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Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself. Henry David Thoreau
Forest Gardening for a Beautiful and Natural Landscape
Forest gardening is the process of creating a space in your yard that will mimic the look of natural forest. These types of gardens are generally created in a vertical layer of plantings that will result in a look that is densely beautiful and very natural. Forest gardening can be done in colder climates using deciduous trees and plants that thrive in a particular area, or in tropical climates by using palm trees as the canopy a brightly colored tropical flowers throughout.
To Create a Forest Garden, Think Vertical
The look of a forest garden can be achieved easily in your yard by using vertical space efficiently. These types of gardens consist of many layers of varying height. They generally begin with a tall canopy of large trees, and some shorter, denser trees underneath. The layers are followed by a collection of shrubs, taller plants and finally ground covers that make up a rich green carpet on the forest floor. These forest gardens are usually quite filled with plants of all shapes and sizes, giving an appearance of dense growth and natural beauty.
The Self Sufficiency of a Forest Garden
Just as the natural forest gardens in the wild are self sufficient, you can create the look in your own landscape with little or no maintenance required. Thick mulch will usually cover the floor to protect the plants and offer nutrients into the soil. You can create this function in your own forest garden by adding mulch materials or using plants that will eventually become mulch. Nitrogen-fixing plants will also do their part to offer nutrients into the soil for other plants to thrive.
Forest gardens are an evolution of the survival of the fittest, meaning that the plants that are best adapted to the environment and conditions will survive. Because of this evolutionary process, the types of plants in a forest garden are often changing. You may find that the plants you begin with originally will end up dying off and you will find other, more adaptable plants to take their place. This constant change will keep your forest garden interesting and diverse forever. Perennial plantings will reseed, offering additional plants without the need for human intervention. Once your forest garden is in place, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the beauty of your forest landscape with very little required maintenance.
Fantastic Winter Gardening
By Louanne Baelde
 Winter gardening can be so much fun and extremely beneficial as well! Allocate a special space in your garden just for winter gardening.
If you are going to plant a crop following one that you had planted earlier, it's a good idea to feed the soil before hand. You want to give it the best shot that you can at being successful. Try mixing compost, leaf mulch or manure that is aged to your soil to keep it fertile.
Cool weather vegetables only take about one week to germinate therefore transplants can be started outdoors. It's best not to transfer them any later than the first week of September. This will allow the plants to develop good roots before the winter time and many upcoming frosts. You can also add compost or organic fertilizer in the hole whenever you go to plant. This will help a lot. Also, good drainage is extremely important.
Many winter plants just naturally reseed themselves year after year. This makes your job much easier and your crops more substantial!
Don't worry about whether your winter plants can withstand the cold. Remember that this is why they are called winter plants! They naturally pump sugar into their cells that works similar to that of an antifreeze. This is the reason why many winter vegetable plants like kale, leeks and brussel sprouts, do even better and taste much sweeter after frosts. Kale, peas, spinach, beets ... are all vegetables that do fantastic in rainy, cooler temperatures.
Garlic can be planted in October in a sunny area. It's actually thrilling to pull a sweet carrot out of the garden in January or to cut fresh brussel sprouts from the snowy ground in February. Even pretty pansies can often survive in winter.
It is best to provide more space between your plants for winter gardening, than you would normally in the summer time. This provides for better air circulation and then you will have less dampness; less fungus and diseases with your plants. Watch for snails and slugs with your winter gardening. These often prefer dark, damp conditions.
Windbreaks and walls can lengthen the season for your crops.
Don't forget to brighten up your yards with beautiful colored berries. With the right planning, berry bushes can be enjoyed with their bright red, yellow and pale blue colors and add beauty to the drab winter months. Birds will also love your new winter additions.
The biggest advantage of all with planting winter vegetables is that there is no need for weeding or watering and most of all, no insects!
Louanne welcomes you to visit EZ-Gardening-Tips.com http://www.EZ-Gardening-Tips.com for a large data base of extremely helpful gardening articles, gardening videos and gardening resources.
Create layers at different heights by making steps in the land and securing them with wooden planks. The established gardens in the area will provide clues about the best plants for the area. Gardening Containers are wonderful tools that allow the family gardener to beautify the dcor inside the home. The gardening experts in charge of the grounds of beautiful mansions are highly skilled and experienced, but an amateur can get tips on gardening that these experts contribute to different sources. Also, the different types of crops in a small space are not conducive to the spreading of plant diseases. There is certainly a romantic touch to the garden at night and good home gardening lighting will help in enhancing the appeal of the garden and also keep track of the path and thus prevent injuries. |
