Types of garden planter

There are an ever increasing number of different types of container you can buy, with materials and designs to suit every climate and different tastes. Pots and tubs are probably the most popular type of planter available. They are for the most part versatile and easily moved to different positions in the garden. Pots and tubs come in an enormous variety of sizes and designs, both traditional and modern. Materials vary from moss covered terracotta and artificially aged stone planters, to reused car tires and fiber glass. There are no rules when it comes to choosing a type of container and there is no reason why you can’t combine traditional with modern. Just be aware that your designs and materials complement each other in some way.

Pots and tubs are equally as versatile when it comes to planting. You can grow almost anything you like in a container. Formally clipped box and other evergreens look stunning as focal points, as do specimen standard plants such as bay trees or photinias. Group a number of planters of different sizes together with a plant type such as herbs. A particularly stunning planter can be filled with seasonal annuals for an all year round display.

Window boxes are another great way to grow plants and enhance the appearance of your house and garden. Window boxes are particularly useful if you have a tiny garden or even if you have no garden at all! You can buy ready- made window boxes, have them made bespoke to your requirements or simply make your own. Window boxes don’t have to be made of wood. I have seen some beautifully aged metal ones as well as reconstituted stone ground-level boxes. Grow seasonal displays or plant up a box outside your kitchen window with herbs or easy to grow edibles like lettuce.

Hanging baskets are probably the most versatile of all containers. They can be hung on walls, fences and even in trees. Not only can your display be changed from season to season, but you can also grow edible plants such as tumbling tomatoes and strawberries and even a selection of herbs, hung near your kitchen door. Hanging baskets also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. More traditionally made from wicker, but I have seen some great modern alternatives made from brightly colored plastics.

Troughs and sinks can be used to create mini container gardens in one place. Although strictly speaking you can grow anything you like in a trough shaped planter, the lack of depth makes them more suited to growing alpines and herbs. Stone troughs probably look the best in any garden but why not also think about getting hold of an old Belfast sink which looks particularly effective when planted with herbs under a kitchen window.

Another type of container not readily thought about is the raised bed. Raised beds are a great way of growing both vegetables and garden plants. They are easy to maintain and therefore popular with gardeners with impaired mobility. They are also an easy way of adding structure to an otherwise flat garden space, lifting plants higher up and creating the illusion of different levels to a garden.

Some planting rules

If you are going to maintain a healthy container garden, there are a few rules you will need to follow whatever type of planter. Drainage is all important for container grown plants. Make sure your container has adequate drainage holes and always add some broken pot or crocks to the bottom of the planter to aid drainage. If your container is to be placed on a hard surface, sit it on some feet to raise it above ground level slightly. Use the right type of compost. Try not to overcrowd your container, most plants will need plenty of room to spread their roots and grow into healthy specimens. Conversely, don’t let your plants become pot-bound. Although there are a few plants which do well in these conditions, as a rule, either divide you plant or re-pot it into a larger container.

In extremely cold weather both your containers and their plants will need some protection. For those that are not frost hardy it is probably best to over winter them into a cold greenhouse. Others can be wrapped in straw or fleece to protect them from frost.

Perhaps the most important consideration of all for container grown plants is water. During dry weather in the summer months you will have to make sure your pots are well watered. Materials like terracotta dry out quickly as the clay absorbs water, so you will often find yourself having to water at least twice a day. Early morning and evening is best. During the winter water container plants sparingly. Waterlogged containers easily freeze killing the roots of the plants in them.

I am a firm believer that a garden reflects some of the personality of the gardener who tends it. Garden planters are a great way of putting your stamp on a garden, particularly if you are a little bit quirky! I have seen old wooden boats used as planters, odd worn out walking boots, pan tiles, antique wash tubs, old car tyres and even a disused toilet!

