Your Summer Garden

Your Summer Garden : Your Summer Garden Heidi Rockwell

What do you Envision? : What do you Envision? Oh My! You just walked into an enchanting garden and feel the tranquility and beauty of the earth. You have a space but you have just never taken it to the level of making it into your own special place. Or you want to grow your own fruits or vegetables, spices or just go organic. The task seems overwhelming or you just do not have the information you need to get started. You have never had a garden and do not know how. You think it is too much work. You think it will cost you too much money. You are a city person. You think there is no place to grow anything, maybe you do not have a patio or a yard. You do not think you can do it. Gardening is very easy, affordable and does not take very much time.

What Kind of Garden? : What Kind of Garden? A Family Gathering Ornamental Vegetable, Food A Quiet Place A Romantic Place A mixture

Draw it : Draw it You can draw it by hand or use a simple software program. Draw the dimensions and what you would like in your garden. Get ideas and start the planning process. Here are some software downloads. http://www.bbc.co.uk (Virtual Garden Tool) http://www.bhg.com (Plan a Garden) Software: Smart Draw Google Sketch Showoff.com

Annuals vs.. Perennials : Annuals vs.. Perennials Annual is a plant that must be planted every year, only goes for a season usually due to weather. Perennials bloom over and over every year they come back or they stay all year round.

Container Gardening : Container Gardening If you live in a bad soil area you can garden using containers or build a new bed for your plants. If you do not have a yard or a patio it can be done indoors provided you have sufficient light and air to provide for your plants growth.

Germinate vs. Nursery : Germinate vs. Nursery It is much less cost to germinate your seeds or propagate from other plants than it is to go to the nursery. It takes longer and your plants will be small. Going to the nursery saves time and you do not have to wait and see what your plants will look like.

How to germinate seeds : How to germinate seeds As a child we would take egg cartons and fill each cradle with soil and place the seeds in the soil about an inch. Then we would water it and cover it with plastic wrap and set in front of the sunniest window in the house. In about a week we would get sprouts. Then we would remove the plastic and keep soil moist until sprout grows enough to go outside in garden or container.

How to propagate form plants : How to propagate form plants There are a few techniques for propagation, Generally when a plant has grown too thick and full for the area it is in, you remove a sprout from the root. You can pull them off but sometimes you have to cut them. Irises are about the easiest or any type of bulb plant. Hostas are another easy plant to propagate, as long as you get a piece with a root, you can plant it and it will grow beautifully.

Research your plants : Research your plants Know what climate zone you live in. http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/plants.htm Know what your plants favor, sunlight or shade. Soil type, PH, sandy, clay, rocky, air Watering a little or a lot. Its known diseases and predators ( worms, ants, etc….) What thrives and is indigenous to where you live. Ask your neighbors or local farmers.

Do a Final Draft : Do a Final Draft By this time you should do a final draft of what you want your garden to look like and what you want to plant. Do a Final Draft of your garden plans. You are now ready to start your garden!

Getting Seeds : Getting Seeds * You can buy seeds online through a supplier. * Go to a local Nursery and get them. * Take them from plants and trees when the time is right. * Take them from the food you eat. * Order them from a catalog. * You can get them for free sometimes by asking around. Some people are delighted to share their heirloom seeds and gardening tips. Same with the clippings.

Getting Clipping from other plants : Getting Clipping from other plants You will need to be ready for the clippings and the seeds once you get them. Generally clippings are taken from the root and transplanted. Potting Soil and containers will be needed. Generally seeds that are bought will have all of the instructions and information about your plant on the envelope. Most generic potting soils will work for most plants. A large bag will cost a few dollars. Your containers should have a hole in the bottom for drainage or the roots will rot and your plant will die. To start with a five inch pot is good, just about anything will work. Styrofoam cups, plastic cups, clay or ceramic pots, even an old tea or coffee cup. Your container should be about three times bigger than your plant, ideally, so your plants roots will have room to grow.

Preparing your plot : Preparing your plot It is better to start off small. Your First Time. The soil must be loosened up, either you can rent a tiller (machine) or do it by hand, using a hoe. This is the hardest part and requires the most work. Loosen the soil about six inches deep. Cover with fresh sterile potting soil, no bug or fungus infestation. Start planting your plants according to the directions. Place the plant in a three to five inch hole, cover the roots and pack it tight. After planting you must water the soil to get rid of air pockets and to prevent root rot.

Watch it Grow ! : Watch it Grow ! Watering is good usually once a week. Depending on your climate. Miracle Grow is a good nutrient to add once a month. Some plants have special nutrients that you can add to make them extra healthy. Watch for pests, bugs, aphids, ants Some insects are beneficial to your plants, make sure you don’t get rid of the good ones. Try to use organic pesticides if you do.

