Interested in this subject ?  Please have a look at a video :

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/videos/easy-methods-for-best-compost.aspx?nterms=74866

Garden ideas from books to the Web

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://www.thenewstribune.com/apheadlines/homeandgarden/story/947228.html

By SUSAN SMITH-DURISEK; McClatchy Newspapers

Wouldn’t you like to have some fresh ideas, month after month, for projects and plants to try in your garden or home landscape? All sorts of garden magazines offer color photographs of model gardens, articles on topics ranging from specific plant profiles to general how-to advice, and plenty of sources for decorative elements and supplies that gardeners need.

If you’re trying to think of holiday gifts for gardening friends and relatives, subscriptions will deliver a year-round present. Rates vary, so look for special holiday offers.

Here are some favorites:

Community food gardens

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/352/1/Community-food-gardens.html

By Green Living Tips

What is a community food garden?

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In previous articles I’ve covered “alternative” natural food sourcing and production arrangements such as CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) and natural food cooperatives.

Another concept gaining popularity is community food gardens.

 

A community food garden is a piece of land, usually rented from local government, collectively worked by a group of people who share the harvest. It differs a little from the UK allotment concept in that allotments are usually rented out to individuals.

Community food gardens offer individuals a way of growing a portion of their own food in a collaborative environment, benefiting from the experience of other members. Community food gardens can provide greater food security along with a reduction in the food mile impact of participants’ diets. Quite a few of these groups also observe environmentally friendly methods of food production – anything from using heritage or heirloom seeds or natural fertilizers, to full blown organic gardening.

Gardening: Pavement, other hardscape can be ‘landscaped’ using plants in pots

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13748895?source=most_emailed

By Tony Tomeo

for Los Gatos Weekly-Times

//

// 0){
document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.width = requestedWidth + “px”;
document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.margin = “0px 0px 10px 10px”;
}
// ]]>In my own garden, I prefer to grow everything in the ground. Pots and planters simply require a little more attention than I want to give them. To me, pots should be reserved mostly for houseplants and bonsai, which are both very different topics from potted plants in the garden. However, I have grown many potted plants in the garden for various reasons.

The main reason in the garden of my former residence is that there was so much pavement. It was all useful pavement, such as driveways and patio space, so none of it should have been removed. Yet, the portions of the large driveway that were not in use at the time were “landscaped” with large plants in large nursery cans. Corners of the patio were similarly landscaped, with nothing actually in the ground. The black vinyl cans were obscured and shaded (to keep them cool) by common iceplant that spilled out onto the pavement.

Do you already have an ADENIUM Gift Book?

 

In 1999 I published a unique book together with Marleen Van Lancker (Merelbeke, Belgium) well known for her flower arrangements: it’s called ADENIUM.

It turned out to be an impressive gift book with dozens of colour charts of superb flower creations, made by Marleen and ordered according to the 4 seasons. As a botanist I gave a description of the family of plants with every arrangement in 4 languages: Dutch, French, English and German.

Photo Kurt Dekeyzer

The family of plants was selected according to one of the species of plants found in the flower arrangement.  With some of the families of plants I put in a drawing, featuring a certain species of this family. This way the book turned out to be also a valuable guideline to the botanic knowledge of people having an interest in flower arrangements.

Here are a couple of drawings featuring a specific species of the family of plants concerned.

As there are still a small number of copies of ADENIUM available, Marleen and I decided to offer the book at a bargain price. A considerable part of the money collected this way will be used for supporting some of our development projects of “Seeds for Food” (see www.seedsforfood.org.

Do not hesitate and get to know this unique offer, a wonderful gift for people of all ages. For you it’s a splendid gift, for us a means to lay out new family gardens and school gardens. We count on you all!

Copies can be ordered at the exceptional price of 40 EUR (original price 65 EUR) by bank transfer on account nr:

290-0199697-92
IBAN     BE 12 29OO199697 92
BIC       GEBABEBB
van
Marleen VAN LANCKER
Van Goethemstraat 45
9820 MERELBEKE
+32(0)92307721

After receipt of your remittance the book will be sent to you by registered mail.

If you buy one or more books, you automatically support our developing projects. I rely on the support of many people until stocks are totally depleted.

Uganda embarks on seed improvement

Read at :

AfricaFiles

Title: Uganda embarks on seed improvement
Author: Aidah Nanyonjo, Kampala
Category: Ecology
Date: 12/9/2008
Source: New Vision
Source Website: <http://www.africafiles.org/database/>

African Charter Article# 24: All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favorable to their development.

Summary & Comment: Uganda has embarked on a two year project to develop and adapt seed varieties that grow well in the local environment. The research is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. AB

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http://allafrica.com/stories/200812100139.html

Uganda has embarked on a two year project to develop and adapt seed varieties that grow well in the local environment.

