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As plants are approximately 90% water, it is believed by many gardeners that all planting should be done according to the phases of the moon.

The moon affects the movement of water on the earth and this is their reason for believing that the moon also has an effect on the growth patterns of plants.

Some people also believe that by planting according to the lunar cycles you will get tastier fruits from your plants and bigger, more vibrant colors from their flowers.

While many people don’t follow this idea of planting according to the moon, it is surprising to see that there are a lot of people who will still follow the suggestions of recommended planting times even though they are skeptical.

There are some grounds to believe that the moon does affect the growth of plants, and quite apart from the aspect of the gravitational pull and the relationship to the movement of the water, there is the added belief that the amount of light that the moon emits during it’s changing phases has a greater effect than some people first thought.

As plants are extremely responsive to the changes in light, which is called photoperiodism, it is correct to assume that the light from the moon could influence growing patterns.
Plants have been shown to respond to light levels that are lower than those experienced during a full moon so changes in moonlight would have an affect on them.

It is possible to buy calendars specifically for gardeners where the various planting times are listed for the different types of plants throughout the year according to the phases of the moon.
You might not believe the affect this can have on your garden but there is certainly no harm to plant by these suggestions.
You might just have a bumper crop in doing so.

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Ant Control Recipe

3 cups water

4 teaspoons boric acid

2 cups granulated sugar

Mix, then pour half a cup of the mixture into three or four empty jam jars wrapped with masking tape and loosely packed half full with absorbent cotton. Smear the bait along the outside of the jar and set along ant trail. The ants will swarm into the jar. Some will carry the mixture back to the colony, where it will kill other ants.

CAUTION: If you have small children or pets, screw the lids onto the jars, poke several small holes through the lid and smear some of the bait on the inside of the jar.

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In the simplest of terms, raising an organic vegetable garden is the process of growing healthy vegetables without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, for a better understanding of what organic gardening really means, you have to consider the planted area as part of an overall effort of helping your slice of the environment. Beginning with the soil and replenishing the nutrients used during the growing season with natural products is all part of the effort required for an organic vegetable garden.

People have begun to see the effects that many of the commercial fertilizers and pesticides have their own area. Many plants require nature’s help with germination and bees and other insects are recruited to help this process along. While many of those with an organic vegetable garden have learned that these insects are needed, others continue to use artificial means to turn them away, reducing the potential yield in their garden.

Using plants in your organic vegetable garden that grow well together as well as within the local climate can help. That is not to say that some vegetables that are not native to the climate cannot be grown in an organic vegetable garden, but they will require some additional help to reach their full maturity and potential.

Composting Offers Best Natural Fertilizer

For many with an organic vegetable garden, composting grass clippings, leaves and other organic matter is the most popular method of providing the fertilizer they need. However, their efforts can be interrupted if they use vegetable wastes from other sources that may not have been from an organic vegetable garden. Any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides used in the growth of any food item will remain in the food and subsequently in the compost in which they are used.

The same is true with your grass clippings and if any chemicals were used for weed prevention or to stimulate the lawn’s growth, the clippings used in the compost and deposited in the organic vegetable garden will remain in the compost and grow into the vegetables being grown. Even meat scraps from the table that may be included in the compost pile will have to be from certified organically grown cattle in order to keep the organic vegetable garden free of chemicals.

For those hoping for a true organic vegetable garden, there is not only the work involved of treating the soil and pests in a natural way, but there is also a lot of research of the other products used in the home that can make or break the organic designation of the garden.

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We have been living at our new property now for three years and we keep finding plants we didn’t know we had. The image on the left of a beautiful lily we found growing in our yard. Then we found a second one in another location but we didn’t see them over the last two summers. What a lovely surprise.

I don’t know the name of this lily, I hope it’s actually a lily. If you know the name please take a moment and leave a nice comment.

Forgive me for this but we had other lilies that just brought back a rush of days I would rather forget and had to remove them from our yard. They were tiger lilies and as a kid they were in every cemetery I had ever been too and left a lasting impression that I would rather not feel.

There are so many other beautiful lilies and other flowers that make my heart light that I think it’s okay to remove a few that don’t give me that feeling.

We have quite a number of plants growing that we don’t have a clue about yet but each year we are learning more about them and discovery new one we didn’t even know where hiding in there.

Just this morning I went back out, in the pouring rain, to see if I could get a better image of the lilies. The rain was too much for the lilies and they were hanging to the ground but I did find a gorgeous maple tree about three feet tall hiding in the bushes.

I have been looking around the yard for maple tree sprouts so we can start putting them around our property fence, between the grape vines. So far I have found 4 inch sprouts and have put some in pots until they get big enough to survive the winter.

