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May 23, 2013

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

There are infinite possible reasons for starting your own garden. For many, it's their love of the Earth and nature. For some, it is a resource to save money so that college tuition planning comes with less stress. For me, it's a lifestyle change. Better produce mixed with a little exercise and vitamin D makes for a healthier life and possibly a newly found green thumb.

If you fall in any of these categories and are struggling with knowing where to begin, don’t worry, there are also an infinite number of resources to help you out. I, for starters have a green thumb and love to share my knowledge with others. Mostly because I am a hippie at heart and am in tune with nature. and love our environment. I have hopes to see a world where more people cherish it as I do. Also, eatinghealthier never hurt anyone.

 Photo courtesy of Martin Cathrae

Gardening is not hard. Really. All you need is the right tools, proper space, good soil and a little bit of basic knowledge. The rest will come with experience.
Essential tools are gardening gloves, sun hat (you don't want skin cancer), hose, shovel, rake, shears and a trowel. There are of course several other tools that will make your job easier, but these will do the trick.

Your space will change what you are able to grow, so it is an extremely important part in the planning. You will want a space that receives plenty of sunlight. You have a few options. You have 3 good choices: the recommended in ground garden, raised bed garden and a container garden. All of them will work, but provide different capabilities. The in ground or traditional garden works well due to fewer limitations.

The next thing you will want to think about is the types of vegetables you will grow. This should be tailored around your diet and the foods your family will eat. I plant a lot of tomatoes as they can be used for a number of different meals and make great pasta sauces. I also plant peppers as they are multi purposed as well. The last thing I plant is cucumbers. These are not used in as many dishes, but I absolutely love them, therefore they don't go to waste.

Once you have decided on the vegetables you will plant, it is time to get your soil ready. Good soil is imperative to growth. If you are unsure if your soil is of good quality, take a sample to your local nursery or garden center and have them test it. A general rule is that you want soil that is slightly acidic, however that is a general rule and it might be a good idea to talk to the professional while you are having it tested.

The only thing left to do now is to plant your vegetables. When to do so is dependent on what you are planting. Understanding when and how to plant vegetables is similar to trying to balance your checkbook. Due diligence is the key. Compare credit cards, manage your assets, and watch your money tree grow, nourishing your family and your future.

Vegetables like tomatoesand peppers require more sunlight where leafy vegetables such as potatoes will thrive in less sun. Leafy vegetables should be planted in early spring or late summer, whereas those that require more sunlight should be planted in late spring or early summer.

After you have planted it is time to watch them grow. Remember that if your vegetables are browning or drooping they are not receiving enough water from good old mother nature. You will need to water them yourself or you won't have vegetables.

May 22, 2013

Cute Green Living Walls Idea - Creative Clematis Planting



I was taken by surprise on a sunny Thursday morning. After lifted my eyes little bit up, I saw blue ocean of clematis flowers covering a wall. Great idea to mix Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper) with clematis!That's one of a kind creative clematis planting!
Clematis of unknown name feels great with this company. Apparently.

I feel truly inspired and definitely will plant clematis on my walls that are already covered with Virginia creeper, which gives green entire summer and red in the autumn - see its autumn color on one of the photos here.

Do you know maybe what kind of clematis is this?











May 19, 2013

18 Best Garden Recycling Ideas - Hand Picked

It is never too much of garden recycling ideas, so I have prepared selection of great ideas and would like to share it with you. I hope you also like it.
Under each photo there is a link to more photos, if you like to see or learn more. 

 Photo by Treasure Again

Photo by  Gardening in a Minute

 Photo by Diane Cordell

 Hanging pallet, photo by pinprick


 Photo by Gardening in a Minute


 Photo by Karen Blakeman


 Recycled birdbath, photo by Salihan


 Photo by Gardening in a Minute


 Photo by Happy Sleep


 Photo by See-ming Lee


 Photo by Scrappy Annie


 Photo by Scrappy Annie


 Photo by Tiexano


 Photo by Ewa Szulc


 Photo by Ewa Szulc


 Photo by Ewa Szulc


 Photo by Ewa Szulc


May 11, 2013

Hanging gardens found in silence...

I slowly went upstairs, walking around and wondering how truly skilled were those artists decorating rooms of Palazzo Ducale. Can you remember the last moment of immersing into different world and escaping from daily run of thoughts through your mind?
That was the moment for me.
There was nobody around. I heard my steps on beautifully decorated floors, bouncing from the walls of the empty rooms. It was about 1 pm, school excursions were back to schools, rest of Italy was having their daily siesta.
I took a look through the window and I saw... the garden... just outside the window...
wait a minute! I went upstairs. Remember? What the hell?
I took the plan of Palazzo Dukale.... where is first floor? here... okay.... and there is a garden... on the first floor! Surprise, surprise! 
Yes, in Palazzo Ducale in Mantua (Mantova) there is a garden constructed on the first floor, at the height of 12 m from the ground.

Garden freak had an imagination in 16th century! What about us? Where is our imagination?



The photo above was taken through the window of the third floor, through the window. You see the view that surpised me in silence of my own mind and the beauty around.

Today Palazzo Dukale is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
A World Heritage Site means “a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex or city) that is of special cultural or physical significance (source: Wikipedia).

The Palazzo Ducale di Mantova ("Ducal Palace") is a group of buildings in Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, built between the 14th and the 17th century mainly by the noble family of Gonzaga. It includes about 500 rooms and occupies an area of c. 34,000 m2.
Under the ruling Gonzaga family, Mantua, a town dating back to the Roman period, was a renewal project which then made it one of the most significant cultural center in Northern Italy.

Due to the earthquakes in May 2012, some sections of Palazzo Ducale in Mantua are still closed off to the public, though I walked for 2 hours and I am sure I haven't seen everything.

If you are in Northern Italy, drop by. It's worth it. Have you seen the balconies that enchanted me