Home Gardening

The term gardening can mean several things so this discussion is going to center around home gardening for the purpose of producing some food. It is good to take a little time to do some planning and thinking through what plants you will want to have for your produce.

First the location has to be decided upon. Pick a location that drains well, as it won’t do to have water standing around in puddles. The plants won’t do too well in those circumstances. Choose an area that receives a lot of sunlight during the day. Hopefully the soil is good and loamy, but if not mix in compost, manure and even some topsoil if need be. The more of these items that are mixed into the soil, the better will be the harvest.

Avoid sandy or clay soils and shady areas. Stay away from trees and shrubs, as they should not compete with the vegetables and vice versa.

Before it’s time to plant, make a diagram of what you would like to plant and in what areas. Attempt to show what rows the plants will be located in, which vegetable are planted where and the distance between rows. Keep the early plants such as radishes, lettuce and onions close together. Plants that will grow taller should be grouped together at the north end of the garden. Corn, pole beans and tomatoes would fall into this category and the idea is too keep them from shading the other plants.

Be sure to allow extra room for watermelon, cantaloupe and squash.

Corn should be planted in several short rows to increase pollination, rather than one or two long rows. Plant the same vegetables at different times of the year to increase the overall yields. For example, make smaller weekly plantings of beans, carrots, cabbage, and lettuce instead of a single large planting.

To prepare the garden, a rototiller will work, and in smaller areas a shovel can be used to turn the soil. A hoe and rake for battling weeds, a trowel for more detailed weed surgery, a garden hose and sprinkler for watering, and a good duster or sprayer for control of pests just about runs the gamut for needed equipment.

Fertilizer and mulch should be on hand for continued feeding of the soil. String and short stakes are helpful for marking rows and longer stakes are necessary for tomatoes. Some of the plants can be started by seed, but others do better outdoors when started as a small plant. Tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and peppers do better starting from plants.

For fertilizer, a soil test done at the friendly county cooperative will be the best option of what and how much fertilizer to apply initially and periodically to the garden. The people who work there are experts in this area and will be able to advise properly in this area.

There is nothing better than enjoying produce that has just been harvested from the backyard garden. It is really not as much work as some people think and it is the best way to obtain fresh vegetables for the dinner plate.

Benefits of Gardening

When I was a little girl, I recall an experience when a lady moved into a broken down house right down the street from mine. I remember feeling bad for her because her house looked sad and broken down. She was obviously broke and couldn’t afford anything more then what she had. Little did I know that this woman’s house would end up being the most beautiful house in town.

Every year the area outside her house would blossom, not only that but she had blossoms popping up ALL YEAR LONG! Gardening is what brought that little ladies house to life every single year. She was a gardening genius! Since I have been married and moved into my own little home I’ve thought a lot about that lady.

Most gardening enthusiasts out there will agree with me when I say that it is one of the greatest forms of artistic expression out there.  Besides the fact that it is beautiful, it offers so many benefits to you and your home. Some of which include-

Satisfaction:

Through personal experience I have found that it is extremely hard to be unhappy when you are surrounded by blossoms, greenery, and vegetables! Professors at the University of Texas can back be up when I say that it can cure depression. After asking a wide range of 300 people how they would rate their happiness in life, they found that gardeners gave significantly higher scores than everyone else. With this information alone I would even dare to say that gardening can be as helpful as Prozac when it comes to depression.

Health:

Another benefit of planting is that it can be incredible for your health. We already know that happiness is a side effect—which is a major health plus. Another plus is that you can experience optimal health while planting your own veggies and fruits. Home grown veggies provide all of the nutrients and suppliments that your body could ever want.

Cleanliness:

One of the genius benefits that comes to planting is that if you plant the right things you can ward off all kinds of preditors to your home. Grass alone will keep all kinds of bugs away from your house. However there are many other plants that will keep dangerous pests out of your home and yard! Here is a sort list of things that you can plant to keep certain bugs away-

• Basil- to get rid of flies and mosquitoes.

• Chamomile- to fight of aphids.

• Marigold- to rid of tomato worms.

• Mint- white cabbage moths and aphids.

• Sage- for flea beetles and slugs.

• Tansy- flying insects, squash bugs, ants, and flies.

The list is endless and super easy to find if you do your research right. There are so many online websites that offer lists of plants that will ward off pesky insects from your home. That aspect alone offers a major benefit to me living out in the desert.

As you can see, gardening offers some major rewards and benefits to your life. Not only that but it is super easy to get started. Go online today and start researching your area and what plants will do well!

Good Luck!