Thanks to guest writer, Sharon Deloy, for this interesting article on raised bed gardening.

Raised bed gardening has many benefits, and few drawbacks.

Advantages

The raised bed will warm up earlier in the spring, allowing an earlier start to your growing season.

The raised bed is easier to maintain by not allowing encroaching plants, grasses, or weeds into the bed.

The raised bed can be a boon to an elderly person or a handicapped person by allowing them to sit on the edge of the bed while planting, weeding, or harvesting.

Disadvantages of a Raised Bed

One of the disadvantages of a raised be is that it takes more time than just digging a bed, and is more expensive but well worth it.

Making a Raised Bed Garden

I have many raised beds in my garden. I make them out of cement blocks. I find that cement blocks are long lived, they can be moved if necessary, they do not rot away like wood, and I can sit on the edge of the blocks while I work or plant in my garden.

I make my raised garden beds with light blocks, about 18 inches long and 6 inches high. I have 7 blocks on either side, and 3 blocks at each end. I can reach from either side without having to step into the bed.

Finishing the Raised Bed

After I build my beds I dump all of my kitchen waste (vegetation only - no bones or meat scraps) into it for a period of time - usually a month or so, or even over the winter months

Then I fill my beds with potting top soil (so named at the local store) for about $1.00 per bag. I need about 20 bags of soil - 1 cubic foot each. Then for a top dressing I buy a 4 cu. ft. bag of potting soil, and sprinkle it on top. I prefer the one with either fertilizer or water crystals, or both.

I water my raised beds thoroughly before planting. I wait until it is no longer wet to the touch to plant my seedlings or seeds.Seedmoms Garden

Other uses of Raised Beds in the Garden

I grow a lot of perennial flowers, and plant them in the raised beds in the fall, where they will overwinter and really give a wonderful show in the spring.

I also have a cement block bed where I put all of my compost (kitchen scraps, garden waste, etc.)

If I have too many plants (I plant in 8 oz. styrofoam cups which are reused year after year) I put them into an empty raised bed that has not had any soil put into it, and let the leaves fall on them or put straw over them. I have successfully overwintered many plants in such a bed.

Final Notes on Raised Bed Gardens

You will have to make sure that the raised beds do not dry out. I tell by the first plant to wilt that it is time to water. A raised bed needs to be watered more often than an in-ground bed. Also be sure and do not let your plants go dry in the winter.

Sharon Deloy is the owner of several websites, including the one above and her newest website Backyard Waterfalls Besides writing many of the articles herself, she has guest authors from time to time.

Also check out these other articles:

Landscaping with Raised Garden Beds

More Landscaping with Raised Garden Beds

Planting a garden to grow flowers or vegetables can be relaxing but it can also be hard work. In order to give your plants the best chance of growing, you need to properly prepare the soil for them. You will find most soil lacks the essential nutrients to grow plants well without additional help.

Pay close attention to how far you have to dig into the soil in order to plant your items. You want to follow these directions precisely. Some types of flowers and plants seem to grow well in any type of soil. Others require it to be loose and full of nutrients. One of the easiest ways to do this is to create your own fertilizer.

You can take the leaves from your yard, scraps from your kitchen, and various other items. Place them into a collector in your yard with a lid that will keep animals out. This way you can have all the fertilizer you need when you are ready to use it. This will also help the environment because you won’t be using any harsh elements to get your products to grow.

Make sure you also have the soil level in the garden area. Otherwise the water will run downhill. This can result in some of it not getting enough water and other areas getting too much water. There is also the risk of the nutrients running from the top down preventing many of the items in your garden from being able to grow.

Too many people neglect to take care of the soil in the winter after they have harvested their garden. However, if you work hard to take care of this detail, you will have less work to do when spring rolls around. It will help your soil to maintain plenty of nutrients so that you aren’t going to have to add so many of them.

One of the easiest ways to preserve your gardening soil over the winter is to add plenty of compost. You can collect it yourself or you can purchase it. Make sure the compost is several inches thick so it will penetrate deep into the soil.

The success of your garden depends on how well you prepare the soil before you start the process. Don’t look for shortcuts and make sure you give your garden everything it needs to be successful. You can have delicious tasting vegetables and fruit and beautiful flowers if you do so.

Try the Himalayan Health Secret - Goji Juice!

