet, and all you have eaten was the produce from your local supermarket, or from the roadside fruit stand, than you are missing out and you owe it to yourself, to think very seriously to start your garden, if you really want to eat fresh and healthy. It is not really that hard, and it sure is not complicated at all. And once you have it, you'll be glad you did.

Just think of the benefits to be outdoors, in the beautiful nature, breath the fresh air, and work in the tranquility of your little paradise. Not withstanding the free exercise you are getting in the process. That's good for your body, mind, and soul. Involve your family, your children in gardening, work together and have some real quality time! A family that prays and works together, stays together. And let me tell you a little secret: once you planted your seeds and plants, they grow while you sleep, and the best part of it is, they never talk back!

And you want to do it right. So it is a pretty good idea to make a little plan, and stick to it.
First, choose a good sunny spot, where you don't get too much shade or no shade at all if possible, and the plot should be free of rocks or debris. But it should be close enough to the house to be able to water with a hose hooked to a spigot, when you need to water, if and when it's not raining.

Preparing the soil:

Preparing the soil is very important, and your success will very much depend on how you prepare the plot. If the soil is clay or sandy and lacks nutrients, it must be amended and enriched with composted material, like cow manure, organic fertilizer and minerals if needed. Spread the composted matter on top of the soil, and till it in using a rototiller or a spade, if you want more healthy exercise.

To make it even cheaper for next season, collect the leaves and other vegetation, kitchen leftovers, and make your own compost in a pile, somewhere in a corner, and let the micro organisms work on it. The soil will need nutrients to replace those used and depleted by the vegetables as they feed from the soil.

Now think of what kind of vegetables would you like to grow, something you enjoy eating the most. So, buy the seeds for the vegetables you choose, and go from there. A few examples would be; tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, squash, radish, cucumbers, lettuce, onions (sets).

Maybe a few herbs to spice up your cooking with, like, dill, parsley, oregano, basil, tarragon, fennel, arugula, rosemary, cilantro, etc. It all depends on how much space you have, and how large a garden you want to have. Herb plants don't take too much room, and they are fun to grow. In fact you can grow herbs year round in pots, indoors close to a window. Just think of that nice aroma they so freely give, in exchange of just a little LTC. Loving Tender Care.

To have a good and early start with your garden, start your seeds indoors, and plant the transplants after the danger of late frost is past. It depends on where you live. One of the best methods would be to start the seeds in little peat pots, like the Jiffy-pots, so that when you plant the little plants outside you plant them with the Jiffy pot, thus not disturbing the tender roots of the transplants. If you prefer, you can plant the seeds directly in rows, according to the instructions on the seed packets.

Plant the plants according to their size, and group them together. The low growing ones, should be separate from the tall growing ones, as to avoid blocking the sun light from reaching evenly on all the plants.

Water well and keep the soil moist. Don't let the soil to dry completely out between watering, nor keep it too soggy either.

Once they started to grow, you can water them good, and then leave them alone and give them a chance to drink and feed. Water again before the soil dries out completely.

Now sit and relax on a bench, somewhere in the shade, and watch how the little seeds sprout out of the soil. It is very rewarding to see your garden strive and flourish, as the hard part of gardening is pretty much over. But now and then watch for them pesky weeds to pluck them out, and don't let them invade your little paradise. Wait patiently for the time when you take out of your garden, with your own hands, and enjoy those healthy, fresh, juicy, and full of vitamins and minerals vegetables. It is simply wonderful.

A lot more information is coming periodically, through related Gardening Articles. So please, leave a comment and help me improve the quality of service I'm providing to you, my fellow gardeners, freely. Your following me on this blog, as well as linking to it, is highly appreciated.

Mike Borlovan

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Fruits and Vegetables from Your Own Garden

Harvest Fruits and vegetables from your own garden.

Yes, you can create your own garden with very little investment, and with modest means. You don't have to spend a fortune, to grow, harvest and eat fresh healthy fruits berries and vegetables from your own garden in your backyard.

And the best part of it is that you can grow them organic, without using the dangerous chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to poison your body. There are so many simple ways to make the soil of your garden fertile, and rich in minerals, for little or no cost at all.

Composting, for example does not require any special skills whatsoever, just a little common sense. Let's think of the woods for a moment, and see how does Mother Nature fertilize the soil and the environment in which the trees are living, in a perpetual mode.

The trees are dropping the dead or broken limbs, and the leaves, that decompose, naturally, with the help of the water, wind, sun, and the micro organisms that feed on decaying vegetation and turn them into rich nutritious humus.

Like in any successful and fruitful garden, the first important thing to do is preparation of the soil. Make it fertile. The cheapest way to accumulate the amount of natural fertilizer necessary in your garden, according to its size, are the leaves. They are readily available almost anywhere. And you don't even need a complicated composting drum, if you can't afford one. Just make a pile of leaves in one of the corners of your property, and turn the leaves with a pitch fork, now and then, and you'll have a nice amount of good rich compost to fertilize your garden plot, naturally!

Once the compost is nice black, and full of nutrient, spread it on top of the soil in your garden plot and till it in, by a tiller or by a spade. And by-the-way, you'll find out that using the spade is the best physical exercise you can have for free. It's good for your body, your mind and your soul. Work and live in peace, in the tranquility of your little Paradise that you are creating: your own garden.

Make a list of what fruits and vegetable you would like to grow. For the fruit trees, it depends on what part of the country you live in. But think of, apple, plum, peach, pear, cherry, or any other trees that you like, and plant them in a little orchard, if you have the space. Or plant the fruit trees strategically to improve the landscape of your property. This should also raise tremendously the value of your home.

For vegetables, there is an endless list of possibilities, but you can choose what you like the best. A few ideas would be, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, snap beans, peas, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and also herbs, like dill, parsley, arugula, cilantro, basil, rosemary, celery, lemon balm, lavender, etc.

By having your own garden you can save a lot on your grocery bill, and the most important thing would be that you eat healthy. The saying goes, 'you are what you eat.'

You can start any time. It's not too late to think of a fall crop. Or start planning for the next season. Time is going fast, and time is of essence. Procrastination is not going to take us anywhere. So, get busy and get your hands dirty. You'll be glad you did.

Buy your seeds early, and start them indoors in the winter. Preapare your garden and plant when the danger of frost is over.

Please come back for more useful information, as I will be posting regularly, new ideas and ways to have a successful garden of fruits and vegetables with modest means, and very little cost.

Happy gardening!