How To Make a Raised Garden Bed

More and more people are going through tough times economically so when it comes to gardening they want to do it because of the many rewards – saving money, canning, preserving, dehydrating, freezing and eating food fresh and organically instead of buying it in the store. Raised beds are becoming more and more popular because people just don’t have the time to weed them on a regular basis nor do they have time to rent equipment to get the land ready. Raised beds are very beneficial and in some locations be used year round.

Raised beds can be used with wood, containers or even tires. The most cost efficient and the most common is the wooden raised beds. With our step by step instructions you can successfully make a raised bed in no time!

Tools – hammer, wood, potting soil/compost/manure mixture, newspapers, level, saw, nails

Step 1 – Determine the area that you are going to place your raised bed. Go ahead and make sure there is no unwanted weeds and the ground is semi-level.

Step 2 – Measure the area and cut your pieces of wood so that you can make a box or rectangle, cut your pieces of wood and then nail or screw them together at the ends to make your shape.

Step 3- Once your box or bed is made, you can lay newspapers in the bottom, a few layers will work best this will keep weeds from growing. Cover the newspaper and fill your bed with potting soil, manure or compost mixture. Filling your bed a few inches from the top works best.

Step 4 – level your soil by taking a board and running it slowly across to level the soil out. Now you are ready for plants, seeds or anything else that you want to plant in it.

Raised beds are very beneficial and are becoming increasingly popular because if you ever decide that you do not want the bed anymore they are easy to remove and your grass will grow back instead of having a tilled up area. Raised beds will also keep moisture in and keep a steady soil temperature so that even in the coldest months all you will need to do is cover your plants for safety. Making a raised bed is enjoyable and fun, so enjoy! 

Making Floral Arrangements

Making flower arrangements can be lots of fun.  A lot of imagination and creativity can be used when trying to create a wonderful masterpiece with flowers.  There are also items that can be used other that flowers to add spice to arrangements.

There are a lot of varieties of flowers that can be used when thinking of arrangements.  Silk, dried or liveflowers can be added to arrangements to make them beautiful and breathtaking.  Imagination can run wild when creating a special centerpiece for a table or for any area in a home.  Flower arrangements are also a great way to say “Thank You” to a special person for something that they have done for you or someone else.  There is not anyone that would not like to receive a beautiful arrangement of flowers and they also help to brighten peoples day.

Flower arrangements can be made in lots of containers such as vases, bowls and baskets.  When making an arrangement the right flowers need to be selected.  When using real flowers pick the ones that will last for several days and will stay vibrantly pretty.  Silk flowers are a great way to go because these will always be pretty and can be used over and over.  Special touches such as dried items can be added to add beauty to arrangements and also pictures can also be added to add a personal touch to an arrangement. 

Pick the right container or vase that the flowers will fit into perfectly and have room for water in them if you are using real flowers.  Also if you are using a foam base for flowers you will not want a clear container so that the green or white floral foam will not show.  When using real flowers the stems will need to be trimmed at an angle to allow them to get the right amount of water they need and some plant food can also be added to help keep them alive longer.

Items such as a beautiful bow can also be added to a vase or container of flowers to add a lot of color to the arrangement.  Flower arrangements can also be created to fit the season and all holidays.  Fall and Christmas arrangements can be made beautiful but a budget should be set on how much will be spent because they can become very pricey if purchasing silk flowers.  Craft stores will also offer great sales on silk and dried flowers and a consumer can sometimes get them at 50% off.

Mums Make Great Additions to Your Fall Landscape

With summer coming to an end, this means that many of the summer flowers that everyone loves so much are dying back.  This does not mean that your yard and home has to go without flowers for the fall season, you can decorate with Mums.  Mums are great perennial flowers that many people get for the fall season.   They are very easy to grow and to keep up with.  Mums look beautiful in the ground and in flower pots placed on the front steps of a porch or sidewalk.  Mums are very simple flowers that are not complicated to take care of at all if you follow just a few simple instructions, you should be good to go! You just need a place that will get at least 5 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.   Morning sun would be the best option, but they will still be fine if you can only give them afternoon sun.  If you are wanting to plant your Mums in a pot/container remember to use a fertile and well-draining soil because you don’t the flower to end up getting too much water.  If mums stand in water too long the moisture can mess up the root systems.  Mums that are planted in pots will need to be watered more frequently than mums that are planted in the ground.  One thing that you can look at to see if your flower is not getting enough water is if the lower leaves begin to turn brown and wilt.   This means you need to water your flower more often.   When watering you flowers try not to get too much water on the blooms because this could cause your mum to get a disease.  

