Leading By Example - First Family Vegetable Garden

In an effort to promote healthier living. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, will plant an organic vegetable garden at the white house. The garden will not only provide food for the First family, but will also serve as an educational example for children around the country to learn about the health benefits of growing their own fruit and vegetables. This comes at a time when obesity, diabetes, and a poor nutrition is a national concern.

Organic vegetable gardens are becoming extremely popular in the gardening world. Organic gardening is gardening in harmony with nature, without using artificial chemicals such as pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Organic gardeners instead emphasise the importance of "feeding the soil, not the plant".

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Organic Vegetable Garden

Backyard Japanese Garden

When constructing a Japanese themed garden for your backyard, it's essential that you reflect the correct ideology of a true Japanese garden.

Typical Japanese gardens portray calmness and serenity of the environment. Japanese gardens reflect man's efforts to harmonize with the beauty and force of nature.






Moon Bridge and Pond in a Japanese Garden, Seattle, Washington, USA

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The characteristics used to obtain this effect are a body of water, perhaps thin streams, short bridges or artificial hills made of gravel and rocks. The Japanese gardens become resonant with the mellow notes of spirituality and tranquility.

Backyard Japanese Garden

So to create your backyard japanese garden you could probably have:

Bonsai - These are small trees are characteristics of japanese gardens.

Koi Pond - A small lake with perhaps some goldfish to expound the theme of being in Japan, and creating a tranquil feel.

Decorations - Perhpas a makeshift bridge, or some japanese styled benches.

Stones - Japanese legend say that stones are actual beings with spirits that need to be treated with reverence. Stones are used to construct the garden's paths, bridges, and walkways. Stones also represent mountains where actual mountains are not viewable or present. They are always placed in odd numbers and a majority of the groupings reflect triangular shapes.

For more Japanese gardening ideas ideas you can check out Backyard Japanese Garden at Garden Tip Info

Backyard Japanese Garden Books

Protecting Yourself When Gardening

Here are some quick and easy tips to protect yourself when working in your garden.

When going out to do work in your garden or yard, it's good to protect yourself in different ways. The key areas to protect are your hands, your feet, your face, and your skin/body.
Wear gloves to protect your hands from any dirt, waste, or insects that might be in the soil. Use bigger gloves if your hands are sensitive, and use waterproof gloves (ex. rubber) if the soil is too wet.

Wear boots, or good shoes to protect your feet from any rocks, waste, or mud that might be in the yard.

Wear protective goggles and/or masks to prevent allergens, or dust particles from going in your eyes, nose or on your face. This is especially true for doing lawn work with a lawn mower when particles are flying all over the place.

Wear insect repellent and/or sunblock to help prevent damage to your skin while working outdoors. During the warmer months, mosquitoes and other flying, biting insects are prominent.

By taking these protective measures into consideration, you can work more comfortably in your yard/garden, and get more work done.

Moles, Voles, and Grubs

With Spring coming up, it's important to start preventetive measures for those pesky critters in your yard. Here are some ways to help get rid of Moles, Voles, and Grubs.

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Don't Let Moles, Voles and Grubs Ruin Your Yard

(ARA) – As surely as spring will soon arrive, so will the critters that drive you crazy -- moles and voles. Make this the year you send them packing before they can cause damage in your yard.

First, an attack plan for dealing with voles. They are herbivores that if left unchecked will attack flower bulbs and eat the roots from underneath garden plants. Stopping voles can be accomplished simply by placing a six-inch deep perimeter of sharp rocks around your garden or other plantings. They don’t have the clawing power to burrow through rocks, so if a barrier exists, voles will go elsewhere.

Dealing with moles, on the other hand, will take a lot more effort. Through the years, homeowners have tried everything from throwing balls of pre-chewed gum into mole tunnels to thrusting sharp pronged pitchforks into mole tunnels, to no avail.

Want to get rid of them once and for all? Try a two-pronged approach. First apply non-toxic Holy Moley, a granular product from St. Gabriel Organics, to your lawn with a fertilizer spreader to drive the moles away.

Since you don’t want to leave anything to chance, destroy their favorite food source too. Moles snack on earthworms, and other underground insects like beetle grubs, but they are attracted to grubs more then anything else.

A survey of mole problems by the University of Missouri found that moles consume up to 80 percent of their body weight each day. In the stomach of one mole, researchers found the remains of 187 grubs.

