Almost every day is a beautiful day thanks to my garden. Not only is it a treat to walk through it or sit smelling the sweet scents wafting on the air, but there are major benefits to keeping one. I am healthier, less stressed, spend more time outside and I am doing something I truly enjoy that has a tangible reward. In fact, gardening was originally suggested by my doctor after I was diagnosed with certain anxiety disorders, and I have seen a marked improvement since starting.

Everyone approaches having a garden in a different way. Most of my friends grow vegetables and herbs, neither of which interest me much. Instead, I focus on blooms, and specifically on roses. I have bush after bush of roses of all colors lining my yard, surrounding benches where I can sit and just smell them or see the view.

I am a firm believer in organic gardening, as pesticides can be seriously detrimental to your flowers and plants. They don’t smell as sweet, look as vibrant or grow as well when hampered down with dangerous chemicals. Not to mention the negative effect this has on local wild and insect life, which are necessary to a functioning eco system.

Instead of these harmful products I use my own mulch and fertilizers, which I create myself. The compost I have seen the most positive results from are those made with used coffee grounds collected after my morning pot.

Coffee In Gardening

Using coffee grounds in gardening is nothing new. In fact there are books filled with tips of combinations, ages and decompositions that include coffee that go back decades, perhaps longer. When gardeners find something that works for them they will keep at it, and share it with whoever they can. As a consequence, the trick of using these grounds to help enhance plants and flowers, whether for decoration or eating, is a well known one.

It was a neighbor who first put me on to this method. He had rose bushes that were always incredible, and I asked him for tips when I started my own. The first thing I noticed was how bright and well kept the flowers looked. The petals were vivacious and the stems were strong. The bushes themselves were thick and the leave a nice, dark green. But I also took note of the soil in which they were grown, which was rich and obviously very healthy.

He was the one who taught me the simple rule of creating a good soil environment for any plants to grow in. If it is nutritious and healthy dirt, you will have nutritious and healthy flora and fauna. His own way of ensuring this was by making a homemade compost and worm castings, which he made every three months and put at the base of the plants with an additional layer of mulch. This gave a moisture-rich, breathable top soil that was both good for the roses and for the earthworms that lived in the dirt.

From there, he added a monthly 5 kilo sprinkling of fresh coffee ground, which he had gathered over time, into the dirt. It was done on days when it looked like it was going to rain, so that it was naturally broken up and leaked in to the mulch for optimal spread.

This was enough to convince me, and I was also happy to note the positive change I was enacting on my part for the environment. Reusing coffee grounds recycles them effectively, cuts back on waste, ends the use of pesticides and reduces the risk of global warming. Of course, there are many other benefits that come from that, such as manufacturers using less packaging materials, less transport due to reduced remand, etc.

Now I have been using coffee grounds this way for just under three years. The changes are extensive, and I have healthier and more abundant rose bushes than I even thought I would before. In fact, I have just planted new bushes to further use this method. I am hoping by the end of the season I will have bushes spread across both sides of my house and through the back, so I can start also expanding out into my yard. Eventually I would like to have a lined path with bushes on either side.

Try It Yourself!

What is so great about trying coffee grounds is you have nothing to use. So many people make their own compost that there is no risk to your garden. The worse that can happen is you won’t see as many benefits as others have. But even if you don’t – and you probably will – you will still have a cheap means of fertilizing your rose bushes without buying expensive and nasty chemicals. It is something you probably already have in your house.

So give it a try!

Annie is a frugal blogger interested in eco-friendly crafts and upcycling. She collects DIY gadgets for her personal site and writes on money-saving tips for Rather Be Shopping, the free daily updated resource of hand-picked coupons. Check out our gardening coupons for more frugal ideas!

1. Match Crops to Your Climate

Select crops to match well with the climate and the soil type that you have. Also, do not forget to determine the amount of sunlight your garden receives. Some plants need a lot of sun, others not as much.

2. Prepare the Soil

Like all living things, plants need the proper nutrients to thrive. First, loosen the soil before planting. Planting directly in hard-pan soil, will produce disappointing results. There is no need to dig deeply into the ground, as most plants will have root systems that penetrate only 6” or so even at maturity.

After you loosen your soil, enrich it by adding in nutrients. These can come from compost or commercially available organic soil additives. The value of properly enriched soil cannot be overstated. It produces larger, healthier plants that resistant disease and insects, as well as shifts in the weather from normal climatic conditions. In addition to enrichment with nutrients, these soil additives help with the texture of the soil, which promotes good aeration and water holding ability.

