Weeds can be a terrible drain on your garden’s resources. And using regular weedicides can be a bad idea too –they really are dangerous chemicals. But are natural weed control methods actually effective?

There’s a saying that gardeners like to pass around – it’s something about how once you let the weeds in your garden set in long enough to spread their seeds about, you’d better be willing to live with them for the next five years.

If you think that it’s hard getting rid of the weeds in your garden, you have no idea what it can be like when you have weed seeds around. They are impossible to find even when there in plain sight, and they’ll just germinate the moment they have a little light, heat and water.

Choosing natural weed control methods doesn’t mean that you have to live with an ineffective way to deal with the problem. If you’re growing a vegetable garden for instance, sometimes, natural weed control methods may be the only choice. Let’s take a look.

 A great way to get rid of your weeds would be to let them show up first before you actually plant the good plants. How do you make sure that they will germinate really soon so that you can get rid of them and get on with the task at hand? Well, you could turn the soil nicely and water the soil as if there were good plants there to take care of. The weed seeds in your soil will be overjoyed and they will germinate right away. That’ll be your cue – you can hurry up and uproot every last one of them.

Applying mulch to your garden, you know, can be a great way to keep your soil healthy and full of the nutrients that your plants need. Inorganic mulch the other hand, can be a great way to kill off weeds. How, you asking? You need to take up black plastic and apply it around the base of the good plants. This way, there won’t be any sunshine coming through, and the weeds will be able to grow.

And finally, the way you plant your good plants can make a lot of difference. If you could create raised beds for your good plants and plant all of them in closely spaced rows, again, they’re going to completely cover up the soil below. Any weeds trying to get through will have no sunshine to go on.

In a shed, you won’t need to think about those dishes sitting in your sink or that load of laundry that needs to be folded. You will have the peace and quiet needed to get your thoughts out on paper. Woodworking – Many homeowners use their sheds to store tools like power saws, hammers, and nails. If you are interested in starting your own home-based business, why not use these tools to your advantage? Grab some wood and create unique items you can sell, like bookshelves, picture frames, or jewellery boxes. Doggy Day-care – Do you have a passion for four-legged animals? Consider turning your shed into the perfect doggy day-care location. Simply fence in your backyard and stock your shed full of dog food, treats, bedding, toys, and brushes. You may also want to provide crates or kennels for dogs you will take care overnight. The garden sheds will allow the dogs to have a nice area to sleep and rest out of the sun and your backyard will provide the perfect location for them to run and play.

Hydroponic gardening is what takes place when a liquid nutrient solution is formulated and the plant is suspended above and rests its roots in the solution. Just as all plants need light/sun, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and minerals, so also do plants grown using hydroponics. But they acquire some of these needs differently than soil grown plants. In a soil grown plant, the plant is able to live because by watering it, its roots will grow and reach out in search of the nutrients and water in the soil. The soil itself is basically there just to hold the plant in an upright position and to block the sun from the roots. Since it’s the nutrients and not the soil that allows plants to grow, this makes hydroponic gardening possible. When the liquid nutrients are flowing about freely at the plant’s roots, the roots don’t need to grow out in search of food and water. This allows most of the plant’s energy to be spent growing the good stuff above the root. Soil grown plants have much larger roots, and much less foliage than that of a hydroponically grown garden. Most hydroponic planting takes place in a greenhouse, or some other enclosed structure to allow the most controlled environment. Just about anything that can be grown through soil, can be grown through this technique. Woody plants like shrubs, rose bushes, grape vines, and just trees in general, with the exception of banana trees, don’t do too well. Though the seeds from these woody-like plants can easily be germinated using this method. Hydroponic gardening is what some would say is garden growing on steroids. When you get the correct blend of mineral nutrients for a particular plant, fruit, or vegetable, harvesting time comes considerably sooner and with a higher yield, than that of the traditional soil method. So, what is hydroponic gardening? It’s gardening without soil!
 