I’m not a Bonsai expert, but really enjoy looking at them, so I asked Anthony Smith to write a few words about Bonsai trees and their care. I think he’s come up with some interesting information. I hope you enjoy it…

Bonsai trees have often been thought to have originated from Japan. However, records of more than 2,000 years old show that bonsai trees have been growing in China, not only as part of landscapes, but also in shallow containers. Approximately 1,500 years ago, Bonsai trees were first grown individually after being collected from mountainous regions. Bonsai trees can be seen on many ancient Chinese line drawings. It was several centuries later that the Japanese began to grow and train the trees in pots. The Chinese and Japanese styles of Bonsai are very different. The Chinese styles are more freeform and mainly trained by pruning, and the Japanese styles are particularly groomed and shaped, making them appear more natural.

The translation of bonsai growing is ‘plant in a tray’. It is a satisfying hobby which combines both horticulture and art. Bonsai trees are typically described as ‘living sculptures’. As with any pot plant, it is essential that the plant is kept healthy and in excellent condition. It does require a certain amount of artistic imagination to prune and shape bonsai trees. The origin, species and general health are dependent upon the timescale to create an impressive bonsai. It will take longer to grow a bonsai tree from a seed or a cutting.

You can become to appreciate bonsai trees very quickly. They can become a very important part of your life. It is essential not to be afraid to experiment with pruning and shaping. Patience is something which is necessary by each individual when creating bonsai trees, as it is a process which should not be hurried. A good Bonsai can be trained in a very short time, providing that the suitable material is selected firstly.

Something which is fundamental to all plant life is watering. The tree will certainly die of thirst in as little as 48 hours, if it is left in a dry bonsai container. It is essential however, that the tree is not over watered. This is how many bonsai trees die, as newcomers to bonsai growing panic and over water the plant. It is important to water thoroughly, but only when a bonsai needs it. You can test as to whether the bonsai needs water by scratching the surface to expose the soil immediately below. If the soil just under the surface is wet, then do not water it. If the soil is only just damp, then you can water it. And if it is dry under the surface, then it should most certainly be watered.

Bonsai soil contains little or no nutritional value to a bonsai tree. Your bonsai depends entirely upon you for its nutritional requirements. There are a wide variety of plant foods available for your bonsai. However, it is essential that the plant food contains the three basic nutrients of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

It is essential for the survival of the plant that it receives sufficient daylight or good artificial light. However, it is essential to understand the difference between sunshine and sunlight in order deliver the correct bonsai tree care. Direct sunlight can be harmful for many species of bonsai, especially through a glass window. It is also essential to remember that whether your bonsai tree is inside or out, it will benefit from a certain degree of shade from the hot summer sun.

More Bonsai Tree information articles written by Anthony Smith can be found at:http://bonsai-tree.relatedinfo4u.com

Thanks to the ausis.info team for this article about composting.

For those with dirty minds:

The art of composting… Includes instructions you will need to get started and helpful tips to help you get the best results the easiest and most cost and time efficient way.

What you will need.

THE GREENS: Scraps of food. THE BROWNS: Paper and leaf materials example grass.

Somewhere to compost: Something to compost in example a bin or hole even an old bucket.

Water, this can be recycled from your air conditioner, tea pot, dish water or whatever.

Garden spade and fork; gloves optional. To aerate Twigs, Sponge rox, bark chip and the like.

Composting is one of the practices I can honestly say I have had a hand in since a very tender age. Though this is the case, the first heap I gave birth to was the first heap my husband & I made. Our neighbours thought we were nuts as we were rental tenants, soon they saw how smart we actually were as we used it in pot plants & gardens.

Each place we move to we start a heap, though now days some of the compost bins and or heaps are a bit more sophisticated. Let me share with you our first heap or should I say heaps as we actually used both of the following to get them started. The first was a hollow or shallow hole in our yard, not too close to the house & in a spot that gets plenty of sun in winter; instead of filling it with dirt we saw a perfect composting bed ready & waiting.

The second heap I found it a wise move to dig a shallow hole where we wished to have our second compost heap. Having the heap in a hole or hollow just speeds it up a little as the worms are attracted to it a little faster & they are as important in composting as the scraps you compost, & the good microbes that help the composting process are.

