aquaponic organic

Houston is one of the fourth largest cities of United States and is of the greatest metropolis of the south that is situated a few miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico at the border with Louisiana. Houston delivers diverse culture and people here with fun and enjoyment for the people of all age groups. The place has huge spaces that allow people to have bigger houses with private swimming pools and own gym in the backyard. Some of the best and famous Houston Texas tourist attractions are stated below:

Bayou Place - Bayou place is located in the heart of Houston's downtown theater district, the theater district is one of the famous locations for tourists to visit. The place is spread over 130,000 square foot entertainment mega complex that houses varied bars, restaurants, lounges, theatres and several other entertaining zones. You can start you fabulous evening at the legendary Hard Rock Café or have a taste of Italian food at Italian Trattoria. The Angelika Film center is the place where you can enjoy latest box office hits.

Galleria mall - The Galleria Mall is one of the largest malls of Texas, people come here to do upscale shopping. It is located just outside 610 loop in Houston's uptown district. It has several retail centers housing some of the famous world wide brands. Several famous outlets here include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Neiman marcus and Macy's, it is the place where any avid shopper would love to shop around with.

The Johnson Space center - the name of the place is Lyndon B Johnson Space center, it is home to the NASA astronaut corps. The place is located in the southeast Houston. The center is housed across 1, 620 acres of land consisting of 100 facilities. Its pleasurable experience for tourists to enjoy zero gravity environment at several of its exhibits.

The Houston Zoo - The Houston Zoo is spread over 4,500 animals and 900 species of animals, it is one of the 7th most visited zoos of the nation. You can almost spend an entire day here enjoying with family and friends, take a walk across the landscaped garden areas or stroll along the scenic beauty of the while environment. You can get live experience of feeding lion cub that is the best attraction of the place.

The Museum District - The Museum District has several Houston Texas tourist attractions that are visited by millions of people every year, the place has a collection of art galleries, museums, cultural centers that are located within a radius of 1.5 mile of Herman park. The museum of fine arts has allthe collection of Bayou bend and gardens having over 56,000 pieces. Few blocks of walking and you will see John P McGovern health museums that is home to Houston's first and the only one 4D theater. Some other attractions of the place are the Lawndale art center, Houston center for photography and Holocaust Museum.

Kemah Boardwalk - the kemah Boardwalk is one of the Houston's largest entertainment and amusement parks, it has several hotels and restaurants to enjoy and spend time with your loved ones. The place is just ideal for family entertainment. Several dining options here the Cadillac Bar, Saltgrass Steakhouse and Landry's Seafood house. The attractions here include the train ride, Ferris wheel and Carousel.

Other famous Houston Texas tourist attractions include Splashtown, the Neighborhood of Montrose, downtown aquarium, old town spring and various other place. The most famous Texas tourist location regions are south padre island, Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo, Irving, Laredo, Galveston, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Austin, Waco, San Antonio, etc.

So you've been to Hawaii before but wish you could have stayed a little longer before heading back to winter. You're not alone in thinking how great another extra few weeks in paradise would be. In this article we're going to tell you how to make that dream a reality and what to do while you're there if you're on a budget. Find out where to stay, how to save money and the best places to visit and explore.

The best way to save money on your next vacation is by going for a 30 day stay. You need to look online for a safe and clean hotel alternative. We're talking about a furnished apartment that offers short term monthly rates. You can also try Craigslist but just be sure that whomever you decide to go with is reputable before sending them any money. Concentrate your search around the Ala Wai Canal area and you should be able to find a furnished monthly apartment rental for a lot less than half of what it would cost to stay at a modest hotel and you will still be within walking distance of Waikiki.

Your furnished apartment will not supply everything you need for your thirty day stay so be sure to ask what's not included and make sure it has air conditioning. You will probably need to bring some bed sheets, pillows, cups, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, etc. Whatever you forget to bring can easily be purchased from the local Walmart or other stores that are conveniently located nearby. Instead of dining out everyday you can save money by stocking up your fridge and using your apartment's kitchenette. Lower prices for fruits and vegetables can be found in the Chinatown area of downtown Honolulu. After you set up your new apartment get an inexpensive monthly bus pass and you're ready to explore the island.

Grab a map of the island and create a 30 day activity plan for your vacation. Here's a short list of the must-see things to see and do if you haven't done these before: Go to Hanauma Bay to swim with the fish in crystal clear water. Visit the under-rated Honolulu Zoo as well as the always entertaining Sea Life Park and the ever popular Polynesian Cultural Center. Climb Diamond Head with its amazing views, visit the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor and attend a traditional Hawaiian Luau. Sunset dinner cruises are popular as is deep sea fishing, whale watching, snorkeling and water sports of all kinds. You will definitely be spending days soaking up the sights and sun on Waikiki beach but be sure to go to the Ala Moana Beach Park across from the Ala Moana Shopping Center. It's less crowded and has some nice beach areas that are great for a picnic. It's hard not to enjoy every day in Hawaii.

There are many beautiful beach stops on the way to the North Shore and interesting points of interest around the island so jump off the bus and explore the ones you like. Visit Makapuu Beach which is located across the street from Sea Life Park. Travel 20 minutes past Makapuu Beach and you'll arrive at Waimanalo Beach with its 4-mile stretch of sugary white sand, calm waters and lack of tourists. Waimanalo Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches and possibly the best beach on Oahu. You'll want to spend the day here and grab a bite to eat at Keneke's Plate Lunch & BBQ where the food is great and the prices are ridiculously affordable. Other recommended beaches include Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach in Kailua. You'll want to try the always super fresh shrimp at Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp Farm on the North Shore. No vacation to Hawaii is complete without visiting Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay which are two of the best North Shore beaches.

There are many reasons for choosing Oahu for your next vacation. Great weather and a seemingly endless number of beaches set in a tropical paradise make it the ideal choice for anyone looking to get away from the cold. You'll want to return every year to soak up the sun and enjoy everything Oahu has to offer. Make sure you include visiting the other Hawaiian Islands on future vacations. Hawaii has a lot to offer so find your place in the sun and start packing.

It’s here. It’s finally here. After a rough winter in Texas, the shorts are coming out, and white legs are flashing underneath. Yes, Texans from Austin, to Dallas, to Houston, to the tiny towns on the Eastern border are already working on their tans.

Somewhere amidst the beckoning calls of the Gulf, however, there is an equally important call for safety. Summer brings great times -- trips to the water, barbecues with the neighbors, long walks in the park, vacations across the country, and, for certain patients with conditions like Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD), even relief. But with those pleasures and privileges come risks, not just for ourselves, but for our pets as well.

No one is more excited about summer than our animal companions, particularly dogs. It means more outings, more car trips, more walks, more quality time with the people they love the most. There are millions of pet owners in the United States alone, and the number is growing, including those who think of their pets as children. More and more are purchasing pet health insurance along with their own policies, gourmet animal treat stores are cropping up everywhere, and it seems even the neighborhood grocery stores in Dallas and Houston are offering a wide selection of animal toys. So before making any treks -- across town or across country -- in temperatures already averaging above 90 F in Texas, make sure to review these summer pet care recommendations, as summarized from the Humane Society’s guidelines.

Everyday Care:

Hopefully, it goes without saying: Make sure your animal has plenty of food, water, and shade. Animals can overheat quickly, so if conditions aren’t right, death can occur within a day. Check water often; make sure it’s cool and there’s plenty of it. If your animal lives outside, secure a cool, shady spot to escape from the heat. Excessive heat is miserable for anyone -- including your pets.

If you can avoid chaining your pets, do it. Being on a lead for an extended period of time can literally drive an animal insane. If chaining is a daily operation, make sure the duration of it is as short as possible, allow him or her to take frequent breaks off the lead, and make sure your pet can comfortably reach the food, water, and shade. Place all food and water away from the chain, so they are not knocked over with the animal’s movements.

Also consider alternatives. Try an obedience course. Many dogs with good training will stay exactly where they are told until further notice. Technology has advanced in recent years, making new choices available. For instance, “invisible fences” are now on the market at an affordable rate -- many under a one-time investment of a few hundred dollars.

Car Care:

It’s tempting to take our pets, particularly our dogs, on those everyday errands. With such busy lives, a little car adventure seems an ideal way to spend time with our animal companions while still getting things done. But in temperatures like this, it’s simply not wise. The inside of a car can heat up to 120 F in minutes, even in the shade. Since dogs and cats can’t sweat, but only dissipate heat through the pads of their feet, or by panting, such temperatures -- even temporarily -- can prove deadly. Leave pets at home while you’re running errands, and make that special time for your animal friends when you get back.

