Tim Pim Blog

Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in
them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all
type of gardens.

1. Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away.
It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the
appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is
one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and
farmers alike.

2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plant are like
people, a person with a strong immune system can combat
diseases. A healthy plant does the same.

3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery
solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening
tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.

4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy
plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive
fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave
chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm
not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins
to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended
not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists.

5. There are several plants that are only suitable for a
specified climate, a certain kind of soil or can only grow with
certain plants. You have to know what plant grow in the
conditions you have in your area this is for you to avoid
unnecessary purchases. This is a money saving gardening tip.

6. Landscaping is a good investment which can double the value
of your home. This is one gardening tip that can earn you money.

7. Growing grass on bare ground is an easy way to make your home
look better and appreciate in value. This is one gardening tip
that promotes earning money while growing grass legally.

8. Aside from looking great in your home, trees also provide
some sort of protection from direct sunlight exposure and strong
winds.

9. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also would
offer some protection and would also look great.

10. Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one
that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local
community already have developed resistance to conditions
present in your area.

11. For most gardens plants, their roots go only as deep as 6
inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of
money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are
being watered.

12. Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the
soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill
them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.

13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your
garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by
having diverse plants in your garden.

14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using
commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another
environment friendly gardening tip.

15. Avoid putting too much mulch on tree trunks, this would
encourage unwanted pests to reside on them.

16. Use plant varieties that are common to your area or have
been taken from an area with similar conditions.

17. Be sure to know the plants that are poisonous. If you are
intent on growing them, make sure to have the necessary cure
available in your household. Take note of this gardening tip, it
can save your life.

18. The best time to water plants is during mornings.

19. Before planting a new plant in your garden, you must
consider its height and size when it matures. This garden tip
can help you save money in the future.

20. Newly transplanted plants may require special attention
during its first week. This is to reduce the stress and shock it
got during transplantation.

And last but not the least of the gardening tips…

21. Plants are living entities. If you want them to grow in your
garden you have to treat them as such. They need to be taken
care of. They are like your pets, you look out for them. In
return you get that feeling of contentment watching them thrive.

A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might
have some feelings too.

When I was a teenager we walked the banks of Utah’s Jordan River and counted the birds for the Audubon Society during the Christmas Bird Count. Right after WW II, we recorded our maximum count. We saw 139 species of birds and many thousands of individuals.

Then construction of new housing moved in.

In just a few years the Christmas count for that area dropped from 139 species to 13 species. The river had considerable hunting pressure, but the majority of birds were not affected. Those species that were affected had habitat in which to hide when the bullets were flying.

Not all birds can maintain population in the face of hunting. That’s why we now have laws outlawing the killing of birds. Hawks are particularly susceptible to hunting pressure. They are out in the open and can be killed by rifle fire from a great distance.

Many bird speicies along the river could tolerate hunting pressure. What they could not survive was the loss of habitat. Those species that could not find new habitat disappeared.

The sad thing was this: The habitat could have been preserved if someone had thought about it. Just how difficult is it to maintain habitat along the banks of a river? Do builders have to buy every inch of ground, remove all the foliage, and drive birds and other critters away?

You would think that maintaining the habitat, with walking paths for the new families moving in, would be something to be desired. There could be an economic advantage.

To learn more on the loss of habitat for birds and other wildlife go to: http://training.fws.gov/library/Pubs/mbd_habitat_loss.pdf. The last 50 years have been devastating. Any bird watcher (birder) who was alive at the end of WW II can show you by his annual bird list, or will tell you, that birds are rapidly disappearing.

Here are some ideas to preserve our birds and wildlife:

1. Teach your children to never trap or kill birds and other wildlife.

2. Take them bird watching. Teach them the value of birds.

3. Visit local and even more distant wildlife preservation areas. See a refuge map at: http://www.refugenet.org/new-general-info/map.html. If you buy a Duck Stamp, you will save money on entrance fees.

4. Buy your children binoculars, telescopes, telescope cameras, magnifying glasses, bird books, and other items to create interest in wildlife.

5. Join a local club such as the National Audubon Society. Take part in the club activities. You will meet some nerdy but delightful friends. (Well, they are not all nerdy, just the best birders.)