Dr. Peter Seruwagi, the head of Horticulture programme at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCCRI), Namulonge says the multi million project which is called ‘Vegetable breeding and seed systems‘ is funded by the Bill and Merinda Gates Foundation through the World Vegetable Centre. “We want to come up with seed varieties that are of good quality for improved productivity as well as consumption,” he said. Seruwagi says most imported seed varieties especially for horticulture do not do well in the Ugandan environment. The project will cover tomatoes, egg plants, onions and other vegetables. “It is not true that all the imported seeds are of low quality. They may be of high quality in the country of origin, but due to climatic differences they fail to do well here. We have received several cases where these seeds fail to germinate,” he says.

The Institute has organised a seed fair where Ugandan seed companies will exhibit their products. The seed fair, with a theme ‘Vegetables for health and wealth,’ will take place on December 12, 2008. “As part of the project, the seed fair aims at promoting the use of quality seeds and increased vegetable production for income generation,” he says.He said the market for vegetables has grown widely following the benefits they contain. “Eating a wide variety of vegetables means you are more likely to get all the vitamins and minerals that are important to your health,” Seruwagi added.

—————–

MY COMMENT (Willem)

It is a well known fact that some imported seeds, even of the highest quality, will not germinate and develop into healthy plants, due to climatic or edaphic(soil)  constraints.

For that reason some comments on our “Seeds for Food” action doubt about the positive effect of the seeds we send abroad to development projects.

2008-04 – Tomato production in a family kitchen garden in the Sahara desert

It goes without saying that we are conscious about the right choice of the species sent.  But even if not all the seeds offered for free to projects will germinate or develop into healthy plants, the percentage of them germinating and producing fresh vegetables and fruits is a big step forward for the recipients, because “Eating a wide variety of vegetables means you are more likely to get all the vitamins and minerals that are important to your health“.  And even the non-germinating seeds will always play a positive role, being organic matter that will be decomposed in the soil and thus contribute to the organic content of that soil.

We appreciate very much the efforts of  the “multi million project which is called ‘Vegetable breeding and seed systems‘  funded by the Bill and Merinda Gates Foundation through the World Vegetable Centre.  We expect that the outcome will be : an interesting selection of excellent varieties of seeds, producing bigger plants and better tasting vegetables.

However, the question remains if these selected varieties will be produced in Uganda (and in the other developing countries) at such a large scale that sufficient seeds will be offered for free to the poor rural people.  Or will they be produced by companies, putting commercial varieties of seeds on the market which again will be too expensive to be easily purchased by smallholders.

We remain convinced that offering free seeds of tropical fruits, collected from all the juicy fruits we are eating in developed countries, to small-scale farmers in the developing countries, is a valuable contribution to their sustainable development.  Taking into account the climatic and edaphic conditions at the sites or regions of the developing countries, where we are sending the collected seeds of vegetables to, is also a major step in that direction.  Once those smallholders have these free seeds developing in their kitchen garden, they are in a position to select seeds from the plants they are growing.  They will not be dependent anymore on “donations of seeds”.  They will be able to enhance bit-by-bit their annual income by taking the surplus of vegetables and fruits to the local market.  And at the end of the day they will earn sufficient money to buy the “top quality seeds” selected by their national experts and produced by the commercial seed companies.

In the meanwhile, we continue to collect seeds of vegetables and fruits and we offer them for free to every development project wanting to lay-out kitchen gardens, in particular in the drylands.

Is this working well ?  Ask the people who received already some seeds … or look at the pictures of newly installed kitchen gardens, even those in the Sahara desert.  Seeing is believing, isn’t it ?

2008-04 – Engineer Taleb BRAHIM taking care of the right application of the seeds in the harsh climatic and edaphic conditions of the Algerian Sahara.

Vegetable Gardening Tips That Help Us Grow More

Read at :  Google Alert – gardening

http://www.backyardgardeningtips.com/gardening/vegetable-gardening-tips-that-help-us-grow-more/

My wife and I have found that it doesn’t matter whether we do our gardening directly in the ground, using raised beds or even using containers there are a few vegetable gardening tips that save us time and were easy to implement.

Here is what our garden area looked like before we put a little work into it and started our first vegetable garden.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

When my wife and I started our vegetable garden we were pretty green.

Our first decision was where to put our veggie garden. I wasn’t even concerned with the size, other than it was going to be very small. I guess it was more of a test to see if we could really do it.

Tip One: Location, Location, Location

Yeah location, it’s about real estate, the best real estate for our garden was going to be where the best sunlight was.

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7090788

Covert ‘guerrilla gardeners’ beautify city
abc7.com
These “guerrilla gardeners” are breaking the law. But is what they’re doing
wrong? Under the cover of darkness, on a busy street corner in Los Angeles,
…
<http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7090788>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story%3Fsection%3Dnews/local/los_angeles%26id%3D7090788&hl=en>

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/6459991/Complete-guide-to-growing-small-trees-for-the-garden.html

Complete guide to growing small trees for the garden

Everything you need to know about choosing and growing the right tree for your garden

By Tony Russell for Gardeners’ World Magazine

This time of year is prime tree-planting season. We all want an instant sense of scale and maturity in our gardens – but trees supposedly take ages to grow, so you may be tempted to buy in large sizes.