Spent coffee grounds are a good example of organic nutrients. The grounds keep the soil loose and encourage populations of earthworms to grow in your garden. In addition to loosening the soil, they also add their own natural fertilizer to the mix.

3. Read the Directions

After the soil is thoroughly prepared, plant seeds or plants strictly in accordance with the supplier’s directions. Careful attention must be paid to both depth and compaction of the soil around each plant.

Once you complete your plantings, consider mulching the garden. This means loosely covering the ground surrounding the plants with an organic cover, such as grass clippings, pine straw or leaves. The mulch will help hold water in the ground and, as it decomposes, provide organic fertilizer for the plants.

4. Water, Water, Water!

Your garden is now ready for watering. Newly planted seeds or slips need much more water at the beginning than plants with a developed root system. Water your garden daily and thoroughly unless rainfall takes care of the task for you. Careful precautions are necessary in applying water, as you want it to reach the full depth of the roots but not result in flooding your garden. Once an adequate amount of water is established, continue watering at this rate for at least two weeks after planting slips or the initial appearance of seedlings from your having seeded the garden.

A great system to reuse the water nature provides is by using a rain barrel. The barrel simply collects rain as it falls and stores it for a later time. Many models come equipped with a spigot and attaches easily to a hose.

5. Pest Control

At some point, you will have to deal with pests. These can range from insects to deer, and all are more than willing to feast off your labor. Not all animal life in your garden is harmful, though, as some of these devour the very pests that are harming your plants. Ladybugs, for example, will not eat your plants, but do gobble up large volumes of aphids. You can also rid yourself of an aphid population thriving at your expense by spraying the leaves of your plants with soapy water, followed by a fresh water rinse. Larger animals such as deer can also be repelled using natural solutions. Recipes are available at no cost over the internet.

About the author: Diane Johnson writes about a number of her interests including four wheeling, shopping, and online education.

The Wonderful Emerald Euphoria Bug

Some of the insects that are useful include; butterflies (dependent on the species), honey bees, larva moths, ants, hover flies, lady birds, dragonflies, assassin bugs and centipedes.

There is a simple technique you can incorporate on the allotment; companion planting. This technique is used to create attractive vegetable patches, help protect plants from pest infestation and encourage healthier and bigger yields.  Planting crops in close proximity together can help discourage pests, whilst encouraging prefatory insects to eat pests and encourage beneficial microorganisms. With the use of biological pest control and an organic insecticide a productive integrated pest management (IPM) is formed.

An example of companion planting:

Want to protect: Lettuce or cabbage, which attract harmful caterpillars

Protection:  Nasturtium. They are well known as the caterpillar’s favorite food source. Sacrifice a Nasturtium by planting it near the lettuce or cabbage crop you want to protect and the caterpillar will be drawn away from them.

If you find that your crops are under attack from harmful pests there are organic ways to deal with the problem. However, it’s important to realize that indiscriminate controls may destroy useful creatures as well as the harmful ones. Many gardeners prefer to rely on organic or non-chemical insecticides, to eliminate harmful pests that compete for their crops. You can find many organic products in any leading garden center that will help you incorporate a successful IPM.

Companion Planting is part of Integrated Pest Management

It is very important to realize the difference between the control measures available to you; a pesticide is what you use in a garden, an insecticide is used to control insects and a herbicide is used as a means of controlling weeds. It is imperative that you don’t use a herbicide to control insects, it will kill your vegetable plants and you’ll lose your entire crop for the season.

The best form of pest control is to encourage pests natural predators. Stop using chemicals to kill off pests and encourage birds to your garden. Pests such as snails and slugs are a great source of food for birds and an easy way for you to protect your crops. To attract and encourage wildlife, add a few nesting boxes around you vegetable patch and sprinkle some bird seeds.

This article was written by Mr McGregor who is a guest blogger for popular Garden Centre, Notcutts, who are proud to offer their customers the best products and start up kits to get their own kitchen garden up and running.

The Entrance to the Common Ground NRH Community Gardens

Common Ground NRH Community Garden is a group effort between The City of North Richland Hills, Davis Memorial United Methodist Church and a very enthusiastic group of community volunteers.  It is their goal to build a sense of community and pride and to act as a center for educating and encouraging others to participate in gardening communities wherever they live.