I will dig up the lilies and the maple tree in the fall and place them where we want them.

I planted two grape vines this summer so that maple tree will look great in the middle between the two vines. It will also help to hide the fence post that’s between the two.

I love our backyard. It gives us beauty and surprises every year.

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When I was a kid we had a home made hammock that I loved to lie in and just swing back and forth. It was most relaxing but never lasted as I was a kid and everyone kicked me out so they could enjoy it.

Now I am all grown up with a home of my own and it’s my turn to have a hammock. Of course the old hammock was fun but it certainly can’t compare to what’s available at Hammocks.com.

We had our old hammock tied between two old maple trees and it worked and looked great. Today you don’t even need trees as so many people live where they just don’t have two trees together that will handle the job.

The bases you get with your hammock today is light yet strudy so you can enjoy your hammock without coming crashing to the ground just as you get completely relaxed.

We have four huge pine trees in our backyard but they were not planted with hammocks in mind because they are just too close together so we have to go with a hammock stand, which is cool because we can then move the hammock to the sun or shade or even out of the rain if need be.

Isn’t it time you got your own hammock? Come on over and take a look at Hammocks.com and I am sure you will be swinging in your own backyard.

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I can’t believe I let another year go by without composting. We have lots around the yard and kitchen that could be going into a composter instead of the landfill.

We weren’t sure what to do to compost effectively so we kept putting it off and before we knew it last year was gone and we still weren’t composting.

Well I made a decision not to put composting off for another year and took a few minutes to look up compost related info that would help us get started.

I think learning to be a good gardener means you will try to use or recycle what ever you can to help your environment. Composting is a great start and we have certainly taken our sweet time getting started.

Check out this video, I am sure it will show you just how easy it to get started.

15% of Kitchen & Yard Waste, What A Waste…

Just remember about 15% of our landfill is yard and kitchen waste that could be recycled into great soil for your indoor and outdoor gardens. There are some things you don’t want to compost but still almost all of that 15% can be turned into fertilizer. Oh yeah, and it’s free and natural but costing us not to compost it.

The important part of composting is anyone can get started and you will be saving your home, earth by keeping more out of the landfill areas.

As is pointed out in this video composting can be started easily without much expense. A box or chicken wire cage or even a pile, as long as you get started.

Getting Started Composting

Getting started is easy and you only need to know a few steps and you’re on your way.

The four things needed to make great compost:

1. Air
2. Water
3. Carbon – Brown – Kitchen waste – Note: You will need about 25 times more carbon than nitrogen.
4. Nitrogen – Green – Leaves, grass…

Not everything from your kitchen should be going into the compost pile. Fats and oils don’t do well. Even citrus is hard to break down so avoid using your orange peels as it will take too long while your other ingredients will be well on their way to becoming fertilizer.

Where to Begin

Carbon first – Start with the brown, your leaves, straw, wood chips and remember the smaller the pieces the quicker it will break down into great and rich soil.

Nitrogen Rich – This is your lawn care trimming, the green stuff and your kitchen waste, salad pieces are great but leave out the oils and fats of course.

We started collect newspapers to add as well. We even get our neighbours newspaper when they are done reading it.

Composting is one thing you can do for your enviroment that doesn’t cost you anything but you will gain alot and your plants will love you even more.

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Isn’t it great having a yard with flowers, shrubs and a few trees around? When it’s possible it is also nice to have a garden in your backyard to enjoy a few fresh vegetables through out the summer and fall, but not all of us have the space needed, so we think.

If you are one that has very limited backyard space don’t dispair over not having your own garden. Change you thinking a bit and instead of thinking about planting in the ground think about planting in containers instead. Container gardening has become very popular with those having small or no backyard for a garden.

A garden in your backyard, using containers works great and it makes watering pretty easy as well.

I am kinda hooked on gardening and cooking show because I love to eat good food and want to learn how to do a great job at gardening in my own backyard.

Just this past Sunday I was watching the Food Network. Jamie at Home is something my wife and I watch while having lunch after Sunday church.

Jamie was doing wonders with potatoes that he went out into his backyard garden to get. While he was out there his gardening buddy came over and they were looking at various types of potatoes. The cool part, other than just having purple potatoes, was the fact these potatoes were growing in containers.

Just to show how easy it is they used a bag of dirt as a container. They just cut the top off, stuck in a few potatoes and they were good to go. The only advice they gave, good adive as well, is to remember to water and to check often as the water in containers will evaporated much quicker than from the ground.

