How to Prune and Harvest Herbs

Harvesting and pruning herbs is a great way to make use of herbs but it also benefits the plant.

Many herbs can be harvested on a regular basis though the strongest flavor is just before the plant flowers. This is the plant's volatile oils which gives the plants its aroma and taste, and what should be preserved.

The best time of day to harvest herbs is in the morning just after the dew has dried and there is no moisture on the leaves. The volatile oils will also be at their peak at this time. The plants can be hosed down the day before to spray away any dirt on the leaves.

When harvesting perennial plants, don't take any more than 1/3 of the plant so there is plenty left for re-growth. With annual herbs, up to half of the plant can be harvested by snipping the stem four inches from the ground.

Use sharp shears to harvest and always snip at an intersecting branch as this encourages new growth.

Herbs in the mint family like peppermint mint and lemon balm should be sheared right to the ground at the end of the season in late fall. This will encourage fresh new growth in the spring and keep the plant tidy.

Hardy culinary perennials like oregano, thyme and rosemary should be pruned before flowering and can also be pruned as needed for use. Prune the new growth leaving a few inches above the woody stems. Pruning it into a compact ball will keep the plant tidy and encourage new growth in the spring.

Some herbs like oregano can become leggy and untidy so these types always benefit from a good pruning. Herbs like catnip and catmint also develop a sprawling habit and benefit from more regular pruning to keep the plant tidy.

Check herbs to snip and remove all dead wood and leaves and trim unhealthy parts of the plant. This encourages the plant to put its energy into new growth.

Herbs grown in milder climates may produce a second growth into the fall that can also be harvested. Some herbs like parsley, thyme and rosemary can be harvested minimally throughout the winter if the climate is mild.

Once the herbs are harvested, they can be dried hung upside down in small bunches gathered together with an elastic band. The herbs should be hung away from heat and light as this will affect the volatile oils.

Once the herbs are dry and brittle to the touch, strip the leaves from the stems and store in airtight containers, away from a heat and light source.

The leaves do not need to be crumbled until just before use, as this retains more of the volatile oils.

Harvested herbs can also be preserved by freezing them in ice cube trays tightly packed in with water. When the cube are frozen, pop them out and store in freezer bags. Thaw as needed. Another method is to blend the fresh leaves with water or oil and freeze in ice cube trays. Store in freezer bags and use as needed.

This is a great way to enjoy the fresh flavours of fresh that don't dry well, such as basil and parsley.

A final method for preserving is to make herbal vinegars as this provides a way to enjoy the fresh flavor of herbs year round.

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The Easiest Vegetables You Can Grow

Growing your own fruit and vegetables can be a daunting task, especially for the city-dwelling novice. A failed crop or, indeed, a dead plant, can lower morale to such an extent that no further attempts in the area of gardening are made. Do not lose heart though. Here are some excellent reasons to grow your own vegetables.

It is far more satisfying to grow veg than to buy them in the supermarket. The pleasure of using your home-growns in the kitchen will add so much to the experience of preparing and cooking your meals. And, here´s the real secret, it´s easy. Whether you have a small indoor garden or an acre to till, growing your own vegetables is hugely pleasurable, yielding fast rewards. And the quality is undoubtedly better than what you will find in the supermarkets.

Growing your own vegetables removes worry about chemicals and pesticides. There is a lot of preoccupation these days about the integrity of fruit and vegetables sold in the supermarkets. They are sprayed with pesticides and waxes which help protect and beautify the produce, but which are inevitably harmful for human consumption.

Planning your garden

Preparation is key and planning your garden will make things much easier further down the line. Picking a sunny spot is vital. For guaranteed success dig your garden in a place that will get six hours or more of full sunlight. It should preferably be close to the house and a water supply, so it is easy to monitor. Finally, your garden should be sheltered enough, getting good air movement, but certainly not windy.

Preparing the soil is also important. Dig and rake the soil so that it is well aerated and free of rocks and debris. The soil should drain well, never leaving puddles after heavy rainfall. You will probably also need to add compost for nourishment. Your end result should be a nice crumbly texture.

Sowing seeds

Sowing seeds is really easy. Usually it is just a case of following instructions on the packet. Some seeds can just be sprinkled on to the soil, whereas others need to be covered up. As a general rule, the bigger the seed, the deeper it must be planted. Be sure to keep the soil moist by watering regularly and gently. When the seedlings are growing make sure that they all have enough space, this may mean pulling some out and replanting.