The Crowds Gathered for the Grand Opening of the Common Ground NRH Community Gardens

Children from Holiday Heights Elementary school sang two excellent songs to commemorate the opening of the Common Grounds, it set the perfect scene for a grand ribbon cutting ceremony.

Local Children Sang at the Opening Ceremony

The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Common Grounds NRH Community Garden took place today, April 30th 2011, and Mayor Oscar Trevino was in charge of the official ribbon cutting.

Mayor Oscar Trevino Officially Opens the Common Ground NRH Community Gardens

Another highlight of the day came with the unveiling of the Common Grounds official painting by local artist Sharen Chatterton. On an overcast day the clouds parted just long enough for a spectacular unveiling. Vickie Loftice, Managing Director of Community Services, announced the unveiling in front of the large crowd;

The Sun Came Out for the Unveiling of Sharen Chatterton's "Common Grounds" Painting

The "Common Grounds" Painting Revealed!

The crowd applauded the “Common Ground” painting which will live permanently on the East side of the Common Grounds shed under the protection of a pergola. You can view more of Sharen Chatterton’s artwork here;

www.sharenchatterton.com

Artist Sharen Chatterton Unveiled her "Common Ground" Painting

Another excellent feature of the Common Grounds was also unveiled, five eco friendly rain barrels have been installed on the North side of the large garden shed which collect all of the rain water captured by the sloping roof. The rain barrels were decorated by the extremely creative Victoria Barth;

Five Painted Rain Barrels Provide Renewable Water - Decorated by Victoria Barth

The Common Ground NRH Community Gardens welcomes families with limited income or limited space to be a part of the gardening experience.  They promote organic growing and being good stewards to the land and the environment.  They encourage gardeners to share a portion of their bounty with N.E.E.D. and The Community Enrichment Center.  They also have limited ADA approved beds to encourage gardeners with physical handicaps to come and join in the rewards of community gardening.

Take a closer look at some of the wonderful plots maintained by local residents below;

A Clever Shaded Design for this Plot

A Beautiful Example of Common Ground Gardening

Onions and Cucumbers are Growing Among Wonderful Spring Flowers

Plot rental fees are $40.00 for one year and many local residents have already reserved their plots. The Common Grounds is a hive of activity and we saw fresh vegetables growing in every plot;

Plot Fees are Just $40 Per Year

The gardens also have compost bins.  Maintenance of the compost bins is done by the garden members.  Four (4) work days per month, per member, are scheduled  to perform general site cleanup, weeding and other maintenance activities including compost tending and turning.

The Common Grounds Composting Area

The Common Ground NRH Community Garden was established on land belonging to Davis Memorial United Methodist Church and a big thanks was extended to the Davis Memorial Methodist Church during the official opening ceremony.

The land is just under 1 acre and holds approximately seventy 80-square-foot garden plots. Several dozen employees of The Home Depot helped build the raised beds. About 10 high school students from the Birdville and Keller districts who participate in Skills USA helped build the storage shed as part of a community service project. The city spent about $20,000 on material, including the irrigation system, and secured a $10,000 grant from The Home Depot for more.

The opening ceremony was a memorable and enjoyable occasion for everyone who attended and the Our Everyday Earth family are excited to see the vegetable and flower plots grow into a mature community garden for the residents of North Richland Hills.

Take a look at the full picture gallery below;

“Roses are a gift that almost any woman loves.  Following a few simple steps will help you protect the Earth while still buying gorgeous flowers for your wife, friend or mom.”

Tips for Buying Eco Friendly Roses

The first thing you will want to do is to find a local nursery or florist from which to purchase the roses.  Select a location that is not far from home or that is not far from the lady to whom you will give the flowers.  You will be helping to protect the environment by not ordering your flowers online.  When you order flowers online, the flowers will often be shipped from far away and thus create more transportation emissions and waste.  You will also be cutting down on the amount of fuel you burn going to purchase the flowers by selecting a location that is near you or your loved one.

Image by georgereyes

You can also have more assurances that you are purchasing environmentally friendly roses when purchasing locally.  This will provide you with the opportunity to talk to nursery workers about the process used to grow the flowers.  You will be able to find a florist or nursery that you believe to be the most eco-friendly.