You can take a few pots or a bag of dirt and grow veggies and herbs for your health and cooking. I started an indoor herb garden this years because I want to have fresh herbs all winter. They grow great outside, like weeds and you can have a lot of dried herbs for the winter months from your outside container garden.

So don’t look at your backyard and think it’s not big enough to grow a vegetable garden. Just a few well places pots or containers and you have your own backyard garden started.

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Water is our most precious resource, but lately, we’ve been treating it like dirt.  We do have a finite amount of fresh water on the planet and getting more and more unpredictable weather.  Some places in the world are getting record droughts.  If you are able to grow a grass lawn, consider yourself lucky.  If you have a lawn irrigation system to help nourish your property’s greenery, then the environmentally responsible thing to do is get your system inspected regularly.

Saves You Money, Too

You lawn irrigation system might be costing you more money than you should be spending simply because of a few leaks or other minor malfunctions.  This means you’re wasting water – and having to pay for it, too.  By getting a lawn irrigation system inspection, you can be assured that you are not wasting any financially and environmentally precious water.

What Is Tested

In a usual lawn irrigation inspection, some things that get checked are the uniformity of water application on the area it’s supposed to be watering; the pressure; and the rate of water application.  Your soil type is taken into consideration to see if there is any way of improving your lawn irrigation system.  Also, there will be the usual check for rusty spots, leaks, cracked pipes and blockages.

Some cities and towns have a minimum depth requirement for lawn irrigation systems.  Some require that certain features are on and operational.  For example, in the state of Minnesota, there must be a backflow preventer on all lawn irrigation systems that are turned on.

Finding An Inspector

You should be to find places that will do lawn irrigation systems for you through the Yellow Pages or online.  Some places like Colorado and Kansas even have programs with low cost or free inspections for property owners.  If you have trouble finding an inspector, look under lawn irrigation repair services.  They often will be glad to set up an inspection appointment with you.

A lawn irrigation inspection usually takes a couple of hours and a few hundred dollars (if you don’t live in an area with low cost inspection programs).  Although this might seem like a large fee, this may wind up saving you thousands in water bills, deteriorating irrigation systems and maybe even getting the ire of the local zoning laws that require fully functioning systems.  Think of this as preventative medicine for your irrigation system and your wallet.

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Home lawn irrigation is a very important part of taking care of your yard. Especially if you have a larger sized yard, you are going to want to invest in a home lawn irrigation system, for numerous reasons.

For one this will save you from ever having to water your lawn yourself again, as the system will do it automatically for you, at a specific set time as needed. It also waters the grass in such a way that it keeps it as lush and healthy as possible, without overwatering which is a common problem among homeowners.

It can be really difficult to tell how to water a lawn, but home lawn irrigation specialists are trained in this area and so regardless of the size of your lawn or if your lawn is on a slope for instance, they will know just what to do and will install the right home lawn irrigation system.

Ask Questions

There are a few questions that you are going to want to ask an irrigation company before agreeing to let them install your irrigation system.

The first and one of the most important questions you can ask is about their experience. You want to know how long they have been in the business for and how knowledgeable they are. Generally the more experienced and better an irrigation company the more expensive their services will be, but it will be well worth it.

After all just think about it – either you pay a good home lawn irrigation company once to come in and get the job done right for you the first time, or pay less and get a less familiar, less experienced company to install the system which will probably end up having problems.

Each problem is going to cost you money, not only for the parts to fix it but also for the manpower required. It is therefore going to be much more worth it to pay more to have it done the first time around.

You may also want to inquire about what types of equipment and parts they use, just to make sure that they are using the best quality parts.

Installing an irrigation system in your home may be one of the best things you ever do. If you love gardening you can still do all your regular gardening jobs, but you will never have to worry again about underwatering or overwatering your garden and lawn.

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Would you make your own natural insecticide if you knew it was helping the environment. Well saving the planet is the thing to do and the benefits are going to keep your loved ones around longer.

Oh yeah, almost forgot about the fact that making your own natural insecticide will save you money over buy commercially available products.

I was over at a friends house the other evening to play guitar for a few hours. I always bring insect repellent because the bugs here in New Brunswick can really ruin an otherwise great evening.

When I arrived I noticed everyone was in the backyard under the huge trees where it was about 10 degrees cooler so I expected to be pulling out the bug spray in about 3 minutes or less, but I never had to at all. That got me wondering what was different between their backyard garden area and ours. We are only a 20 minute walk away from each other and both right in the heart of Moncton.

I have another friend that lives about half way between Barb’s house and our house. I can’t sit on their patio for any time at all and the bugs are starting to feast on me. They are renting now but have just bought a home and will be moving in in less than 2 weeks.