Exercising:

Exercising is just as important to our animals’ health as our own. Keep an eye on the temperature. On hot days, make sure to take walks in the early morning or evening hours. Watch for signs of distress, and exercise your animal on the cool, soft grass if possible. Asphalt can heat to blistering temperatures, and can literally burn the pads of their feet. Supervise pool play, as well. Many unfortunate animal deaths have arisen from an unsecured swimming pool, which looks just as inviting to them as to us.

Warning Signs:

Watch for signs of heat exhaustion, particularly with older, short-nosed, and thick-coated dogs. Signs of danger include heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, unsteadiness, staggering gait, vomiting, and a deep red or purple tongue. If heat exhaustion does occur, get your animal to a cool, shady spot immediately, pour cool water (not cold) on him or her, and place cool towels around the head, chest, and neck. Encourage your animal to drink small amounts of water at a time or to lick an ice cube. Then take your pet to the vet right away.

Lawn Care:

Summer is also a time for work -- a lot of yard work. Lawn care and gardening can be relaxing and enjoyable activities, full of the rewards of a beautiful home and good produce. But exercise caution when using insecticides. Many chemicals used on the lawn and garden, as well as 700 plant species, are poisonous to animals. To make sure your pet can frolic freely, read labels and ask plenty of questions. Most insecticides come with warnings, and your local gardening store should be able to clarify any issue about which you are unsure. Choosing organic gardening supplies is a great way to reduce these risks.

A Biting Problem:

Bites are more common in the summer simply because there’s more interaction between pets and people. To reduce the risk of bites, make sure you know your animal. If he or she has any territorial or aggressive tendencies, watch your pet closely. Keep dogs leashed when away from the home, just in case. After all, it may not be your animal companion that causes the trouble; unfortunately, unleashed and aggressive animals are not an anomaly, and you’ll have better control over the situation if your pet is leashed. Spaying or neutering will also reduce aggressive and territorial tendencies.

Medications and Identifications:

Prepare for trips by making sure your animals’ vaccinations and medications are up-to-date. Heartworm is of particular concern, as the disease is transmitted through mosquito bites. Ask your vet about any over-the-counter medications first, even flea and tick medications. The size of the animal is important, as are allergies, and the manufacturing company. Unfortunately, there are unsafe products on the market.

Check ID tags or chips to make sure all the information is current -- including contact information. Many pets are lost on vacation, with no way of getting home without the proper identification. With up-to-date tags or chips, however, they’re just a phone call away.

Pets are a responsibility, and we must not forget that. Their lives are in our hands every day, and they depend on us to love them, feed them, and give them water, exercise, and stimulation. But they’re also such wonderful companions, and so much fun! Take care of yourself, and take care of them. Reward them for their unconditional love and loyalty by making sure everything they need is provided for during these hot months ahead. With the proper care and preparation, it can be your best summer together yet!

Taking care of your pets can also bring increased awareness of how you’re taking care of yourself. When, for instance, was the last time you had a check-up? How you take care of your body will certainly affect your health now, and as you age, and eventually your wallet as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

Research studies worldwide have recently begun to uncover the wide array of phytonutrients contained in fruits and vegetables. This factor alone make it even more important than we thought that you include a variety of fruits and vegetables as part of your daily diet.

Phytonutrients offer many benefits with regard to human health, some known and some yet unknown. Did you know the widely touted "vitamin" called folic acid is actually a phytonutrient? On the cusp of the millennium, there is no doubt that the next decade or so is going to burst wide open with many more undiscovered virtues of the phytonutrient rich foods that Americans do not eat enough of.

Given the current dietary government guidelines, phytonutrients are not considered essential nutrients. Nevertheless, a flood of anti-aging research is beginning to demonstrate, and quite provocatively, the potential anti-aging characteristics of some of these mysterious plant compounds. It has been suggested that diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's, may plague the middle aged and elderly due to our limited knowledge of these all important, plant specific nutrients. For example, it has been proposed that certain flavinoids found in blueberries may actually reverse nerve cell aging.

The study of phytonutrients has provided the impetus for both plant and nutritional scientists to work together as a team to uncover even more important knowledge. This makes perfect sense because fresh produce is the only currently known source of these valuable and mysterious nutrients. The sad part is that only a small handful of visionary scientists are researching how to improve the nutritional quality of these lovely green edibles. The majority of research to date has been dedicated to increasing crop yields by making stronger, hardier plants that will be able to ward off being damaged by disease, pesticides, etc.

Genetic engineering has already been able to produce tomatoes with up to three times more lycopene. Lycopene is the cancer reducing red pigment found in tomatoes. These modified tomatoes are able to maintain maximum nutrition 3 times longer (shelf life) than their " regular" counterparts. Autar K. Matoo and colleagues of the ARS vegetable laboratory inserted a gene that retards plant aging along with a promoter that is triggered by ripening. The engineered tomatoes were thus proven to be able to accumulate more lycopene and other antioxidants during the longer ripening stage. It is felt that this novel approach should work with other fruits and vegetables.

Environmental factors also appear to make a difference. Cantaloupe melons, grown at the ARS Subtropical Agricultural Research Center in Weslaco Texas, differed in beta carotene levels by as much as 500 percent. The differences in these levels depended on the soil, the cultivar and the size of the fruit. Gene E. Lester, head research scientist and his colleagues, are embarking on a project to understand post harvest storage factors as well as the environmental and genetic factors that affect phytontrient levels and the quality thereof.

It seems that specialized plant breeding will be central to putting produce with enhanced phytonutrient levels on the dinner table. It is now well known that broccoli contains rich sources of certain compounds that may inhibit cancer. It is felt that there is good potential for increasing the anti-cancer power of this wondrous vegetable. Mark W. Farnham, of the ARS vegetable research lab at Charleston South Carolina, has found that the purported anti-cancer precursor glucoraphanin exhibits a 30 fold increase in the inbred broccoli lines.

While we should all feel grateful that such wondrous research is beginning to unfold, a question remains ... some food for thought. Although genetic engineered fruits and vegetables are beginning to demonstrate without a doubt, that we can produce plants that are packed with additional health supporting active compounds, what is the overall risk? Are these plants as Mother Nature intended them to be? Does and will altering the genetic potential of plant life bring forth a plethora of problems yet unseen? To date, we simply don't know.

So, last Spring you may have grown a few tomato plants, which you planted alongside your house.   You got a "bumper crop" of 6 beefsteak tomatoes.  That was good for 2 meals.  This year,  you plan on having a garden, with many more vegetables...not just tomatoes.  You also are more aware of the chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides, so you would like an organic garden.  Well, forget last year... because you will have a great garden if you follow my organic vegetable gardening tips.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips:

1. What Vegetables To Grow....Think about the vegetables you and your family enjoy eating.  Balance that with whether these are expensive vegetables.  For your efforts you may as well save as much money by growing your own.  For example, red and orange peppers are much more expensive than green peppers.  Buying lettuces in a mesculun salad is more expensive than iceberg lettuce.  Other expensive vegetables include asparagus, arugula and redicchio.  Try some of the heirloom tomatoes, such as the popular Brandywine variety, instead of a "red" tomato.
2. Raised Beds.....Instead of having to dig deep into your soil (about a foot for tomatoes), build or buy a raised bed and fill it with soil and compost (you can buy organic compost) This will save you a lot of work
3. Keep it Small...if you plant too many plants, you may find it too much work at first.
4. Plant Garlic Bulbs...to keep away the animal pests that might eat your plants.
5. Fence in your garden....if you can use a fence to keep out the pests.
6. 50 degree soil...make sure your soil is at least 50 degrees before planting.
7. Water about 2 times a week...water deep 

How to build your own vegetable garden

You will first need to stake out an area of garden to be converted to a vegetable patch. This area needs to be located a good distance from large trees and in a well drained and sunny position. As mentioned above, sleepers can be used to define the veggie patch area and reduce the number of unwanted roots from entering. Rocks can be removed by sieving (this is important for parsnips and carrots to prevent forking) and plastic can be lined for long term segregation from surrounding soil.

The soil must be fertilized and irrigation or some form of consistent watering applied. Lastly the right vegetables must be selected and planted in sensible regions for optimal growth. Stepping stones for access to stake plants and harvest produce are effective as this will confine walking areas.

Make sure the garden is maintained. This includes watering, fertilizing, weeding and plant maintenance (such as staking).

Growing your own - some common pitfalls

What are some of the common mistakes made when growing vegetables at home? Some of the common pitfalls include:

Lack of plant nutrition and poor soil. When removing grass, try and retain as much of the top soil as possible. This is the darker soil held around the grass roots. Use soil conditioner to develop the long term sustainability of your soil.

