How To Get Your Kids In The Garden (5)

How To Get Your Kids In The Garden

Source: Flickr

Whether you are green fingered or black thumbed, adding a garden to your home can add value to your property, when it comes time to resell. Not only that, the hobby of gardening can be a relaxing stress-buster when required. Below are some ideas on how to turn your back yard into a little green piece of paradise.

If having a lot of color in your garden is what you like but you want a sense of continuity, the best way to achieve this effect is to use two colors consistently among all of your plantings. As you look at your garden, your eyes will be drawn to the continuity of color and the view will feel more harmonized to the senses.

Pay attention to zones when choosing plants for your garden. Most plants will come with the zone marked. This is also true of seeds. Make sure the zone corresponds to your growing zone. Though plants may grow outside of their usual zone, they are less likely to be hardy plants.

Make a point to get rid of slugs as soon as you see them. Slugs will continue eating your plants until your garden is just a shell of its former self. There are a variety of chemical and organic methods that you can try; find something that works for you and protect your plants!

Develop an irrigation system for your lawn. A good sprinkler system aims to reach all the points of the yard with an even spread of water. Overwatering in one section can cause you to have nice green growth, but have other areas grow brown from neglect or lack of water. A proper irrigation system should hit all of the areas of your lawn.

To be sure a tree doesn’t become a problem with age, think of what size it will become before you plant it. The perfect place for a sapling may not be a great place for a tree several years down the road. You should be especially careful not to plant a tree too closely to your house, as the roots can cause damage.

Give the slugs a good send-off. While there are many commercial slug baits on the market, you can create a ‘humane’ way of getting rid of them. Cut a 2-inch end off the bottom of a soda bottle and bury it in the soil next to a plant that they favor, with a slight lip showing aboveground level. Fill it halfway with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the sweetness of the beer, climb in, and drink themselves into a happy (and terminal) stupor.

Use your used pantyhose in two beneficial ways for gardening. Wrapping and knotting up old soap slivers in pantyhose allows you to scrub stubborn ground in dirt off your hands, without needing expensive garden soaps. You can also use pantyhose to bag up your squashes and melons as they grow to give them more support on the vine, and the sun can still get through hosiery.

These hints should have given you an idea on how to begin adding a garden to your property. Always remember that in order for the garden to always look its best, regular care and maintenance is required. However, with a little effort it is easy to produce an area that you can be truly proud of.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/04/how-to-get-your-kids-in-the-garden-5/

Everything You Should Know About Gardening (4)

Everything You Should Know About Gardening

Source: Flickr

Has searching for tips and tricks related to gardening proven unfruitful so far? Either the information you have come across is wrong or it is worded in a hard-to-understand way. This article will provide some great advice for you so that you have a successful gardening experience.

A great tip to consider when gardening is that a perfect way to rid your plants of aphids is to use tape. This is important because collecting aphids with a strip of tape is a quick and cheap way to remove them from your garden and keep your plants beautiful.

To make sure your garden looks great from season to season, plan ahead. Make sure your garden includes both annuals, biennials, and perennials so that you can always count on something blooming. Before you plant any flower, think about what you want for your garden in the next year or two.

If you find that your garden is producing more vegetables than you can eat, you might try finding recipes that call for the produce in different stages of maturity. For example, if you anticipate that you’ll have more squash than you need, you can harvest the squash blossoms. This makes your garden more diverse in its offerings that you can enjoy.

A great tip to consider when gardening is to use extra empty pots as covers for your smaller plants in case there is a risk of overnight frost. This is important because it is an easy way to use the parts you already have to prevent your plants from dying.

To make sure you don’t accidentally dig up bulbs in the following year, mark them with twigs. They should stay in place over the winter, and will be an easy reminder when you’re planting new things in the spring. This is especially nice because you don’t have to buy anything beforehand. Just grab some nearby twigs and put them in place.