Ask the nursery to show you their organically grown roses.  Most florists and nurseries will offer at least some flowers that have been organically grown.  If flowers are grown in this way, no harsh chemicals have been used during the growing process.  You therefore will know that no spot of nature was harmed when growing these roses.  You will also know that your special lady will not be exposed to harmful chemicals when enjoying her roses.

You will find that you can purchase lovely roses that were organically grown.  These naturally grown roses will bring delight to your special lady.  She will be equally delighted to hear you bought roses that were not harsh to the environment.

Search for flowers that include an environmental or fair trade certification.  You will know these flowers have come from growers that use practices to protect the environment.  If you buy these flowers, you can feel confident that you have done so in an eco-friendly manner.  You can check online to learn more about these certifications and seals.

In some cases you might not be able to find organically grown flowers on your own.  This can depend on the area where you live and if local nurseries care about the environment more than making a bundle on flowers.

If you cannot find any organically grown flowers on your own, you might actually need to order your flowers online.  However, you can order from companies that offer fair trade or organically grown flowers.  You can also use the power of search engines on the Internet to help you find potentially eco-friendly nurseries in your area or at least in a location that is not too far for you to travel.

This article was contributed by Sandra Stevens. Sandra, aside from being a green freak also writes about stuff like CNA Certification and CNA salary scales on her CNA Training Help Blog.

The Compost Wizard

This is the new Composter we bought for Bluemoon Farm. It is called Compost Wizard, a 12 cu. ft. tumbler composter.  It is made from 98% recycled materials and comes fully assembled. We put it out by the garden, in a sunny spot to ensure it stays hot, (between 95 degrees and 160 degrees)!

Compost bin outside the fenced garden area

I have started getting the composter composting (?) by adding 1/3 green – nitrogen rich composting material such as eggshells, parts of fruit and vegetables, grass cuttings etc to 2/3 Brown – carbon rich composting matter such as paper, cardboard, straw or hay, wood chips and dried leaves or grass.  After I put matter in, I turn the tumbler at least once a week and when ever I add new items.

Composting matter inside the tumbler

It takes any where from 4 to 6 weeks to break down the materials into something brown, moist, and soil like with an earthy smell, kind of like DIRT! When you add new ingredients, it takes 2 to 4 weeks for those to break down. So far, it has only been about 2 weeks and I have been adding things so I have not started my count down yet. I will let it set after I get it about 2/3 full and just turn it without adding more material. I let you know what happens!!

Last year we planted five large Rhododendron bushes and four Hydrangeas. Our wonderful Mom suggested that the soil might not be acidic enough for the Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas. She gave us a large bag of used coffee grounds which were provided by the excellent “Roots Coffee House” in North Richland Hills.

Used Coffee Grounds Can Increase Soil Acidity

The used coffee grounds can increase the acidity of soil and help plants which need higher acidity. I did some research and found that coffee acidity is the bright and dry taste that adds life to a coffee. The acidity of coffee is similar to the dry but bright sensation experienced while drinking a red wine. The brewing of coffee removes alot of the acids but the discarded coffee grounds are perfect for adding some well needed soil acidity for plants like Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas.

Rhododendrons

Most Rhododendrons prefer acid soils with a pH of roughly 4.5-5.5 and the local Texas soils are probably only a pH level of about 6.9. Adding used coffee grounds to the soil brings the pH down from 6.9 to a lower, more acidic value, which is perfect for the Rhododendrons.

Other advice is that Rhododendrons have fibrous roots and prefer well-drained soils high in organic material. Rhododendrons are often grown in raised beds with a liberal addition of composted pine bark. Mulching and careful watering are also important.

Making High Acidity Soil

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas can tolerate a range of pH, soil acidity, conditions however for some varieties the color of their flowers is determined by the relative acidity of the soil. A pH below 6 (acidic) will usually produce flower colors closer to true blue, whereas soil with a pH above 6 (more alkaline) will produce flowers that are more pink. The flowers on all of our Hydrangeas were all very pink in color which was another indicator that the soil was not acidic enough. We’re hoping that if we can increase the soil acidity with the used coffee grounds then we will get more blue Hydrangea flowers.

High Acidity Soil for Hydrangeas

We have already noticed an improvement in the look of our Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas and we will be taking advantage of free used coffee grounds from our local coffee houses to keep them looking healthy for years to come.

Our High Acidity Soil

We passed on the donuts and went for a healthier breakfast but our mission to buy lots of mulch went as planned…

We bought pine mulch to put on our Azaleas and cedar mulch for the rest of our flower beds.