Courgettes

Courgettes grow in startling abundance. If you don't know your neighbours already this will be your opportunity. You will be desperate to give away these little (and large) green veggies to whoever crosses your path. Sow them from seed directly into the soil in late-May until early summer. You should water these little plants well to boost production. The courgette flowers can also be eaten, they are delicious either battered or fried.

Onions

Onions are the staple ingredient to any good meal, adding substance and flavour to sauces and stews. They are, therefore, a welcome addition to your garden. Onions can be grown from sets or seeds, but planting sets is infinitely more fun and relatively risk-free. Sets are immature onion bulbs that are planted in the soil. Dig a small hole in the soil, enough to fit your bulb twice, and cover it. Space your sets around 15 centimetres apart for the best result. Plant in early spring.

Carrots

Carrots are another staple to the kitchen. Dice them to add substance to a stew or soup, grate them into a salad or just chop them up and eat as cruditees. Plant your carrot seeds as soon as the soil can be worked after winter. Carrots are ready for harvest when you see their tops peeking over the line of the soil.

Peas

Peas in a pod are the perfect plants for kids. They will love popping them Sugarsnaps are perfect for this. Sow three rows of pea seeds at the very beginning of spring and harvest them when the pods are fat. These little plants are fairly low-maintanance and can survive on the moisture from rainfall.

Lettuce

There is nothing better than a fresh garden salad from your own garden. The quality is better. The leaves are crunchier. And there are so many varieties of lettuce the only difficulty will be in deciding what you want. Try buying salad bowl, spinach and rocket seeds. These are easy to plant and maintain. You will, however, need to keep an eye open for garden pests, especially slugs, who love these tasty greens. Sow every two weeks in order to space out growth and to ensure that you always have fresh leaves on your kitchen table.

Radishes

Radishes are great for the novice gardener. They are easy to grow and are often ready in only three weeks. Plant in early spring, sowing the seeds around six inches deep. They will be a spicy, crunchy addition to your gourmet salads.

Whatever your level of expertise, gardening should be a fun, pleasurable experience. There is nothing like the feeling of eating a meal you planted and prepared yourself. And once you start, you will be guaranteed your thirst for learning will increase.

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What Is a Suitable Pond Water Feature for a Family?

Families can often have a difficult time deciding on the type of pond water features they should have in a garden to provide aesthetic beauty and keep the children within a family safe. Alongside the decision of what style of water feature you should place in a garden, the type of safety features installed and pump style can add to the myriad of choices available for those making the decision.

A poorly chosen or installed pond water feature can prove to be life threatening for small children; those under five are at the greatest risk of drowning in a water feature of shallow or deep depths. Even when choosing a shallow pond water feature such as a fountain, the family should consider safety features. A fence surrounding the pond water feature can provide some security, but are not always completely child-proof and can sometimes be climbed over by children who are then in danger of drowning if they fall. A protective mesh can also be installed, which covers the surface area of the water to reduce the chances of a child falling into the pond. Safety features, such as mesh that covers the surface of garden features can be dangerous if not installed correctly as the mesh can sag and allow the child to sink into the water and drown in case of an accident.

Shallow pond water features, such as koi ponds that have little water volume in them can be a good choice for families because the depth of water is not as deep as in other ponds. A shallow water feature can also use a low voltage pump to keep the pond water moving through the pond. Low voltage pumps are available that can be buried beneath the surface of the ground to avoid dangers such as tripping and electric shocks to members of the family. To further reduce these risks you can use a solar pump that floats in the water of the pond and is capable of moving small amounts of water around the pond. Solar pumps remove the issue of any electrical connections adjoining to the mains power supply completely; large scale water pumps used to power fountains are not generally permitted to be buried underground and run the risk of small children tripping over wires in the garden.

Often a better option for a family with small children is to use water features such as a bubble fountain that buries the reservoir containing the large pool of water beneath the ground. A water spout rises to ground level and is covered with a large amount of stones or rocks that water bubbles over as it is pushed through the water spout. Other options include a wall mounted fountain that makes it virtually impossible for children to get stuck in the small reservoir of water they use.

