Greenhouses and Gardening

Father’s Day is a great time of year to celebrate how wonderful dad has been for all of these years. Mom gets her day, so it is only fair that dad gets his. The only dilemma is what to get dad for Father’s Day. Mom gets candies, flowers, and other gifts and dad is usually the recipient of his one hundredth baseball cap or necktie. It is only fair to break the Father’s Day gift monotony by doing something a little different that makes him feel as special as mom does on her special day.

To make dad feel special, try giving him the gift of nature, which is flowers. Some may feel that flowers are too feminine, but men love flowers too. The reason is because they have a pleasant fragrance, they look nice, and the emotions that are derived from receiving flowers are all positive. Even after they have been received, looking at them and knowing where they came from can make dad’s day an even brighter one.

What kind to get

Men do have a softer side to them whether they admit it or not. There are plenty of men who enjoy gardening or buying fresh flowers for their homes. Simply hanging out at the local greenhouse will reveal this and these men are not shopping for their wives. They are men who know exactly what they want and exactly how they want their flower garden to look. When receiving Father’s Day flowers, A smile will surely come over his face when he receives this expression of love. If in doubt as to which flower is the best flower to express that love, there are certain flowers that men tend to like. Some do enjoy roses because of what they represent, but there are other flowers that he may really enjoy.

Ideal Father’s Day Flowers are:

- If dad likes roses, then white and red roses may be ideal. These are flowers that have a great deal of architecture to them and they are also the official flowers of Father’s Day. However, it is typical that a white rose is worn on the lapel for a father who has passed away and a red rose for a father who is still living.

- To be a little different and stray away from the traditional flower, try something bold or something tropical. Anything with bold colors or a tropical flower really appeals to men. These are flowers that show strength and uniqueness. Dads are strong and these types of flowers last a long time, which makes them a great fathers day flowers gift.

- In terms of colors, anything that is red, orange, yellow, or purple with a linear design is really going to appeal to a man. There is something intelligent about a linear arrangement that men love.

- Contemporary arrangements are quite trendy and men enjoy those as well. One may opt for a mixture of flowers within a certain color theme. An individual may choose to buy dad a bouquet of red roses and yellow daisies.

A great gift idea

Flowers certainly make a great Father’s Day gift. They can also be presented to him along with candies, balloons, and so much more. If it is tradition to give Dad that one hundredth baseball cap, give it to him with flowers. There are so many possibilities, especially in how flowers and gifts can be packaged together that it is hard to go wrong. Most importantly, dad will feel the appreciation and will always remember his bold and beautiful Father’s Day gift.

Tags: green house, garden

There are many differences when it comes to growing vegetables either outdoors or indoors. Soil type and preparation, watering practice, light control, disease and pest control differ between the two environments. Be sure to learn about the pros and cons of each before deciding to plant your garden.

For instance, preparing and maintaining the soil for outdoor vegetable gardening can be an arduous task. Nutrient levels in the soil can be exhausted from yearly planting of the same crops. Fertilizers get leached away. Soil disease is more difficult to control. Breaking up clay or changing pH in a large area can be difficult. However, on the flip side you don’t have to prepare and change out multiple containers as you would with indoor planting.

Indoor soil preparation requires less fertilizer, but can be harder to control. The soil has to be prepared carefully to maintain the right balance between drainage and moisture retention. It is much easier to retain the right level of moisture in outdoor gardens.

It is more difficult to create an automatic watering system for indoor gardens. A simple drip irrigation system is easy to install for outdoor gardens. An automatic sprinkler system for indoors can be more expensive and messy. However, if you only have a few indoor gardening containers, watering by hand will get the job done.

Outdoor gardens usually have no problem receiving adequate sunlight. Outdoor gardens usually enjoy five or more hours of sunlight during the day. It can be more of challenge to find five or more hours of sunlight for indoor plants unless you want to keep moving them around to from window to window throughout the day, which is not realistic.

However finding shade for indoor plants is not a problem. On those hot days, you can simply close the window blinds to protect indoor plants. Also putting plants near a glass window provides a sort of greenhouse effect and promotes growth.

Diseases and pests can be a hard problem to tackle on both indoor and outdoor plants. But overcoming these obstacles is harder when it comes to outdoor plants. Obviously, outdoor plants are exposed to more pests and diseases than indoor plants. Combating pests and diseases in outdoor gardens requires a lot of dedication and usually chemical controls.

Chemical controls, organic substances, and trap crops are not always the most pleasant controls. Most insecticides have harsh odors and even plant-based oils can be overpowering and more expensive than other types of chemical controls.

Both indoor and outdoor gardens have their pros and cons. You need to decide which type of garden would be easiest for you to maintain. Either type of garden requires some work but the end result of fresh vegetables is a great reward.

Tags: garden, greenhouse

Creating your own compost is easy and provides an excellent natural fertilizer. Compost is a mixture of organic materials - leaves, manure, table scraps and more - left in a pile to decay. Naturally occurring soil organisms will work on the material and eventually break it down into a fine, homogeneous soil additive for your vegetable garden.

Making your own compost requires very little effort. It just takes a little time, effort and space to create a compost pile. Find an area about 10 feet (3m) on a side or a circle about 10 feet in diameter. You can rake up a pile of leaves in the fall and add some grass cuttings, straw, vegetable leftovers or any organic material you have around. Not only can you create a wonderful compost fertilizer with these items but also you have your own natural disposal system for unwanted food items and yard clippings.

Allow your pile to get 3-5 feet (1-2m) high. Then flatten the top and make a small indentation to trap rainwater. You want the pile to be moist but not too wet. Too much water blocks the air circulation that is needed for the material to compost.

Air provides oxygen that feeds the organisms that break down the material. Although you want air circulation, you dont want the pile to be too loose either. Because once the pile reaches a certain size and stage of chemical activity it will begin to heat. If the pile is too loose the heat will escape thus hindering the chemical activity process.

To increase the value of your compost you can add other items such as raw bone meal, ground rock phosphate and lime. These items won’t break down during the composting process but will help increase the value of the compost fertilizer in the end.

Vegetation and these additives can be layered throughout the compost pile. When you have a layer about a foot deep, add some rock phosphate. Add an amount proportional to the compost pile. For instance, for every 100 square foot of compost you should add five pounds of rock phosphate.

Manure can also be applied to the layers in the compost pile. Usually a few inches of high for every foot of compost is sufficient. Manure can either be used alone as a fertilizer or works to enhance compost pile.

When the compost pile has been active for a few weeks, you can stir up the material to keep it uniform. This helps distribute organisms throughout the pile. By rotating the layers it will give you a more even fertilizer.

Once the pile is ready to use, you can spread it over the entire garden area if you have enough to supply about 25 pounds for a 100 square feet garden area. If not, simply apply it in those areas where the vegetables will be planted.

Tags: greenhouses, growing