Planting a home garden in order to provide wonderful quality, fresh foods for cooking, and also for preserving through canning and freezing, is an increasingly popular activity for many people. A primary motivation for growing their own fruits and vegetables is that there is more and more evidence that the produce available at the supermarkets is severely lacking in nutrition because of current mass-growing methods.

Not only that, but for many people starting and cultivating a home garden for the purpose of providing wonderful foods for the table is an enjoyable endeavor. Gardening has long been a popular hobby for many people all around the world, but when you add the extra incentive of being able to provide your family with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that have not been contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, it is easy to see why the popularity of the garden has grown.


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In addition to these kinds of concerns about the safety and the nutritional value of grocery store produce, people are also finding that it is wonderful to be able to go to their home garden and pick their foods fresh from the vine at just the perfect moment of development. If you compare that to store-bought tomatoes which are harvested way before they have a chance to ripen naturally and then are packed, shipped and stored before finally reaching the store shelf, then it is easy to understand the advantages of garden-fresh food.

In that scenario, which is common of the vast majority of produce sold in the grocery stores today, the tomato has been detached from its life-giving parent plant for many days and sometimes weeks. But with a vegetable garden just outside your kitchen door, you can pick your tomatoes when they are at their peak of ripeness and be able to have the freshest tomatoes to add to your salad or for your famous tomato sauce.

Most of the common and popular vegetables that are available in the produce sections of grocery stores can be grown in home gardens. Some of the most popular varieties are carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage, and many varieties of squash, just to name a few. And don’t forget about all of the wonderful berries that can be home grown as well. Technically a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most popular foods that people enjoy including in their home gardens. They are easy to grow and simply delicious plucked off the vine.

Produce from a vegetable garden can be used immediately or it can be frozen or canned for later use, and many people include herbs in their gardens too. In fact, herbs can be even more convenient as they can even be grown indoors, making your gardening efforts even more simple and easy. And, just as those fresh vegetables taste better and are better for you, you will also find that fresh herbs from the garden are superior in taste and flavor as compared to the dried and packaged varieties.

Aside from all of the benefits of a home garden for providing wonderful food and tasty herbs for your meals, many people simply love being in the garden, weeding, watering and tending their crops. There is a great sense of satisfaction in planting and tending the garden and in seeing your efforts bloom and grow. And, sharing a meal of good food with friends is a feeling many people treasure.

No realestate is finished without some type of grass, as well as some forms of shruberry to help enhance the overall quality of the building. The enhanced curb appeal as well as the added value can make the final difference when selling a home or adding to the over all value of the house. Any small amounts help and you don’t have to always use a professional to complete the landscaping for you. It never hurts to have some professional advice or a little bit of knowledge before you start ripping up your front yard, though. A few trees, some nice green grass and you will have it down pat before you know it. Who knows? Possibly you will consider it as a career that you might be curious in following. The following are some of the frequently asked question people have for landscaping so that you can have an idea of how landscaping is done and how it can be easier than you might think.

Is it possible to do my own landscaping?

Yes, you can do your own landscaping if you have a small amount of information on how to do it and if set aside the time to do so. You will be getting your hands dirty. Plus you will need to have knowledge of what plants are the best for your terrain. If you are producing structures that are man-made for instance decks or ponds, you will have to have some carpentry as well as plumbing skills. You will also have to know the way to upkeep the pond since the last thing you need after putting in all that work is to produce a body of water filled up with algae as well as mosquito larvae.

What credentials should I look for in a good landscaper?

A good landscaper will have a photography album of all the landscape designs that he or she has created. They will have a background that has an education in landscape architecture or have a great deal of real world education in landscaping. If you wish to see an actual landscape that they have created and planted, the landscaper should not balk at showing you or providing you with the contact details of the owner of the property. It is in their best interest to have content and pleased clients.

How do I decide which type to plant?

The kind of plant you choose will be dependent on your climate and the amount of water you want to use. It will also be dependent on the amount of sun that your gets throughout the day. Some plants thrive in the shade when others will wilt. For those people who reside in drought prone areas, they should consider planting hardy plants that require small amounts of water and really help conserve the soil from process of erosion. Many people choose to have rock gardens as well as cactus if they happen to live in desert environments.

At what time is the ideal season for planting?

The ideal planting season depends on what variation of plant you wish to grow. Bulbs are best planted in the fall so that they have the necessary time to root. Other plants are more suitable to planting during the spring months. There are some plants will not produce flowers or fruits for one or two seasons later so you have to get ready for this. Trees will need to work through several years before they become big enough to give the right amount of shade or to produce fruit.

How can I protect my newly planted greenery and flowers from the weather and elements?

At the time of the beginning weeks and months numerous plants are in danger of dying from the elements however you can take the necessary steps to assist in preventing this from happening. Wind and rain are two of the biggest threats. To guard your plants from both you will need to provide them with shelter. You can lay down a a barrier to protect between the ground and the plant. This will assist in securing the plant’s roots and preclude excess amounts of from soaking into the ground. The added gain will be prevention of weeds from growing up through the barrier. To keep the soil from getting wind erosion, spread hay or straw in and around the plants to help protect the soil. If you put a protective bag around the plant that will keep the plant warm enough to defend against frost.