Easy Water Gardening

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Anderson]Darlene Anderson

If you've wanted to add water to your landscaping, a water feature is the perfect, easy way to get started. Water features are today's hottest trend in landscaping. Water features or gardens create a great natural focal point in your gardens and the sight and sound of running water brings a magical, refreshing feel to the landscape.

If you're not sure you want to tackle a pond or waterfall, or don't have the space for one, a water tub garden would be the perfect solution.

Tub or container water gardens are easy to build, and can be placed almost anywhere you want to bring moving water. Put them by the front door, the back deck, or close to your favorite sitting area. The one requirement for running water is electricity, so locate the tub water garden near an electrical outlet. If you don't have electricity you can still have a water garden, just without the running water.

The first step is to choose a container or reservoir which needs to hold water and there are many beautiful containers available without drainage holes which work great for water gardening. Ceramic and concrete are popular materials or you can also make them out of wood, metal, rock, or plastic. A container that is at least 8-12 inches deep, or deeper and twelve inches across or larger will work, but the average size of tub gardens seems to be around two feet across and one to three feet deep.

You will need to purchase a small fountain pump. Usually the pump is rated by how many inches up it will pump the water. You'll need to keep in mind how high the water will need to be pumped to work in your water feature and purchase an appropriate size.

The fountainhead or water source is a key design element in every fountain. Using stacks of stones, or pottery pieces, and concealing the pump and hose creates a feature that seems to magically pour forth water.

Another popular fountainhead is a spout made from bamboo or copper pipe, or clay jars, old watering cans, and old iron pumps can also be used. You can find many fountainheads or spitters that are already created and sold for immediate use and are very simple to connect the pump to the fountain head with a piece of vinyl tubing that slips over the outlet of the pump while the other end goes to where you want the fountainhead to begin.

The finishing touch for your water feature is to add some plants and there are many water plants to choose from. Just choose from smaller varieties depending on the size of your water feature. Some possibilities are: miniature water lilies, water primrose creeper, small rush plants, dwarf papyrus, creeping jenny or cardinal flower, just to name a few.

Some floating plants such as water hyacinth or water lettuce are nice choices to fill in around the plants. The plants can be put right into the water in the pots they come in. A couple of small gold fish will do quite well in your water feature, if desired, and don't need to be fed as they will feed off of microorganisms, algae cells and other matter which will help keep the water algae free..

The relative ease of setting up a water feature will have you enjoying the soothing sound of water in no time. The fun of growing plants in water and setting up water features will be quite rewarding and you may find yourself looking for more places to put these fun water features.

A great source for all the plants and supplies you need to start a water garden can be found at http://www.myprairiegardenhome.com

Darlene Anderson has been gardening and growing plants for over 30 years. Gardening on the prairie has presented her with many challenges and experiences. She shares some of those experiences at http://www.happygardener-darlkay52.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Anderson http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Water-Gardening&id=1175366

Organic Gardening Additives

Organic Gardening Additives - Seafood Byproducts, Seaweed and Other Sources
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_C._Banks]John C. Banks

Organic gardening can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and grow beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables. An important step in organic gardening is soil preparation. Experienced gardeners know that nothing beats rich, organic soil for growing a lush and productive garden. Although organic gardeners may choose to skip chemical fertilizers, most experienced gardening enthusiasts know that there are excellent organic solutions to make your vegetables thrive.

Among the most beneficial additives to an organic garden are items from the ocean and its tributaries. These include leftover portions of crabs, fish, lobsters, shrimp, and even seaweed. These valuable sources of nutrients and minerals can be collected in a number of ways.

Crustaceans are a favorite source of minerals for organic gardening. Lobsters, crabs and shrimp all have hard shells which contain limestone, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and other important minerals. Buying fresh seafood is a great way to obtain these wonderful shells. Using crustacean shells is very easy. After preparing a meal, the shells and other scraps are simply put in the compost pile or dried in the sun. The dried shells and other parts provide an excellent source of minerals which are dispersed over a period of months, helping to prevent runoff problems and lowering the need to re-apply nutrients during the season.

Fish scraps are another excellent contribution to your organic garden. Fish have been used to nourish crops for thousands of years as they are excellent sources of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other important minerals. Fish heads, scales, skin and bones all make great additions to a garden. Fish parts can be laid in a sunny area to dry, then added to a compost pile or buried in a fallow section of the garden. Like crustacean shells, fish scales, bones and skin release nutrients slowly, providing plants with a natural, steady dispersion.

Seaweed is another excellent additive. Seaweed needs to be rinsed or set out in an open area until rainfall removes the excess salt. Once the seaweed has been desalinated, it can be used as mulch, added to a compost pile or worked into the soil.

Even sea shells can find uses in an organic garden. They also release trace amounts of limestone and other minerals and make useful tools such in decorative borders or to anchor mulch in place.

Gardeners near freshwater also have treasures for the garden as they may find crayfish shells, small fish and other items to enrich soil.

The author maintains several seafood related websites including [http://www.fresh-seafood.net/]Fresh-Seafood and [http://www.chesapeake-bay.org]Chesapeake Bay News.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_C._Banks http://EzineArticles.com/?Organic-Gardening-Additives---Seafood-Byproducts,-Seaweed-and-Other-Sources&id=1283091

Hydroponic Gardening Made Easy

By Simon Morris

Hydroponic gardening has become popular over the last few years because of its many benefits. Some of these are the lack of insects inside the house, you can grow 24 hours a day, the temperature can be kept perfectly stable, they do not take a lot of space and you can even keep the CO2 levels right where ya want them.

