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! 

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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.

Gardening Without Machinery

Most gardeners look forward to spending their time in the garden quietly enjoying nature without the noise and disruption of machinery. Fortunately, simple hand tools can adequately perform all the tasks gardeners are likely to require, often performing better than their mechanical counterparts. If you love to plant larger things such as trees, before you buy trees consider a spade to plant with.

 

 

 While most garden jobs can be accomplished with the standard toolbag of garden shovel, rake, small trowel, and a hoe (collinear is better) specialized tools make even large gardens easy to maintain without machinery. A broadfork is one useful tool that replaces mechanical rototillers with superior results, gently aerating the soil rather churning it.

 

 

 

Another option which is often preferred by gardeners  interested in minimizing hard physical labor is to plant a "no dig" garden, a garden planted under a layer of hay instead of under the soil. This technique eliminates digging with the added benefit of excellent weed control. When you look for trees for sale at a tree nursery or plants, always condsider the types of gardening tools you need for the job before you buy.

 

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Affordable Landscaping on a Limited Budget

One of the first projects that most new homeowners dive into head first, is creating that perfectly landscaped yard. Unfortunately, most individuals who take on such hefty tasks are soon pulled back into reality by the sheer expense that such endeavors may require. Though a beautifully landscaped lawn may come with a hefty price tag, there are a multitude of ways in which one can achieve the same look, without breaking the bank. This article will explore great tips to achieve a great looking yard on a limited budget. 

 

                               

 One mistake that many amateur landscapers make, is purchasing expensive seasonal plants. Though they are often beautiful, such plants are notoriously temperamental, and require a great deal of care in order to prevent them from quickly wilting. There is nothing worse than investing hundreds of dollars in beautiful plants, only to have them perish within a few weeks. Cheap plants are not only less expensive, but can often be much more hardy during times of drought, extreme heat, and other environmental changes. Cheap plants can be purchased through a local nursery or lawn and garden store. Be sure to research such plants, prior to the time of purchase. It is also important to purchase plants when they are in season, as this will significantly cut down cost.

 

 

 Just like many flowers and grasses can require a great deal of money to care for properly, the same goes for different varieties of trees. It is always a good idea to consider purchasing trees that are native to that specific region. A tree nursery is a wonderful place to purchase trees from. Workers at a tree nursery are knowledgeable about what type of tree grows best in the region. They can even suggest which trees are most cost effective, and require the least amount of effort to maintain.

 

 

 There is much more to landscaping than grass, flowers, and trees. When shopping for various greenery, it is easy to overlook other unique and creative ways to enhance the landscape of one's property. To truly cut cost and bring down the budget, consider adding other natural elements into the yard.  Currently, popular landscaping trends incorporate water features and rock walkways, as well as wooden benches and additional elements that can shift the focus away from plants and flowers. Such natural elements inspire feelings of tranquility and relaxation, while lessening the need to purchase expensive plants, which may require a great deal of maintenance and care.

 

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