Showing posts with label organic gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic gardening. Show all posts

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Wild orchids of British Channel Islands



Spotted Orchids


Healthy soil with fungal species is a preferable spot for wild orchids to grow.British Channel Islands are well known for the populations of wild orchids.

Three species of wild orchids were recorded:  the  “Jersey Orchid”, also known as the “Loose-flowered Orchid” (Orchis laxiflora), the “Southern Marsh Orchid” (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), and the Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia/maculata).
Southern Marsh Orchid

The Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) is pinker in color then the Jersey Orchid and is slightly smaller in height. It has tightly packed flowers completely covering the upper part of the stem. Contrary to its name, they are more commonly found in the drier parts of the meadow. The Southern Marsh Orchids receive their nutrients from special microscopic soil fungi. With this special symbiotic relationship the flowers gain sugars and obtain their power of delicate blooms.
The Spotted Orchid has distinctive spotted leaves and pale pink flowers. It’s often much taller than the other orchid species in the meadow and is usually found growing in clusters.
Wild Orchids Meadow

Different orchid species use different fungal species that are sensitive to soil disturbance. Varieties of other species of wild orchids could be found only in a healthy ecological environment and represent some sort of organic test for natural
balance in the area.

Read more about Jersey Orchids.   Click here

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Jack O’ Lantern says adieu

Lack O’ Lantern  is a spirit. It came to protect peace and wellbeing from destructive thoughts, emotions and dark parts of human beings. He  works only a short period of time every year, living in pumpkin and other vegetables traditionally prepared for Halloween celebrations.
His job is well done. And it is time for a new era of gratitude with Thanksgivings and  meeting Christmas.
Enjoy the movie and thank Jack o ’Lantern for stopping by.Smile

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Organic Flowers Arrangements

Last weekend was a great celebration in my friend's house. They choose to make their own organic flowers arrangements. Good-quality fresh flowers are the key to longer lasting arrangements and there are some tricks how to amplify the life of cut organic flowers. As a general rule, flowers should be cut across the stem diagonally and immersed in deep water overnight before being used in an arrangement.
It is a big undertaking to prepare flowers arrangements and the saying " many hands make light work" can certainly be true. For few months we were practicing and looking for new ideas of decorating property for guests. The simplest way I found was with beautiful sun-flowers, and u-tube video below.
All what you need is flowers, florist wire, florist tape, 1 block of florist foam.


 You always can order gorgeous  flowers for your DIY project here  from online florist.
 Don't forget to give them a good drink all night before!

Some sage I cut in my forest walk a day before. Remove all leaves from the stems.
                                                      Tools. Foliage from the garden.
      And  then follow the steps on this video.



It will look like this

                                          BEFORE
                                         AFTER

I hope you enjoy arranging flowers for your special celebration - I have had tremendous fun!
It gives you a unique sense of achievement when you see how pretty the look on the day!
Learn more about organic gardening here.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Blooming beauty saves the world



Whether you enjoy the quiet peace of blooming meadow or decide to bring it to your home, it is always a special occasion, a call from your soul for harmony to share.
The beautiful Lupine gets its name from the Latin word lupus for “ wolf” and was once mistakenly thought to take nutrients from the soil. The sun loving lupine tends to sprout in recently cleared areas - such as under electrical power lines or along roadsides- and thrives in either acid- or alkaline-rich soils as long as there is adequate sun. No matter what somebody thought, the lavender, pink, white or rose flowers create magnificent eye catching landscape of their own world of beauty and harmony. Actually these “legumes”, through their roots, enrich the soil. It is what the latest scientific researches have discovered. The flowers were saving the soil!


I found it so fascinating when a flower gift comes with the realization of human contribution to the world.

Organic Bouquet is making their contribution by establishing special humanitarian programs for their products. Their Flowers for Good™ program was established to help their non-profit partners continue to make positive changes in the work they do.
Choose from any one of their charitable bouquets and 5% of your purchase will go toward making the world a better place.
Organic Bouquet ,The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation and The Ocean Conservancy have partnered to aid in the efforts to provide environmental relief from the oil spill in the Gulf. Now when you buy a gift from Gulf Relief Collection, $10 from the purchase of each of these products will be donated to help clean up the Gulf Oil Spill. The Relief campaign is valid on all items purchased and shipped from this page by July 31, 2010.Click here to make your contribution. Learn more of organic gardening.