Garden Planters source unusual outdoor and indoor planters, and other garden related gifts – whatever your taste, be it traditional, modern or just a bit quirky, we will have something for you. Run by two qualified and creative gardeners, Garden Planters will also plant up your chosen planter with an arrangement of your choice. We believe garden planters are an integral part of any garden – they enhance the overall design and say a little something about the person to whom the garden belongs.

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Have you made the leap to this source of healthy food yet or do you still have a lot of pesticides on your garden shelf?
Let’s take a look at how you can transform your regular garden into a delight of organic vegetables.
It doesn’t take much and you won’t have as many problems with insects or poor soil as you thought.

Organic gardens are different from regular gardens in the way that the plants are fertilized and in the way that pests
are controlled in the garden. True professionals use only natural products and materials and shy away from any synthetic
materials that could be harmful to the environment or to those who consume the produce.

Just like conventional gardens, and perhaps a bit more so, organic gardens take a great deal of work.
You may need to plan for a few healthy meals when the vegetable or fruit is in season and leave it at that.
On the other hand, an organic farmer may decide to can their vegetables or otherwise store them for when they
are longer in season. Clearly, a bigger garden is in store in that situation. Make sure your garden has a steady
water supply and that the soil drains well into the ground.

Remember that organic fertilizers and conditioners work more slowly than the synthetic variety so mix up the soil
with your fertilizer at least three weeks before you actually plant. Make sure you remove any organic materials that
haven’t rotted yet and any weeds or unwanted plants. Fertilizers usually mean using animal manures, plant manures,
compost or a mixture of different types of organic fertilizers. Some parts of the world rely on human waste but,
generally, that’s not recommended.

Your organic fertilizer will remove the hardness of the soil and improve its overall condition. The soil will be able
to hold both water and nutrients much better after fertilizing it. In addition, organic fertilizer buffers the soil so
it is more stable to extremes of acidity or alkalinity. In many cases, the microbiology of the soil improves and the
added nutrients will gradually release themselves as the plants grow.

Organic plant fertilizer will add healthy nitrogen to the soil in a process called “nitrification”. Nitrogen is a
necessary nutrient for the growth of most gardens—even conventional ones. Compost piles help organic gardens by
improving the usable nitrogen component of the soil.

Animal manures make for the best type of fertilizer for the average organic garden. It needs to have been aged for
at least 30 days to make the nitrogen more usable. The manure varies depending on the type of the animal, the way the
animal was fed and even the condition of the animal. After letting the soil rest with the animal manure, you’re ready
to plant and grow the healthiest garden possible.

People who are new to organic gardening often think that organic gardening fertilizer is just another kind of fertilizer in a bag. If you are a true organic gardener this is not the case.

To figure out what is the best for you we will look at two ways of getting the proper nutrition for you plants. We will look at purchased organic fertilizer and compost you can make at home.

Organic fertilizer in a bag

You can buy fertilizer for your garden that is an organic fertilizer, rather than a chemical fertilizer. The difference is, of course, the organic fertilizer has been produced out of organic matter and without chemicals.

If your only interest is to grow tasty vegetables in your garden then an organic fertilizer in a bag might be a good alternative for you. If you want to grow the healthiest produce for your family, then this is not the best route to take.

Why, you ask? Good question. First, you are relying on someone else for the most important part of your life, what you put into your body. You may have learned that not all things in life are as they seem. This is true with a bag of fertilizer as with other things we encounter.

Recently, a manufacturer of organic fertilizer in California was busted for putting chemicals in his product. People who wanted to grow their food without chemicals trusted this company for the nutrients their food needed and they were being deceived.

Secondly, you get more plant food from compost, if you balance your compost in the pile. To be fair, you do get an analysis of what’s in the bag and, unless you test your compost, you do not know for sure what’s in the compost.

Compost

Compost is something you can make at home and will cost you little, but some good exercise. Compost has been used for centuries by people who rely on their garden to feed them for the whole year. So, this in not just a new idea, it has been perfected through out the ages.