To prevent pain in your knees while gardening you should use a knee pad. A knee pad is typically a foam board that will allow your knees to rest on padding rather than on the ground. You will find that most of the knee pads that are sold in stores are less than $10 and can be purchased anywhere that gardening supplies are sold.

When you first plant a seedling, make sure that you keep the soil moist until it germinates. This is very important because, if the soil dries out, you risk the seedling dying. Once the seedling does germinate, the soil can be allowed to dry in between watering, but remember that it is still delicate and needs to be taken care of.

To get rid of the snails plaguing your garden, set an open container of beer on its side where you usually find them. The snails will be drawn to the scent of the beer and trap themselves. If you’d like to make this trap even more effective, try adding a little bit of brewer’s yeast to the can.

To summarize, you ended up here because all of the information about gardening that you have come across so far has proven to be less than useful. This is wasting time that you could have spent outside in the garden! Use the advice given here and you should be happy with your results.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/03/everything-you-should-know-about-gardening-4/

Tips On How To Garden Like A Pro (3)

Tips On How To Garden Like A Pro

Source: Flickr

Gardening is as beneficial on a psychological level as it is on an environmental level. Gardening can help us attain a sense of calm and self-sufficiency that is hard to replicate with other activities. By following the tips in this article, even a novice gardener can quickly progress in developing great gardening skills, as well as, peace of mind.

Vegetable water makes a wonderful fertilizer. Next time you boil or steam your vegetables to eat, set aside the cooking water. This water is chock full of nutrients, and will provide a nice, nutritious boost to your garden. Make sure the water is thoroughly cooled first hot water can damage and even kill plant roots.

Don’t plant large shade trees in your yard between the curb and the sidewalk. Large trees have powerful root systems. These roots will crawl under the sidewalk, lifting and breaking the sidewalk pavers. The sidewalk can’t be repaired properly without removing the tree roots, which would damage the tree. Smaller ornamental trees will do less damage.

Start your plants from cuttings to save loads of money! Plants are expensive these days. Many, however, can be started by taking clippings from other plants. All that’s required for some is just putting the cut ends in a glass of water. For the more difficult species, just dip the ends in some rooting hormone and push them into some damp sand.

A key element to having a great garden is to fence it in. In many areas the wildlife will consume the fruits and vegetables as soon as they sprout, yielding little or no harvest. A good fence will not only keep out the wildlife, but it will keep out the neighborhood children from playing ball and pets from digging.

Find out if the plants you have in your garden have special fertilizer needs. Some plants like slow-release fertilizers, while others prefer nitrogen-rich foods. Most like to be fertilized during the high point of their growing season. A little education will go a long way to improving your garden.

A great tip to consider when gardening is that a perfect way to rid your plants of aphids is to use tape. This is important because collecting aphids with a strip of tape is a quick and cheap way to remove them from your garden and keep your plants beautiful.

You can use small clay pots or milk jugs to protect your plants from a late season frost. A bed sheet is also an effective cover on shrubs or large areas. Typically, young sprouts are the most vulnerable. If you forget or your efforts fail, you may be forced to replant the crop.

To get rid of the snails plaguing your garden, set an open container of beer on its side where you usually find them. The snails will be drawn to the scent of the beer and trap themselves. If you’d like to make this trap even more effective, try adding a little bit of brewer’s yeast to the can.

In conclusion, gardeners approach their hobby from different perspectives and different skill levels. Many are just starting their gardening hobby. Others have been gardening for years. Nonetheless, everyone has room to learn. This is true, regardless of how advanced they are. This article contains some of the guidelines for this learning process.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/03/tips-on-how-to-garden-like-a-pro-3/

Garden In Disrepair? Use These Helpful Tips To Get It Into Shape! (2)

Garden In Disrepair? Use These Helpful Tips To Get It Into Shape!

