Know Your Gardening Zones

For gardeners who want to optimize their results, the Gardening Zones System is indispensable.

The Gardening Zones System was created by the USDA (U.S. Dept of Agriculture) and divides the country into eleven zones. The divisions are based on the minimum average winter temperature with zone 1 the coldest, zone 11 the warmest. Maps of the zone system are readily available online and they’re very helpful for pinpointing which zone you’re in.

The USDA Gardening Zones System isn’t the only one around, however. Sunset, the famed gardening publication company, developed its own system, and it is even more extensive. The Sunset Western Climate zone system has 24 divisions for the western portion of North America, with additional zones (A1-A3) for Alaska and Hawaii (H1-H3).

[The Zones are:

Cold and Snowy: 1-3

Rainy Northwest Zones:4-6

Northern and Interior-alley California Zones: 7-9, 14-17

Southern California: 18-24

Southwest Desert Zones: 10-13]

Sunset uses more than just minimum winter temperatures. Its algorithm also includes summer temperatures, annual rainfall, elevation, humidity and other climate factors such as marine and mountain geography. But that’s not all. The Sunset system factors in the length of the growing season – by examining the average number of days between the beginning of Spring and the first frost of Fall.

Even with all this extensive information, zones can be divided into micro-climates, for those who want to narrow down their area as much as possible. Some areas like the panhandle of Northern Idaho are protected from the harshest Winter weather by its unique configuration of mountains. Just on the other side, Montana has much more severe weather.

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What is Biodynamic Farming?

Biodynamic farming is about plants being cultivated, AND the entire ecosystem that the plants inhabit. Essentially, it involves growing crops in a closed loop system, requiring no external sources. Imagine a boundary drawn around a tea plantation – nothing outside of that boundary, no soil, no fertilizers, nothing at all, gets added within the boundaries. That way, the soil maintains its natural qualities and the tea ends up growing as nature intended.

Biodynamic farming has been around far longer than organic farming, but became more widely known once we started realizing that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are harming us. Rudolf Steiner, an Australian philosopher, explained the framework for biodynamic farming in the 1920′s, concerned by the types of farming methods emerging from commercial farms. It’s a problem affecting our planet in many ways. For example, let’s take paper production, or lumber production.

In an ecosystem untouched by humans, trees grow and die in the same place (perhaps be struck by lightning) and eventually return to the earth, nourishing smaller plants and other trees… That’s the natural cycle. Now we are cutting down trees and turning them into paper or furniture so they finally biodegrade at a landfill thousands of miles away from where they started. The nutrients they would have contributed to the soil in their natural home are no longer replenishing the soil. What happens, then, to the trees that we have left alone to grow there? they’re not getting the nutrients they need, and cannot survive.

This is the problem that biodynamic farming is trying to solve. Keep everything where it was and the cycle of nature will continue. Start shfting things around, and there’s bound to be all kinds of trouble.

Steiner’s approach was a bit more spiritual, contending that as human beings, we had lost touch with nature – we were not following what we were naturally meant to do. The end result, however, is the same – that a farm is an organism like any other, and if you keep drawing away from it, soon there will be nothing left.

So truly, the best type of farming is biodynamic farming, and our aspiration is to bring you some divine teas from fair trade biodynamic farms around the globe. For a small business like ours to be able to bring you our own brand of biodynamic fair trade tea is truly a trading revolution.

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Gardeners supply resources 3

If you would like to opt for enviro friendly products for garden supply, log on to www.gardensalive.com. They promote organic products in soil care, lawn care, plant care, pest control and weed control. You have the option of signing up for their newsletter or joining the garden solutions club. Their products are supposed to be alternatives to harsh chemicals.

A one-stop shop for your garden supply, www.gurneys.com supplies vegetable seeds and plants, fruit trees, flowering bulbs along with the regular gardening materials. You can check out their Todays Deals section for current updates.

www.krupps.com provides you the regular garden supply materials along with interesting gifting ideas. Besides, this Michigan based company also sells landscaping items like trellis, stepping stones, wishing wells and more.

You may also log on to www.landscapeUSA.com for your regular garden supply. They have an interesting garden library and cater to the needs of both the full-time landscaper and novice gardener.

Options are abundant for those interested in garden supply. Log on to any of the following for more information – www.gemplers.com , www.mastergardening.com, www.michiganbulb.com and more.

So what are you waiting for? Just visit a site, choose your options and order garden supply equipments from the convenience of your home.