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Using Wind Chimes to Enhance a Small Rock Garden

With proper and creative planning, you can create your own rock garden-there are literally thousands of plants that can grow in it, but only if you make sure to give them the right conditions. Moreover, rock gardens have that distinct physical condition that makes it compatible with a wide array of garden furniture, such as wind chimes, statues, fountains, and water features. Creating and keeping your rock garden in bloom may be a constantly challenging task, but the reward is priceless-aside from the admiration of friends and acquaintances, the nice impression you make on anyone who sees your garden, you also have your own "private Idaho."

What are Rock Gardens?

Contrary to what someone who hears the words "rock gardens" might conclude, it is not actually a garden featuring nothing but rocks, although rock formations do figure largely in the whole setup. Simply put, rock gardens are a clever (and beautiful) way of utilizing otherwise idle resources. Credit the ancient Chinese and Japanese for being among the first ones to realize and exploit the potential and use of rocks in beautifying their home environment. Historical accounts vary, but rock gardens in the Chinese and Japanese context are not only decorative in purpose, but symbolic as well- certain rocks held special meaning concerning religion, wisdom, and life itself, which is why even now rock gardens have a deep special place in their culture.

In England in the 1800s, many exotic botanical treasures were being imported from the far-flung reaches of the British Empire, and people wanted to grow these treasures locally, if only to impress their friends. In 1919, Reginald Farrer's two-volume book 'The English Rock Garden' was published, and it subsequently became a sensation among professional and amateur gardeners. Fast-forward to the present, the modern application of rock gardens may be regarded as essentially Japanese in influence, but it is actually more a blending of different cultures, philosophies, and aesthetic sensibilities. For example, the rock garden you may find in an average American home represents modern ideas about beauty, as well as its success relies on the botanical knowledge pertaining to the kind of plants that can thrive in any rocky environment.

Special Rock Garden Plants

Not all plants can grow in a rock garden, and even those who do still require a lot of care and soil preparation to ensure their health. A stone garden stands on a well-planned bed that considers durability (the rocks should not roll down the slope), stability (it should not fall down like a stack of cards, or, well, rocks), and good soil drainage, while not altogether chucking aesthetics aside. Only when these basic matters are taken care of can you choose the plants that will call your garden home. Among the most common choices include succulents, such as sedums, hens and chicks, and agave. Alpine perennials are also excellent choices, such as dianthu and campanulas.

Playing with Colors

Another exciting aspect of stone gardens is how you can play with colors. Depending on their mineral composition, rocks come in various colors, such as bright red, orange, black, white, gray, slate, and others. You can use the natural colors of rocks to create the look you want to achieve. Under the guidance of a color chart and what you understand about color theory and harmony, you should choose the color of rocks according to whether you want your rock garden "warm" or "cool." Red, orange and yellow and any color based on blends of these colors are warm; blue, purple and green are cool.

Of course, not everything depends on the rocks alone. You can also select specific plants that serve your chromatic purpose. For example, if red sandstone is your main feature and you want everything else to work with it, you should use plants and garden fixtures based on red, as well as transitional colors that are derived from red. And to further enrich this setting, you can add a musical dimension by installing wind chimes in the right places.

Building a garden-even small ones at the corner of your existing garden landscape-is a delightful challenge. But if done correctly, it can be an immensely rewarding experience.

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The History of Bokashi and How It Works

Bokashi composting is not only an ancient practice, but it is also an excellent alternative to traditional aerobic composting. No one is 100% sure exactly where bokashi first originated, or the precise steps in its evolution that brought it to the system we have today, but there are respected theories that tie this tradition to northeast and central Asia. One thing is for certain: bokashi composting is ideal for modern society.

Bokashi is a powder made from bran used in anaerobic composting. This type of composting has several key benefits for the average Joe. A traditional compost heap is a requires a significant amount of work to keep properly maintained. Compost needs to be monitored, turned, aged and sifted... not to mention the pungent smell of compost is off-putting for many people.

Today's EM Bokashi compost eliminates the work, pests and smell associated with decomposition based composting. The practice is believed to have its earliest roots in ancient Korea. Through Korean composting traditions and new scientific research, compost engineers were able to design what we know as bokashi today.

Korean natural farming encourages the growth of certain natural indigenous microorganisms (IMs). These IMs are generally cultivated in cooked rice, milk or another media. Surprisingly similar to the way yogurt is created and maintained, a single culture can be kept alive and producing starters for compost heaps for generations.