Vegetables and Fruit : Vegetables and Fruit Be careful about what you spray on your garden, it could be toxic and you are going to eat that. There are many recipes for getting rid of unwanted pests in a natural way without harming the environment or your health. Another class on that.

Another Caution : Another Caution Make sure that the plants you pick are not poisonous to children or animals.

Other Websites and information : Other Websites and information http://www.khake.com/page78.html Seed Suppliers http://www.seedquest.com/keyword/vegetableseed/suppliers.htm  http://www.mosaorganic.org/seedsup.html http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/Seed.html  http://www.worldagroforestry.org/SEA/

Trial and Error : Trial and Error It seems we all have our favorite plants that do well for us. There are some plants that will not do so well, do not get discouraged, try something else. Remember that plants have cycles, they may be dormant for a period, they come back like a good friend showing us their beauty and the miracle of the earth.

Seed Suppliers : Seed Suppliers http://www.naturemoms.com   Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  - Great source for heirlooms  - http://www.rareseeds.com/   Burpee Seeds & Plants  - http://www.burpee.com/  Charley's Greenhouse  - http://charleysgreenhouse.com   Cook's Garden - Kitchen gardening veggies -organichttp://st6.yahoo.com/cooksgarden/  Cyndie's Catalogue of Garden Catalogues http://www.qnet.com/~johnsonj/  Green People Organic, Heirloom, un-treated, organic seed suppliers mostly in North America http://www.greenpeople.org/seeds.htm  Elite Farmer -Aims to disseminate information of use to people with small farms or rural property. Topics include Seeds, plants, garden, flowers and much more Most documents are in pdf format.  ForFarmers.com - ForFarmers.com is a marketplace for buying and selling seeds, crops, forage, flowers, fruit, fruit tree, herb, garden, shrubs, oil, vegetable and a wide range of services including job opportunities. Heirloom French Seeds  - http://www.terredesemences.com/

Seed Suppliers Cont : Seed Suppliers Cont Heirloom Seeds  - Good variety of seeds of all veggies http://www.heirloomseeds.com   Johnny Seeds  - http://www.johnnyseeds.com/  Mail Order Catalogues  - http://pbmfaq.dvol.com/list/index.html  Marianna's Heirloom Seeds  - http://www.mariseeds.com  Nichols Garden Nursery  - Herbs and Rare Seedshttp://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/  Park Seed Co.  -http://www.parkseed.com   Peters Seed and Research http://www.pioneer-net.com/psr/page6.html   Pinetree Garden Seeds  - http://www.superseeds.com/home.htm

Seed Suppliers : Seed Suppliers Reimer Seed  - http://www.reimerseeds.com/  Renee's Garden  -http://www.reneesgarden.com   Richters  - Herb Specialistshttp://www.richters.com/   Ronniger's Potato Farm - http://www.ronnigers.com/  Seed Savers Exchange  -Heirloom varieties, seed and transplants http://www.seedsavers.org   Select Seeds  - Antique Flowershttp://www.selectseeds.com/  Southern Exposure Seed Exchange http://www.southernexposure.com/   Territorial Seed Co.  - http://www.territorial-seed.com/        See review Below!

Seed Suppliers Cont : Seed Suppliers Cont Tomato Fest  - The Tomatoe's Lover's Paradise http://www.tomatofest.com/home.html   Tomato Growers Supply  - http://www.tomatogrowers.com/  Tropilab  - Exporter & wholesaler of medicinal plants, herbs & tropical seeds  - http://www.tropilab.com/vegetables.html   Victory Seeds http://www.victoryseeds.com/information/planting_guide.html   Whatcom Seed Company - Interesting and unusual seeds http://seedrack.com/indexs.html      http://www.cityfarmer.org/seeds.html   http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Free_Pictures_of_Vegetable_Garden

My Favorites : My Favorites Tomatoes will grow anywhere, they love the sun! Strawberries, easy easy easy! Citrus Trees, orange, lemon, lime. Dill, sage, rosemary, basil and oregano can be grown in your kitchen. Bamboo is a wonderful decorative plant for the garden, it is hearty.

About the Author : About the Author Heidi Rockwell is from Ohio. She grew up farming and enjoys gardening. Canning and cooking fresh vegetables and fruits is a favorite pastime of hers. She makes homemade wine from fresh fruits. She loves orchids, roses and bonsai.

Heidi Rockwell : Heidi Rockwell Allthatmatters2010@yahoo.com http://www.rockwelltravelagency.com http://www.rockwelltravel.com