Now that we had our chosen sites prepared all we had to do was add our scraps to start the heap. By scraps I mean garden waste, the dust from your vacuum, just about any food scraps, paper, cardboard; but not meat, seafood, chicken or dairy for obvious reasons of health & pest problems.

That was easy as I had just weeded the garden a few days before & not thrown them out & my husband had been cooking all sorts of yummy food & making kitchen scraps, plus the cardboard boxes I tore up & the cuttings…

Getting the point now…

They all went in the compost bed. Now all we had to do is keep adding to it turn it with a garden fork every so often & keep it moist, six months later we were starting use of the second bed & using the compost from the first bed. That is how simple it is; just remember the more attention you give the heap the quicker it pays.

A couple of tips:

1. You should really try to add your items in layers adding a layer of THE GREENS following a layer of BROWNS and a bit of dirt or almost finished compost

2. If using a bin use 2 the first one you add fresh scraps etc into and after a few months add some of the content from the bottom of the first bin to the second to allow it to age better and makes it easier to use.

3. For bins that sit flat on the ground with little or no holes in them you should use three brick or so to raise the bin up to allow more air flow and giving an easy access point at the bottom to pull out the compost.

4. We prefer to boost macro & micro nutrients in our compost with super grow nutrients also use sponge rox which are a natural mineral rock which helps make it sustained or slow release available from ausis at the link below

So as you will see following these instructions will give you the greatest nutrition for your plants, some exercise and also you may end up with a worm farm which goes nicely with compost. To see some results of vegetables grown in our compost enriched gardens and some extra nutrient and other hints visit the links below or in the author box.

ausis info super grow nutrients

ausis sponge rox

About The Author

The ausis.info team are part of the ausis group and are team are professional Solutions consultants and Colour restorers who specialise in a wide number of topics.

Check out our ausis hydro veges pictures.

Thanks to guest writer, Eric Johnstone, for this interesting post about Gazebos.

The Garden is an important part of your house to be enjoyed by all of the family. A gazebo can bring new life to a garden that has been neglected for a very reasonable cost. An affordable gazebo kit can be found for only a few thousand dollars or, for the adventurous gardener, the gazebo is relatively easy to build with many, easy to follow, designs and plans available. For those looking for luxury there is plenty to choose from, gazebo heaters are a popular luxury item that make it available in colder weather or cooler evenings.

A useful addition to any garden the gazebo can be considered a utility or an enhancement, with a wide variety of uses it can soon become a popular area for quiet relaxation or lively patio games under shelter. For those who live in an area where gnats and flies can be a problem a screened gazebo can offer the whole family protection from these annoying little creatures.

Screened Gazebos also give privacy, useful if you have a garden overlooked by neighbors or if you want a handy changing area. Many garden designers have started to incorporate hot tubs into the gazebo often with three sides screened which adds privacy while allowing for a view across your garden - superb for romantic evenings.

Gazebo Design Considerations

A patio gazebo can utilize an unused corner of the patio to great benefit to the family. They are available in a number of different styles and sizes, each using a broad variety of materials. Many landscape gardeners choose to design the new building in a style to match the garden and the house whereas other choose to make a design statement.

If you have chosen to have screens it is important that you are aware of the surroundings. If you have a central gazebo with lots of space around it then this will prove less problematic than one in an enclosed corner with restricted access. For such a screen which slides open will prove most useful than ones which swing open. Some screens are permanent while others can be removed when the need arises, further extending the gazebo’s usability.

If you live in an area which suffers from high winds it is extremely important that you ensure your gazebo is suitable. It may be necessary to have concrete foundations to which you can fix your gazebo, screens may catch the wind more than an open design and those with a thin metal frame may even become distorted, wrought iron may be a more suitable material in such situations. A good idea is to take a look around your local neighborhood and see how others have their gazebo’s but better still employ the services of a professional.

The roof of your gazebo can be of various materials. each with their own benefits. A canvas roof offers lightweight protection, it is easily replaced if damaged and is considerably cheaper than some other options. Such a roof offers protection from rain and can also provide excellent shade from the strongest sun. On the other hand clear polymer roofs offer no shade but do have other benefits, on a less sunny day a clear roof can give the impression of more sun! It is possible to use a specially designed polymer which can filter the harmful rays from the sun with the best offering up to 92% protection from UV (ultra-violet) light. With the increases in the occurrence of skin cancer it is important to consider this option if you plan to spend extended periods of time in your gazebo, especially if you will be in your bikini.

