For many families, garden vegetables are a main element of the diet and are used to supplement many meals. Additionally, they can help provide many of the essential vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy lifestyle. By planting your own garden, vegetables can be more abundant, fresher and provide more health benefits than buying them from commercial suppliers. While not everyone appreciates the taste of all vegetables, there is no argument about the health benefits of their consumption.

When most people think of garden vegetables they only look at the ones they use the most such as tomatoes or carrots. Depending on the size of the yard a person can devote to a garden, they can grow many more and help to subsidize their food budget, especially during the harvest season. Many will also learn how to can or freeze their garden vegetables for use throughout the year. Continue Reading »

Getting the most life out of a garden area by planting a fall vegetable garden with products that are more conducive to growing in cooler weather can extend the growing season in most areas of the country. Where you live will determine the right time of the year to put in a fall vegetable garden, and the types of plants or seeds being used will also determine the amount of preparation that will be needed.

Many cool crops such as carrots, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are more amenable to maturing in cooler weather, and whether you can plant from seed or will need transplantable plants will also hinge on the type of soil in which the plants are growing. Typically, August 1 is about the time for putting in a fall vegetable garden, especially in the middle of the country, with those living further north adjusting the planting schedule according to their location. Continue Reading »

Tags: Fall Vegetable Garden

Most people grow flowers strictly for their aesthetic value. Not many people realize that there are a lot of flower varieties that can be eaten. Flowers can bring amazing flavor and color to salads, and make stunning decorations for cakes and other dishes.

Flowers can also be used to make teas, and their flavor extracts can be used in cakes, frostings, candies, and other foods. Many flowers are also very good for you. Roses are very high in vitamin C, especially rose hips.

Nasturtiums and marigolds also have a decent amount of vitamin C, and dandelion flowers contain both vitamin C and vitamin A. If a flower isn’t poisonous, it’s considered technically edible, but not all edible flowers are tasty. Continue Reading »

Most avid gardeners begin planning their vegetable gardens right after Christmas and continue until the ground can finally be broken in late spring. Many will begin planting seeds indoors to speed the harvest, and others will pore over seed catalogues to find the perfect carrot hybrid. When making your plans, don’t forget the importance of crop rotation.

An important consideration in planning a vegetable garden is ensuring that all of your plants get the proper nutrients. Crop rotation plays a central role here. By rotating your crops every year, you’ll ensure that the micronutrients remain intact in the soil, and you’ll greatly reduce the occurrence of soil diseases. It’s not hard to work crop rotation into your vegetable garden plans as long as you start early and follow a few basic principles.

Perennials Should Stay Put

Most of your vegetable crops are annuals, which means that they are replanted every year. These are the plants that you will consider for placement and rotation when planning a vegetable garden. Continue Reading »

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The only difference between regular gardening and organic gardening is that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used when planting and tending an organic garden. It might be a little more work to grow plants this way, but it is well worth the effort.

The biggest problems with growing things organically are insects, disease and weeds. But there are natural ways to protect your plants from these three killers.

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Rather than adding chemicals to the soil, organic gardeners regularly add organic matter in order to keep the soil healthy and productive. In fact, compost is essential to the well being of plants grown organically. Continue Reading »