Insect attacks Use some methods to control bugs, birds and other pests. There are many organic methods available as well as some simple preventative measures like adding appropriate mulch and keeping fruit and vegetables well away from the ground.

Lack of water Make sure watering is to the plant root system and consistent. If you have a dry spell of a few hot days, this can wipe out your entire vegetable garden, so make sure you water to the season and climate. Adding mulch helps your plants and the surrounding soil retain moisture and nutrients, both vital for plant health and growth.

Poor crop rotation and choice of plants and positioning Does your sweet corn shade out your dwarf beans? Choose crops for the season and ensure that you don't plant the same crop year after year in the same position as the soil will become less able to support that particular plant.

Badly installed vegetable garden Make sure large roots are removed from your vegetable garden as these will take nutrients away from your plants. If you want a great long term vegetable patch you may want to build a frame from sleepers and line this with some sort of plastic to prevent roots encroaching on your highly nutritious veggie patch soil.

How to grow vegetables in pots There is not too much difference here, except you will want to make sure your pot has good drainage, plenty of room to allow root growth and is well watered in a sunny position. Add some blue metal or other gravel into the bottom to allow drainage without letting the soil wash out, and make sure you add some organic fertilizer or potting mix rich in nutrients. Pots are great for residential living where space is restricted.

Where can I buy fresh tomatoes and other vegetables? There are a number of markets which sell relatively fresh fruit and vegetables. This is something which is really specific to your region so you will have to do your own research on where to source organic produce. If you have the room however it really is not that hard to grow your own.

How to organically fertilize your vegetable garden soil Collect grass clippings, leaves and other organic matter, and mix in your old food scraps to make some highly nutritious compost. If you have chickens then use their droppings as fertilizer.

Preventing pests and bugs on your fresh vegetables There are many remedies for this. Some natural snail pellets will be invaluable during seed germination, as this is a time when they are most vulnerable. I have had entire 100 seedling crops virtually wiped out by slugs and snails in the past. Some say that blending some of these bugs (such as caterpillars) and applying as a diluted mix can act as a natural pesticide, and others simply suggest planting certain plants which act as a deterrent. For example planting mint can be a deterrent for ants.

Strips of old video tape can be tied around parts of the veggie patch to scare birds, and mulch will reduce the amount of bugs which want a piece of your tasty vegetables. Lastly, make sure you get the fruit off the ground. Tomatoes need staking and climbing beans need climbing poles or rods.

How to save water when gardening and maintain good drainage Mulch will save you many liters of water as well as providing good weed management. Water will be much less likely to evaporate if generous layers of mulch are applied. You can also buy drip hoses which apply water directly to the base of the plants. This can save considerable amounts of water when compared to a standard sprinkler.

A complex irrigation system would perhaps be the most desirable method of applying water, however we must weigh up the pros and cons of such a system which can certainly become a little expensive. One of the pros however is that we can apply water directly to each plant through drippers, or targeted sprinkler heads.

Installing a sprinkler timer can allow watering in the early hours of the morning, just before a hot day when evaporation is at a minimum. This also allows regular and consistent watering within your suburb's water restriction regulations.

Lastly you may decide to use grey water to add to your water supply. Water from your washing machine or the shower is perfect for the veggies and can drastically reduce your water bill. Just be sure to make sure you only use environmentally friendly shampoos, conditioners and washing powders/liquids. You may also like to install a water tank which collects water during heavy rain and can consistently water your garden over the dryer durations.

Deciding what to plant Perhaps the most popular vegetable is the famous tomato. Commercially produced tomatoes are often picked green, and artificially ripened allowing any sugars to turn to starch. This has led to an enormous number of home growers deciding on fresh tomatoes as the number one choice when it comes to vegetables.

Other popular choices include beans, sweet corn, broccoli and potatoes - all of which are high produce crops. Be aware that some crops are more suited to winter than summer and vice versa, and some require full sun or part shade etc. Be sure to select the appropriate crops for the season and positioning within the vegetable patch.

Why grow organically? Organically grown vegetables taste amazing. Many top chefs stick to organically grown fruit and vegetables in order to add that extra zing to their meals. Using natural fertilizing methods is also much better for the surrounding environment, something which is especially important in built up urban areas. Artificial phosphates and concentrated fertilizers can wreak havoc with wetlands, streams, rivers and other water bodies.

Pesticides are also bad for the environment and somewhat unnecessary. There are many ways of reducing pest activity in your vegetable patch which should definitely be used over pesticides which not only harm the environment, but allow bugs to build up a tolerance to such chemicals in the long run. It is also almost impossible to completely guarantee that some of these pesticides won't end up in the food you eat, and with a world already plagued with carcinogens and other nasties, it is nice to avoid pesticides if at all possible.

The vegetable garden project. If you would like to see an actual vegetable patch made in what used to be an ordinary grassed back yard, and the delicious results obtained, then make sure you have a look at my website below for pictures, walk throughs and further tips about growing your own vegetables at home.

Gardening can be an extremely rewarding activity in so many ways. It can be fun and fulfilling and there is something primordial about working with the earth and the elements to create a thing of beauty and bounty. It can also be rewarding in a very tangible way. Vegetable gardening yields an edible crop as its end result and food has real material value.

However those new to both gardening and growing vegetables in particular may find that first foray into creating a veg plot a little daunting. Here are a few simple tips designed to make the garden planning process simpler:

Tip 1

Consider what type of vegetable garden you should create. There are several options available and the one you eventually choose will depend to a large extent on the amount of land you have available and the amount of time you wish to devote to your new activity. The traditional method of cultivating a vegetable garden used to be to plant in long, well ordered rows, which is fine if you have a large area to use. The drawbacks of this method are that because you have to walk on the plot your soil is constantly becoming compacted which leads to a lot of digging. This is both labour intensive and also releases valuable nutrients from the soil.

Many home gardeners now opt for raised beds, which is an excellent method to employ, particularly for those with limited space. The advantages of this approach are that you can concentrate compost and fertiliser onto the growing area and reduce waste, improve drainage and maintain warmth by building the bed up with added organic matter like manure.

You may like the idea of a potager style garden which can be both productive and ornamental, mixing floral beauty with herbs and vegetables.

Tip 2

Location is an important consideration when planning your veg garden. Consider where you live, when is the last date you can expect to have frost etc. Gardening climates are generally broken down into three different zones; cold, temperate and tropical/sub-tropical. In the Northern hemisphere the cold zone would be considered those areas with freezing temperatures during winter months, temperate is where frost can still occur in the winter months but it doesn't snow and the summers are hot and long and tropical/sub-tropical where frost and snow are unheard of.

Tip 3

Where you site your plot should require some thought too. Vegetable beds have often been consigned to the rear of our gardens, hidden away while the flowers take centre stage. Yet vegetable plants can be beautiful in their own right. They will also need sunlight and therefore will not thrive if they are consigned to dark, shady spots. Make notes on where the sun shines in your garden at different times in the day. Digital cameras and mobile phones are great for this purpose; take photographs on sunny days and you will have visual record to assist you in the planning process. Different plants have different requirements so take that into consideration when planning your vegetable garden. Sometimes, especially with smaller gardens, choice may be restricted. I live on a hill which is exposed to wicked westerly winds and I have had no option but to site my vegetable plot under these conditions. Whilst I would say that it is clearly not ideal I still produce abundant harvests of edible crops throughout the year.

Tip 4

Keep a diary devoted to your gardening to help plan your sowing and planting throughout the growing year. This can also be used to schedule other related activities such as seed ordering and bed preparing etc. Consult a seed sowing and planting guide and decide which vegetables you want to grow and make an appointment in your diary to sow the seeds. This memoir will assist with things like crop rotation too. Gardening, like any other endeavour benefits from a little organisation and discipline.

Tip 5

Order the seeds you need well in advance of the growing season. Seed catalogues are great for thumbing through on cold January days when winter seems as if it is going to last forever. Pouring over these brochures fills you with a sense of anticipation for the warmth of the growing season to come and is an essential part of the whole planning process. In addition to the seeds make sure you have any equipment you will need in place. The basics are garden tools, seed trays, seed pots, compost etc.

Tip 6

Document your progress in your garden diary throughout the year. Record when you sow seed, plant out, prepare a bed etc. Keep note of which varieties perform well or otherwise. Look upon the diary as an essential garden tool. I have been using a garden diary for years now and I have found it to be as important and useful to me as my trowel!

Growing your own fresh organic fruit and vegetables is a wonderful and profitable pastime and there is much to learn even for those who may consider themselves experts. Planning is an important aspect of any undertaking and horticulture is no exception to this rule. So before anyone breaks soil it is essential to give some thought to the preparation and development of your vegetable plot. If the activity is broken down into the simple chunks listed here then the creation of a continually productive vegetable garden should be less off-putting and more fun.