An unusual, but increasingly popular, roofing material is thatch, a thatched gazebo can look absolutely wonderful in a matured garden surrounded by overhanging trees and beautifully scented roses. Thatched gazebos can be more expensive than others but, in the right location, it can add so much to a garden that it is well worth it.

Eric Johnstone has been a landscape gardener, specializing in outdoor lighting, for 15 years and writes for a small number of gardening sites in his spare time.

Finding methods to eliminate weeds without the use of herbicides is a challenge for many gardeners. These chemicals can, however, leach into the soil to be absorbed by your plants, including the ones that you eat. Herbicides can also sicken pets and wildlife. Here are some organic gardening resources that you can use to fight weeds organically:

Grow healthy gardens: As always, prevention is the best cure. This means providing the best conditions possible for plant growth. Healthy plants will compete and crowd out weeds better than weak ones. Weed development is encouraged by improper watering, compacted soil, insects and disease. Fortunately, these conditions are all within your control and can usually be prevented by mulching.

Pull and Compost: Weeds with shallow root systems are easy to pull up, but some weeds thrive in the compost heap. One strategy is to place weeds in plastic bags, fill with water and leave for a couple of months. The water will fill with nutrients and make a good natural fertilizer for the garden, and the weeds will compost better.

Burn: Weeds not in close proximity to other plants can be killed with boiling water. A flamer can also be used, but as with boiling water, you must be very careful not to damage other plants.

Mulch: When choosing mulch consider the soil and plant type for optimum health of the plants. A layer of straw, shredded leaves, grass clippings or other organic mulch will smother small weeds.

Till: Turn over the soil before spring planting and allow the new weeds to sprout up. Then you can remove them using a shovel or hoe before they are well established and you have plants to work around.

Solarization: A year before planting a garden plot, cover the soil with plastic; this will induce temperatures high enough to kill the weeds and the weed seeds beneath the soil. Then remove the plastic and till or rake.

Go Native: When landscaping, choose native plants because these are best suited to the local climate. Healthy plants are much better at fighting weeds. As well as competing better, healthy plants produce lush foliage, which in turn creates shade, making it harder for weeds to germinate.

Hoe and pull up weeds depending on what you want to accomplish: when you pull up a weed, you may also bring other weed seeds up to germinate, and when you hoe, the weed’s root system may survive.

Use newspapers: Nearly all newspaper ink is soy-based so it is fine to place a layer of newspaper about 1/4 to 1 inch thick over the plot. Sprinkle with water as you go along so it won’t blow away. Cover with straw (or in beds, bark). The newspaper and straw can all be tilled into the soil after you harvest your garden.

Make use of a live mulch: Fill in spaces between your plants with a fast-growing, low-growing variety. Since you are likely to be walking in this area, choose a hardy one. Thyme is a popular choice because of the fragrance emitted when stepped upon and the subtle flavor it lends to vegetables. Plus it is an effective pest control.

Use drip irrigation: This watering method prevents the wasteful watering that often leads to weed growth in unplanted areas, such as pathways.

Plant a cover crop in the fall: This will crowd out weeds and significantly cut down on weeds in your spring garden, not to mention prevent soil erosion. If you choose a cover crop that is a member of the legume family, such as rye, clover or fava beans, then when you till it under in the spring, it will also add nitrogen to the soil.

These are just a few weed control organic gardening resources you might consider using in your garden. I’ll write about others in the future.

Growing a herb garden is an excellent way to start your own garden without too much fuss or hassle. The first thing to do is to create your herb garden plan which will help you layout your herb garden to make the most of the range of herbs available.

If you get your herb garden plan right it will look attractive as well as having the added benefit of providing tasty herbs to eat and cook with. These are great gardens for children to grow too, since herbs tend to grow quickly and can be used from the time they are small sprouts.

When creating your herb garden plan, there are various things you should consider:

Design with different heights of growth. Plants should be arranged so that you have a varied but attractive design. Tall herbs should be planted in the background and can also be used a feature plants in your display. Medium height herbs are the main part of the planting and can be used in many different ways. Low growing plants should be positioned at the front of the bed.