Friday, April 30, 2010

Be ready for summer fire ants invasion

Science is looking for organic alternatives against fire ants invasion.
Red imported fire ants could be a real problem for home and garden.
Their invasion occurs when they “escape” from confined
areas. Sometimes an introduced plant or animal finding
itself in this situation will be aggressive or voracious, or
will carry parasites or disease, any of which can devastate an
ecosystem. People may experiment with organic composting at home, or dump no-longer-wanted pet fish or aquarium plants into a nearby pond or river, or discard yard waste or garden clippings in a nearby park.
  • The red imported fire ant species become invasive and do succeed, because the new ecosystems in which they find themselves offer favorable environmental conditions and lack the natural predators, competitors, and diseases that would normally keep their populations in check.
  • Invasive fire ants have not been officially culpable for any extinctions, but they are known to attack several threatened species,such as deer fawns, quail, ground-nesting waterfowl chicks, and reptiles.
  • Red imported fire ants occasionally cause human deaths, usually those of small children who crawl into mounds and receive multiple ant stings.
  • Red imported fire ants have also been problematic to humans during  the harvesting of certain crops like pecans.

In the control of red imported fire ant infestations, there are primarily two types of weapons: bait formulated insecticides and contact insecticides.

There are now a number of "organic", or less harmful and eco friendly, alternatives for fire ant control around the home and garden.
  • Spinosad is considered organic because it is produced from a bacterial fermentation process that produces a toxin, which is extracted and put into bait at very low concentrations. It works by disrupting the ant's nervous system. The spinosad baits (Justice, Eliminator Fire Ant Bait, Strike, Maxide, or Penn-Kill Fire Ant Killer) works well in small areas, or as an individual mound treatment.
  • Abamectin baits (PT 370 Ascend Fire Ant Stopper Bait and Raid Fire Ant Killer), control fire ants and related ants. It is a natural fermentation product produced by a soil microorganism, Streptomycetes avermitilis, an actinomycete.
  • There is also a contact dust containing pyrethrin and diatomaceous earth (Organic Solutions- Multipurpose Fire Ant Killer) that can be used as an individual mound treatment.

 There are loads of choices available to use for battling fire ants around the home and garden. Although some are better than others, all have been proven to help reduce fire ant problems.

 For more information read a source Treat now for Summer Fire Ant Relief
Learn about organic composting at home

Friday, April 23, 2010

When to plant a vegetable garden in USA

Using a grandma wisdom to pick a time for an open ground vegetable planting in USA. Learn to read Certified Organic Seeds
 Labels and organic gardening in Christian Garden.
in reference to:
"Time for open ground planting"
- Christian Garden (view on Google Sidewiki)

When to plant a vegetable garden in USA

From Seed to Table: A Practical Guide to Eating and Growing Green
When to plant a vegetable garden? When you feel committed to give your love to your plants.
To start organic gardening is easy. The beginning-soil preparation- will require some education and time to follow for years, but you can start right now with what you already have. Use a grandma wisdom and make a first step - sow seeds with love to grow.
Click here for a video

Time for open ground planting:

  •  Hazel are covered with fluffy catkins - sowing radish, spinach, sorrel, rhubarb, marigolds, cornflowers.
  • Crocuses bloom - sowing onions, leeks, alyssum, delphinium.
  • Violet blooms - sowing fennel, carrots, parsley, godetia.
  • Daffodils bloom - sowing lettuce, summer radish, cabbage, phlox, daisies, lupins.
  • Blossoming aspen and coltsfoot - planting cold-resistant plants.
  • Blossoming muscari - planting peas, sweet peas, beets, cauliflower.
  • Cherry and royal hazel bloom - it's time to sow savory, marjoram, basil, zucchini, dill.
  • Chestnuts in bloom - sowing winter radishes, red radishes, lettuce, dill.
  • Bird cherry blossoms - it's time to plant potatoes and beans.
  • Peony blooms - sowing pumpkin, cucumber.
  • The red mountain ash blossoms - night frosts will be over, sowing pepper, eggplant, tomatoes.

The first step: If you decided go organic, choose to buy Certified Organic Seeds.


Certified Organic products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilisers. It is an innovative method of farming and production and is increasingly being recognised as being on the leading edge of food and fibre technology into the future. Organics is not just chemical free by testing. It is about the way the product ingredients have been grown, prepared, processed and packaged. The whole system is linked: soil- plants-people-environment.

Standards to achieve certification are internationally recognised and are assured through annual audits of all certified operators by an independent third party auditor:
In United States - USDA (US Department of Agriculture).

USDA  A Simplified Guide to Understanding Seed Labels

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Organic Gardens are Eco Friendly

Burpee Ultimate Seed Starting SystemAs you might expect, if we use less space for commercial farms, we'll need to cut down fewer endangered rain forests and destroy fewer natural habitats. In addition, if commercial farms need to produce smaller numbers of produce, the less a need there will be for harmful pesticides that pollute rivers and other parts of the environment. Even if you feel that one person can't make a difference in ending these environmental problems, you'd be surprised at the benefits that would result if even a moderate number of people chose to grow some of their own vegetables.

