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As many experts will attest, giving your mood its much-needed jolt is being linked with getting in touch with nature.

A messy house, an eyesore for a lawn, and stressful surroundings can contribute highly to the worst cases of sadness and depression. Proper arrangement and order of things at home can be of great help. And taking your gardening to the next level, as your standard suits you, will elevate your mood even better.

Whether you possess the green thumb or are just plainly appreciative of nature, studies show that giving way to the natural caretaker in you and touching base with the environment, no matter how simply, will open up the positive side of things.

The functional, recreational and aesthetic uses of a garden may help you decide on starting that masterpiece. To some people, gardening simply means cooperating with the bounty of nature. Cultivating a plant will not hurt. By spending an otherwise tedious day, you help the environment by rearing plants. This way, you create a healthy place in your home while instilling the importance of nature in your kids; that they can improve the world they live in.

How does family dinners in the garden, children happily playing in the backyard, relaxing and reading in the garden’s hammock, basking under the sun on a warm day, or getting shelter from the heat and oppressive rays of the sun sound to you? Truly, maintaining a garden at home will create diversity and creativity in your unwinding and your family’s bonding activities.

Garden maintenance can also be a way to grow fruits, grains, vegetables and fresh herbs for the family’s meals. Fresh flowers from the garden can be brought inside your home for added indoor beauty. Fresh picks are always the best! For those who have ample knowledge on alternative or herbal medicine, the plants in your garden may afford first aid help. Aren’t these more convenient and lighter on the pocket than shopping for food, running to the pharmacy or hopping to flower shops?

Simple or elaborate, gardening can stir your creativity and imagination to suit your available resources and reflect your personality. Try incorporating a terrace, a deck or patio in the backyard. Consider putting some paths for ease when your family and friends take a closer look at the plants. Check if you can do something about the area’s lighting to flaunt the garden’s beauty when it is night time or when the day is not sunshiny. Raised beds, outdoor art and sculpture, think Pergolas and Gazebos; these can create that sophisticated look in your garden. Garden experts say the possibilities to a picturesque garden are endless!

Besides savings and convenience, treating gardening like a well-planned project and putting that plan into practice may give you that better outlook on yourself, psychologists say.

Just as a gardening guru put it, gardens themselves are “an oasis of beauty in the deserts of urban decay.” By the same token, maintaining a garden will offer you an astounding transformation not only in that backyard, but more importantly, on a personal level.

James Brown writes about http://www.flowergardennursery.com

Article Source: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com

These are some of the elements that must be considered in order to really get the maximum potential out of your greenhouse or sunroom: the type of greenhouse you want whether it be a cold house, portable greenhouse, hobby greenhouse a greenhouse kit or a large or a mini greenhouse, the greenhouse construction and it’s foundation type, which greenhouse equipment you will need, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs.

First Decide Whether you Want to have Cold House or a Heated Greenhouse. A cold house is the simplest of greenhouses, it is not equipped with any artificial means of heat and thus the growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below freezing. It is not possible to grow frost sensitive plants between late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat (which would not make it a cold house!). A cold house does extend the growing season from that of the outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun during the day. And it provides a cozy respite for you to work away from the elements of wind and rain, it also protects plants from these same elements too. When you install a heater into your cold house it becomes a true greenhouse and it transforms the hobby of gardening into a year-round hobby. The minimum temperature required to grow greenhouse plants through the winter is 45° F (7.2°C), so be sure to allow for this extra cost for heating to be included in your monthly budget. Also, be sure that when you begin planning for your greenhouse construction that you build it as near as possible to your house as this will reduce costs for digging and installation of electrical wires (and plumbing if you need that too). It is also better for quick access during the winter months if you have your greenhouse closer to your house.

Watering Needs for Greenhouse Plants

As it does not rain inside greenhouses watering is a very important thing for greenhouse owners to remember! But, watering inside a green house is not just as simple as just watering your greenhouse plants everyday. Within soil there are small open air pores that roots depend on for supplying them with nutritious gases. When you water your plants these small air spaces get filled up with water and it, in effect, causes suffocation for roots. When roots suffocate, plants wilt and the most common reaction by gardeners for wilting plants is more watering! Just remember that the watering needs inside a greenhouse are different from the watering needs of your outside garden. Because the green house environment is enclosed a fair amount of moisture does get trapped and thus, less watering is usually required. The best rule for watering plants in your greenhouse or sunroom is: always check the soil before you water, if the soil is dry then you should go ahead and water. And, remember that plants, just like people, do not like being watered with cold water. For plants the ideal water temperature is between 65°F and 80°F (18.3°C and 26.7°C). Anything above 80°F (26.7°C) is too hot!