Use different leaf shapes and colors. Different shaped leaves can make an attractive feature. Using broad leaves alongside narrow ones can be particularly effective. Mixing different colors also adds interest to the display. There are many different colors of sage which look attractive together or combined with other herbs.

How you are going to display your herbs. There are a number of options here such as herb wheels, spirals, in a rock garden or in a regular border or bed. You may also want to consider a traditional, formal herb garden plan, such as a cross, rhomboid or cruciform with roundel. Many gardeners choose to position their herb garden close to the kitchen for obvious reasons.

You can grow herbs based on your own personal taste preferences of course, such as those you like to cook with or those you like to put into your own salads and other meals. Another fun way to grow an herb garden though, is by creating themes.

You could for instance, create an Italian herb garden for use in your Italian based meals and sauces. An Italian herb garden could include basil, garlic, onions, sage, chervil, parsley, and other herbs which are commonly used in Italian meals. It is easy to create a herb garden plan using Italian herbs if you take into account the color, height and ground coverage of each different type.

Another excellent themed herb garden might not seem like an herb garden at first, but it is: a spicy herb garden, or a Mexican herb garden. This theme would include herbs which tend to be very spicy and hot such as green and red chili peppers such as cayenne, jalepeno peppers, horseradish root, cilantro, coriander, cumin, and any other spicy or hot herbs you can think of. This type of herb garden is also sometimes called a chili garden, because it’s often used for making soup and Texas-style chili. You may need to build this sort of herb garden indoors or under glass if you live in a cool climate.

Then there is the herbal tea garden theme, which is another very popular one to grow. An herbal tea garden grows a wide variety of herbs which are often used for making tea. You can grow standard tea itself, along with flavored varieties such as lemon grass or lemon balm, spearmint, peppermint, chammomile, Echinacea, Angelica, Anise, catnip, red clover, lavendar, rosemary, thyme, and too many others to list in just one article. Generally, any herb can actually be used for tea, but not all of them will taste well as a tea of course. So select a few to start with, and experiment with different types of herb until you have created a perfect combination!.

One other type of herb garden you might want to try is a medicinal herb garden. Just about all herbs which are used for foods and teas have medicinal properties of some kind, and many are excellent for a wide variety of purposes. Garlic is a must grow herb for any medicinal herb garden, and you’ll love having Echinacea on hand for the cold and flu season too. Try your hand at a variety though, and again, just expand your themed herb gardens as desired.

If you want enchanting flowering plants for shade, you cannot beat growing fuchsias. Whether in individual pots, window boxes, or hanging baskets, lady’s ear drops, as fuchsias an sometimes called, are gorgeous plants noted for their grace and splendor. There are hundreds of varieties, single and double, in rose, purple, and white shades, and in both upright and hanging types. Fuchsias are particularly popular in California, where the summers are cool and the winters sufficiently moderate; but they make handsome container plants in other climates too.

Except for the hanging types, fuchsias are by nature upright shrubby growers, fine as specimen plants for containers. Under proper conditions, some attain considerable size. The dark purple-and-red Reiter’s Giant grows to five feet or more, and the single red Mephisto is even taller. Alice Hoffman, a semi-double white and pink, is a dwarf, to two feet, as is the three-foot Camellia, a double white and red.

Tree Types
Tree, or standard, fuchsias are always greatly admired. These are simply the usual fuchsias trained to tree form. With patience, you can develop your own, starting with a four- to five-inch cutting kept tied to a strong four- to five-foot stake. At the desired height of two, three, or four feet, the single stalk can be pinched back and allowed to branch. In the meantime, do not remove all leaves from the stem, because they are needed to manufacture food.

Good varieties to train to tree form include the purple-and-red Muriel, the red-and-white Storm King, the double lavender-and-red Gypsy Queen, and the all-white Flying Cloud. Tree fuchsias lend themselves to the simplicity of modern architecture; the large specimens are always attractive on the terraces and patios of contemporary ranch houses. On the other hand, they are also handsome with houses and gardens of traditional design.

For Hanging Baskets
Many gardeners believe that the best way to appreciate fuchsias is in hanging baskets, because their exquisite blooms are seen at or above eye level. They are most decorative for patios, entrances, lath houses, and on walls and tree trunks. They can be suspended in redwood slat boxes and in glazed or plastic containers. In moss-lined wire baskets, they require more water because the roots dry out more quickly.

