One of the biggest challenges in water gardening is keeping the water almost as clear as crystal.  Gardening water that is actually crystal clear probably has chemical or mineral pollutants in it.  Ideally the water should be slightly brown or green.

When you first fill your pond with a hose, you will have the crystal gardening water you don’t want.  Call your local water authority and find out what chemicals are in the municipal water supply.  Allowing the crystal gardening water that comes from your tap to stand for a few days will let most of the chlorine dissipate.  But you need chemicals to treat chlorine dioxide and chloramines.  Pond supply dealers, garden suppliers and pet stores have kits you can use to test your crystal gardening water for unwanted substances.  The dealers in those stores can advise you on treatment.  Do not, however, use chemicals unless it is absolutely necessary.  Do not put your plants and fish into crystal clear gardening water until after you have removed the chloramines.

Once you are rid of the unwanted substances, introduce the plants.  They will begin the job of producing the food and oxygen that fish and other aquatic animals will need.  They will also prevent the build-up of algae.  The water will turn green, but it will clear up in a few weeks as the plants establish themselves.  Then you will have the almost crystal gardening water that is the best habitat for your plants and fish.  Now you can introduce fish, snails, and whatever other pond dwellers you wish.

It is natural for your water garden to have some algae in it.  The mossy algae that grow on the side of the pond are actually beneficial, as they remove toxins from the water.  But algae must not be allowed to grow unchecked.  If they do, they will starve submerged plants by depriving them of nutrients.  This in turn will deprive fish and other aquatic animals of oxygen, and they will die.  Algae growth also makes your pond look unattractive.

You can control the growth of algae by putting in water lilies and other floating plants.  They consume the nutrients that algae live on, and block out the sunlight algae require for growth.  Snails and some fish help by eating algae.

If at all possible, keep algae growth under control by those natural means.  You can also skim algae off the surface with a fine mesh net, a brush or a rake.  It can also help to install one or two filters.  If you must use chemicals, remember that is only a temporary solution, and one that could be harmful to your plants and fish.

Have you always wanted to take the outdoors inside? Well now you can with indoor water gardening. Not only does water add beauty to a home, it also helps to create a calming environment. The sound of running water has long been considered a source of relaxation. Setting up an indoor water gardening environment inside your home can be cheap and simple with minimal time investment.

To begin designing and setting up your indoor water gardening element inside your home you will need the following:

•    The container to build the garden in
Here you are limited only by your imagination. Just about any container that is non-porous can be used. Some suggestions are: fish tank, plastic buckets, wooden cask, ceramic bowls, glass baking tins.
•    Plants to grow
The choice of aquatic plants suitable for indoor water gardening is varied. Some good choices especially for the beginner include water lettuce, water chestnuts, eelgrass, water ferns and water clover. A mix of floating and rooted aquatic plants can add contrast and style to your water garden.
•    Growing medium
This also varies and is partially dependent on what types of plants you plan on putting into your water garden.

How to care for your indoor water garden

Caring for your indoor water gardening creation is simple and best of all, not time-consuming. Maintaining an indoor water garden is similar to caring for an outdoor one. Dead plants and fish waste (if you decide to go all out and add fish to your creation) must be cleaned out regularly to keep the ‘pond’ looking good.

You will also need to add water occasionally to replace what is lost due to evaporation. It is important to not just pour water into the container as doing so will do more harm that good. The proper technique for adding water is to pour it slowly, using your hand or the side of the container to break the flow. Also, leave the water standing around for an hour or so to allow it to reach room temperature as cold water can shock the plants in the container.

Using a nutrient degrader will help minimize the build up in your indoor water gardening environment. Controlling algae buildup is necessary for maintaining the health of the plants in the container as well as ensuring that the entire creation looks attractive.

Finally you need to decide on how best to show off your creation. One way is to introduce artificial lighting into the indoor water gardening setting. Alternatively, the container can be placed where adequate, but indirect sunlight can do the trick of highlighting the beauty of the garden. 

One thing, of course, is essential to successful water gardening: pond water.  Some water gardeners claim that they let their ponds go for years without paying any attention to water quality or environmental conditions.  Most experts on gardening pond water say such negligence is bound to lead to disaster, especially if the pond is home to fish and other aquatic animals.

If you keep your artificial pond well maintained, you should need to drain and clean it only once every three or four years.  By being observant, you can spot the symptoms of some gardening pond water problems and take correctional measures.  If the water level keeps dropping, there may be a leak in the liner.  If the gardening pond water stays green well into summer, there is too much debris on the bottom.  Remove it and add more floating-leaved plants and oxygenating plants to the pond.  If the gardening pond water turns black or has a bad odour, the oxygen content is too low.  You can correct this with water from a garden hose.  It might be a good idea to install an aerator.

If you must drain and clean your pond, the best time is late summer or early autumn.  Doing it in spring or early summer is very disruptive to the natural cycles of both plants and pond animals.  Be sure to have all tools and materials on hand before you start, so as to cause the least amount of trauma to pond animals.  You will need plastic buckets, holding tanks (plastic garbage pails or a child’s wading pool), fish nets, a plastic dustpan, siphoning hose or pump, newspaper or burlap, a soft bristled brush, a thermometer, and a water purifier or dechlorinating agent.

Drain the pond to a depth of six inches, then gently catch fish and other pond animals and put them in the holding tank.  The tank should contain pond water.  Keep the tank in the shade.  Wrap the pond plants in wet newspaper or burlap.  Keep them shaded and moist.  Drain or bail the rest of the water.  Pick out as many snails as you can find and put them in the holding tank.  Scoop the silt from the pond with the plastic dustpan.  Use the hose and soft bristled brush to clean the bottom and sides of the pond.  Do not use any chemical cleaning agents.  Check the liner for leaks.

Refill the pond with fresh water.  Use a water purifier or dechlorinating agent (unless you’re using well water).  Pour a few buckets of the old pond water back into the pond.  This will re-introduce necessary organisms.  Put the plants back into the pond, but do not put fish or other animals in until the water temperature is within five degrees of the water in the holding tank.  Your gardening pond water should now be good for the next three or four years.

Is there any element in nature that can be as simultaneously soothing and dramatic as water?  Most people love to hear the roar of a waterfall, the laughter of water tumbling over rocks or splashing in a fountain, and the murmuring noise of a small stream.  They love to see the sparkle of sunlight on falling water as it makes each droplet a tiny prism, the rippling effect of the wind across the surface of a pool, and the reflections cast by still water when there is hardly a breeze.

For these and many other reasons, water gardening is one of the most challenging and rewarding forms of horticulture.  And even though as far as modern horticulture is concerned water gardening is a relatively new art, the practice does in fact go far back in history.  The ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, as well as the rulers of Arabia and China all used water gardening to beautify their homes, palaces, places of worship and important public areas.  They cultivated exotic plants and sometimes stocked their pools with beautifully coloured fish.

But in those long gone days only the very rich could enjoy water gardens.  Slaves usually did the actual work of water gardening, which frequently involved hauling great quantities of water.  There wasn’t always a natural spring to keep the fountain gushing in a sultan’s cool, shady courtyard.

Thanks to twenty-first century technology, however, a far greater number of people can share the pleasures of water gardening.  Most people, of course, cannot replicate the grand water gardens of a Caesar or a Chinese emperor, but they can have a garden on a less ostentatious scale that is just as beautiful and provides an equal measure of joy.

Your water garden can take on many different forms.  You can build it around or adjacent to a naturally occurring wet area on your property, such as a spring, brook or marsh.  Or you can use an artificially constructed pool or fountain as the focal point of your water garden.  You can adorn your water garden from a vast array of flowers, shrubs and trees.  You can also have an aesthetically pleasing water garden that has no plants at all.  You can add fish to your pool if you desire.  Or you can attract birds, butterflies and other living things to your water garden by the selection of certain species of flora or the placing of feeders.  You can decorate your water garden with statuary, or enhance it with stonework.  Whatever your choices, water gardening will provide you with the means to be at your creative best, and a place of tranquil beauty for you to enjoy.

If you happen to be a photographer and a rose gardener, you may be on a quest to capture the perfect rose photo. Rose gardening and photography are actually a very good combination of hobbies, because your roses will give you many wonderful photo opportunities. Here are some tips for taking a great rose photo. Rose gardening will be far more exciting when you can capture beautiful photos of your prized roses.

Don’t try to photograph on a sunny day – An overcast day will produce more even light on your photo. Rose gardening may require lots of sun for growing the roses, but for photographing them, you’re better off with some clouds. You can often avoid having to wait for an overcast day by simply photographing early in the morning or in the evening on a sunny day. Just be careful to consider shadows when you do this.

Take close ups – Get the detail of your flowers by taking a very close up rose photo. Rose gardening gives us the opportunity to get an absolutely perfect rose every now and again, so be sure you photograph those perfect specimens.

Don’t put the subject in the center – You can create interesting photos by resisting the temptation to perfectly center each photo. Rose gardening on a grand scale creates many different angles from which you can photograph, so take advantage of your large garden and its many different perspectives.

Experiment with lighting – Use special lighting effects. For example, back light your roses. Or, try blocking the sun altogether, so that the roses show up against a black background. Use aluminum foil to reflect light back into shadowed areas. There are many simple things you can do to create interesting effects by working with the light.

Don’t photograph the roses alone – Take pictures of your roses with people, or with your pets. The contrasts you can achieve will be beautiful. Plus, its wonderful to have pictures of people enjoying and admiring your beautiful flowers.

Use slow speed film – You can get much better color saturation by using a slower speed film, like 100 speed versus 200 speed. You’ll be amazed at the color difference, especially if you’re photographing flowers with deep colors.

Photographing your roses is a great way to capture lasting memories of your prettiest specimens. Take the time to experiment with different photography techniques so that you can take more professional looking and more interesting pictures of your beautiful roses. You’ll soon find that your gardening hobby and your photography hobby are the perfect complement to each other.

Organic gardening is a centuries old technique whereby only natural products are used for fertilizing and for removing disease and pests. Organic gardening has become popular again because people are concerned about what commercial fertilizers, pest control products and products for removing disease are doing to our food and water. 

Some commercial fertilizers and pest controls have been linked to cancer and other diseases.  When we eat foods that have been grown using commercial herbicides and pesticides, we may be exposing ourselves to harmful toxins.

Here are a few tips for gardening organic. Rose bushes will do very well under organic conditions. Gardening organic, rose gardening included, requires three adjustments from traditional gardening methods. You must adjust how you fertilize, how you rid your garden of pests, and how you control garden diseases.

Fertilizing – Use compost.  Make compost yourself by saving your garden clippings and natural materials from your kitchen like coffee grounds, eggshells, and fruit and vegetable peels and scraps. If you prefer, you can buy your compost from the garden store. Manure is also great for organic gardening. Organic rose bushes will respond well to this type of fertilizer.

Garden pests –There are several home remedies that you can use for pests. Many garden bugs can be controlled using simple dish soap. Aphids, which are common on roses, can be controlled by having an abundance of ladybugs in your garden, and by planting wildflowers nearby. There are also many organic pesticides that you can purchase at your garden store.

Diseases – There are many home remedies that are successful for helping you control disease while gardening. Organic rose bushes are susceptible to powdery mildew, for example. For a home remedy, you can use 10 parts water mixed with 1 part organic milk and spray on the leaves. Just be sure to rinse it off after a day or two to avoid a sour milk smell on your roses.  In addition to this, there are organic fungicides available.

There are a wide variety of products to help you with gardening organic. Today, most gardening stores and large home improvement centers carry organic products – so they are no longer difficult to find or extremely expensive. Rose bushes will respond well to these natural products and home remedies. Organic rose gardening is a responsible and healthy way to approach rose gardening. Organic rose bushes will be every bit as healthy and beautiful as their counterparts that are grown with commercial pesticides and herbicides. So, happy gardening! Your organically grown roses are sure to be the pride of your garden.

Many people are fearful of rose gardening, because they believe that roses are difficult to grow and require very precise conditioning. But, if you follow four simple rules, rose gardening is really not that tough. Here are the most important rules for rose gardening.

1. Have good soil – Roses will grow beautifully if planted in the right soil. They need good drainage, so be sure to add peat moss and compost. Soil for rose gardening also requires a pH level of between 6.5 and 6.8, which means that the soil should be slightly acidic. If your soil has too much acid, add lime; if it is not acidic enough, add some sulphur.  If you’re unsure of your soil’s pH, contact your local agriculture extension program. In most states, they’ll test your soil for free.
2. Give them water – If your roses don’t have enough water, they’ll die. On the other hand, watering them too often will rob them of the ability to develop a deep root system. Proper rose gardening requires deep watering a few times a week during the growing season. A fifteen minute watering two to three times a week during the growing season should be just right, depending upon your conditions. Don’t water in the evening, because this can cause powdery mildew to form on your rose plants.
3. Give them sun – Roses need around six hours of sun each day, to be exact.  They will do best if they are protected from the hottest afternoon sun. If you have a spot that gets sun all morning, but has some shade in the afternoon, that’s the perfect spot for your rose garden.
4. Give them air – This is probably the most common mistake by those who attempt rose gardening and then give up. It is critical that your rose bushes are spaced far enough apart to allow air to circulate between them. Check the spacing requirements of each bush when you purchase.

Roses are prone to a few diseases. Your rose gardening effort will prove more successful if you are aware of the common rose diseases and can prevent or treat them. The most common rose diseases are powdery mildew, rust, black spot. It’s critical to check rose plants for disease before you buy. If you follow watering and spacing instructions, you should have little trouble with these diseases. If, however, you do see symptoms of one of these diseases, prune the infected area; don’t compost the clippings. If this doesn’t solve the problem, a fungicide may be required.

Those are the secrets to rose gardening. It’s really not as difficult as most people think. And, rest assured; no other plant provides quite the beauty to your landscape that roses bring.

Indoor herb gardening is one of the easiest and most fulfilling gardening experiences anyone can ask for.  With minimum effort and cost anyone can plant an indoor herb garden.  The garden can be on a windowsill in your kitchen, a table or a stand on a patio, or even in your living room.

How to get started

You can use one large container for a variety of different herbs or select individual pots to plant herbs separately. The simplest indoor herb gardening set can take as little twenty minutes to get started.  You will need the following to get started:

•    Containers
Pots or other containers used to grow the herb in, can be anywhere from four to fifteen inches deep. Depending on whether or not you will be planting each herb individually, your containers can be as long as you want. Five to six inches long is great for individual plants. Once you have done the planting you need to leave an inch or two of the top of the container free of soil so that watering is easier.

•    Herb plants or seeds
The easy way is to just purchase the young herb plants from a gardening store or supermarket that sells them. You may also be able to get them from a gardener who has some to spare. Alternately you can always start from scratch and sow seeds and wait for them to germinate.

•    Potting soil
To avoid infestation of your indoor plants it is best not to use garden soil for planting. Get potting soil from a plant nursery or garden supply store. They will be able to advise you as to the best type of soil for different kinds of herbs.
    
•    Fertilizer
Because they are being grown inside it may be necessary to give your herbs a bit of nutritional help with some fertilizer once a month or every few months.

Because they are being grown in an indoor herb gardening environment, you will need to ensure that the plants get adequate light to grow properly. Lastly, water but do not overdo it, as herbs generally do not like to keep their feet (roots) wet. To ensure that you do not over water, allow the soil to dry before watering again.

Great herbs for indoor herb gardening include thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, parsley, chives and basil. You can experiment with others, but since you will be growing your herbs in a container avoid those that grow too tall.

Not only does indoor herb gardening provide fresh herbs year-round, it can add color to the area it occupies. In a kitchen the scent of fresh herb is also quite homely and comforting. 

Indoor organic gardening, also referred to as holistic gardening means many different things to different people. However one thing remains constant, it is a means of growing plants only with things provided by nature. The difference between a regular organic garden and an indoor organic garden is the simple fact that one is inside a building. Many persons are embracing this mode of gardening because it is environmentally friendly. More persons are becoming more health-conscious and even more persons live in apartments.

Four good reasons why indoor organic gardening is worth exploring are:

•    It helps protect the environment as little if any soil is used and there is no chemical residue released into the soil or water
•    Foods are healthier because nothing synthetic such as man-made fertilizers is used on them. Vegetables especially tend to retain trace amounts of any chemicals they are treated with.
•    Uses kitchen and other organic waste as fertilizers
•    Gardeners who practice indoor organic gardening see cost saving not just in growing their own food but also because they forego purchasing chemicals.  As a matter of fact you should be able to find just about anything you need to make a success of your indoor organic gardening project at home.

There are different types of indoor organic gardening, vegan organic gardening being one example. With the vegan organic gardening no type of animal refuse is used as compost. Hydroponics is also another popular form of indoor organic gardening.

You can start your garden from scratch or opt to purchase ready made organic gardening kits online or from brick and mortar gardening stores. Starting with seedlings is best for the beginner or those with little time as this takes out the process of transplanting and or spacing the new plants.

Because you are growing your plants indoors, and not using fertilizers, it is important to maintain the right growing conditions. The main ones are adequate lighting, correct humidity, temperature and proper watering. Plants need sunlight or an alternative source of light to grow well and make food. Temperature and humidity are also important for healthy indoor plants since they are not outside where nature regulates the environment for them. A humidifier is a good way to maintain a constant humidity levels when practicing indoor organic gardening. Make every effort to never over water.

With indoor organic gardening you can plant vegetables, herbs or just house plants. Whatever the reason for exploring indoor organic gardening, the results are well worth the effort.

What are organic indoor gardening products?

The move towards wellness and natural health has found its way into the gardening circle, giving rise to organic, indoor gardening products.  Many agricultural products are now marketed as being all-natural or organic. Before even thinking about organic, indoor gardening products, it is necessary to define what is meant by organic gardening. The meaning of organic varies depending on the source, but generally it refers ‘to gardening without the use of harmful chemicals.’

So what exactly qualifies as organic, indoor gardening products?  Any products that use things from nature, that is, natural ingredients instead of man made chemicals are referred to as organic products. Instead of chemicals to deal with insects or plant diseases, natural products are used. 

The end result of the gardening can also be referred to as organic, indoor gardening products. These end results are the vegetables, herbs or decorative indoor plants that are produced from your efforts.

Organic vegetables are all the rage these days with almost everyone doing what they can to remain healthy and active into old age. Organically grown vegetables that are planted in containers inside a home are chemical-free which is a big plus. It is believed that vegetables and fruits grown on regular farms retain some amount of chemical residue.  Additionally, it ensures an almost constant supply of vegetables, especially during the winter months when outdoor gardening is impossible. Most vegetables, especially those that do not require large amounts of space can be grown indoors. Organic indoor gardening products such as vegetable seedlings can be purchased from nurseries that grow only organic plants. If there are no nurseries close at hand there is always your neighborhood gardening store.

Like vegetables, herbs are another great type of organic indoor gardening products.  Plant your own herbs in containers in your kitchen, on a windowsill or in any available space and have a ready supply of herbs to add flavor to any meal. Like organic container vegetables, herbs grown in a similar manner are just as healthy and fun to grow.

Even your indoor plants can be organic. All it takes is a decision to not use synthetic fertilizers on them; use kitchen waste to provide the necessary nutrients. Just make sure that they are given the right amount of water and sunlight, whether natural or artificial. 

The internet is full of information on all things organic, indoor gardening products included. So if you want to do something for the environment while eating healthier, consider going organic, you won’t be alone.