Try and plant your mums so that can give it plenty of room to grow, placing them too close to other 

structures can harm the roots of the plant cause the plant not to flourish.  Also, try not to let mums get too much artificial sunlight during the nighttime because mums need an extended period of darkness to bloom.  Remember to pick off any dead blooms to try and support new blooms to grow.  If you follow all of these tips then you should have no trouble at all growing your mums.  Mums if taken care of right can last all season. They come in a variety of colors ranging from orange, yellow, pink, burgundy, purple, and white.  They also can range in size and shape.  You can’t go wrong with decorating you yard and home with this wonderful fall flower.         

Winter Gardening Tips

As the summer harvest winds down and the first crisp winds of autumn bring the first chill to the air many gardeners are already starting to plan what they will be putting in the ground come spring. This may be the wrong idea, however, because gardening isn’t just a spring and summer hobby, it’s a four season pastime. By following a few simple steps the garden can be prepared for cold weather which will make spring planting easier, and allow some of the cold resistant vegetables to actually flourish.

First, as with any seasonal preparation, the soil has to be considered before anything else. There will be some nutrient depletion in the soil after the growing season, and no winter vegetables are to be grown or if the bed is to be used for planting annual flowers in the spring this is the best time to replace those used nutrients. Be sure to remove any spent vegetables or annuals from the garden bed, if these plants were healthy they can, in turn; be composted and added back to the soil later. Till or turn the soil with a spade to a depth of about six inches, this will help to loosen and aerate the soil which will be beneficial the next spring, then add about a two inch layer of compost to the top of the soil and rake it to spread it evenly. This will allow the compost to enrich the soil to root depth during the winter. If growing cold tolerant vegetables be sure and mulch around them too as this will not only feed the plant but also serve to help keep it warmer and producing longer. Perennial vegetable like asparagus should be covered with a layer of mulch when they begin to go dormant for the winter, this will aid the plant and lead to an earlier harvest in spring. 

During winter taking care of cold sensitive plants can be as easy as covering them with an old blanket, tarp, or even unfolded newspaper on those night when the thermometer dips below level to produce frost. For smaller plants or young sprouts simply cut the neck out of a plastic two liter bottle and cover the plant to create a sort of mini-greenhouse. When covering plants to protect them from the cold it is a good idea to cover them before nightfall as this will help to hold in residual heat from the daylight hours.

One of the least know and even lesser understood ways to protect tender plants, especially if they are caught by a late frost and have begun to produce buds, is to cover them with ice. As night approaches simply place the garden sprinkler near the plants and let it run. This will cause ice to form on the plants, but, contrary to popular opinion, as the water freezes it actually gives off a bit of heat and this can be enough to protect those tender shoots and buds from the bite of that late frost.

Gardening is a pastime that has seen a real resurgence in recent years as many people turn back to nature to produce some of the food they consume and to beautify their surroundings. For some this is a mere hobby, for other it has become big business. Either way, a few simple steps in winter can mean a real boost to the spring growing season.

Successful Gardening Tips

Many people think that just having the knowledge of growing basic flowering plants is enough to sustain an online business of selling plants, but the fact is that the real cash flow lies in plants that can be sold year round and that means knowing how to grow beautiful garden plants, trees, and shrubs. Consider trying the following tips to become a successful gardener that is able to grow anything and at the same time, market and sale anything that you grow. A Tree Nursery can also help your venture.

 

• Start off with the right materials to grow healthy plants. This means buying only the best soil, fertilizer, and even containers for the kinds of plants that you will be growing to sale. Take the time to do your research to see what containers and soils the plants typically grow well in and then invest your money into those items. Well spent money will mean well growing flowers.

 

• Choose a location to start your plants off in that will give their growth the most success. Of course a greenhouse is the best bet, since it is a more controlled environment; however, in the beginning just a large outside area may be enough to give you enough plant growing space to at least get your nursery business started.

• Choose the types of plants that you invest your time and money into wisely. If you are just starting a business, make sure that the items that you choose to grow typically thrive in your area. You will also want to make sure that what you wish to grow is a product that people in the area that you are targeting to sale products to normally purchases.

Building a beautiful tree nursery, full of healthy plants is a wonderful way to turn your beloved hobby into a money making business. By taking the time to choose what you will grow, the materials you will grow it in, and the location that your nursery will be in, you will increase your chances of creating a successful online nursery business. So if you love gardening and want to make money off of your love for growing things, then consider whether starting a new nursery business online is for you and start doing the work necessary to make it a successful one.

Visit us online at: http://www.treenurseryco.com