Source: Flickr

So much can be said about gardening. It is a way to commune with nature, to breathe life into the earth, and so on. However, there are a number of important points to remember when gardening in order to ensure a positive, stress-free experience. This article lays out some of those points in a straightforward manner.

Make sure when you are indoor gardening, you do not over water your plants. Over watering your plants can in fact kill them which are the number one reason that most houseplants die. Test the soil for moisture to see if it needs more watering. Stick you index finger into the soil and if it is damp, do not water your plant further.

When raising new plants, it’s helpful to identify the best soil composition that fits your plant. Plants require 3 major nutrients to grow phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium. Learning the special composition for your soil will usually lead to the best plant growth possible. On the other hand having the wrong composition will generally result in average or stunted growth.

Utilize proper tools and keep them in tip-top shape to lessen the stress on your body when you’re gardening. Spades and hoes should be periodically sharpened to keep them working at their best. If you have the space, choose tools such as long handled spades that allow you to stand while working. The better you feel after gardening, the more often you’ll enjoy getting your hands dirty!

Make sure to keep your eye on your garden for pests. They can eat away your plants or foods and cause irreparable damage. If you do find them in your garden, it is important that you get rid of them as soon as possible before they reproduce and create more problems.

Give the slugs a good send-off. While there are many commercial slug baits on the market, you can create a ‘humane’ way of getting rid of them. Cut a 2-inch end off the bottom of a soda bottle and bury it in the soil next to a plant that they favor, with a slight lip showing aboveground level. Fill it halfway with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the sweetness of the beer, climb in, and drink themselves into a happy (and terminal) stupor.

Grow vegetables and fruits to drink. Often overlooked yet easy to grow are items that can be made into fantastic and nutritious drinks. These berries and fruit juices can be frozen or canned or made into wine and hard cider. A well made apple wine or blueberry wine can start at $10-12 a bottle, so this can also be a profit available with the garden.

Tie strips of mylar balloons to the branches of your fruit trees just before harvest time. These flapping, shiny straps will frighten away birds and small mammals, protecting your fruit. Just be sure to remove them after the harvest, because if they blow loose, animals may eat them and become ill.

Gardening is a wonderful way to bond with nature. This article provides some pieces of advice to keep in mind when gardening so you can have the least stressful, most positive experience possible. The tips provided can help you go about gardening properly and concentrate on the things that make you happiest.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/02/garden-in-disrepair-use-these-helpful-tips-to-get-it-into-shape-2/

How To Grow A Vegetable Garden Using Containers (3)

How To Grow A Vegetable Garden Using Containers

Source: Flickr

For many people, gardening is more than just a hobby. Garden is one of the most relaxing and rewarding parts of their daily lives. Gardening can yield not just beautiful flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables, but less stress and tension as well! Read on for interesting and practical information, on how to get the most out of your gardening pleasure!

Do not allow the garden to go without water. Many people have unrealistic expectations of watering the garden after work everyday, but life gets in the way and that is the end of the garden. Install a sprinkler system to ensure the garden gets enough water. Although this does add expense to the garden, the convenience of it is well worth the money.

A great tip to consider when gardening is that you need to keep your compost pile somewhat damp. This is important to keep on top of because with the right moisture conditions you will allow all of the materials to break down quickly and also keep it from smelling awful.

Keep slugs out of your tender plants. Cut the bottom 2 inches off a plastic soda bottle to make a ‘saucer’. Dig a little hole near to any tender plants and bury the saucer with about 1/4 inch left above ground. Fill it with beer, and leave it overnight The slugs will be attracted to the sugar in the beer and will make their way in, never to get out again!

If this is your first time planting a garden, you should purchase seeds and plant them in seed trays to allow them to grow some before planting them outside. By doing this, your plant will be stronger and much more likely to survive once you plant it in the soil outside.

Get the most out of garden space by growing compatible crops. When growing a crop like tomatoes, plant lettuce and spinach in between to grow in the shade of the taller plants. This will maximize the space used in the garden. Also, grow plants which mature at different times alongside each other like carrots and radishes. The radishes will be ready in only thirty days while it takes much longer for the carrots to mature.