There are many different alternatives available for watering your greenhouse plants. Among your choices are irrigation systems, drip system, misters, water sensors and a gardener’s best friend the good old watering can. Irrigation systems are wonderful for those periods of time that you plan on being away; there is nothing worse than coming home to dead plants in your green house because your best friend forgot to water them while you were away! A good selection of all of these watering systems is available at online gardening and greenhouse supply stores.

Selecting the Right Seeds and Plants for Your Greenhouse

When it comes to selecting seeds and plants for your greenhouse the biggest deciding factor is your personal choice! You will need to set up your greenhouse interior to accommodate the types of plants that you choose though. For example if you choose to grow plants that require a trellis you will have to install some trellises. Some examples of plants that grow well with a trellis are peas, runner beans, tomatos, cucumbers, watermelon, winter squash, nasturtiums, passionflower, bougainvillea and sweet peas. Some crops are harvested only once and then they are done; for example onions, carrots and radishes. Other crops that need harvesting many times; for example leaf lettuce, strawberries, broccoli and brussel sprouts should be placed in easy to reach places, like at the edges of beds.

Buy a good book on greenhouse gardening so as to learn about the different temperature, water, humidity and pH level requirements of different plants and then make your final selections of seeds and plants. A greenhouse gardener’s book will also help you with the best layouts for your plants and seedlings.

Cid Bus has been an executive in the Hospitality Industry for 15 years. Also a graduate of the NY Restaurant school,and co owner of a catering company. A competitive long distance trail runner x-country skiier, and “green thumber” they can be tracked down at their bed and breakfast Fish Creek House in Southwest Montana

Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

There are many reasons to make open pollinated ["heirloom variety"] seeds an integral part of your gardening experience and food storage. If seeds are collected from F1 hybrids, the plants grown from those seeds will generally not have the characteristics that you desired in the parent plant. Open pollinated seeds allow the gardener the option of saving seed and growing the plants you like, year after year. In the April 1991 issue of National Geographic, in an article titled, “World Food Supply at Risk”, the authors point out past failures of agriculture being based on only a few varieties. Such disasters include the 1970 corn blight that destroyed much of the US crop and the potato famine that killed over 1 million in Ireland. Such disasters are not new. The article also states that there is evidence that a blight destroyed much of the maize crop around 900 AD and probably caused the collapse of the Mayan civilization. I would recommend a trip to the library since the article is a good, sobering and interesting read, as is the October 1998 National Geographic on population and feeding the planet. Several organizations, such as The Seed Savers Exchange, have been established for education and as sources for open-pollinated seed. I find it a bit of a chuckle that many people put such an emphasis of a year’s supply of food, but do not store usable seed, canning supplies and the like. What if, for hypothetical example, a flu pandemic in the US occurred and the duration was more than a few months? What if there was a new disease outbreak in our food crops, for example a new fungus attacked our wheat supply in a wet year? The trouble with genetically identical (hybrid) crops is that they would all be at risk. That is the primary risk one runs with most of your caloric food base being dependent on one or two grain or starch crops.

The US used to be ready for such a crisis, but not anymore.
From WorldNetDaily
From Jeff Rense
When one thinks of the recent ‘mad cow’ concerns here in the United States, one realizes that even today, agricultural disasters can still happen as is illustrated by this short article from the Seeds Trust web site.
The current trend of some large agricultural conglomerates is to develop hybrid/biotech seeds that will not germinate when collected seed is replanted, or have the plant ‘self-destruct’. This technology now has several patents. For a look at the ‘terminator gene’ being developed for use in several crops, such as cotton, see the article from University of Indiana on the Terminator Gene.

It is easy for me to see both sides here. If the company spends millions of dollars to develop a new, higher yielding strain; they will want to protect that research at least until the money is recovered with some as profit. The trouble is illustrated by that oil rapeseed farmer in Canada (Percy Schmeiser) whose fields were planted with his own stuff and then his fields were contaminated with the genetically modified rapeseed. Even though he never planted the stuff, he found himself in court. The company (Monsanto) sued him (successfully!) when their gene was found in his crops, Even though he grew his own seed and his was contaminated. Shows a break down of common sense in the judiciary, which is no big surprise. The other problem is that by having terminator seeds, it allows direct corporate control of farmers by a corporation or government. In other words, they control what you can grow to insure ‘customer loyalty’.
For more on Percy Schmeiser see:
Percyschmeiser.com/
Sierraclub.ca
Currently only a handful of companies control most of the US seed and nursery market.
A recent Countryside and Small Stock Journal article titled “Do you know where your seeds come from? You may be surprised…. The Gardening Game”. The article highlights this consolidation [of seed vendors] in the US market place.
Sources of open pollinated/heirloom seeds:
http://www.seedstrust.com/
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://www.seedsave.org/
http://www.rareseeds.com/
http://www.victoryseeds.com/
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
http://www.abundantlifeseed.org/
http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/