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What is a Victory Garden? Part 2

For over a decade there has existed a growing interest in victory gardens. Grassroots campaigns promote such gardens in public spaces, victory garden websites and garden blogs, as well as petitions to both renew a national campaign for the victory garden and to encourage the re-establishment of a victory garden on the White House lawn. In March 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama, planted an 1,100-square-foot (100 m2) “Kitchen Garden” on the White House lawn, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s, to raise awareness about healthy organic food.

These days, Victory Gardens are sometimes called ‘allotment gardens’. Some experts claim that contrary to the past, nowadays, allotment gardens are not longer needed for survival but instead provide a valuable pastime for hundreds of people. Working on allotment gardening helps you save money, eat healthier, be more environmentally friendly, and of course, exercise. Talk about a self sustainable hobbies!

In recent years it has seen a tremendous growth in popularity because:

1. People do care where their food comes from. This is supported by the rise in demand for organic food.

2. Everyone is aware of the financial crisis and recession nowadays which means cutting down on expenses.

3. All of us are concerned about pollution causing by transporting food around the world too. This uses finite oil reserves and causes huge pollution.

At present, it is unfortunate that there are little allotments in existence. Local councils are inundated with applications for plots way more than what they can provide. Fortunately, councils and landowners are joining forces to launch country schemes to create new plots to satisfy the demand.

From a personal observation, it is fantastic when one goes out into the garden, picks some cucumbers for a truly fresh salad. Believe me it is worth it.

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Gardeners supply resources 2

Log on to www.charleysgreenhouse.com for gardeners supply equipment and climate monitors. You can choose from their collection of greenhouse, greenhouse supplies and other items for your garden.

www.deerbusters.com is an interesting site for garden supply that focuses on wildlife control, fences, deer repellents, insect repellents and tips on controlling birds and dogs. This website also has a section for kids. If you choose to order above $50 dollars, you get free shipping and a free return service.

Another garden supply website that may be helpful is www.directgardening.com. One of the most visited sites, DirectGardening has all regular sections on plant care and interesting ones like tip of the week and the gardeners handbook.

www.dutchgardens.com offers you garden supply straight from the Netherlands. You have the privilege of ordering fresh bulbs and plants from Holland. They have a customer service section that can attend your queries. You also have the choice of going through plant finders and shopping related articles. So what is stopping you? Go ahead and plant beautiful tulips at your home in USA and experience a bit of Holland!

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What is a Victory Garden?

The victory garden was first seen during World War I. At the time, they were referred to as war gardens or food gardens for defense. Vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens were established at private residences and public parks in the U.S., Canada, England and Germany. This concept continued during World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. Also, to aid the war effort these gardens were considered a civil ‘morale booster’ by permitting gardeners to feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. It was this feeling that made the victory garden a part of daily life on the home front.

How does this relate to the present? With high unemployment rate, high home foreclosures, and inflation on everything we purchase from dressing ourselves to feeding ourselves, it’s not hard to guess. When a gallon of milk costs more than a gallon gasoline, it is a no brainer that the gallon of gasoline has first priority because one has to get to work.

The average family cannot afford to eat healthy organic food due to its high market price. Well, this is not quite true. If one invests a bit of elbow grease and willingness go to learn, their reward will be the healthy organic. That is the principle of a Victory Garden.

The Fenway Victory Gardens in the Back Bay Fens of Boston, Massachusetts and the Dowling Community Garden in Minneapolis, Minnesota, remain active as the last surviving public examples from World War II. Most plots in the Fenway Victory Gardens now feature flowers instead of vegetables while the Dowling Community Garden retains its focus on vegetables.

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Gardeners supply resources 1

Having blooming gardens and keeping them well cared for is no distant dream. Continuing gardeners supply, tools, and equipments require convenience these days. The internet can help you choose landscaping plants, learn how to plant and prune shrubs, order the appropriate fertilizers and countless other gardening supplies — all delivered to your doorstep.

Log on to any of these websites, and shop for your garden supply from the comfort of your home.

www.bloomingbulb.com – This site is a good source for quality flower bulbs, rose gardening and other garden supply equipments. You can seek updated information by opting for their newsletters and chats. Testimonials add an authenticity to the site as well.

If you would like to order your garden supplies from www.brecks.com, there is a clearance sale available for exclusive members at the moment. A catalog company and an online supplier of premium bulbs, perennials and trees, Brecks provides you with the facility of ordering via traditional mail. The site also offers you the privilege of consulting their expert panel.

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