I know they would love to know why Barb has no bugs bother plants, pets or people, and so would I, so I called her up to see what she was doing, expecting to hear she was using harsh and potentially dangerous methods but it turns out to be an all natural insecticide.

Barb told me that she didn’t just make one natural insecticide for all the bugs around the property but she has a couple of different formulas that work well.

She told me that she found the recipes on the internet, gotta love that.

My immediate question was how do you get rid of your mosquitoes as those little buggers are the ones that spoil most of the fun in our backyards and gardens. My wife won’t go out into the yard or work in the garden now without wearing a mess suit. It’s uncomfortable and not very sexy I might add.

Citronella. Oh man, I knew that but it was tucked away in the back of my brain somewhere, thinking it probably didn’t work anyway. How much blood have I lost because of that belief?

I even have citronella candles and bucket in my garage. They look just like new because they have never been lit before.

Well my garage doesn’t hold a car because we don’t have one but it does make for a great nursery and tool shed but I can’t even work in there without the mosquitoes eating me a live. It kind of takes the fun out of gardening.

Well I sparked up the citronella bucket candle and put it in the middle of the garage floor then went into the house and took a shower to get all the insect repellent off my body, then came back out to the garage where I continues with my new indoor herb garden.

Not only did I not get bitten, I didn’t even see a mosquito, at all.

Today I am doing a bit more yard work where I am going to be outside under the bushes that surround our yard and I fear for my life under there. Let’s see what the citronella will do to keep me safe without spraying all my clothes and skin.

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It seems that vegetable gardening is becoming almost as popular as heading to the grocery store for produce. Vegetable gardening can produce vegetables that are usually cheaper than store bought, and vegetables from a home vegetable garden definitely taste better by far as well as to eleviate a bit of the pain caused by buying produce.

Your vegetable gardening isn’t really much different than growing an herb garden in your backyard or having a flower garden and if the proper steps are taken and the plants are give the proper care they will flourish and produce very tasty vegetables. Probably the best tasting hobby I have.

Once we decided to start our own backyard garden we had to decide what size of garden we wanted to plant. Next we made a decision as to where we wanted our new garden.

The location for our garden had to have good drainage, good air flow, and good, deep soil. Our garden would also need as much sunlight as possible.

Keeping Critters Out

The fact that a vegetable garden is so tasty causes a few problems with animals that like a treat now and again and again and again. Rabbits, deer are the bigger culprits so putting up a fence can solve this problem, just remember deer can just a 5 foot fence from a complete standstill so make sure your fence is high enough to keep out the deer and the spaces in the fence can keep out rabbits.

If you find that you have mice, moles or other rodents you may find that you will need to trap them.

Proper Preparation

Good soil is vital to a good garden crop so before planting be sure to mix up the soil so that it gets turned over and add organic matter to make it more productive. Turning the soil also messes with the weed that have started growing by burying them.

The organic material you add to the soil will release nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients plants need to thrive.

We have a small composter, about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide. This way we get to recycle some of what we would normally just put in the garbage. It takes a while but once your composter starts doing its job you will see brand new dirt. It’s pretty cool to see this happen with the scraps you put in.

While the kind and amount of fertilizer used depends on the soil and types of plants, there are some plants that have specific needs; leafy plants, like cabbage, spinach, and lettuce usually grow better with more nitrogen, while root crops like potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots require more potash. Tomatoes and beans use less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount.

Vegetable Garden Arrangement

It is really important how you place your vegetables in your garden. Of course there are no set plans that work for every situation but keep in mind that you want your plants to have all the sunlight they need so knowing which are the highest plants and which are the smallest will help you in planning their location.

Also keep the veggies that need limited space together. An example would be radishes, lettuce, beets, and spinach.

Those vegetables that need more room can go together, such as corn, pumpkins, and potatoes.

There was a rule on the farm where I was raised. No planting vegetables before June 10th as this seemed to be the time when it was least likely to get destroyed by frost.

My foster dad would do any planting that needed to be done earlier than June indoors. Then once the threat of frost had passed out they would go into the garden.

After you are finished planting, make sure your vegetables receive the appropriate amount of water, which depends on the type of plant. Most plants will need the equivalent to about an inch of water per week.

Weeds must be controlled in vegetable gardening, this was the job of we kids on our farm, because they will take up water, light, and nutrients meant for the vegetables and they often bring disease and insects to the garden. You can get rid of weeds by cultivation or mulching. To protect against disease and insects you can buy seeds that are disease resistant or use controlled chemicals.

