More To This Than I Thought!

Gardening for Leisure

Are you retired or a home maker and have extra time on your hands? Looking for a great hobby or project to fill that time? Well, you should consider gardening. Gardening is extremely stress relieving, will give you plenty to think about (all those beatiful plants, shrubs, flowers and trees to pick out!) and will be very rewarding in the long run. There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the end results of a great fruit and vegetable garden, a flower garden, or beautifying your lawn with trees, shrubs and decor. Your neighbors will love it as well as the wildlife! So I say, while the weather is still nice outside, it's time to plant!

More To This Than I Thought!

I've done a little research and apparently there is more to gardening and astrology than I thought. In fact there is an ancient tradition of assigning plants to planets. In the 17the century English herbalist and astrologer, Nicoloas Culpeper applied his knowledge of this to English plants.

On the site www.starwaves.co.uk/astrologygardens.html astrologer Jean Elliot will help you design a permanent astrology garden. There are large and small designs and you can have your own birth chart on the ground. There are even joint birth charts for couples in the shape of a chart wheel.

If you want to create something interesting, meaningful and a conversation piece in your yard you should give it a try!

Vegetable, Fruit & Herb Gardens

Are you looking to enrich the taste and vitamin source of your foods? Nothing is better than home grown produce and with a little know how and attentive gardening you can produce your very own tomatoes, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, strawberries and more. Enjoy the rich flavor and wide variety of homegrown vegetables and then you can spice up your life and your health with your own herb garden as well. Grow herbs in pots or in the garden for cooking, drying and more. Reap the tastes of angelica, thyme and others. You will love the tasty meals and deserts you will create from the rich products of your very own vegetable, fruit and herb garden!

Gardening Workshops

Gardening Workshops

Do you want to grow healthy, organic vegetables, fruits and herbs for you and your family to eat but do not know where to begin? Then check out a gardening workshop to help you fix up your green thumb and learn some great tips on organic gardening. There are gardening workshops all over for beginners or advanced gardeners that cover everything form rain barrels to pest control. Learn how to collect your own rainwater for your yard, garden or flowers and also to chase those unwanted bugs and pests away healthy and naturally. Check the Internet or call your local nurseries to find out about gardening workshops in your area.

How To Pick Gardening Sheers

Regardless of where you live, how big or small the job or if you are a do-it-yourself gardener or a professional gardener, there are always specific gardening tools you will need for those jobs in the yard.

Pick wisely as you will need garden sprayers, hedge sheers, lopping sheers, pruning sheers and tree pruners.

For your top quality gardening needs you will want durability that ensures these cutting tools will remain sharp use after use. This may mean not always looking for the most inexpensive deals on gardening tools and supplies as a few more dollars spent may be well worth it.

Gardening Tips For Summer

Regardless of what types of plants or trees you have in your gardening area there are some tips you should follow for summer. For example, citrus trees should not be pruned for fruit to produce. These trees are susceptible to both frost damage in winter and sunburn in the summer so keep those low lying branches in tack. Gardening advice for modern roses is major pruning should be done in January or February, old garden roses flower on old wood so you should prune after spring around May. Conifers should be pruned when dormant in winter months. If you have ornamental grass cut back 4-6 inches in winter and leave alone in the summer. If you have barrel cactus in your gardening area that have bloomed in the spring there is no need to remove those dried, spent flowers in summer as they will fall off naturally.

Your Kids and Gardening

Get your kids outdoors with you to help out with planting and gardening. They will really love the whole experience!

And here's why...most kids love digging in the dirt and getting dirty, planting seeds is easy and watering the soil is something that would be a great 'chore' for them to do, especially when they can watch their creations come to life. It is an educational experience for them that could also turn out to be a lifetime hobby.

There are some great children's kits you can buy to provide them with their very own sized tools. Some include a mini trowel, hoe, rake, pots and saucers, spray bottle, seeds, gloves and more! It will definately be worth it for them and you!

Little kay in his Garden

April Shower's Bring Colorful Life, You Know!

Hopefully you live in an area where spring weather is here and you are not still suffering through the aftermath of winter storms. But if you live where signs of spring are starting to pop up all around you, you are in luck!

If you started planting your flowers, plants or trees in March you might already be benefitting from Spring's April Showers which can make your hard efforts already blossom into wonderful bouquets of beauty. If you still need to dig those flowerbeds and give your lawn a good dose of weed and feed it's not too late to benefit from the seasons great moist weather.

Break out your gardening gloves, shovel, rake, hoe and mulch and get started. Whatever you decide to plant you will soon reap the rewards of a gorgeous garden that will last all summer and into the fall and longer!