To eliminate the grubs in your yard, apply Milky Spore, also from St. Gabriel Laborato-ries, to your lawn. It is guaranteed to eliminate grubs quickly and efficiently, and once applied, will remain viable in the soil for ten years. The spores in the product will not kill beneficial insects such as earthworms and one application keeps working for many seasons, unaffected by freezing or pesticides.

Both Holy Moley and Milky Spore are pet approved by veterinarians and neither will af-fect wells, ponds or streams. For more information on Holy Moley and Milky Spore or to purchase, call St. Gabriel Organics at (800) 801-0061 or visit www.MilkySpore.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Decorative Garden Wall Plaques

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decorative garden wall plaquesare the perfect touch for any garden. Whether existing or custom-made, they can add a beautiful extra dimension to any garden decor.

garden wall plaques can be used as garden accents or emblems for family crests. Some people have the first letter of their family name engraved in a wall plaque for displaying on either side of the gates or strategic points in the garden. But the most common outside garden wall plaques are actually address plaques that usually bear the resident's name and address. Some homeowners even use decorative stepping stones in the garden as wall plaques. This is a great idea especially if the stepping stones are made of quality materials. Such plaques can tie in the whole look of the garden space.

outside garden wall plaquesare also popular as historical signage. They can tell about when a building was constructed, or when a business was established. Many companies also use decorative garden wall plaques to display their company name and address.

When choosing what’s right for your garden, consider whether your choice fits in with the theme of your garden and home. Make sure your wall or structure will support the weight, and consider the kind of picture are you trying to create. Also make sure the decorative garden plaque can it's effect over time and seasons. Once all is taken into consideration, have fun adding real style to your walls and fences.

for more decorative garden wall plaques and other gardening tips go here.

Oxygen: A New Gardening Breakthrough?

In grade school we learn that Carbon Dioxide is essential for plants. Plants in turn give off oxygen we need to help breathe and clean the air. Now, information is coming forth where Oxygen itself can be beneficial to plants as well.

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A New Breakthrough in Gardening
New Research Proves Oxygen is Key to Increased Plant Flowering

(ARA) – Whether you have an extensive greenhouse or a small container garden in your home, you want your plants to do well. Common knowledge tells us that plants need water, sun and nutrients to flourish. But according to recent studies, surprisingly, there is another crucial element for successful gardening: oxygen.

Oxygen in a plant’s root system can significantly affect the overall health of the plant. Getting oxygen into the soil and to the roots not only helps improve the strength and size of a plant’s root system, but also it’s ability to absorb water and nutrients.

It’s one of those things most people have noticed, but not necessarily understood:
Golf course managers aerate turf grass sod and greens. Farmers cultivate a field to break up the crust that follows a heavy rain storm. All to allow root systems to flourish. Grass even looks greener after a thunderstorm because oxygen laden rain water stimulates root growth, bringing water and nutrients to above ground plant parts to aid in photosynthesis … and, it’s all related to oxygen as a necessary part of a successful gardening equation.

Now there’s a simple and innovative new way to put this knowledge to work in your house and garden. The Enki watering system. It’s a revolutionary new way to water your plants with extra oxygen that can produce vibrant results. This watering pitcher creates the extra oxygen a plant root system craves by super-oxygenating tap water. The pitcher plugs in and within seconds begins the oxygenation process that can be observed by the tiny air bubbles being produced in the water. In about five minutes the oxygen level of the water reaches up to 150 percent, far surpassing the oxygen levels in tap water or even that of rain water.

Tests conducted by a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Horticulture reveal the system’s substantial benefits. Super oxygenated water helps to achieve earlier flowering with more vibrant colors, and increased numbers of flowers and vegetables. Measured results were produced in both vegetable and flower tests. The oxygenized water produced 28 percent more petunia flowers and 58 percent more peppers on average. Geraniums had 76 percent more flower weight on average and tomato plants yielded 22 percent more tomatoes. If you want to improve your gardening success and are looking for a way to ensure that your plants, indoor or out, will thrive, super-oxygenated water is a whole new solution you should try.

The Enki idea of super-oxygenating water just may be an idea whose time has really come. The product is eco-friendly. It only adds oxygen to the water during the short 5 minutes it takes for the water reach a level of 150 percent oxygen. With today’s consumer movement toward environmentally friendly, or “green” products, Enki would appear to be a product on the cutting edge of improved and responsible gardening ideas.