Hydroponics gardening does not use any dirt when growing the plants but there are many ways of doing this. The most common of these systems is the ebb and flow system. This system fills up and drains a try that the plants are sitting in every few hours. This keeps the roots nice and wet. The water then drains into a reservoir under the plant try and there waits to be reused. This water has the perfect PH and amount of nutrients necessary for the plants that you are growing. The strong light, perfect atmosphere and a perfect nutrient mix creates a perfect plant. You can grow amazing veggies with hydroponics peppers really come out great.

Hydroponics doesn't have to be done inside. People have outdoor systems too. Many of these systems have buckets filled with lava rock, a reservoir with the perfect nutrient water mixture all connected to a timer that lets the water flow in and out of the plant trays ever hour or so. There are many options for the growing medium in a hydroponics system. People use things like gravel, lava rocks, even rock wool cubes.

The hardest part of growing hydroponics is keep the correct PH level in the water. Like a jacuzzi there is one thing to raise PH and one thing to lower it but you still need to keep an eye on it frequently. The most popular way to check the PH is use the paper strips that turn color after sticking them in the water. You then match the color to a chart to determine the level. Another popular way is to use the digital PH meter which is the one i recommend because it reads much more accurately.

The type of system people pick is usually a personal choice. The three main types are the ebb and flow, the drip system and the Aeroponic system. These use the same concept for the most part. The fertilizer you use is the most important choice if you plan on growing any edible plants.
If you are planning on growing veggies or herbs using the hydro system make sure to ask questions so there is no chemicals or harmful ingredients in the mix. This is very important because some of the solutions are harmful for your health if they are consumed. The best bet for edible plats is to use some organic solution. They sell these at most hydro stores. The problem with these is the PH levels are much more unstable and require constant checking.

If this sounds like the thing for you then i suggest giving hydroponics gardening a chance because it can give you the very best plants.

Though there might be hundreds of Types of systems, Drip, Ebb and Flow, Water, Wick, Culutre, N.F.T Wick, Water Culture, Ebb and Flow, Drip, N.F.T., Aeroponic and more. There really are amny but these are the six basic types of these.

Simon Morris is a horticulture specialist with over 10 years experience in the field. For detailed information on Hydroponic gardening, click the link below:
http://www.ourgardensource.com/Container-Gardening/Hydroponic-Gardening.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Morris
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hydroponic-Gardening-Made-Easy&id=1134842

Container Gardening 101

Container Gardening 101
By Victoria Rosendahl

Container gardening is a great way to grow flowers, herbs and even some vegetables in a small space. Containers come in all different shapes and sizes; they can be plastic, cement or ceramic; and they come in a variety of colors.

Here are some ideas I've used successfully in my container garden.

Bulbs and spring flowers

One of the nicest ways to utilize a container is to plant bulbs and spring flowers in the fall. Now, as I've said before, spring bulbs are really something that are the most effective in gardens that have winter temperatures that dip below freezing.

This is what I do with bulbs in my containers. In the fall, I'll take a variety of bulbs like daffodils and tulips and grape hyacinth and I'll plant them deep in the container. Check your bulb packet to see how deeply you should be planting them.

Then, to top off the container, I plant pansies. Pansies are a kind of flower that can easily go from fall to spring without having to re-plant.

Even if you live in the harshest winters, you can still plant pansies in the fall and throw a load of mulch over them for heavy winters. Your spring garden will overflow with pansies starting to bounce back and you'll have pretty color around your tall bulb stems.

If you love tulips and live in an area populated with moles, voles and squirrels, container planting is the answer. Interplant them with daffodils and hyacinth for a gorgeous display.

Herbs and Annual Flowers

Another terrific application for container gardening is to grow herbs and annuals in them.

I love to plant window and deck boxes with colorful varieties of annuals, herbs that I use frequently in cooking and bunches of trailing plants like licorice and ivy. Just remember that window and deck boxes will dry out much faster because they are more shallow than other containers. Use a good water retention potting mix and keep an eye on dryness in the heat of the summer. Water in the early morning for best retention.

Look for colors that not only go well together but complement your landscape..

Container Vegetable Gardening

I have grown vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, peas and bush beans in containers and raised beds. Sometimes, I've even grown them in between flowers and bulbs and this gives your container some texture and makes things interesting as well as being useful.

If you'd like to grow tomatoes in a container and your space is limited, make sure you choose a container large enough to hold a couple of plants. Use tomato stakes and garden Velcro to keep everything upright and growing well. You can find tomato containers that are self-watering in home centers, catalogs and on the Net. They're great for a deck or patio.

And, when growing tomatoes in a container, spring for an extra one -- they're not pricey and should last many seasons -- so you can rotate your tomatoes year to year.

Victoria Rosendahl has been getting her hands dirty in the garden since she was 10. She writes a free monthly ezine, The Frugal Gardener, (http://www.myfrugalgardener.com) and has designed the ultimate raised garden bed, GardenRack, which allows you to garden without bending or kneeling. Check out her site at http://www.garden-rack.com or send her an email at info@garden-rack.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victoria_Rosendahl
http://EzineArticles.com/?Container-Gardening-101&id=1060003