I remember my grandfather used the manure and bedding from the dairy barn on the garden in the spring before plowing. He always raised great tasting veggies. And, he canned enough to get him through the winter, until he could plant a new crop.

Compost is made by gathering different organic materials that will decay and add nutrients to the compost that the plants need. You can vary the content of the compost by varying the materials used to build a compost pile.

The compost pile is made up of the stuff you have around the home. You can use the vegetable trimmings, which you now throw out, to make fertilizer for your next vegetable crop.

To make your compost pile the right mixture you need to add brown and green stuff. The brown stuff can be anything that has dried out, like leaves in the fall, straw, weeds you have cut and have dried, newspaper, cardboard, anything that is dry and organic.

Your green stuff can be the garbage from the house, lawn clippings, alfalfa hay, a green crop that you raise, the list is endless.

All these different materials bring a different combination of proteins, minerals and other nutrients. Added together they provide the plant they are placed around the food that it needs to grow properly and provide you with the food that you need.

Your decision on what type of organic garden fertilizer to use is up to you. The above guideline will help you make the right decision.

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Sometimes organic gardeners question if they should use only organic garden seed. That is a question with a simple, but complicated, answer.

We will try to look into the ins and outs of going totally organic in your garden. We want to look at, do you really need to use only organic seed, finding organic garden seed and saving your own.

If you want to grow organic vegetables to keep the chemicals in grocery store foods out of your body, is it necessary to grow only organic seeds? The short answer is yes. But, not everyone growing organic is concerned about being totally chemical free. They just want to have great tasting food.

There is little chemical residue in a seed, but there is residue. If you are trying to be as chemical free as possible then you will want to seek out a seed company that grows chemically free.

Many companies are starting to carry organically grown seeds as they are getting very popular today.

Check with catalog companies for the ones that are organic. Some companies only grow organic, like Seeds Of Change. Other companies will have mostly conventionally grown, but will offer some of their line as organic.

You will need to read the catalog description to be sure it is what you want. Most seed catalogs plainly mark which ones are organic. A big plus with the organic seeds is that a lot of them are heirloom plants. Heirloom plants usually have more flavor than newer varieties.

One of the best ways to know for sure what you plant in your garden is chemical free is to save your own seed. This can be a fun hobby by itself.

Garden plants require different methods of preserving the their harvest. You will have to look up each plant to be sure how to get good viable seed. But, most are straight forward and just common sense.

You can start with the easy plants to preserve and move on to the more difficult ones as you gain experience. There are some really good books that explain how to grow plants for seeds and how to harvest and preserve them.

Organic gardening is a fun way to get delicious healthy food. Using organic garden seed is necessary to be totally chemical free. Check your catalogs for certified organic seed and try saving your own seed for fun and the peace of mind that what you have to eat is truly chemical free.

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Have you been thinking about starting a garden to grow your own food? In this article on organic gardening 101 I want to help you get off the couch and get your hands dirty. As you are thinking about getting started let me suggest that you get started right a go organic from the beginning.

There are many reasons to grow your food organically. The biggest reason is the health of your family. That alone should be reason enough. Would you pour chemicals on your cereal in the morning? Of course not! Then why would you want to put chemicals in the form of fertilizer, insecticides and herbicides on your green beans?

So, the question is how do you get started with organic gardening? There are a lot of things to consider. First, and maybe the most important, is the size of garden space you have to work with. Then, consider the location and how you are going to build your soil fertility.

What size is your garden?

It really does not matter how much area you have. I have known of people who garden in an apartment window. So, you have not excuse, just pick your area and let’s get going.

For our purpose here we will say you have some space in your yard that you can put a small garden. I recommend you start out small and grow as your garden does. Gardening is a learning process just like anything else.

Where will you locate your garden?

A garden has to have sun. The amount of sun that reaches your plot throughout the will determine how well your garden grows. You can grow vegetables in varying amounts of light, but results will vary too. So, try to pick an area that has full sun for best results.