6. Watch wildlife features on television. If they conflict with Wheel of Fortune, record them for later viewing.

7. Contribute to wildlife preservation activities.

8. Create a layout of your home and yard. Study ways to make your areas more wildlife friendly. Buy or build a few bird houses. Hang a feeder for song birds. Place feeders for humming birds. Plant bushes and foliage according to what you learn from books and the Internet. Make sure they are suitable to your area by visiting a local garden shop. Learn what you can do to your yard to promote wildlife and bird habitat at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/.

9. Enjoy wildlife through photography. Grab a paintbrush and paint a bird on your mailbox. Teach your children to draw and paint birds or buy them a book on how to do it.

10. Have your community place wildlife provisions in building codes. Use local ordinances to protect all beneficial wildlife.

Once you take a personal interest in wildlife and wildlife management, things can only improve where you live. You will be a person that cares and changes things for the better. Life will be more meaningful.

Your children will continue your family tradition I taught my children how to identify birds. One of my sons is very busy in his medical practice but he often calls me when he sees a new bird species and he sends or emails me photos of birds and other wildlife.

Where does he see birds and wildlife? He sees them in his yard, but mainly in a park near his home.

If you create an environment for wildlife, you won’t have to go that far to see it.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success books and kits and business newsletters / TopFlight flagpoles)

The bright yellow flowers of the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) are easy to mistake for the cowslip (primula veris). Both are widespread over Europe, Asia, and the U.S. However, the cowslip is a denizen of fields and pastures while the marsh marigold inhabits sloughs and stream banks.

The marsh marigold has been used for medicinal purposes throughout history and has appeared in literature as far back as the time of Shakespeare. The complete plant is edible but bitter in taste if eaten raw. Most often, the leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach.

Related to and resembling a large buttercup, the marsh marigold sprouts from large tufts of growth that spawn large, glossy, kidney-shaped leaves and long, hollow stems, which seem to split into two flower stalks, each bearing a single blossom that may reach two inches in diameter.

You may see wild marsh marigolds in bloom from mid-March through June, but then this demure plant seems to vanish as quickly as it appeared in the spring! Definitely a wildflower, the plant is an herbaceous perennial that is also well-suited as an addition to garden pond edges. Tolerant of light levels from full sun to part shade, the marsh marigold is also a good choice for container gardening in shallow water features.

To grow the marsh marigold, soil should be kept mucky. This is one plant that does like wet feet! Even during dormancy, be sure to keep the soil moist. Propagate the plant by dividing its roots in the autumn.

Linda is leading author of the

Flower Gardening section of
http://www.gardening-guides.com

Orchids are typically an outdoor plant, thus it can be difficult to flower indoors. However, you can buy orchids that can thrive indoors or in a greenhouse. You do need to be familiar with the characteristics and conditions that orchids need to thrive in to result in a healthy indoor living condition. Here are some tips to care for the wholesale orchids you have purchased.

Contrary to typical plants, orchids do not grow in soil. In fact, planting an orchid in soil will kill the plant. In the wild, orchids grow on the bark of trees. Orchids should be grown in a similar way. Pots should be filled with loosely packed material such as bark or stones. Water is capable of draining quickly and also exposes the orchid roots to air. If wholesale orchids are left in standing water, they will eventually die.

Wholesale orchids also need to have the temperature variations of the plants that are grown in the wild. In nature, orchids go through a range of temperatures between night and day time hours. This can be achieved indoors by creating a drop in temperature at night by a minimum of ten degrees. This will encourage flower buds to set more readily. Wholesale orchids can survive without this change in temperature, but they will not necessarily thrive without it.

Depending on the color of the leaf on the orchid, this will demonstrate whether or night the orchid is getting the proper amount of light. If it is not getting enough light, the leaves will appear dark green. If the leaves have a grassy color, then the plant is getting the right amount of light for blooming. Too much light can result in a yellowish color on the orchid leaves.

Growing orchids can be a fun rewarding experience inside your home. Use the research above to help the orchid make the transition from the outside to the indoors without putting the life of the orchid at risk. Follow the proper care instructions for an indoor orchid and you will be able to provide a colorful look inside your home.

As an author at eZ-search, Chris Miller contributes to the growing content found within the site and shares his knowledge about orchid plant care.