Gardeners often wonder what Organic Gardening really means.

Sure, the obvious answer is that organic gardening is gardening done without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on the plants.

Does that mean you do not treat the soil?  No, it just means you need an organically certified product like Organic Liquid Compost to use on the soil and keep it energized.

But what else does organic gardening mean?

An organic mindset means you think of your garden as being in harmony with nature and the environment.  You think of your organic garden as part of the whole system within nature.

This includes natural things like people, wildlife, insects, and water.  An organic gardener is going to work in harmony with these things, even though it is not always easy.

Organic gardeners also work to replenish any resources the garden consumes.  In conjunction with organic products, you can use your household raw organic matter to add to the soil to enrich it.

Growing organically also includes choosing plants that are native to your area.  Plants are adapted to their environment and will better resist pests and better perform in your soil and climate if they grow natively.  This cuts down on the need for chemicals as a defense against insects, pests and harsh soil enrichment.

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Gardening with your kids is a great activity.   It will let your children be outdoors exploring and enjoying nature. Children also need vitamin D for healthy bone development, what a better way for them to get this essential nutrient than from sunlight while gardening?

Gardening for my family is being together, talking and hoping one of the plants will truly make it and surprise us with some fruit or vegetable. It’s not difficult to garden. It’s difficult to get great results when you have two children as your helpers.

A solution for you is to enlist the help of a fertilizer that will truly help and make your plants grow. I have used many of those commercially available ones at gardening and retail stores and have stopped after the first use. Have you ever read the labels?
Great Big Plants is a company that produces a organic liquid fertilizer that will meet your expectations. It’s an organic liquid fertilizer that has been packaged beautifully and works incredibly. The most important thing though, it’s the ease of mind that you will get when using it. My 11 year old can help my 3 year old pour the fertilizer into the watering can without us thinking they’ll get sick.

The greatest thing for everybody is that we DO get results. Indoor plants that were slowly but surely dying came back to life within days and had flowers and new sprouts as well. Plants outside have grown twice as much as before with great results. The product DOES work and it’s easy to use. No fumes to smell, no worries and no wasting your money buying other products that will generate no results.

For you organically conscious people, this product is certified organic by the state of Washington. It is an organic product that gives you great results.

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I was wondering what types are gardens there are, and I went to wikipedia - gardening to find this:

Residential gardening takes place near the home, in a space referred to as the garden. Although a garden typically is located on the land near a residence, it may also be located on a roof, in an atrium, on a balcony, in a windowbox, or on a patio or vivarium.

Gardening also takes place in non-residential green areas, such as parks, public or semi-public gardens (botanical gardens or zoological gardens), amusement and theme parks, along transportation corridors, and around tourist attractions and garden hotels. In these situations, a staff of gardeners or groundskeepers maintains the gardens.

Impact Gardening is a way of using small space to great effect, keeping plants close together, which blocks weeds and requires very little upkeep once started.

Indoor gardening is concerned with the growing of houseplants within a residence or building, in a conservatory, or in a greenhouse. Indoor gardens are sometimes incorporated as part of air conditioning or heating systems.

Water gardening is concerned with growing plants adapted to pools and ponds. Bog gardens are also considered a type of water garden. These all require special conditions and considerations. A simple water garden may consist solely of a tub containing the water and plant(s).

Container gardening is concerned with growing plants in any type of container either indoors or outdoors. Common containers are pots, hanging baskets, and planters. Container gardening is usually used in atriums and on balconies, patios, and roof tops.

Community gardening is a social activity in which an area of land is gardened by a group of people, providing access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. Community gardens are typically owned in trust by local governments or nonprofits.

One notable thing they leave out is Japanese Gardens.  I am sure there are some others.

Can you think of any other types of gardens Wikipedia does not have listed yet?  Leave a comment.

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Garden pests are a big problem with organic gardening.  Here are some tips to help you avoid common pests and get better organic results.

Organic gardening is going to have bugs and other pests.  Some of the common pests that are probably in your garden right now are:

• Slugs
• Snails
• Beetles
• Army Worms
• Ants
• Aphids
• Grasshoppers
• Thrips
• Cabbage Worms
• and more, depending on your region.