A wide assortment of heirloom seeds are also available from The Ark Institute

Unique/heirloom plants and nursery stock:
http://www.treesofantiquity.com/
http://www.onegreenworld.com
http://www.raintreenursery.com

An Internet search for heirloom seed or open-pollinated seed will turn up many more sources.
Basic “how to” instructions for saving seeds:
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://www.seedsave.org/
Several books on saving seeds, including:

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth

Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-By-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs (Storey’s Gardening Skills Illustrated) — by Carole B. Turner

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener’s & Farmer’s Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving — by Carol Deppe

Saving Seeds: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds — by Marc Rogers, et al

Books on gardening and edible landscape design:
“ How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method”, Rodale Press, out of print, but easy to find at used bookstores or e-bay.

How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons (Paperback - Mar 2002)

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Slay Reney-Mia

Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway and John Todd

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace by Shane Smith and Marjorie C. Leggitt

Designing And Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Rosalind Creasy (Foreword), et al.
http://www.foodforeveryone.org/
http://www.gardensimply.com/
http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/perma.html
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/
http://www.foodnotlawns.com/
http://www.cwo.com/~bart/perm_links.htm
http://www.sherrysgreenhouse.com/

Also refer to the extension service of your state university.

The some articles on plant disease threats:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050924/food.asp
Dangerous Wheat Disease Jumps Red Sea.
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=108
VOA News

Then you add into the fray the mess politics can make of crops and farm policies. Worst case:
From The Christian Science Monitor
From The Daily Telegraph

Anyone can be a farmer. Growing plants can be done almost anywhere. You don’t have to have large fields and hundreds of acres. You have to have imagination. People who grow dope do it in cellars and in caves. Select plants to raise that that you see being sold in quanity by local nurseries or garden centers. In our area arborvitae are in hot demand. These plants can be started from cuttings or you can buy rooted cuttings. Thousands can be grown in a 20′x20′ area in small containers. Arborvitae are not the only plants that you can choose. Dwarf conifers and bonsai are other avenues to consider. The first thing to consider is what plants you like. They make a nice starting point. I like arborvitae. Plus they are easy to grow. There are many varieties to select from. They are compact and very popular. A 2-3″ rooted cutting in 3 years should be 2′ if growing conditions are optimal. These might sell for as much as $5-10 depending on your market and quality. If you were to raise 1000 of them that might be $5-10,000. You can market them just as I do on the internet. Being small you can ship them via UPS practically anywhere.

An example of a plant that is not suitable for small plot urban farming is an Oak tree. It is very fast in growing (good), but has a big tap root, and is best marketed when over 6-8′ tall. You will use up your space with a hard to confine, large tree that is not suitable for close compact container production. Shipping will also be more costly as starter plants tend to be larger hence larger shipping fees per tree. Besides I have sold many people 50 -100 arbs at a time but no one, 100 oaks at a time. My largest order for arbs to one homeowner was 265.

Try to target plants that will sell multiples to a customer rather than just one at a time. If you target single plants to individual customers you need high value plants for your sales cost per unit will be higher. You will hear the same story from your customers about 1 plant as you will about 10 plants. I can tell you without a doubt that each customer will tell you about his property and his neighbors dog. I would rather hear the story once for each 10 plants that I sell. That is why I like plants that sell in multiples to a single customer. Additionally an unusual or exotic plant is seldom purched in quanity and the buyer has little knowledge of the plant. They will have many more questions about this plant. This translates to a higher amount of time spent on a smaller volume of product sold.

Arborvitae are commonly used evergreen shrubs or trees useful in urban areas where low maintenance and durability is needed. Many cultivars with forms such as being globed in shape, columnar, or narrow pyramidal, tend to be near buildings, doors, and walkways. Other forms which are larger are used for screens and buffers that are planted in rows. These plants will be easy to raise on your small urban lot.

The form of arborvitae is small, medium, or large depending on the cultivar. Some reach 50′, others only 3′. Most prefer full sun to partial sun. Planting in dense shade conditions should be avoided. A moist , well drained, loamy soil in full sunlight are ideal conditions for growing healthy arborvitae. These plants will tolerate rocky, clay, urban conditions of heat drought and pollution. The most important pest we have is bagworms which must be controlled to prevent complete defoliation. Some cultivars have multiple leaders which also prove to be a detraction for the plant. Pruning out multiple leaders in some cultivars is a simple remeady.