For basket planting, you will like the double magenta-and-carmine Anna, the single red-and-white Claret Cup, and also the semi-double purple-and-red Muriel, mentioned for tree-training. Among the most brilliant varieties are the double, bright red Marinka; the nearly orange Aurora Superba; the carmine-rose and orange-red San Francisco; and the rose-purple-and-pink Amapola. It is more effective to grow but one variety in a container.

Espaliers and Pyramids
In planters or raised beds of containers, fuchsias can be trained into interesting espalier forms against a wall or fence where the space may be too narrow for other plants. Though not difficult, the espalier plant requires time and patience. First make a trellis of wood or wire. Five to seven tiers are customary. Then train your plant as it grows, pinching growth frequently to induce branching and to avoid bare stems. Varieties to espalier include the red-and-scarlet Falling Stars, the blue-and-rose Coquette, and the red-and-white Dr. John Gallwey.

Fuchsias can also be trained into pyramids in the manner of formal English ivy plants. Since the young fuchsia shoots tend to break easily, it takes patience and a steady hand to tie them properly to the form. Fully grown plants are delightful in a formal setting, and a pair for an entranceway are distinctive indeed.

Fuchsias are tender woody plants that do best under cool, humid conditions. They are especially successful in coastal areas, where fog and humidity prevail, though some varieties, as the single all-red Mephisto and the red-and-white Mme. Cornelissen, will thrive in hot, dry inland regions. They are great favorites because they bloom in shade, not the heavy shade of low-branching trees, but high, open shade and that found on the north side of a building. In dense shade, plants get leggy and flower sparingly. In hot, direct sunshine, however, they dry out and the leaves burn. In hot climates, lath houses provide ideal conditions. Windy locations should be avoided because of the delicate flowers and brittle branches.

When growing fuchsias, moisture is essential. Plants show dryness by wilting. In containers, they usually need water every day and sometimes more often, particularly in the summer. Good drainage is important. In the bottom of the container provide sufficient rough material such as broken flower pots, pebbles, or cinders to insure free passage of water.

Do not allow pots to stand in water, and in hot weather sprinkle the foliage to remove dust and increase humidity. Fuchsias require an acidic soil. The mixture should be rich in organic matter. A good combination consists of one part good garden loam, one part leaf mold or peat moss, and either one part old manure or a small amount in dehydrated form.

Containers should be large enough to allow for full development of plants during the summer growing season. A small plant needs a six-inch pot; if two or three are grown together, use a ten- or twelve-inch pot. Starting with young plants is preferable, although large specimens are satisfactory if they are healthy and vigorous.

When fuchsias are wintered in containers and are not treated as annuals, you can enrich the growing medium the first year by scooping a few inches of soil from the top and replacing it with a fresh mixture. The next year, take plants out of containers in early spring, cut back the tops and some of the roots and repot in fresh soil in the same container. Drastically cutting back branches in the spring, before growth commences, will make plants branch well.

Increasing Your Supply
When you want to increase your collection, take three-inch cuttings from the tender spring growth, dip the ends in a hormone powder and insert the lower inch of each stem in a mixture of half leaf mold and half sand. Protect the cuttings from sun and either spray them lightly from time to time or cover with polyethylene plastic to prevent their drying out. When roots have formed, transfer the plants to small pots in a mixture of light loam and leaf mold. Cuttings can also be taken in late summer or early fall for small plants that are easier to winter.

Fuchsias require regular feeding through the growing season. Give liquid fertilizer once a month, following directions on the package. Fish emulsion, applied monthly, will give especially good results.

During the winter, store plants at 45 to 50 degrees to keep them dormant. Water sparingly, just enough to prevent wood from shrivelling. Outdoors, hardy fuchsias will survive to 25 degrees, but where hardiness is questionable, it is safer to winter plants in a greenhouse, cool room, shed, or in a cold frame. During this period, cover the roots with a layer of peat moss.

Insects likely to attack fuchsias include aphids, red spiders, white flies, thrips, mealy bugs, and leaf hoppers. Use a safe insecticide from your local gardening supplier, and apply regularly, especially before an infestation is heavy, will keep these enemies under control.