Here are some general tips to help you limit these pests.

#1 Mix your plan species

#2 Pluck out the pests when you see them, before they have a chance to spread.

#3 Use native plants where possible - they have natural defenses to your regions pests

#4 Maintain a healthy organic soil base

Soil plays an important role in organic gardening.  It ensures healthier plants that will better resist pests.

You should rotate your crops each year and always add organic liquid compost to energize your plants.

Organic gardening is always going to have some issues with pests.  The important thing is to give the plants a great base to start from and give them a fast start by preparing the soil.

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If you want to start an organic garden, you need to start with organic gardening fertilizer.  This is the base for your organic garden success.

Purchasing organic fertilizer can be costly and you are unlikely to order it online, unless you go with a condensed product.

The best solution is an organic liquid compost that you can mix with water and spray on your garden area.

You can treat the area in the fall to detox the soil in preparation for the spring.

You can also spray the liquid compost on new plants and it provides an energy boost that will help the plants take off.

The great thing about organic gardening fertilizer that is a liquid compost is that it goes straight to the roots and starts getting results fast. It can be used on vegetables, flowers and any problem area in your yard safely and effectively.

You have a lot of Organic Gardening Fertilizer options, and we suggest a liquid compost to energize your plants fast.

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I love salad.  However you want to fix it - lettuce is my favorite staple for lunch and dinner - especially in the summer months.  I was pleased to find an article about growing lettuce even during the month of August by using a high tunnel and plenty of shade.

Barbara Pleasant has written an article on growing lettuce under a shade cloth and provides detailed instructions. 

Garden voices published an article on growing lettuce at home as well - however, they focus on the tips for growing during the cooler months as lettuce isn’t fond of the warm temps.  That’s why Barbara’s article is so cool.  She said that taste testers found the lettuce grown under her shade cloth tasted great!

There are a number of places you can purchase shade cloths to get started.

Have you tried growing lettuce in the summer?  What happened?

Remember a dose of Great Big Plants energy drink for even healthier lettuce!

photo courtesy of Vegetable Garden Guide.

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Tis the season for flying insects and unwanted critters messing with the harmony retreat you’ve created in your yard.  How do you discourage unwanted visitors from your yard?

I recently came across a lively discussion on the benefits of hanging a bag of water from your trees to discourage bugs.  If you have time to read the string of more than 120 comments ( you have too much time on your hand) you’ll get a chuckle, as I did.  Though I only read about 1/3 of the comments. 

However, seriously - what do you use to keep the bugs at bay?

Harry Kipper has written an article entitled How to Defend a Garden from Pests that offers a variety of tips for reducing the number of pests in your yard.  I like the fact that he offers organic solutions, even using the concept of “survival of the fittest” in his suggestions - using larger pests to control the smaller ones.

How do you remove the threat of pests?

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The county fairs are just around the corner - it isn’t too late to add a secret ingredient to your prized plants!

Just a little plug for our favorite energy drink:  Great Big Plants.  If you haven’t tried it, this summer is the perfect time.  For prizing winning entrees, add 4 ounces of Great Big Plants to one gallon of water.  Apply one time every other week during growing season and one time per month thereafter.

It is the affordable, healthy way to feed your plants.   

photo courtesy of Dan’s public gallery at the Iowa State Fair.

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Add some interest to your border garden with a handmade fence or trellis you can construct from twigs and branches you collect. 

Mother Earth News has a wonderful article with complete instructions for how you can transform branches into a wattle fence like the one pictured above.

If you are interested in a more complex, environmentally friendly solution - check out the video library at Whistling Willow - their fences, garden gates, trellis and teepees are magnificent.

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We all know about the honey bee and pollination - the age old story of the birds and the bees - right?  But there other insects that can be good for our plants?

Garden Guides has put together a reference guide that lists the beneficial insects and how you might use them to benefit your garden.

The chart lists the type of insect, which pests it eliminates and how to use them to benefit your garden.  It also suggests including plants rich in nectar such as catnip or dill as feed for the good insects!

Check it out - it’s great information. 

photo courtesy of Common Garden Pests

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