If you are one of those looking into the option of growing your own organic food, you can actually learn it easily. In fact, most of the things you need to do in starting out your own organic food garden are just practical and easy-to-learn organic gardening techniques.

The focus of growing chemical-free foods is in applying techniques in gardening that are aligned with nature as well as making your garden self-sufficient and sustainable. Here are some the organic gardening techniques that you may find useful in helping you grow healthy, chemical-free vegetables as well as making it easy for you to manage your garden.

Composting

Restoring the soil's fertility is a main factor in being able to produce healthy vegetables in your own garden. In fact, a fertile soil is a key element in achieving success in organic food gardening. One of the organic gardening techniques in restoring the fertility of the soil permanently and get rid of soil diseases that is to make your own organic fertilizer by composting garden, kitchen and animal waste and mix them with your garden soil.

Crop rotation

Another technique that you can use in restoring the soil's fertility without having to use chemicals is the crop rotation technique. This is done by changing the type of vegetables you grow in succession in an area. Most often, a vegetable or plant of different families are great to be planted in succession. This prevents the depletion of the nutrients in the soil and prevents diseases, controls pests and weeds.

One thing you need to learn in this technique is to identify which vegetables belong to the same family so you can avoid planting them in succession. Garlic, onion and leek for example belong to the same family so you should avoid planting them in succession in the same area.

Intercropping

Intercropping, also known as companion planting, is also one of the good organic gardening techniques that you can use to repel pests and diseases in your garden without the use of chemicals and pesticides. Plants have their own way of repelling pests and attracting helpful insects by releasing certain chemicals and scents in their leaves or their roots. By intercropping, you can actually make a balance in your garden and drive away pests and diseases.

However, the key to make this technique successful is to know which of the vegetables are great to be planted as companions in your garden. Keep in mind that having a bad choice on the crop pairing can also have adverse effects on your vegetables. Beans, for example, can be intercropped with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers or radish but you should not intercrop them with onions, garlic or chives.

Mulching

To help you avoid weeds in your garden without the use of chemicals, mulching is also great practice that prevents the seeds of the weeds to germinate. For your organic garden, you can use grass clippings, hay, straw, or sawdust or compost to serve as your mulch.

Another factor that can keep pests and harmful insects away from your garden is to visit it regularly and check your growing vegetables if they have diseases or you can pick those pests away. With these simple organic gardening techniques, you will be able to find some ways to produce really healthy food from your own garden and make the experience enjoyable as well.

Having a vegetable garden in your own backyard is a very rewarding hobby and in fact, it is one of the best solutions to have organic and healthy food that comes right from your backyard. If you are a gardening enthusiast who wants to start a garden at home, even if you have very limited space, read on for some important vegetable gardening tips.   Know what types of vegetables are good for the climate in your location. Of course, this is a consideration as productive vegetables are those planted in the right location and with the right climate.   Know what type of soil your choice of vegetables would grow best. Some vegetables may prefer loamy soil or those that are clayey. However, most of the vegetables prefer soils with good drainage as accumulated water can easily damage the roots of the plants.   If you are living in the city where there is limited space to plant your vegetables, one of the vegetable gardening tips is to grow them in boxes or containers. This way, you get to choose the healthy soil where your vegetables can grow productively.   However, in this case, you have to take note where to put your boxes and containers. Make sure your plants get the best sunshine they need for growing up. Of course, this depends also on whether you have a shade-loving plant.   If you have a limited space on the ground where you can grow vegetables, you can also adopt the intercropping strategy where you can plant 2 kinds of vegetables at one time. Of course, it is ideal for a backyard garden to grow several types of vegetables and to conserve space, you can do the intercropping. Just be sure that you have the right choices of vegetables to intercrop. Consider a shallow-rooted plant with a deep-rooted one so that they will not compete on the soil's nutrients.   Aside from intercropping, you can also choose vegetables that can climb on trellises so that you will not need more space. In fact, vines that grow on trellis can also be an attraction in your backyard garden.   Know how much water the type of vegetable needs. To much watering can kill the plants and with less water, it can also dehydrate it. If you aim to make an organic vegetable garden, you can also learn about organic or natural fertilizers that you can put in your garden. Stay away from chemical fertilizers. One benefit of growing your own vegetables is the fact that you can grow it free from chemicals and pesticides, so take advantage of this benefit as well.   Regularly visit your garden. This one of the vegetable gardening tips and secrets that can drive away pests and disease in your garden. Manually get rid of worms, and insects that attack your vegetables and you will find them gone if you do this regularly.   These are just a few easy vegetable gardening tips that you can do to be able to start your backyard vegetable garden. Keep in mind that one of the best benefits of gardening aside from the fulfillment in growing your own vegetables is being able to grow healthy food, so keep your vegetables organic and free from pesticides and chemicals as well.

There are several basic, simple processes that you can follow in order to improve the viability and fertility of your backyard gardens and create beds naturally. Here are practical and simple tips that you can use in your landscape and garden to grow fruits and vegetables you need without harmful chemicals and pesticides.

1. Composting

Composting is the backbone of any garden. There are many ways to make compost. It could be in a bin, barrel, a tub, or old pile located in the middle of your garden. Add your kitchen remnants like egg shells, coffee grounds, potato peels, and more. Finished compost needs to be fine not to mention cool to touch and sweet-smelling. If ever you're turning the pile and you still feel the heat, it means that it's still cooking and not ready yet to be used on or near plants.

2. Cover Crops

If you want a long-term garden success, cover crops are the key. They are extremely simple to plant and just like farmers working on big farms, your garden and raised beds will get the same advantages and benefits of a well-cultivated cover crop. They could add tons of nutrients especially nitrogen to the soil, build organic matter back to the earth, and keep other weeds from becoming established on your beds. Cover crops also play an important part in keeping soil erosion at bay.

3. Crop Rotation

Did you know that if you continue planting the same tomato, pepper, cucumber plants, and other plants, fruits, or vegetables in the same location each and every year, you will not be achieving the same results? It is because plants utilize certain nutrients from the soil and it becomes stripped off of specific nutrients if you keep on planting the same crops at exactly the same position. So the best solution is to rotate your crops every year aside from supplying compost and cover crops to help recharge the soil. It will also give the soil more time to get better from the particular crop that was previously grown.

4. Mulching

Weeds also compete in using nutrients and consuming the water with your plants. The fewer weeds you have the more nutrients your vegetable plants will get. You can eliminate these weeds without the need to spray and still keeping your garden beautiful. Mulching is an excellent way of getting rid of unwanted weeds in your garden. Finished compost is great for mulching. It conserves the humidity in the soil while blocking weeds and adding valuable nutrients into the soil as it decomposes. When you don't have compost yet, you could mulch with shredded leaves. You can also place straw and basically you get the same things.

5. Watering

Always remember that proper watering is very important regardless of how great the soil is. Very little water makes the plants wither. Too much amount of water won't help in developing good as well as deep-root structure that are needed for healthier and mature plants.

Having your own organic garden in your own backyard brings you a great many benefits. When you can grow and harvest your very own fresh and organic vegetables, you will reap tremendous reward in terms of nutrition and a sense of genuine accomplishment. The foods to gather from your own vegetable garden are far superior to anything you can buy in the store in terms of both flavor and nutrition. The faster you can eat vegetables after they are harvested, the more nourishment they will deliver. This article provides five organic best practices for beginners. Read on to learn how to plant your very own organic vegetable garden and reap tremendous rewards.

#1. When you are first beginning, it's best to start with a small garden. You'll be amazed at how much you can grow in a very small amount of space. You don't want to become discouraged by having a huge garden that takes a lot of handling when you aren't really expert yet. Be sure to place your garden in an area where you can expand when you're ready to take on a larger project. Choose an area of your yard that has good soil, good sunlight and good drainage.

#2. You can set up your garden in one of two ways. You can either scalp the soil by taking away all existing grass and other ground cover and then break up the dirt, or you can smother the existing grass and ground cover with a thick layer of newspaper an/or cardboard covered by good planting soil. If you choose the latter, you will need to use landscape timbers, bricks or rocks to build walls around your raised bed garden.

#3. Be sure not to plant your garden willy-nilly. Before you begin planting, make a plan. Keep this handy so that you will remember what you have planted where. You can create straight rows in your garden by setting out stakes and running string from one to another. At the end of each row, add a label for the type of vegetable you are planting in that row. This is a good quick reference, but be sure to keep your garden plan safely filed away in case your labels blow away or degrade beyond recognition.