I started vegetable gardening because we can actually taste the fruits of your labor. Mmmm. Vegetable gardening is not that expensive to start and the taste of home grown veggies definitely beat out that of supermarket vegetables. Your vegetable gardening days will be full of produce if you take the proper precautions when planting and continue maintenance of your garden.

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Don’t you just love the feel of warm moist dirt between your fingers? So do I but I have health problems that cause my skin to be quite sensitive. This ofter leads to blisters, chapped or scraped skin and splinters so I  have to wear gardening gloves.

The more time I spend getting down and dirty in the garden, the more I need my gardening gloves.  Gardening gloves will be able to ease some of the pain you would otherwise be subject to, letting you spend even more time playing in the dirt.

I also find that I have more strength in my hands when they are protected. I can actually work much harder as well.

There are hundreds of different types of gloves on the market, and the kind of gardening glove you buy depends on the way you garden. My first pair of gardening gloves where just my old winter gloves but they were way too hot.

Some gloves offer protection against specific substances or things, for example, leather gloves are not the best for working with chemicals or water.  Many gardening gloves are specialized for pruning thorns, refilling gasoline tanks, or using a chain saw, while others are for general tasks such as raking, digging, and weeding.

After choosing the type of gardening glove you need, you must make sure and pick out the perfect fit.  Gloves that are too big have a tendency to slip off while gloves that are too small could cause aches and cramps.  Any glove that doesn’t fit could defeat the whole purpose of wearing gloves and cause blistering.  To find a glove with the best fit possible, try the gloves on both hands, make a fist, and imitate the movements you make when gardening.  If there is no pinching or slipping and the glove is comfortable then you have found your match.

Gardening gloves can be bought in many places and are produced by many companies, causing them all to have a different quality and price.  Most gloves can be washed in cool water and then air dried.  There are many different types of gloves you can purchase to satisfy your varying needs, such as cotton and cotton-polyester for general-purpose chores.  These are among the most popular gloves and are perfect for light chores in cool and dry weather.  Leather gloves can also be used for general chores but are heavier than cotton and polyester.  Chemical resistant gloves will help protect your hands against oils, acids, herbicides, pesticides, and many other chemicals.  Grip enhancing gloves are designed with rubber dots for extra gripping power.  Cut and puncture resistant gloves are designed to offer extra protection against sharp edges

If you are the type person that only wears gloves as an optional luxury for various tasks, you should think seriously for using specialized gardening gloves for many of the activities you will be doing outside.  There is really no reason not to wear gardening gloves; they protect your hands from the elements and don’t ever cost all that much.

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A most important rule when creating a garden is to be sure you have the best plants for any spot.

There are many plants that will suffer if they aren’t growing in conditions that are suited to them and by planting in these conditions you will always be fighting a battle to have them looking their best simply because they will always be struggling to survive.

If you have a specific theme that you would like to follow when planning your garden and that theme doesn’t suit the growing conditions you only have two alternatives and they are;
You can change the plants you intend using to something more suitable but still in keeping with your overall theme or you can change the conditions that the plants will be growing in.

While it is not possible to change the climate, you can make changes to the layout of the garden and surrounding area to create your own ‘micro-climate’ with other plants or trees offering shading or shelter.

You can plant windbreaks or construct them to reduce the effect that the wind might have on some of the more fragile plants.

If you are looking for color in your garden but the plants you prefer would suffer in the conditions your garden presents, then look for alternative plants that can offer the same color but are more suited to those conditions.

By using plants that are more suited to the conditions, they will thrive better and require a lot less maintenance while still giving you the ‘look’ you require.

It’s all about getting your planning right before you even buy the first plants.
If the plan is well executed the garden will look better, be easier to maintain and you will enjoy ownership more so than a garden that is a constant struggle.

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I thought I would update you on how our ant problem is going. If you missed our first post about getting rid of anthills by getting rid of the ants first you can just follow the link.

We tried using cornmeal for the first time and then it started to rain. It rained for days after we put the first cornmeal out for the ants. It didn’t rain for a few hours after the first application of cornmeal.

I was curious to see how the cornmeal worked, if at all, so I went out just a few minutes ago.

We have had a couple of nice days and things are starting to dry out.

When I checked the anthill before we applied cornmeal there were hundreds of the little critters marching around. This morning when I checked there were about 3 maybe 4 ants.

I don’t want to get too excited at the results as they may just be lazy ants and still in bed, so I will go out again after lunch and take another peek.

So, even though the rain most likely ruined the cornmeal it still devastated the anthill, so I think one more application of cornmeal should do the trick, especially if it doesn’t rain for a day.

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