As you raise these plants if you find that you are selling more than you can raise on your property, an add in the newspaper such as, “Wanted: land to grow trees on” will help you find vacant parcels to use in growing more stock. This land may be free to use as many owners want in urban areas land to be used as it is then maintained. We have had many offers of free land to use in raising nursery stock. (You should check with your local BTK Code Enforcement Officer to make sure that this use is acceptable.)

Another suggestion is that you work for another local urban grower. They may have facilities set up that they would allow you to use after hours. When they see that you are a willing go getter, they might even ask you to grow special plants that they don’t want to grow because the volumes are light or they are to intensive in labor. At any rate it is the best way to learn the trede and its secrets. Most nurserymen will tell all their trade secrets because its the best way to help the industry and build a network of reliable and knowledgeable associates.

Article Source: http://www.articlegarden.com/

You can see more articles by Bill at his web sites www.seedlingsrus.com

Community gardens are sprouting up around the city

There’s a new crop of farmers around Tulsa. These community gardeners
aren’t interested in making a profit, but rather working the land
together to share the fruits of their labor.

Community gardening has long been popular, and often necessary, in
larger cities or urban areas where space is hard to come by. The idea is
beginning to catch on in smaller cities, including Tulsa, with people
who don’t have time to manage a backyard garden, don’t have the space to
start a garden or with those who simply enjoy the process of gardening
with others.

Demalda Newsome of Newsome Community Farms has four community gardens
around Tulsa, including one at Neighbor for Neighbor at 505 E. 36th St.
North and another at her home and site of the North Tulsa Farmers’
Market at 2620 E. 56th St. North.

“People should know how to grow their own food. It’s a basic necessity
that can’t be taken away from you,” Newsome said.

Newsome has made it her mission to open her gardens to low-income
families, who she believes will benefit not only from the harvest, but
from learning how to garden so they can pass it on to friends and family.

She has taken advantage of several grant opportunities that have
provided the funds to keep her community gardens going, and has brought
in funding to start two new community gardens in the fall.

Those new gardens are planned for Alcott Elementary and the Deborah
Brown Community School, where, Newsome said children will be hands-on in
the project from the beginning — from planting seeds, taking care of
the seedlings and weeding, to harvesting the fruits and vegetables.

“It’s a value for life, and something they can pass on to generation
after generation,” Newsome said.

Many of those who come to community gardens do not have farming or
gardening backgros.

In fact, some of the students at a new community garden on the
University of Tulsa campus had never even dug in the dirt before
becoming full-fledged gardeners in their space around Fifth Street and
Harvard Avenue.

TU student Chelsea Coleman knew a proposal for a community garden from a
novice gardener like herself might be a hard sell to university
officials, but her enthusiasm and ability to project how much interest
it would generate among students ensured a piece of university-owned land.

In working with TU, Coleman and other students developed a 15-year plan
to keep the garden going, and to extend its presence into the
surrounding community.

It also helped that the students had guidance, and plant donations, from
local farmers, including Emily Oakley and Mike Appel of Three Springs
Farms.

At 9 a.m. on Saturdays and throughout the week, TU students work in the
garden. The reward comes when their work is done, and they all take as
many vegetables as they like. At times when there is an abundance of a
particular crop, the students give away some of their produce. This
summer, the students picked the entire crop of onions and donated it to
Food for Thought for a dinner for the homeless.

Though it’s mostly TU students who are part of the garden, Coleman said
anyone in the area is welcome.

“We want community-wide participation. There are no separate plots –
it’s all taken care of communally,” Coleman said.

Some of Newsome’s gardens, including the garden at Neighbor for
Neighbor, serve specific purposes. At Neighbor for Neighbor, the garden
is a source for fresh vegetables in addition to the groceries already
received from the food pantry. Also, those who have taken loans from
Neighbor for Neighbor can pay off those loans by working in the
community garden.

“Repaying their loans in exchange for working in the garden is the best
choice for some,” said Anna Mowry, community projects coordinator for
Neighbor for Neighbor. “When you plant a tomato plant, you’re helping in
a number of ways — for the garden, for yourself. All you have to do is
give a little of yourself.”

Newsome believes it’s important for community gardeners to understand
their larger role in the discussion of community gardens and sustainable
agriculture.

“People say ‘Why is it that I don’t have food?’ when we should look at
how to grow it. Through the community garden, I want to teach people
entrepreneurial ideas like growing their food and then selling it at a
market,” she said. “We used to know how to plant our food, but somewhere
we lost that, and now we’re going to take it back.”