It is best to stay out of low areas where water will collect. If plants constantly have their feet wet they do not do well. We can work with a location like this, but it is a little more difficult, and not near as much fun.

Building soil fertility

Since we are not using a bag of chemical fertilizer we need to find an alternative. If your goal is the same as mine, to raise the best tasting, most healthy food, then I suggest you go totally with compost as your veggie food.

Using compost means you must maintain a compost pile. That is really not as difficult as it may sound. In fact, building a compost pile can be a project of its own.

You make compost out of stuff you normally want to get rid of, so making compost can actually save you money. A compost pile should be made from a combination of green stuff and dry stuff.

The green stuff can be grass clippings, weeds from the garden, house hold scraps, etc. The dry stuff can be leaves from your, or the neighbors, trees, a bale of straw, etc. Compost is everywhere. Once you get started you will be amazed at what you can compost, newspaper, cardboard, and even tree limbs will compost over time.

If you follow the advice in organic gardening 101 you will soon be dining on your own very tasty, and more importantly, healthy vegetables that you grew with your own hands. So, get out there, pick your spot, lay out your very own garden area and build that compost pile.

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Seemingly everyone has problems with pests attacking plants that you have worked so hard to get in the ground and to grow. Fortunately, you can find ways to deal with these small, unwanted pests without having to disturb the harmony in nature or doing harm to anything. Organic gardening pest control is definitely a critical component to keeping a lasting and vibrant organic garden.

Organic gardening pest control starts before planting anything into the ground. Preparing garden soil properly can certainly help repel unwanted insects and provide plants an excellent, healthy start making certain that they are much less vulnerable to attacks from insect pests and fungal infections.

All-natural, organic gardening pest control features quite a few things that you could currently have in your own home. Garlic cloves, rhubarb, strong tobacco, and fish are some of the malodorous items that will repel some of the unwanted insects. Other items include oils like mineral and vegetable oils, vegetable formula soaps, and even the burning heat produced by chili peppers.

It is a good idea to keep in mind that you ought to only use what you must to get rid of unwanted pests. Making use of commercial sprays, regardless of whether they are organic and eco-friendly can cause harm to the plants. If you still choose to use a spray, by no means apply the spray to the plants while there is direct sunlight. It could burn leaves and make them turn brown.

Do not discount the idea of using your eyes too. They are excellent deterrents for you to keep unwanted insects from damaging your plants. When you notice a caterpillar on a plant’s leaf, just pick it off. Observe what exactly is all-around the plants. As an example, if you notice moths or butterflies hovering about the garden, work with an organic pest management soil mixture which is targeted for only on those kinds of pests.

Insect pests like to choose a broad swath of vegetation in a single section of the garden, therefore apply variety by simply placing other kinds of plant life in the middle of each other. Your own, personal organic garden does not need to be symmetrical with tidy compact rows. Bust it up with variety throughout the garden plot.

Still, insects will probably be your organic garden’s best friend. Using ladybug, bees, lacewings, and various other beneficial insects help keep harmful, unwanted insects away from your garden. This truly does deliver results.

Try things out to determine precisely what works well with your own organic garden. One example is when you mix a soil repellent and discover that the unwanted insects you had been attempting to concentrate on are coming back again, remix it to be a bit stronger next time. Or add more of the active ingredients to the current soil mixture.

Fungal infections offer another set of issues other than what insects bring. Certain vegetation is a great deal more susceptible to these kinds of problems. As an illustration, peas, zucchini, and cucumbers are quite vulnerable to mildew; however, the problem could be removed using a cream milk spray.

Watch your garden with care and never panic when you notice an issue with unwanted pests. Organic gardening pest control has progressed significantly and the simplest answers to your own challenges start with looking on the internet for some answers.

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Learning the essentials behind organic gardening can help you reach the right path to making your very own “Garden of Eden”. The key to a success is patience and the willingness to get “muddy” along with these five simple tips.