In the Bible, in the 2nd and 3rd chapter of Genesis, we have the story of the first man Adam, and his wife Eve, in the Garden of Eden. God created this Garden with plenty of lush, greenery and trees bearing all kinds of fruits and placed the couple to enjoy the fruits of the garden. He had given them all the freedom except, to eat from the ‘Tree of knowledge’. The story goes on to tell how man and the woman fell from obeying the command when tempted by the Serpent who symbolises the devil and sinned against God. Consequently they were driven out of the garden and also were prevented to come again in the garden or to have access to another tree, ‘The tree of Life’ which was now guarded by a guardian angel. Many Biblical students, scholars and the Christian people around the world take the story to be literal. They believe in the Eden Garden as a real physical place somewhere on the face of the earth. What is the Garden of Eden? The Garden of Eden is the Sub-conscious mind of human being! Raised bed gardening is a relatively new method of gardening that has become popular among many. It involves creating a bed in the surface of your garden, and having your plants placed in them. If you are building the bed on your own, then it can be as long and wide as you would like it to be. But stores also have ready made sizes which are available for you to order. Raised bed gardening is not too different compared to regular gardening. The length and width can be set to your discretion, and the height of the soil is always above ground level. Normally, the soil is about six to twelve inches above the soil that is outside the bed, but you can have the soil as high or low as you want it to be. Having the soil higher can give many advantages. One of the main advantages of having the soil higher is that the soil will produce more compost, which will help your plants grow. The compost will come from the grass and leaves and will enrich your soil.

They are concerned about water leaks, covering the water with slime, mosquitos and other similar issues. However one well created pond will have none of these issues and at the same time will make your garden very eye-catching. The pond also supplies freshness in hot Summer days. Building a pond yourself is more complex than the other garden projects but isn’t as hard as it looks. It just requires some digging, measuring, isolation and plcing the right quantity of cement. Having an outdoor storage shed is a must for everyone who wants their garden to stand out. The sheds can be used not only to store things and tools but also as workshops, guest houses or play space for your kids. The shed is one of the buildings that can really increase the value of your property. They also can add to your usable living space. Building an outdoor garden shed is a complex thing to do if you want to start from scratch. Fortunately there are plenty of prefabricated shed kits available so you don’t need master skills for this either.

When it comes to gardening, a well kept lawn can make or break it. Although it takes much effort to keep a lawn looking great, in my opinion it is definitely worth it.  It not only improves the whole look of the garden, but also the house that it envelopes.  There are many things a lawn requires to look lush and healthy, but a good haircut never goes astray.

By the way, when I see the picture of the lawn above I just want to get my mower out!  Did you know that having a great mower  makes a big difference when it comes to the health of your lawn?  A high quality mower will cut each blade of grass finer encouraging a healthier lawn.  But what should you look for when purchasing a mower?

Battery VS Petrol

My choice is petrol.  Why?  I feel they are far superior to battery operated models.  They seem provide more cutting power, and you don’t have to ever worry about charging batteries.  Yes there is perhaps more moving parts and the point of requiring higher maintenance, but have you ever wondered why you never see professional contractors with battery operated gear?

Rotary VS Cylinder Mowers

Rotary mowers feature a spinning blade which cuts each blade of grass by force.  This results in a tearing motion in comparison to a cylinder mower which actually slices each blade of grass without pulling it.  Now whilst it is true that a cylinder mower comes out on top every time, it doesn’t mean that a cylinder mower is the best mower for you.  Cylinder mowers are very expensive, and can be difficult to use as they require mastering a clutch.  You can still make a great lawn with a high quality rotary mower, so don’t feel you need to spend thousands for a cylinder cutter.

Carrying Capacity

A higher carrying capacity simply means less empties per linear meter.  The more lawn the bin can carry means less less trips to the wheelie bin.  Larger carriers can get heavy as they fill up, and may not be required unless you cut your lawn infrequently or have a large lawn area.

Engine Size

This is simple.  Engine sizes are rated in cubic centimetres, or for those who may not be familiar with this it is otherwise known as cc’s.  Walked mowers tend to range in size from about 130-190 cc’s.  Generally speaking, the more cc’s a mower has the more power it will have to cut through lawn.  You may want to choose a mower on the higher end of the spectrum if you are planning on cutting through weeds, sticks and want a mulching purpose.

Consider consulting a comprehensive buying guide for more information.  If you have had any great experiences with any particular lawn mowers, leave a comment to let others (and myself) know!