#4. Be sure to choose vegetables that are easy to grow in your area. This will make your first garden much more satisfying. You can ask at your local garden center to help you choose types of plants that will do well in the area where you live. You may choose to plant seeds or seedlings. Of course the latter will be easier to deal with since they will already have a good start. Some very easy choices in first time gardening plants are radishes, zucchini, tomatoes and crookneck squash. If you have particularly deep and soft soil, you can also try deep root crops such as potatoes and carrots.

#5. If your soil is good, you get plenty of sun and water regularly, you should begin seeing some very impressive growth from your little seedlings once they're planted. Be sure to keep your seedlings well watered. Mulching around the seedlings and between the rows will help hold moisture into the soil. Keep pests off with a natural spray consisting of water and a small amount of dish-washing liquid. You'll be surprised at how well this simple concoction protects your delicate plants.

Good gardening is not rocket science. With this simple start, you should become a energized and enthused to learn more and try more. As the seasons pass, you should feel confident to expand your garden and grow an even wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to feed your family.

Organic container gardening add interest, color and creativity to a garden. Container gardening gives gardeners great flexibility since containers and planters can be moved as you change your mind or your mood.

Organic potting soil is now available from most retailers so the next step for the organic gardener is to determine what you want to achieve with your container gardening. Do you want to let the kids grow a small herb garden? Do you want the container to hang off your arbor or do you want to add additional color to a section of your landscape?

Container soil dries out quickly so they will generally need more watering than you might think. You might not have a lot of extra time, so dead heading plants or doing a lot of pruning is also something you want to avoid. The good news is that there are plenty of low maintenance plants you can try in your container garden.

These are some easy to care for container plants that I love growing in my organic container garden in areas that receive 3 - 6 hours of sun:

- Bolivian Jew Plant: a/k/a Turtle Vine. This is a trailing dark green plant with purple highlights that can handle heat, sun, part shade, and is drought tolerant. Want more of this plant in your garden? No problem - just break off a piece and put it in the ground and it will grow. Don't want any outside of your container? Don't worry - it pulls easily out of the ground. Very easy to care for, I love this plant for it's interesting texture, color and low maintenance. (Hardy to zones 10 & 11 - annual for everyone else).

- Asparagus Fern: This is one of the few ferns that can handle full sun to partial shade. The asparagus fern has an interesting lace like lime green foliage that adds great color and texture anywhere in your container garden. It also can handle it hot and dry. The asparagus fern can be brought inside and live nicely as a houseplant during the winter as well. (Hardy to zones 9 & 11 - annual for everyone else).

- Catnip: Catnip is an full sun/dappled shade herb that's hardy from zones 3 to 9 and is perfect for a container since this allows for quick relocation if your cats start throwing parties in your backyard. Seriously, cats love this when they find it, but they have to walk right past it so cat pool parties are not an issue. Catnip has grey / green leaves with light purple flowers that grow tall and bushy. Cats go crazy for it of course. Break off a couple of twigs of catnip for your feline and it's "Woodstock for Kitties" - dilated eyes and everything.

- Pentas: I love using this plant for a more upright planting scheme. Another annual in all but the hottest climates, Pentas can give you a true red color in your garden either in a container or the ground. They can handle part sun and here in Texas'really hot sun, I try to locate them to ensure afternoon shade.

Organic container gardening is easy to maintain if you select the right plants for your lifestyle and area. Let us know about favorite plants of your own.

Sticking People Together, Making People "Stick" Out: Oh, Honey

Almost everyone around the world eventually discovers that food brings people together and apart. Bread and rice start medieval peasant riots, GMO's strain or heal international relations, family business for many people happens around the table, and in some countries chocolate may win a girl's affections for a day. In Charlottesville, VA, the Saturday morning City Market clearly brings people together, but an interview with a local honey merchant shows that homegrown food can form communal relationships while also setting people apart from each other within that community.

The Hungry Hill Farms booth sits next to the popsicle stand, the first booth in a long row of organic and homemade stalls. The couple working the booth first caught my attention when the friendly man complimented my friend's "I'm no rocket-surgeon" shirt. Other people who stopped by to look at the honey often just stopped by to chat; two ladies paused because, as they said, "I buy your honey at the Cville Market." The honey they had purchased at the local store had become a way to open up alliance in conversation; it had created a social "debt", albeit a very small one, between the person at the booth and the customer, and while the customer and the vendor did not know each other, they both acknowledged a small friendly bond. Colin Johnson, the friendly man watching the booth, said that often regular customers will come solely for conversation, not to buy honey.

Conversation and social bonds actually started the Hungry Hill Farms business back in 1968 when Glenn Clayton Sr. had a conversation with a friend from the fire department. The fireman had kept two bee hives as a hobby, but became allergic and gave them to Clayton Sr. as a gift. The two beehives expanded to the current 500, and the hobby became a business as the honey became popular among friends and family, who received it from the Claytons on holidays and as gifts. Honey, then, drew people together, and the drawing of people together produced surplus honey. The Claytons soon found that they had too much honey for use year after year, and began to sell it. As they sold honey, they expanded their hives and social linkages, and so the cycle continues. Colin Johnson, who told me the story about "her grandfather," actually joined the business himself through social bonds: he is in a relationship with Mr. Clayton's granddaughter, the confident-looking lady who sold us honey sticks.

The basic needs of food-provision are still a very real part of why Happy Hill Farms exists. In addition to honey, the farm has ten acres of garden which supplies much of the produce that the Clayton family consumes. The farm also grows shiitake mushrooms to sell. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that social and communal connections form a great part, if not most, of the push and pull of Hungry Hill Farms.

While honey brings people together, it also establishes distinctions between people. When asked what kind of people bought Hungry Hill Honey, Johnson told us that "a smattering of people", from the "crunchy hippie types" to those who looked like they "just came off their yacht." While the purchase of the same product seems to establish a kind of unified identity between these kinds of people, Johnson's division of the customer group along sociopolitical lines--rather than racial, ethnic, or otherwise--mirrors a general mental division in the local food conversation. A largely false stereotype does exist to make local and sustainable food a liberal "hippie" issue; an additional stereotype, that conservatives have all the money for highly priced goods, breaks down as in Charlottesville, where it's an upper-middle class liberal bourgeois that provides the purchasing power for farm products. Elsewhere, in more stereotypically "conservative" rural areas, the price of sustainable and local food goes down. Generalizations may not provide true pictures of a society on the outside, but in the local food conversation, they do show glimpses of the stark mental and social attitudes that surround food consumption in the minds of the consumers, vendors, and the rest of the society. People in Cville set themselves apart from each other through the food they eat.

A conversation with one of Hungry Hill's customers further illuminated the way that food purchasing establishes uniqueness. She buys Hungry Hill, she says, because it's a walking distance from her house to the Cville Market that sells it "and besides it's local," but she goes to the Farmer's Market because "everyone's here." It's where the politicians campaign, the people hang out, and you can buy sustainable and local food, she says. She described a communal event that brings people together. As she went on, she explained how sustainable and local food was a lifestyle for her, not "the latest social trend", because she grew up on a farm. The conversation, while demonstrating how food became a unifying event, succinctly demonstrated that my interviewee's identity became set apart by her history with sustainable food. She distinguished herself not only from those who do not buy local, but from those who have a different purchasing history with local food. She wanted that distinction.

Quite obviously, the food that people sell also sets them apart. Every business strives to point out why its food is different or better than everyone else's: that's simply a factor of business. Hungry Hill Honey comes with an additional degree of vendor separation besides that which comes naturally with business products. Vegetable and meat farmers work directly with the crop they sell: bee farmers work with it second-hand from other living creatures.

This distinction creates interesting environmental and political consequences for farmers. Johnson explains that large companies truck their bees across the country to try to hit all the different blooms. The first, the almond blooms, come in very early spring, and when the bees have gathered as much as possible, the companies truck them elsewhere, hitting cotton blooms down south, cherry blooms, and everything else. This travel weakens the bees' immune systems, and understandably leads to disorientation of their internal compasses. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon rocking the bee industry over the past five years or so, occurs when bees simply stop finding their way around, or fly away and leave the colony for good. Bees without a colony die, and the suicide of the colony becomes a suicide for the bees. A year or two ago Hungry Hill Farms also lost several colonies, even though most of their colonies remain stationary all the time. Johnson and Ms. Clayton attribute CCD primarily to bee diseases spread by the large bee businesses.

The CCD discussion shows that inherent in the honey itself, and the manner in which it can be practically harvested and grown with minimal bee loss, one finds social and economic distinctions and decisions. This occurs, of course, for all products, but for honey, with its unique nature and source, these choices become especially pronounced and complex. The purchasing and selling of honey, then, says something about the people who purchase and sell it. Honey sticks people together in community; it also shows us who we are as individuals.

How-To Basics of getting started with Organic Gardening. No matter whether you are an experienced organic gardener or you have simply decided that you would like to become more self-reliant by growing some of your own food, planting a garden requires planning. A properly planned and planted organic garden will naturally resist disease, deter pests, and be healthy and productive. With the spring planting season fast approaching, winter is the ideal time to get started.

Set Goals What do you want to do with your plot of earth this season? Begin planning by setting goals. Grab your garden map, a pencil, your gardening guide, catalogs, and your thinking cap. List the areas of your yard and garden separately (i.e. lawn, vegetable patch, flower garden), and, keeping in mind the size and conditions of your site, brainstorm! Are you planning a garden for the first time? Do you want to expand your existing garden? Did you have pest or disease problems last year that you're hoping to prevent this year? What map? To create a map of your yard or garden, measure the dimensions of your site as a whole, and then the individual dimensions of your vegetable patch, flowerbeds, and lawn. It's easiest to draw your map to scale on a sheet of graph paper. These measurements will be necessary later, when you are determining how much of a plant or seeds to buy. Once the map is drawn, write in any information you know about soil characteristics, drainage, environmental conditions (sunny, shady, windy), and the names of trees and perennial plants that already exist. Your map will let you know exactly what you have to work with, and will give you a realistic idea of problems that need attention or features you'd like to change or add.

Gardening 101 It is important to understand the magnitude of your project before you begin. Getting the background information necessary to fulfill your goals may take an hour or a week, depending upon your level of experience and how involved you plan to get. Consulting your garden guidebook is a great way to begin - I suggest Warren Schultz's The Organic Suburbanite, The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman, Rodale's Chemical-Free Yard & Garden, or The Handy Garden Answer Book by Karen Troshynski-Thomas. You can also go to your local library and investigate their resources or contact your local garden club for their suggestions. As you research, write down how long each project will take, what tools you will need, and the approximate cost of everything you will need. This information will be invaluable when you make up your shopping list and schedule of activities. Scheduling and Organization. A schedule of activities lists what you hope to accomplish in what time frame. It will help keep you on track. It is important to be realistic about what you are capable of.

This is not a project that can be taken on alone in a week. Staggering your major tasks over time will make them easier to accomplish and save you the ultimate frustration of unfinished projects. Planning for the long term will aid in your organization. You can create a year-by-year schedule that maps out a time frame in which to achieve your big goals. Obviously, the schedule can change as time goes by, you learn new methods and you rethink your objectives, but maintaining focus on what you hope to create in the long term can keep you motivated on what you are doing now.

Tool Tutorial You have a plan! You have knowledge! Do you have tools? Chances are you may be able to obtain most tools at your local lawn and garden store. Bring the list that you assembled in Gardening 101, and, if you are a seasoned gardener, assume that the same pests and plagues will be back that you dealt with last year and buy your supplies now. If you are new to the gardening scene, buy the basic tools that you will need, and then nose around the neighborhood and perhaps your local gardening club to see what is recommended for what you are planting and where you live.

Basic Tools:

• Diggers - You will need a spading fork for aerating your soil and turning your compost pile. Look for a spading fork with rectangular, flat blades. A manure fork may also be compost-pile friendly when it comes to turning.
• Weeders - Weeding tools include hoes and short-handled cultivating tools. Both are made in a variety of styles, and you will probably want more than one of each.
• Hoe
• hoe types include:
• Swan-neck hoe - The curved neck positions the cutting blade to skim just below the surface, making it ideal for light work around garden crops.
• Oscillating hoe - Also called a scuffle hoe or hula, it has a hinged, double-edged blade that barely disturbs the soil surface, minimizing the number of new weeds brought to the surface.
• Collinear hoe - Designed by Eliot Coleman, the narrow blade and angled handle are useful for cutting off small weeds with little soil disturbance.
• Eye hoe - Also called a grub hoe, the heavy blade is for hard chopping at tough, overgrown weeds.

Standard short-handled cultivating tools:

• Hand cultivator - A tined tool, useful for disturbing the soil surface around close planting to uproot young weeds.
• Dandelion weeder - Made for uprooting weeds with long taproots.
• Pavement weeder - A trowel for removing weeds in cracks of stone slab or brick walkways.
• Pruners - Pruning trees and shrubs promotes growth and good health, and pruning out diseased wood helps to control disease problems. Pruning tools come in varying sizes depending on your need. Choose a sharp, high quality pruning tool.
• Tillers - Tillers will also range in size, depending on the job. There are large, gaspowered tillers for breaking ground or big jobs, and small tillers that are lightweight and are useful for cultivating around perennials. Rent a few tillers to try them out before buying, as they do differ a great deal and can be expensive.
• Sowers - Wheeled seeding tools that have changeable interior disks for different seed sizes and spacings are available and very handy if you are planting large areas.
• Comfort tools - There is a plethora of comfort- oriented garden accessories available on the market today. Products range from gloves, to knee pads, to small, wheeled benches/carts. It is up to you to decide what will suit your needs, if you need any at all..

Starting From Seed Starting your plants from seed will ensure that they are chemical free. Most transplants sold in garden centers have been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Seeds themselves bought at garden centers may be coated in fungicides, so be very careful about what you buy or buy from an organic seed supplier. To start plants from seed, you need sterile soil, sterile planting containers, and labels. It is better to grow each seedling in a separate container to avoid the damage incurred by ripping roots apart, and to make for a less shocking transplant. If you purchase soil mix, be sure that it is sterile to avoid spreading disease to your seedlings.

To make your own mix, use vermiculite (a mica-based mineral that has been heated to make it expand to many times its original size), perlite (volcanic ash that has been heated and 'popped'), and sphagnum (moss that has been collected while still alive, dried, and then finely ground). Add 1 tablespoon of lime for each 2 quarts of sphagnum that you use to counteract its acidity. Good recipes for soil mix are 1 part sphagnum and 1 part vermiculite, or 1 part each sphagnum, vermiculite and perlite. Seeds actually need heat, not light, to germinate. The heat from a grow light or sunny window may be enough for some, but placing the containers on top of a warm refrigerator or on a seed-starting heating pad may be necessary.

Keep your seeds moist by planting them in moist mix and covering them with plastic wrap. As soon as you see the first sign of life, remove the wrap and place them someplace where they will receive 8-10 hours of sunlight per day.

Water them care fully with a spray mister, careful not to knock the seedlings over or wash away the soil. Before you transplant your seedlings outdoors, they need to be acclimated to the different climate. Bring them outside and place them in a sheltered, somewhat shady spot for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their exposure to the elements over a week or two. Plants have a hardiness zone, an area based on the average annual low temperatures where a plant is most likely to withstand the region's annual low temperature http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has produced a map that breaks the U.S. into 11 zones. Growing plants that are outside your hardiness zone is not impossible, but they will need special attention. When deciding what to plant, consult a hardiness zone map to come up with plants that are most likely to thrive in your zone (see map).

Garden Design Switching to chemical-free gardening will not only mean changing your gardening practices, but also your gardening design. Gardening in beds, as opposed to rows, provides for better weed, disease and pest management. Beds are also more attractive and easier to maintain. In a garden bed, everything is planted within arm's reach. The leaves of adjacent plants shade the soil, reducing weed growth. Diversity in a garden bed also has many advantages. A variety of plants in a mixed bed provide some natural pest protection by making it difficult for pests to find and eat their target plants, or helping to attract insects that are beneficial to your garden and prey on pest insects. It also reduces the chances that pests and disease organisms will build to epidemic levels, as they won't be able to hop from tasty host to tasty host, as they would if you had planted in rows. Your soil will also reap the benefits of your diverse planting techniques. A good example is planting nitrogen-gobbling corn with nitrogen-giving beans. Pairing up particular plants or planting in variety can help the soil maintain its nutrient balance, ensuring happier plants and a better crop yield. In fact, this technique even has a name - companion planting.

Companion Planting:

Much of the science of companion planting is figuring out what works for you. Many books can give you guidelines about what plants work well together. Some plants are attractants, some repellents, some can be inter-planted with your crops and flowers, and some compete too vigorously and should be planted in separate borders or hedgerows. For example, sunflowers are a good border plant, attracting lacewings and parasitic wasps; radishes are good to inter-plant because they repel the striped cucumber beetle; and marigolds are good to both use as a border and inter-plant, as they attract hover flies and repel root nematodes, Mexican bean beetles, aphids, and Colorado potato beetles. It can be confusing, and not all plants work well together. Your best bet is to start simple, determine what pests you encounter, and work from there, altering the plants in your garden bed as needed from year to year. Often, a mixture of flowers, vegetables and herbs work well together in a single bed.

For a good guide to the basics of companion planting, consult Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening: Companion Planting. Making your bed. Making your bed can be as simple as marking off 3-by-5-foot sections of garden with pathways left between them. However, to optimize the advantages of planting in garden beds, raise your beds. Raised beds provide lighter, deeper, more nutrient-rich, water absorbent soil. Raised beds, however, must be regarded as permanent in order to maintain their splendor. They cannot be walked on or broken down at the end of the season. You can build sides on your bed with bricks, rocks, or cedar 2-by-4 or 2-by-six planks to maintain the shape instead of raking and reshaping the bed every year.

Stay away from pressure-treated wood, as it is treated with wood preservatives that are harmful to you and the environment. How do you achieve raised beds? With double-digging, of course! (This is also known as hard work.)

Double-digging raised beds. 1. Dig out the top one-foot of soil along one end of the bed. Keep the soil in a wheelbarrow or on a groundcloth. 2. Loosen the exposed subsoil by thrusting in a spading fork and twisting its tines back and forth. For extra benefit, add a small amount of organic matter and work it in as you loosen that subsoil. 3. Once the subsoil is loosened, move over and begin removing the topsoil from the next strip of garden bed. This time, instead of keeping the topsoil that you are removing, shovel it over the subsoil to which you have just added the organic matter. You can add a little more organic matter to the topsoil as you shovel. 4. Repeat step 3. 5. When you have reached the last row of your garden bed, use the reserved topsoil to cover the last area of exposed subsoil. 6. Plant!

Composting Compost is a great fertilizer and can aid in pest prevention. Compost is created when microorganisms, earthworms and nematodes consume and breakdown organic matter into simpler compounds. This process happens more quickly in an active compost pile because these microorganisms have the required heat, air and moisture, and a diverse supply of raw materials to digest. An active pile requires turning every week to add oxygen and keep the decomposition rate high; a passive pile is a pile of organic matter left to decay over time - usually in one to two years. Whichever method of composting you choose, the first step is making a compost pile. You can layer the materials in a heap, set up a heavy chicken wire frame (this works well for a passive pile), build wooden or concrete-block bins, or buy a commercially made bin to hold your pile.

Some commercial bins have built in rotating turners that will make your job much easier. The ideal size for an active compost pile is 4 feet by 4 feet, though size can vary. Choose a location that is shady and well drained for your pile. Clear away any surface cover at the site, loosen the soil with a spading fork, and put down a layer of wood chips or brush as a base. You can toss in garden or kitchen wastes, grass clippings, newspaper, manure, and sawdust. Avoid adding kitchen waste that is heavy in oil and meat products. Shredded materials make better compost more quickly. Try to alternate layers of plant material (chopped leaves or straw) with nitrogen-rich materials (kitchen scraps with manure and blood meal). Keep your pile moist, at a similar level to a squeezed-out sponge, and keep open piles covered with a tarp or heavy canvas so that they won't become waterlogged in the rain. If your pile becomes too dry, add water with kelp extract to moisten it and stimulate biotic activity.

Turn your active pile regularly, mixing and loosening the materials with a spading fork, to prevent overheating and keep microorganisms happy and active. Ideal active compost temperature should be within 140° to 150°, or at slightly higher temperatures if you are composting diseased plant material, around 160°. Your organic compost pile will yield rich humus that will be an ideal fertilizer to your garden. It will save you the money of buying commercial, synthetic fertilizers, many of which have shown to contain toxic waste. Healthy soil makes for hardy plants. Planning your garden can be the most important thing you do this growing season. With a solid plan in place and established

goals, you can minimize your pest problems and potential frustration, and maximize your growing season, and your garden's beauty. All this while saving on your grocery bill and increasing the quality of food you ingest by leaps and bounds. By planting an organic garden you will also be reducing your carbon footprint via producing some of your food (requiring no transportation or storage at the grocery store or packaging) thus contributing to our culture's sustainability in general. Check out Thrifty & Green for more articles on how you can save money and live green.

Suppliers: * Seeds of Change, 888-762-7333, seedsofchange.com * Gardener's Supply Company, 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401, 888-833-1412, (fax) 800-551-6712, gardeners.com * Harmony Farm Supply and Nursery, 3244 Highway 116 North, Sebastopol, CA 95472, 707-823-9125, harmonyfarm.com * Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, P.O. Box 2209, Grass Valley, CA 95949, 888-784-1722, groworganic.com * Gardeners Alive, 5100 Schenley Place, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025, 812-537-8650, gardensalive.com

Resources: * Bradley, Fern M., ed. Chemical-Free Yard & Garden, Eamus: Rodale, 1991. * Troshynski-Thomas, Karen, The Handy Garden Answer Book, Detroit: Visible Ink, 1999.

Victoria and the Butchart Gardens have become synonymous in the minds of most people when you mention either one separately. Almost every tourist who visits Victoria will also include the Gardens in their itinerary.

The Butchart Gardens are located in Brentwood Bay, a village on the Saanich Peninsula that is part of the city of Greater Victoria on Vancouver Island. They are actually about 20 km south of Victoria City centre. There is ample parking on the grounds outside the Gardens and access is also possible by boat at Todd Inlet.

The Butchart Gardens had an interesting genesis. It was originally a limestone quarry worked by Robert Butchart to supply cement for his pioneer work with Portland Cement. By 1904 he had abandoned one part of the quarry and his wife, Jennie, decided to beautify the exhausted site. Jennie and Robert had built themselves a new home on Todd Inlet they named "Benvenuto", now the name of the road passing in front of the Gardens. She had cartloads of topsoil hauled in from neighboring farms and started with some sweet pea seeds and a single rose bush. Eventually she committed herself to the gradual horticultural development of what is now known internationally as The Butchart Gardens.

They were originally called the Sunken Gardens and today features numerous named areas, such as the Japanese Garden. Begun in 1905, the tranquil Japanese Garden is one of the oldest surviving areas of the estate with many of the original plantings still thriving, including Japanese maples, variegated dogwoods and Tibetan blue poppies. There is also a Begonia Bower and a Rose Garden in lieu of the couple's original large kitchen vegetable patch. An Italian Garden was built in 1929 on the site of the old tennis courts.

Mrs. Butchart's garden quickly gained fame. By the 1920s more than fifty thousand people came each year to see her creations. Their manse became a luxurious showplace with a bowling alley, an indoor salt-water swimming pool, a panelled billiard room and a self-playing Aeolian pipe organ, a wonder in its day. Today, the residence contains a restaurant in the Dining Room; offices and rooms are still used for personal family entertaining.

By 2004, the year of its centenary, it had been fully developed and a series of replantings were begun to renew and revitalize the Gardens. It takes a full-time staff of fifty gardeners, using over one million bedding plants in some 700 different varieties to keep the flowers blooming from March until October.

There is always something going on, even in the winter. Starting in the spring, there are hundreds of thousands of blooms from the carefully planted bulbs. Along with the tulips, there are a host of flowering trees and shrubs to create one of the finest displays in North America and rivals the famed tulip displays in Keukenhof Gardens in Leiden, Holland.

The summer brings out the Gardens in their greatest glory, featuring a myriad of differing varieties of flowers. There's music, outdoor entertainment, night illuminations and fireworks every Saturday night. Every evening from June 15 through September 15, one of the largest garden underground wiring installations in North America transforms the Gardens into a glowing wonderland with the thousands of hidden lights.

Autumn brings the Japanese Garden to center stage. The colours peak in mid-October with flaming red and russet maples. There are magnificent arbutus trees, copper beech and 53 varieties of chrysanthemums. It is truly a sight to behold.

In winter, the Gardens are open from December 1 to January 6. There are thousands of colored lights, a "Twelve Nights of Christmas" display and all the tastes and sounds of the Christmas Holidays to welcome you to Christmas at Butcharts.

Nowadays, The Butchart Gardens is still a family business and has grown to become a premier West Coast display garden, while maintaining the traditions of its past. The Butchart Gardens have established an international reputation for their year-round display of flowering plants. Over one million people visit each year, enjoying not only the flora but the entertainment and lighting displays presented each summer and Christmas.

Need container gardening ideas about which season is best for beginning gardeners? What plants to use? Easy design tips for just starting out? Which are really the essential tools you'll need? Consider this your beginner gardening guide.