A great tip to consider when gardening is the fact that support structures are very beneficial for your plants. This is important to keep in mind because the use of sticks and posts can increase the amounts of plants you can fit in your garden, protect plants from too much sun, as well as keep plants off the soggy ground.

To make sure you don’t harm your plants when you water them, only use water at a lukewarm temperature. Cold water can shock your plants, making it more difficult to absorb the water properly. Try filling your watering can before you go to bed at night so that it’ll be the perfect temperature when you’re ready to water your plants in the morning.

Given how busy and stressed out life can be, it’s a wonder that more people do not take up gardening. As you have just read, there are many ways of making it easier and more cost effective and even, more fun. Hopefully, this article has planted a few seeds in your mind about how to be a better gardener, today!

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/02/how-to-grow-a-vegetable-garden-using-containers-3/

Recipe: irish pork stew

Source: Flickr

Irish Pork Stew

Servings: 8

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or
sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 large onions, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 bay leaf
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (12 ounce) bottle imported stout
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Coat pork with combined flour, salt and pepper.

Heat oil in Dutch oven; brown meat over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Pour off drippings. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover; cook over medium-low heat 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until meat is very tender. Stir occasionally.

Serve with imported beer and mashed potatoes, if desired.

Per serving: 188 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 50mg Cholesterol; 563mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/01/recipe-irish-pork-stew/

Gardening Is As Simple As It Is Fun

Source: Flickr

Learning new ways to be a smarter gardener will save you money and back pain. Don’t be fooled into thinking that gardening will get easier. Instead, learn new ways to be more efficient that will give you more time to relax and enjoy your garden. Take the time to learn new ways to be a better gardener with these helpful tips.

To get rid of the snails plaguing your garden, set an open container of beer on its side where you usually find them. The snails will be drawn to the scent of the beer and trap themselves. If you’d like to make this trap even more effective, try adding a little bit of brewer’s yeast to the can.

If you do not want to expose your family to harmful pesticides in your garden, consider using organic pesticides. Organic pesticides do not have the harmful chemicals commonly found in ordinary pesticides. Fragrant herbs like rosemary, basil, and mint are often disliked by pests, and they are good choices to plant around your garden to ward off pests.

Use as few chemicals as possible in your garden to grow the healthiest foods. Any chemicals that you apply to control weeds or insects are bound to get into the plants that are growing. Try using as many natural methods of weed and insect control as possible to limit the possibility that chemicals will wind up in your food.

Use humus as a basic component of your garden soil because it is the very best material to help your plants thrive. Humus is made up of decaying organic matter and is almost the perfect soil for most plants to grow in. It improves the soil structure and water retention in the soil which promotes the habitation of earthworms and beneficial bacteria in the soil.

When lifting heavy things in your garden it is important to protect your back. You should always lift with your knees when you are lifting anything in the garden. If something is very heavy you should ask someone to help you lift it so that you do not cause damage to your back or knees.

Be careful not to over-water your garden. Giving your plants too much water can actually kill them faster than not giving them enough water. Soil that has too much water in it prevents root systems from growing properly. It can even cause your plants to rot from the bottom up.

If you have clay soil, the most important thing to do is work it over and amend it with some type of compost. Plants tend to do well this type of soil once they are established, as they can sink their roots deep enough into an area that never dries out. Conversely, plants in lighter soil need watering constantly. Remember to place an organic mulch on the surface, which will stop the surface from baking in the summer.

Whether you are working toward a garden that will survive throughout the year, trying to save money on gardening costs or just wanting to cut down on the work it takes to build a garden, learning how to garden never ends. At the end of the day, as you sit down to relax, you will reap the benefits of viewing the beautiful garden that you worked hard for.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/02/01/gardening-is-as-simple-as-it-is-fun/