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
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
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
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
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