Duane Hastad can vouch for the value of oxygenized water. He is owner of three nurseries, including Heather Nursery in Montevideo, Minn. After working with plants for 31 years, he has developed a vast knowledge of horticulture. At a horticulture expo earlier this year, he began talking with the founders of Ovation Science, the makers of Enki, and it got him thinking.

“I thought what are they doing?” comments Hastad as he noticed them at the expo. “It was a neat idea, and after talking with them for a while, I knew it could work, but I wondered what results I could see.”

Hastad utilized the oxygenation watering system in his greenhouse and almost immediately got results. “We started tomato plants from seeds and they germinated in six days, twice as fast as seedlings watered with city water, and they also came up straighter and had better root systems.”

Hastad says that he now has better plant products to sell. He also began to carry the Enki watering pitcher in his store and has had very positive feedback from his customers who use it. “If it doesn’t work, I am going to hear about it,” adds Hastad. “And, people are seeing the benefits.”

For more information about how to get incredible results with your plants and the Enki plant-watering system, visit www.myenki.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Statues That Add To A Garden

One of the most important parts of a garden decoration are statues. Whether they are miniature or life sized, they make a interesting addition to any outdoor garden. ARA has some tips for selecting the right statue for your outdoor abode.

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Simple Secrets for Selecting Outdoor Statuary

(ARA) - You’re not alone if you find that the piece of garden statuary that looked so elegant at the garden center just doesn’t seem to fit your garden back home.

A common mistake gardeners make when buying a piece of garden statuary is one of size and quantity, according to Peter C. Cilio, creative director of fine garden accessories for Campania International. “Purchasers tend to choose pieces that are just too small for their space or they overload their garden with too many pieces,” he says. “In garden statuary the guiding principle usually is that less is more.”

Here are some simple guidelines that will help you choose the perfect piece of statuary for your garden.

Keep It in Context

According to Cilio, the most important consideration to keep in mind when choosing the right piece of statuary is the overall style of your home and garden.

“Whether you have an urban, contemporary or country garden, the statuary you select should be compatible with the style and feeling of your house and garden,” he says. “Most likely, you wouldn’t place a classical statue in a contemporary-style garden. However, classical statuary makes wonderful features for a more traditional home or garden.”

Tres Fromme, planning and design specialist of Mesa Design Group in Dallas, suggests cutting a piece of statuary out of cardboard and placing it in different locations throughout your garden. “This will help you get a feel for where the piece looks its best,” says Fromme. “It will also give you some time to think about why you want to add an ornament to your garden setting.”

Cilio suggests thinking about your garden as a blank wall in your living room. Before choosing what to hang on your living room wall, you take cues from the style of the room. Think of your garden in that context, from the size of the space to the arrangement of trees, shrubs and flowers. These will be the cues used to choose and place your garden statuary.

Keep It Simple

Fromme finds that gardeners trying to introduce too many pieces into their garden create too many distractions for the eye to absorb or enjoy. The garden becomes complicated and cluttered.

“Under the less is more principle,” advises Fromme, “one well-suited piece will create a presence and a focal point, introducing harmony rather than chaos into the garden.”

The less is more principle does not mean you are limited to symmetrical arrangements of statuary in your garden. Multiple pieces and styles can work comfortably together if they are not part of the same compositional frame.

According to renowned garden designer, Jon Carloftis, each part of your garden may have a different mood or feeling and can provide an opportunity to incorporate different types of garden sculpture. Such pieces create interest year round and serve to animate and personalize a space; a strong design element can even inspire the theme for the plantings.

“For example, the right type of statuary can look equally well in bold foliage such as elephant ears or hosta,” says Carloftis. “A shady naturalistic area may be the perfect spot for a small animal figure or bench.”

“I like to incorporate small cast stone pigs into my vegetable garden to give that particular area a sense of whimsy,” adds Carloftis.

Statuary need not be placed front and center and often should not be. Nestled in among the plantings, they do not distract from the overall composition. However, discovering such pieces as one strolls in the garden brings a wonderful element of surprise and magic to the garden.

Create a Frame

Just like a picture on your wall, garden statuary looks best with some kind of frame. A background of traditional clipped box, yew or a mixed border of grasses frames your statuary in the landscape. A stone wall or trellis covered with roses or even a simple wooden fence is all you need.

Personally, Cilio prefers the simplicity and versatility of garden containers such as jars and vases, but believes following the simple guidelines of style, color and proportion will lead you to a choice of statuary that will enliven your garden without overpowering it.

To view Campania’s wide selection of cast stone garden statuary, visit www.campaniainternational.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent