With the planting season upon us, now is the perfect time to start your outdoor herb garden. Herbs come in different colors, flora, scents, textures and heights making them pleasing to all five of our senses. Before starting your outdoor herb garden, there are some things that you need to consider and keep in mind.

First of all, you have to consider how much space you have to plant. If you have just a small 3 ft x 3 ft plot, then you are going to have to narrow your herb choices considerably in comparison to someone who has a much larger plot. If you have a small plot or just want to add visual interest to a larger plot, consider planting some herbs in the ground and others in pots.

With hundreds of varieties of herbs available, it is best to think about how you want to use your herb garden. If your garden is more for show and to be pleasing to your sense of smell, then you can choose plants just by their scents. Some people like to combine different scents such as rosemary, basil and thyme whereas others choose to have a garden full of lavender. If you are going to use your plants for cooking, then you need to think about which plants would be most useful for you. For instance, Italian herb gardens typically contain basil, oregano and parsley.

Depending on the plant, you may be able to plant a lot of one herb close together or you might need to leave 6″ to 12″ between plants. The size of your plot greatly dictates how many plants you can have in your plot. There are some herbs that spread like crazy as they grow. Mint is an example of an herb with a mind of its own when it comes to growing. It is best to plant these kinds of herbs in their own pot to avoid having them take over your garden.

Make sure that your herb garden gets plenty of sun. Most herbs require sun for at least 6 hours a day. Your herbs will do best in soil that drains well as many herbs do best if they are not sitting in soaked soil all the time. In between days that it rains, it is best to just to sprinkle them lightly with the hose. If you go 4-5 days with no rain then it is a good idea to give them a good watering.

Many herbs are easy to grow and require little care other than weeding and a little water. Before starting your herb garden it is always best to do research to learn about different herbs and to make sure that their soil, watering and sun requirements will be met. You can find other good herb growing tips online. Although you can start herbs from seeds, it is much easier and less time consuming to go to a nursery and buy an herb plant. Whichever way you choose to start your herb garden, have fun and let your senses enjoy all of the colors, smells, textures and scents that come with them.

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For those of you who are planning to refurbish your rooms, you don’t have to worry about burning a hole in your pocket, as it is possible to shop for Discounted Bedroom Furniture. Put in a little bit of extra effort of exploring the options around. It will be worth your while, as you might be able to get Discount Bedroom Furniture that does not have any semblance of being discounted.

There are lots of options that you can explore on the Internet, that offer furniture that can be tailor-made according to your requirements. But of course, this time around the furniture does not only have a pleasing effect on the eyes, but also spells good news for your bank balance. Exactly in the fashion in which you come across several options in regular Bedroom Furniture, similarly you can come across a range of furniture in the Discounted Furniture section. So you can find a range of beds, tables, chairs, chests of drawers and armoires, all available at a discount. The good news doesn’t end here, as the range of furniture also stretches to office furniture. Nonetheless, one look at them and you won’t be able to tell that the furniture happens to be discounted.

You will be able to save a great deal of money if you exercise options such as going for used furniture. You could also weigh the option of buying smaller beds to save money. Look out for the seasonal sale, to ensure that you get a discount. Try doing a comparison by looking at a fair number of shops, instead of simply zeroing on what to buy right at the first store you enter. You can also fulfill your dream of buying that ornate antique bed that you had been craving, now that it is on sale. Many times you will also find some of the exquisitely carved beds or pieces of furniture that are a sheer delight to own. So in case you get them either second hand or at a discount, do not miss a chance to get hold of these prized possessions. For those of you for whom change is a way of life, consider the option of Discount Bedroom Furniture, as you would be able to dispose off furniture with a lesser guilt and make way for new furniture easily.

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For the gardening enthusiast there can be very little that surpasses the satisfaction obtained from growing and eating vegetables and fruits from your own garden. In this article we will look at the motivation and the method for growing tomatoes.

Let’s look first at a brief history of this once much maligned fruit. It is believed to have originated from ancient Peru, where today you can still find several wild species growing. From there it was taken to and cultivated in Mexico and then found it’s way to Europe. In Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was believed by many to be poisonous, as it is a member of the deadly nightshade plant family. The actual reason though was found to be the manner of cooking. Rich people at that time used platters made of pewter, which has a very high lead content. The high acidic content of tomatoes would cause the lead to be leeched from the platter into the food, resulting in lead poisoning and many times death. The poorer people, who used wooden boards as platters, had no problem.

Today, with a growing concern and emphasis on healthy living and nutrition, the tomato has become a vital part of a healthy diet. Its main benefit is Lycopene, which is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. Some other beneficial properties of the tomato are the calcium and vitamin C content. A recent study showed that those living in Northern Italy, who ate a minimum of 7 servings of raw tomato per week, had up to 60% less chance of developing cancers of the colon, prostrate, cervix and stomach, when compared to people who ate 2 servings or less.

The best tomatoes to eat are those that have been home grown, free of pesticides. They should be ripened while still on the vine.

Let’s look now at the method for growing tomatoes. It is mainly a summer crop. The soil needs to be well prepared using well-decomposed compost. You can sow the seeds directly into the soil in shallow holes and spaced about 2 - 2 ½ cm apart. Cover the seeds with fine soil. When the seedlings are about 10cm high, they must be transplanted to the final positions. Refrain from watering the seedlings for about 3 days before transplanting. This tends to harden the seedling. They need to now be spaced from 60cm to 1metre apart. This wider spacing allows air to be able to circulate freely and prevent humidity building up. Excessive humidity causes a fungal infection detrimental to the plant.

Once the plants are established, they must be mulched. Add some 6:1:5 fertilizer for flowers and fruit. When the plants start maturing they will need to be staked. The fruit must be kept clear of the ground. Tomatoes need consistent watering, but only at root level, using either flooding or drip type irrigation, or by watering with a fine spray rose directly to the base of the plant. This is to prevent fungal attacks on the leaves and fruit.

The tomato fruit should be ready for harvesting from 6 - 8 weeks after planting. The tastiest tomato is the one which is ripened on the vine. If green tomatoes still remain on the vines at the end of the season, they can be picked and placed next to bananas or apples. These contain certain elements that cause the tomato to ripen more quickly. After the last picking, the entire plant must be removed and if there is any sign of root damage from eelworms, the plant should be burned.

So, there you have it. The how’s, why’s and wherefores of growing your own crop of healthy, tasty tomatoes.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening

Today it is becoming increasingly popular to grow herbs either for decoration or for cooking. Herbs can be grown in the garden or in a container. Container planting comes into its own if there is lack of garden space, to ensure the survival and confine a plant or just for easy access.

Container planting enables you to position herbs where they can delight the sense of smell, prolong their growing season and create a visually appealing environment that is a constant source of interest.

Herbs do thrive more vigorously in the ground but with a certain amount of care and common sense they can be grown in pots either outside or indoors.

If placing a container on a balcony or free standing structure be sure to make sure that it is sturdy enough to support the weighty combination of soil and water.

Herbs in a group of pots can provide a focal point and look more pleasing to the eye than one lonely specimen. They also seem to enjoy each other’s company and benefit from the microclimate that grouping creates. By changing the position of the pots seasonal gaps can be filled or the appearance of the garden can be changed.

Herbs in pots are an excellent way to create different color schemes in large or small areas. For a silver or moonlight garden, plant artemisias, santolinas and curry plants. To create a golden garden, use lemon thyme, variegated lemon balm, calendula, lady’s bedstraw, nasturtiums and variegated sage. For a blue garden choose hyssop, borage, catmint, rosemary and sage.

The space needed by particular species will dictate how many plants can be put in a planter. A container 1 meter long can hold four or five low-growing herbs that will benefit from being kept well trimmed, such as sage, thyme, marjoram and salad burnet. A tub or barrel filled with culinary herbs; such as rosemary, chives, sage, mint (in its own container), or lemon balm make a delightful addition to a barbecue area.

These plants, though, are dependant on care and are more vulnerable than plants in open ground.

If general guidelines are followed you can grow herbs in a container quite successfully.

First of all always start with a clean container and make sure that the plants will have good drainage. Make sure that the soil is friable and porous. It is best not to use ordinary garden soil but use a good commercial potting mix.

It is important to ensure that the container size and the plants are compatible. Small plants flounder in large pots and large plants will be stifled in a small pot.

Check indoor herbs regularly to see if they need watering. They should never be allowed to become bone dry. For instance rosemary never fully recovers if left to dry out completely. By contrast, though, sage will collapse if watered too frequently.

To aid vigorous growth keep the pot weed free, remove deadheads and trim the leaves back.

Herbs should be fed through their leaves or the soil every two weeks during the growing season, easing off as their growth rate slows.

If a herb looks sorry for itself, check if it needs water, or feeding and whether it is standing in a draught or not receiving the correct amount of light.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Gardening

Some people say that shopping for the perfect swimming pool can be as mind-boggling as shopping for a new car. The choices of make, model, and accessories are just as overwhelming, and advice from competing salespeople often make little sense.

The most important swimming pool accessory is the pool cover. You will use the plastic cover to seal the pool for the winter and to protect the pool from the harsh elements such as wind, ice and debris. A durable plastic cover will also prevent children or pets from taking an unplanned dip. The pool cover usually needs something heavy to keep it in place, such as sandbags or plain fabric straps.

Another popular swimming pool accessory is a skimmer to collect dead leaves, branches, insects and other debris from the water surface. A skimmer looks like a huge badminton racket that collects the floating objects. A sturdy solid skimmer will save you money on the pool maintenance. Ideally you should clean dead leaves daily, because too many leaves in the pool can damage your water filters and make you use more harmful chlorine to keep water clean.

If left untreated, a concrete pool surface can be quite hard on skin and not too appealing. Many people opt for cheerful pool paints to keep the pool tidy and fun. Pool paints are usually water- or rubber based, or epoxy. When used regularly, pool paints will greatly prolong the life of the swimming pool protecting its surfaces from sun, harsh elements and chemically enhanced pool water.

Antifreeze is an essential pool accessory for those who live in colder climates. When sealing the pool for the winter, you should drain the water out of the swimming pool plumbing and pour the antifreeze into the pump and pipes. Now you are ready to seal the pool for the winter.

Pool furniture can be as basic as possible. You can limit yourself with two or three lounge chairs and a table, or you can decorate your pool side like a second living room. No matter what style you choose, remember to pick the pieces that have rubber no-mark coating on the legs so not to disrupt the pool paint. The ideal pool furniture should be able to withstand the winter under a plastic cover and still please your eye in the spring.

Swimming pool accessories and pool supplies is something that you can cut corners on. If your budget is running low, you can still keep your pool clean and safe with discount swimming pool supplies that you can buy online or in swimming pool store outlets.

However, there’s something that you can’t really save on: pool chemicals. Choosing discount chemicals may often mean choosing outdated or otherwise low-quality and deteriorating supplies which in the long run could cause pool problems that could cost you more.

On the Internet you can find a lot of swimming pool equipment stores that can sell to you for less since they don’t have overhead store costs. Choosing and buying your pool accessories can be quite time and money consuming, but carrying out proper maintenance costs much less than large repairs.

Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Swimming Pools please visit Swimming Pools Guide and for additional Swimming Pool articles please visit the following article page Swimming Pool Articles.