Research has shown, however, that trees planted when small (up to 2½ft) establish faster and more effectively than larger ones and may even overtake a larger (and more expensive) specimen planted at the same time.

Related Articles

• Best 20 trees for the garden

• Best fruit tree cultivars

• The 10 most common problems with trees

• The mellow orchard look

• Will tree roots damage my house?

• Apples are the most-loved British tree

Small trees have a larger root-to-foliage ratio, which means evaporation and therefore moisture needs are lower, and their ability to produce new roots is greater. They also suffer less root check immediately after planting and are less susceptible to stress in times of drought.

Buying a tree

Don’t get confused over the various names garden centres and suppliers give to different tree sizes. A whip is generally a small tree up to 3ft tall, normally produced from seed or cuttings. A maiden is a similar size, normally produced from grafting or budding. Fruit trees are often referred to as maidens. A half-standard tree has a single clear stem up to 5ft tall, topped with a head of branches, and a standard has up to 6ft 6in of clear stem, plus a head of branches.

Most garden centres sell trees that have been grown in a pot and potted on to allow for root growth. These are known as container-grown trees and can be planted at almost any time of year except when the soil is waterlogged or frozen, or during prolonged drought.

Container-grown trees tend to be more expensive than rootballed or containerised trees, which are grown in nursery beds, lifted in winter then wrapped in netting or similar material, or placed in a container for sale. Rootballed trees should be planted between late November and mid-February. Cheapest of all are bare-root trees, which are normally supplied by nurseries during the dormant season, having been grown in open ground. These should be planted as soon as possible after purchase.

How to establish a tree

After all the effort of choosing, buying and planting your tree, you’ll need to make sure it has the best chance of survival by keeping it well watered, at least through its first growing season and during very dry weather for two or three years after. A mulch of well-rotted garden compost or composted bark will retain moisture in the soil and discourage weeds. If your tree is planted in grass, it’s essential to maintain a circle of bare soil around the base of the trunk, at least 18in across.

New trees will establish quicker without competition from grass and weeds. If your tree is grafted on to a rootstock, you may find that it sends up vigorous shoots, or suckers, from beneath the graft union. Pull these off or cut them back as close to the main trunk as possible with secateurs. One final point to consider when planting or dealing with trees on your property: as the landowner you have a responsibility to maintain those trees in a safe condition, which includes regular inspections for any signs that they are unsafe. With young or small trees, the level of damage or injury that may occur if the tree, or parts of it, were to fall is limited, but a responsible attitude will prolong your tree’s life, give you peace of mind and may reward you with lower insurance.

Using tree ties

Don’t risk damaging a newly planted tree by fixing it to the stake wrongly. It is essential to use a flexible tree tie with a rubberised spacer. This will ensure the bark doesn’t get worn away and that the tree’s growth isn’t restricted as the trunk expands. Attach the tree tie to the stake, about ½in from the top, using a galvanised nail. Thread the strap through the spacer buffer, around the stem of the tree, back through the rubber spacer and around the back of the stake to finish up through the buckle. Fasten the tie securely, then knock a second nail through the end of the strap so it doesn’t slip undone. Check regularly to ensure the tie isn’t chafing the bark, and loosen it to allow the stem to expand.

Do I need a stake?

Small, single-stemmed trees, such as whips up to 3ft tall, rarely require staking, except on exposed sites. In fact it’s best not to stake, as the flexing of a tree’s stem helps encourage thickening of the trunk, making it better able to support the weight of the upper branches.

Even with half-standard and standard specimens, stakes shouldn’t extend above one-third of the tree’s total height. For most well-grown specimens a short stake that anchors the base of the trunk is ideal. This holds the rootball firmly in the ground while new roots grow out into the surrounding soil, but still allows the full height of the main stem to flex. For large standard containerised trees, use a stake angled at 45 degrees to the trunk and attached about one-third up its height. By angling the stake, you avoid driving it vertically down through the rootball, so no damage is caused.

Will trees grow in pots?

Some trees are perfectly happy in containers, which is very handy if you’re short on space. It also allows you to grow trees that are not fully hardy, such as a citrus, as you can move the pot inside over winter. You can also grow trees that are unsuited to your garden soil. In theory, most trees can be grown in containers, at least for a limited period of time. However, reality dictates that slow-growing, dwarf or compact specimens, such as varieties of Japanese maple, are the most suitable. Trees in containers do require more attention than those in open ground. You’ll need to water them regularly, as compost dries out quickly and the roots can’t grow out in search of water. Similarly, you’ll need to feed them too

(continued)

The Importance of Organic Vegetable Gardening

Read at : Google Alert – gardening

http://www.gardeningtips.afrugalgardener.com/the-importance-of-organic-vegetable-gardening/

Organic vegetable gardening seems to be the trend these days as more people have become conscious of what they are eating. This is because conventional methods which involve the use of harmful chemicals may enter our systems. In order to control the problem, the US Department of Agriculture has issues a new directive. This encourages farmers to shift to organic farming.