Every year, millions of tons of vegetables rot because no one consumes them. At the same time, exorbitant food prices and the usage of harmful pesticides makes it almost impossible for a person to have a truly healthy diet. Growing your own vegetables isn't as complicated as many people believe. In fact, all you need is a pot, a plant, plus some soil, water and sunlight. If you make an effort to grow at least part of your vegetables in a home garden, you can help eliminate a wide number of environmental and financial issues.
Right the opposite, it could become a passion,hobby or profitable business.
Learn more about organic gardening

More seeds for you

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

1 Corinthians 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Christian Garden

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Learn our point of view.Christian Garden Concept: Every human soul is a Christian Garden. Cherish your life with non-toxic living attitude.Nurture your seeds in a garden of YOU.
Christian Garden Concept about
Organic gardening and Organic composting

Monday, April 5, 2010

Christian Garden: Organic Gardening

Make your choice:                                                          








Click the link below

Christian Garden: Organic Gardening
Go Organic Gardening with Christian Garden

Christian Garden: Organic Composting at Home

Learn composting threads. Working with soil: pros and cons.
How to make the world best compost. The first step by step instructions and much more. For organic gardeners only.
Click the link below.

Christian Garden: Organic Composting at Home
Discover organic composting story here at Christian Garden

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Non-Toxic Living Attitude


    Attitude is a certain mental disposition commonly known asan opinion or general feeling about something”. Non-toxic living attitude starts with mental preferences with regard to poisonous substances. By making preferences to choose non-toxic living lifestyle individual has an opportunity to experience extreme sense of well-being, fulfillment, satisfaction, unity with natural source, known as sense of wellness.

    Poisonous substances are known as toxins and toxicants. Toxins are produced by living cell or organisms. Toxicants are typically introduced into the environment by human activity. Both toxins and toxicants can produce an adverse response in a biological system, seriously injuring structure or function, or resulting in death. Very important survival aspect of humanity is decreasing the potential of causing acute or chronic adverse effects of poisonous substances in people, animals and plants.

    Non-toxic living attitude is based on natural tendency of human mind to choose vitality instead of decay. We can increase its potential and regulate our daily activities by conscious preference, not only by survival instincts. Developing non-toxic living attitude expands our consciousness wider. We can't completely remove toxins and toxicants from our lives as a source of a problem, but we can eliminate and eventually eradicate the problem itself by questioning our beliefs and values and make right choices for ourselves and our families and pets. Making conscious choices means that we consider a variety of options and select those in our best interest.

    The fashion trends of green living and organic products are not always relevant to non-toxic living attitude. Some news and discoveries sound not attractive at all. Organic fruits contain acids which dissolve teeth enamel twice faster, organic vegetables loose all essential vitamins during cooking process, row eating causes stomach disease, wearing wool clothing often provokes allergic reaction and skin irritation, disgusting sprays produce better cosmetic effects, organic compost contains heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,pharmaceuticals,steroids,flame-retardants,bacteria,fungi,parasites and viruses.

   The first steps for developing non-toxic living attitude are simple.
      1. Accept toxins and their complicated essence. Don’t be obsessed with them. All that bacteria and microbes were created by living cells. That creation was done for a reason. We will never know why they cause so many problems, but we can cure them with the same natural sources. We can't avoid them totally but we can eliminate their dangerous functions to some extend.
     2. Avoid toxicants, the poisonous chemical compounds, introduced to the environment by human activity. Stop producing them, stop using them. Use only natural materials and products.


                  
Sense of Wellness
 

More than ever before, we hear this word in the news, on billboards, in conversation and even at work. Interestingly, there is no universally-accepted definition of wellness. There is, however, a set of common characteristics seen in most thoughtful attempts at a definition of wellness. We generally see a reference to a “state of well-being,” which is vague, to say the least. Also frequently seen is a “state of acceptance or satisfaction with our present condition.” The truth is, wellness is a tough word to define. Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University  gives this definition of wellness:
 “Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being.”
 Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence.

  • Process means that improvement is always possible
  • Aware means that we are continuously seeking more information about how we can improve.
  • Choices means that we consider a variety of options and select those in our best interest.
  • Success is determined by each individual to be their collection of life accomplishments.

Removing toxicants from our daily life brings a sense of purity and unity with Natural Source.
Natural Source represents the greatest abundance ever.
The word wealth is derived from the old English we la and means affluence.
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions or the control of such assets.An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources is known as wealthy.
What could be consider more valuable then the source of Nature ?
Non-toxic living attitude starts with mental preferences with regard to poisonous substances.
By making preferences to choose non-toxic living lifestyle individual has an opportunity to experience extreme sense of well-being, fulfillment, satisfaction known as sense of wellness.
General strategy for developing non-toxic living attitude:
Use only natural materials and products