EM Bokashi is made with Effective Microorganisms®, or EM•1® Microbial Inoculant. EM•1® is mixed with molasses, water and bran and fermented. The EM•1® ensures a consistent finished product. Effective Microorganisms® was discovered by a man named Dr. Teruo Higa in Japan. Dr. Higa has a doctorate in agricultural research and fruit tree cultivation from Ryukyus University in Okinawa, Japan. Like many great discoveries, EM® came about through an accident -- Higa threw out some waste from his experiments with microorganisms and found the surrounding plants began to flourish.

The EM® that Dr. Higa found in his waste pile was not the EM® that we see today. The current batch of EM•1® took a degree of refining before becoming the product sold today. The current EM•1® Microbial Inoculant mostly consists of lactic acid and phototrophic bacteria as well as yeast.

EM Bokashi came shortly after the EM® concentrate in 1982 and was combined with a special airtight bucket to be easily used in homes and schools. Since that humble beginning, Bokashi has spread to over 120 countries around the world.

Bokashi requires a high carbon media on which the microorganisms colonize. The media of choice today is wheat bran or rice bran. Bokashi starters are sold in a dried form and are mostly used in home composting. The method does not produce the smell of normal composting. The sealed container encourages a pickling process, preventing the materials from rotting, and keeps out pests such as insects.

Because EM Bokashi can be used in tight quarters and in sealed containers, it is ideal for people who want to compost in a small living space. The most common application is using an EM Bokashi bin in a household kitchen. The homeowner can dump kitchen scraps and vegetable matter into the bin and spread a layer of EM Bokashi mix over top of the scraps.

The EM Bokashi awakens in this nutrient-rich environment and the microbes quickly begin to grow. While they grow, they ferment and break down the organic (lignin and cellulose) components of the kitchen scraps in the bin. This causes the food scraps to pickle, maintaining their original shape, but preparing them to final breakdown in the soil. A liquid can be drained out of the Bokashi Bucket Fermenter and used as compost tea, which is a liquid fertilizer useful for growing plants. If the user has no desire to make use of the compost tea, the material is perfectly safe to be drained down a sewer line.

Once the Bokashi bin is filled with alternating layers of bokashi mix and food scraps, is full it is then left to ferment for a couple of weeks. When this time is up, the contents are then buried six to eight inches under the soil and left to finish breaking down. Microbes, worms, and insects in the soil digest the materials into humus in as little as two weeks. This is all done without the tools and work associated with traditional composting!

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Finding the Best Landscape Design Company

When it comes to landscape design, it's not at all an easy task and that's the reason most people opt to hire professionals to do the job for them. However, picking the perfect landscape designer isn't always easy and you may end up having a really hard time coming to a decision.

There are plenty of landscape designer companies these days and therefore there's a lot of competition - this is good for you as the prices would be better due to the tough competition. Even though they may all look the same, if you do a little bit of research on a specific company you'll find out a lot more about them. Therefore, make sure to do your research before you hire someone.

Tips to finding the perfect landscape designer

As already mentioned, finding the perfect landscape designers isn't an easy task and that's the reason you need to make sure that you keep in mind the following tips:

Check their licence

Before you even bother to check out the other aspects of a landscaping company, the first thing that you need to do is check out their business licence. If they're not licenced to do the job, you should never hire them.

Some of the licences that they would need to possess include: A general liability licence, irrigation licences, nursery certificates and much more; however, the licences differ from state to state.

How do they charge you?

Another important factor to consider is the affordability of a landscape designer company. Do they charge a flat rate or do they consider your garden and give you'll a personalized quote based on what you need? Of course the latter would be preferred - right?

Usually when considering pricing landscape companies consider three important factors: the labour involved, equipment needed which also includes the plants, materials and soil as well as their overall profit.

Check out client reviews

If you're hiring a landscape company that is already set up, they would definitely have past clients that you would be able to talk to and even visit to take a look at what they've done to their gardens.

Wouldn't it be great if you would be able to see what your garden would look like before they even begin working on your garden? Therefore, when conducting your research for the best landscape designer check out their website for client reviews.

Communication

You need to make sure that the company you hire is open to communication. That is, they should listen to what you have to say as well as give you detailed updates about the landscaping project.

Once you find a suitable company which fulfils these needs, you could go ahead and meet up with them to find out more about what they could do for your garden.

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