1. Create a Plan

Creating a plan is very important if you want to have a successful organic garden. It is not something that you think about every now and then but it is a specific plan of action that leads to a specific end result. If ever you decide to grow your own garden and you want to do it in organic matter, there are several things that need to be taken into consideration like the environment where the plants will grow, location, the time or duration that it will take to take care for your garden, the effort, and other resources that may or may not be reachable in order to attain your gardening goals.

When you finally have a written outline of what you need to do and the things that you need to accomplish to reach your gardening goals, it’s time to implement the plan into action. An action is everything once you have defined goals. If you have set your goals but you ignore the important factors like compost, good seed, soil, or even the source of water for your plants, then you will likely fail in achieving your gardening goals since any compromise will result in overall failure.

2. Soil Preparation

Soil preparation is basically the foundation of the growth of any and all plants that you will grow. The plants get their nutrients from the soil and consider the soil’s consistency in regard to the amount of compost and nutrients. Adding natural compost to enhance the nutrients that the seeds will get is also needed. Prepare this beforehand especially if you are preparing the soil and you’re all set to start planting your seeds.

3. Compost

With regard to fertilizer some of the best fertilizers that you could get can come from the compost pile if you are doing this in organic matter. It could also be from the worm bin that you have made through vermicomposting. You would have to prepare this several weeks ahead so it would be ready to use when you plant your seeds.

4. Consistency of Water

The consistency of water is also important if you want to grow an organic garden. Ensure that your garden gets enough water regularly. Your garden should have an easy access to water through a hose system, irrigation system, or a sprinkler system. Always bear in mind that tendered seedlings would have to be hand-watered.

5. Gardener’s Journal

Keep a gardener’s journal. Take notes. Put the date you started your garden and planted the seeds, take not of the pests, and the plant diseases that you see. Keeping a journal allows you to successfully garden more the next year.

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Organic gardening is becoming a lot more popular as people become more aware of the chemicals that are used in conventional food production. It can be a little trickier than chemical-based gardening, but it’s worth it in the end. If you’re new to growing plants this way, these tips could help you increase your chances of success.

1. Start with the basics. Don’t be tempted to spend an enormous amount of money on your first supplies, materials, and tools. There’s no such thing as a magic bullet, and you’ll only end up with very expensive vegetables. Organic gardening can actually be done much less expensively than conventional gardening. Compost, manure, and other soil additives replace expensive fertilizer, and natural control methods keep pest levels down.

2. Grow your plants in the right spot. Take the time to plan which vegetables you’ll be growing and find out what kind of sunlight requirements they have. Take the time to find an area of your yard that will provide the amount of light and the soil qualities that these plants need. The right conditions can help you avoid many problems before they even begin.

3. Prepare the soil correctly. Check the pH, moistness, and type of soil you have available, then add amendments to make it what you need. You might need to add in compost, animal manures, grass clippings, ashes, or other substances to improve the condition of your soil. This might seem like a lot of work to start with, but it will help your garden grow, and will keep on working for you down the line. Setup of an organic garden is the hardest part.

4. Start your own compost pile. Compost can be purchased cheaply, but you don’t know what goes into it. Composting your own kitchen scraps and yard waste can help you dispose of these substances cheaply and in an ecologically friendly way, plus you’ll get great free fertilizer that you know is organic. You’ll be amazed at the difference that a good compost pile can make for your garden. Composting might seem like it’s a complicated process, but it really isn’t. Almost anyone can do it.

5. Don’t ignore your garden. Once you’ve tilled and planted your organic garden, it can be extremely tempting to ignore it. This isn’t a good idea in conventional gardens, either, but it can be disastrous if you’re growing organic. A little daily weeding and pest removal, a careful check over all plants, and some regular attention will do more to help your garden than any product you can buy. If you take the time to love your garden, you’ll be rewarded with wonderful results.

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