My first great idea if you're just beginning gardening is an easy one-Start Simple! Though you can fill your flower pots in any season and any way you chose, my best advice is to follow these tips:

• The Right Season: Start your container garden in a season where there are lots of flowers to choose from, and ones that are easy to grow. For most of us, that's spring and summer annuals.
• Simple Design Plan: Have a simple garden design plan-one big planter and three to five smaller ones is a great way to start (remember-stay with an odd number). You can experiment with different types (clay pots, window boxes, glazed ceramic pots, terra cotta)-lots of options!). Try a Corner: Using a few outdoor planters gives you several different design options. Whether you do patio or balcony gardening, or have flowers on your roof or deck, try beginning with one corner: You can center the big one, surround it by smaller ones (remember to use a triangle shape if you can-tier up from front to back in pot height). Tier the medium and smaller pots on a wrought iron stand (here you can use trailing plants effectively), accent with the large planter. Make an asymmetrical design by having the large pot to the left or right, a few showy flower pots surrounding it, then a couple trailing off.
• Get The Soil Right: Start out with commercially made potting soil. It is by far the very best choice. You do not want to get side-tracked by trying to mix your own potting soil in the beginning. Plus-this gives you time to really learn what sort of plants you want to continue growing. Cacti and succulents take vastly different sorts of soils than do herbs and herbaceous perennials. Learn what you like, then learn to mix the soils they love.The other good thing about commercial mixes is you won't have soil-borne pests, weeds, and diseases to contend with.
• Get the Basics: Don't go hog wild, just get the gardening tools you need. You'll have fun adding more gardening supplies later. Start with hand tools:
  • a trowel (the scoop variety is great, with teeth)
  • a shovel (for a big pot)
  • gardening gloves
  • container for mixing soil, water gel crystals, fertilizer pellets (a small wheelbarrow or just any old tub will do-just make sure you can move it)
  • A GOOD pair of gardening shears. If you have an investment to make, do it here. You won't believe how much you'll use your pruning shears.

Here's a bit more info, on basic gardening supplies you'll want:

• Pruning Shears: Be sure to get pruning shears, not loping shears, which are way too large for container gardening. And, make sure you like the way they fit and feel in your hand.
• A watering can: Try to get one with a detachable nozzle so you can unclog it. This also gives you the option of watering without the tip and sending a stronger stream into your plant pot. Plastic is a good choice here-you can find large watering cans that hold a lot of water, but are lightweight. Other materials like painted tin or decorative metal can be pretty, but they can rust and also can get heavy.
• Water Nozzle: If you have the option, it's always good to locate your container garden near a hose. It's much, MUCH easier to buy a nozzle with a bunch of settings ("jet" for clean-up, "shower" for watering etc.) than to try to do it with one watering can with only one setting.
• Optional: a knife (good for dividing plants), a hat, and a plastic tarp (good to do your planting on, it makes clean-up a lot easier).
• Gloves: I don't know about you, but I end up stripping off my gardening gloves all the time. For me, they're too bulky and clumsy and I can't get a good feel for the plants and soil-especially small plants and potting soil that needs some softening up. I use those really thin plastic gloves you get at any grocery store. You can buy a whole box for not much money. They do tear, I have to be honest. But it's better than nothing-which is how I usually end up anyway!

OK, Final thought: One other great thing about gardening in containers is that you don't have to weed! Well, not much anyway!

Hydroponic supplies are necessary for those keen to try the hydroponics methods of growing plants. Here the plants are typically cultivated in water solutions minus soil which ordinarily would have been responsible for capturing and absorbing minerals like potassium, nitrogen and the like. In hydroponic gardening, popularized by Dr. W.F. Gericke in 1937, the plant roots are directly immersed in water solutions or planted in sterile mediums where they are flooded frequently. This helps to lessen mineral loss and controls the amount of nutrients plants actually receive. Hydroponic gardening had been prevalent in ancient days as well and came to be promoted by Gericke who demonstrated the beneficial effects of this method in tomato cultivation.

Hydroponics soon came to be perceived as the best way to improve the global food supply, but it was more often looked upon as supplementing the traditional agricultural methods instead of replacing them completely. This is because hydroponics systems are not suited for all plant types and need to be administered with a lot of caution. You need several hydroponic supplies to begin hydroponic gardening. Hydroponic supplies differ greatly depending on the system you select although majority use the basic hydroponic tools and hydroponic supplies. Typically you will need pumps, reservoirs and aerators and trays to start off.

Advantages Of Hydroponic Gardening:

* Guarantees better harvest of quality rich vegetables and fruits throughout the year * With a clean root zone medium, plants are not exposed to diseases and pathogens and it successfully eliminates weeds * You can introduce more crop cycles with hydroponic supplies than would have been possible in traditional gardening * With artificial lights and manipulating sunlight in greenhouses, crops can be grown in small spaces easily * You can regulate the content and the time of delivery of nutrients and thereby the quality of crops

Types Of Hydroponic Supplies:

* For irrigation purposes, reservoir is needed. This is a big basin for holding the water and nutrients * Pumps are added to the irrigation systems that help to move the liquid solution so that plant roots can absorb it * Next the aerator helps to keep this solution oxygenated allowing plants to survive * Finally, the tray holds the plant crowns away from the liquid at an optimal height so that roots can access the solution to draw nutrients * Light is necessary and the type or amount will depend on how many plants there are and their growth levels * A growing medium to replace the functions of soil will be necessary

Hydroponic supplies can be procured from online merchants who sell them and even help customers to be better informed to make their choices. Hydroponic Canada centers have all equipments for hydroponic gardening and these are available both in stores and online. Hydroponic Vancouver websites ship such gardening kits all across Canada and you can get information about the products, prices and shipping charges from their customer service desk anytime. So opt for hydroponics to enjoy organic food free from pests and diseases. The water used for irrigation can be reused in this type of gardening and no nutrition pollution gets released into the air thanks to this controlled gardening system. This proves why hydroponics has come to be popularly accepted as the safest and best method for food production all over the world.

Have you ever thought about gardening organically at home, but weren't sure where to start?

Many gardeners would love to garden without all the chemicals and sprays, but worry that organic home gardening is difficult and time consuming. Not so! It can be a straightforward and easy way to garden. And it's also cheaper as you no longer have all those chemicals and sprays to buy.

In this article we'll look at the basics of organic gardening - they keys to getting a good foundation so your plants have the best possible chance of success. We'll look at how to prepare your soil, and see how easy it actually is to understand and improve your soil from the outset. We'll also have a quick look at the bugs in your garden, and how you can protect your plants from the bad ones, and encourage the good ones.

Organic gardening may require a little more time and understanding from you as a gardener, however the rewards and satisfaction are huge. Read on to find out the basics you need to know.

The main things to know about organic gardening:

Soil: Your soil is the lifeblood of your plants, and time spent now (boring as it is!) will really help you later. Firstly, you need to understand what type of soil you have. Most soils fall along a continuum from sandy to clay, and all can be improved by digging in rich organic matter. It also helps to know the acidity of your soil and the easiest way to find out is using a pH testing kit from your local garden center. These are very simply to use and will let you know if your soil is acid, alkaline, or just right. Ideally you want your soil to be just slightly acid - between 6.0 and 7.0 pH is ideal - and there are a number of organic ways we can achieve this. If you need to improve the pH of your soil then your garden center is your best place to start, as they will understand the soil types in your region.

Once you start gardening then feeding your soil twice a year with organic fertilizers and compost will help keep your soil in great condition.

Plants: If growing from seed then you can find a huge range of organic seeds available these days. It's also best to try to find plants that are naturally disease resistant - they will often say so on the packet. Heritage seeds can be ideal, and also provide another point of interest in your garden. If you're growing vegetables, then only plant vegetables that you will eat! This will help to keep you interested in your garden and reduce waste.

Finally, work out a crop rotation plan to help maintain the health of your soil. A 4 year rotation plan is ideal.

Pest Control: Pests are a constant menace in the garden and tend to worry organic gardeners in particular. However there are a range of pest control methods available. These can include companion planting, manually removing the bugs - either from the plant or the planet, depending on how annoyed you are with them - and there are also a range of homemade organic sprays and teas which can be very effective. A simple spray of dishwashing detergent (only a few drops), water and neem oil is great for aphids, whitefly and other pests.

But remember that your garden needs the good insects such as ladybugs and hoverflies, so be careful when you spray.

Fertilizers and soil conditioning: Homemade fertilizers and compost are a great way to feed your soil and also reduce your household waste - all your green waste can go into your compost bin and worm farm. Generally, depending on your climate, homemade compost will be ready to use after 3 to 4 months. It will smell sweet and be crumbly in your hand.

Fertilizers can also be animal-based if you have a local friendly farmer with a ready supply of the main ingredient, however if you are using animal manure make sure it is completely rotted and decomposed before you add to your garden.

Equipment: The only other equipment you may want to consider when gardening organically is a compost bin or worm farm. You can buy these from your garden centre or make one yourself. Just ensure that your bins are easy to reach from the house on a clean path, otherwise you are less likely to add your green waste.

And now you're ready to plant! I wish you happy, healthy and successful gardening.