The cedar mulch smells awesome and our dog, Nanna, seemed to approve! She laid in the fresh mulch while we continued to work.

Mulching is important because it allows the soil to conserve water on hot days, prevents weeds and can deter insects and grubs. Reducing weeds and pests means no need for weed killer or pest repellents which is better for everyone including mother Earth.

Saving Water:
Studies have shown that mulching can reduce the need to water plants by up to 25 percent! You can read more on the study here;
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2006/nov06/ScienceFair.html

We finished our mulching and were very pleased with the results, we also found a small grass snake which we released safely into a pile of leaves by our fence line.

It was a lovely day to complete our mulching project and we hope you get a chance to do the same, after all, it will cut down on the need to water and use nasty chemicals whilst keeping your garden looking it’s best.

Thanks for reading!

The Mulching Finished

Organic in the City

I am beginning a new painting called “Zebra Longwings” which I will be donating to the Texas Discovery Gardens for their Charity event Organic in the City Fashion Show and Auction. This event is one of the major fund raisers for the Texas Discovery Gardens. Texas Discovery Gardens is an educational organic garden facility in North Central Texas, that advances the knowledge and skill set of the community to restore, conserve and preserve nature in the urban environment. They accomplish this using their conservatory, greenhouse and 7.5 acre outdoor gardens in urban Dallas along with a full array of teaching programs developed for children and adults.  Their reach begins with small children and adults new to gardening and continues up to and through the Master Gardener level.  Texas Discovery Gardens serves thousands of inner-city students each year.  With the opening of the new Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium and the new indoor children’s classroom, Texas Discovery Gardens is now able to offer its EarthKeeper’s® Children’s Education Programs year round.  These programs are educational and fun and they promote excitement and interest in learning math and science via the natural world, they expand student knowledge and understanding of living sustainably, and help youth appreciate and embrace nature. The Organic in the City Fashion Show and Auction is an exciting, fun event eagerly anticipated by fashion, gardening and green living advocates.  Through this event Texas Discovery Gardens will raise thousands of dollars for the expansion of the children’s EarthKeeper’s programs and to bring Butterfly Gardens to schools across Dallas. For more information on Texas Discovery Gardens and this event, click on the link below.

http://www.texasdiscoverygardens.org

"Zebra Longwings" the beginning

To see more of my work, click on the links below.

www.sharenchatterton.com

www.lunaazulstudio.com

Zebra Longwings Butterfly photo by Sharen Chatterton

According to an American Indian Legend – If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it. Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly cannot reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all. In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish. So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.

Most People just like butterflies, whats not to like, they are graceful, beautiful, colorful creations. I don’t think any other insect has been the inspiration for so many, artists, writers as well as naturalists.

However butterfly populations all over the world are being threatened by loss of habitat. Butterfly gardening, is a great way to provide additional habitat for butterfly species in your area. The species of butterfly vary by region, but by doing a little investigating and planting both nectar plants to attract the adult butterflies and also planting larvae foodplants for the caterpillars, you can increase the local population of butterflies in your area. Not to mention increase your gardens beauty with these colorful winged flowers. Throughout the country, the general requirements for butterfly gardening are the same: full sun, nectar source plants, larval host plants, a pesticide-free environment, and knowledge of the local butterflies. Many butterfly-attracting plants are natives and require little attention, as they are naturally adapted to the region in which they live. Butterfly gardens are best planted in the spring with younger plants or in the fall with mature plants that will become dormant quickly and re-emerge in the spring.

Butterfly Attracting Plants

Host Plants and the Butterflies they Attract

Look for an opportunity in your area to participate in a butterfly release. This is one of the most phenomenal events you will ever attend.  We attended one this weekend at the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. It was their first annual “Come to the Tropics Butterfly Release”. We had a great time. While the outside temperature was about 12 degrees Fahrenheit; we were browsing the booths, listening to tropical music, then releasing a butterfly and observing many other butterflies, all in the warm and humid Tropical butterfly house. I released a very large Paper Kite, or Rice-paper Butterfly, which is white with black lines, it had about a 3-4 inch wing span. Carter released a Zebra Longwings butterfly, which is the mascot butterfly of the Butterfly House. We really had a great time, taking pictures and watching the people and butterflies.

Photo Opportunity

Check out the following sites for more info on butterflies:

http://www.TexasDiscoveryGardens.org

http://www.dallasbutterflies.com