Gardening - Growing Tasty Tomatoes
2007-11-21 09:22:00
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 woode
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, Tasty
, Tomatoes
Gardening And Topsoil - What You Need to Know
2007-11-21 09:20:00
Garden soil is very important. Anyone with knowledge and / or experience in gardening will tell you that in the long run. With a high quality condition of soil you will increase the quality of blossoms, beds, crops, and anything else that you plant and grow in that space. The more you pay attention to the health of your ground soil the better your garden will look, and the better crops you will yield. Anything and everything you grow will be more productive and easier to maintain with a better ground soil composition in which to take root and thrive.It’s not tough to start a new, beautiful garden. Nonetheless, even when plants are in the exact place, get the perfect amount of sunlight and have strong roots, the overall health of your garden soil is a vital element, and will be essential to preserve the condition of your garden. Let everything flourish to its absolute best with the proper environmental conditions including excellent soil, full of the right, natural nutrients to nouris
Rose Gardening - Tips on How to Grow Roses in Your Garden
2007-11-21 09:19:00
The ancient Muslim poet, jurist, and theologian, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, may not have stumbled madly upon the very first rose back in 13th century Persia but he certainly immortalized it poignantly in his writing.Roses
are believed to have originated in ancient Persia but their cultivation quickly spread across the Northern Hemisphere, first from China to Europe and finally to North America. Rose enthusiasts throughout time and geography have helped to spread the cultivation and the adoration of this lovely flowers to the point that, today, there are more than 20,000 varieties available.They run the gamut of the color spectrum. They come in every color, including the elusive blue and black ones that have dogged rose breeders for ages. Every shade of every color is represented, too, with many rose blossoms sporting multiple colors or shades. These enchanting plants have been bred to grow straight and tall or trail over slopes and fences. Some roses grow close to the ground while oth
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Gardening In Hanging Baskets
2007-11-20 07:11:00
Hi Fellow Gardeners,I am very excited about growing veggies and herbs in hanging baskets. I know you can grow absolutely stunning displays of very colourful flowering plants in baskets. They really brighten up an area, and also become a talking point. I know people who hang the baskets just as a divider, and even those who want to hide from their neighbours.I recently was talking to a lady, who was a teacher at a school for gifted children. She was growing all her vegetables in baskets on her flat balcony on the Gold Coast of Queensland. I must admit I was really taken with the idea and so I tried some different veggies and herb in my hanging baskets.They do need feeding and watering regularly, but provided I didn't get to carried away with too many of them, which I am incline to do, I could manage to produce some really nice capsicums and chillies, particularly.I found the chillies probably the easiest as they didn't seem to mind a bit of drying out. Other plants I tried were potato
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, Baskets
Container Gardening Video
2007-11-19 08:55:00
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Video on Organic Vegetable Gardening
2007-11-29 08:02:00
This is a really great video on the uses and functions of an organic vegetable garden. I highly encourage many people each day to start a garden. In today's world there are so many different chemicals sprayed on fruits and vegetable purchased in stores.
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, Vegetable
Ancient Hydroponics Gardens
2007-11-28 07:47:00
The word “hydroponics” is derived from two Greek words: cidra, meaning water, and punikos, meaning labor; thus, literally “waterworks.” Contrary to popular belief, hydroponic gardening is an ancient form of agriculture, going back 3,000 years. There are references to the cultivation of plants directly in water in Egyptian records dating back to the time of the New Kingdom and the “Woman-King,” Pharoah Hatshepsut around 1460 BCE.The best-known hydroponic gardens of the ancient world were the Hanging Gardens
of Babylon. Also known as the Gardens of Semiramis, the Hanging Gardens are reputed to have been located near Al-Hillah in present-day Iraq, and were regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World.The Hanging Gardens were built by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BCE. His wife, Amytis, was from Media, whose people were the ancestors of the modern Kurds. The country of Medea was a mountainous one, roughly corresponding to present-day Kurdistan, northern Iran and A
Earth Inspired Artistry - A Natural Rock Garden
2007-11-27 07:02:00
Rock gardens can be a beautiful, economic way to improve the landscape around your home. Rock gardens are often found where the climate is rather harsh and delicate plants do not thrive. Many rock gardens have few plants. The ones that are there are quite strong and can deal with tough conditions.Having less plant life does not mean that it looks worse than typical landscapes, though. With a creative arrangement of rocks complimented by strategically placed and colored plants, a rock garden can be extremely good looking. Another benefit is that it is low maintenance. It will even reduce the area of your lawn that needs mowed.You should begin your rock garden by observing the area where you would like it to go to plan what you want to do. You should then clear the unwanted plants from the area, especially and diseased plants. Dig out the roots of all of the plants that you want to get rid of, or else they will grow back.Assuming you will have at least some plants in your rock garden, yo
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, Inspired
, Natural
, Garden
Gardening - Late Fall Gardening
2007-11-26 08:43:00
Fall brings about a new adventure in gardening. It's a time to focus on elimination and conservation. Colors will fade, allowing for other parts of the garden to shine. Proper pruning is necessary to accent seed pods, winter foliage and stems. Fall is a great time to add dimensions to your garden in the form of texture, shapes and colors. Following are gardening tips for pruning and planting in during the fall.Fall PruningFollowing are tips for fall pruning:Cut most low growing perennials to the ground unless they have evergreen foliage such as Creeping Phlox, Thyme and Veronica.Prune plants with sloppy fall foliage like Irises, Daylilies and Shasta Daisies.Leave stems with interesting seed pods standing, like Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and dried Iris seed pods.Remove clutter by thinning or cutting down plants that remain in clumps like Bee Balm or Obedient Plant.Clean up broken and bent stems.Strip stems of browned leaves to accent seed heads.Throw out annuals as they declin
Organic Options For Fertilising Your Vegetable Garden
2007-11-25 08:51:00
I have often been asked what is the best organic fertiliser to add to the soil of a vegetable garden. Its not the sort of question that has an easy answer, but its not a complicated solution either. There is really no exact answer to a “best” product when it comes to organic nutrients.Organic
gardening is more about a system of gardening - Crop rotation, mulching, composting, vermicast, and companion planting all form a part of an Organic Garden
ing System.The best place to start is to create 2 or 3 compost heaps in your backyard.Whether you use a Compost Bin, Tumbler, Stack or Compost bays – the end result will still be the same - A nutrient rich soil conditioner and mulch ready to add to your vegetable garden. You should always ensure your compost heap receives sufficient heat in order to destroy seeds that may be present from lawn clippings and weeds.Suitable ingredients for your compost heap includes – old hay or straw, vegetable scraps, shredded paper, lawn clippings &
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, Options
Outdoor Hydroponic Gardening Video
2007-11-25 08:50:00
Slug and Snail Control in Your Vegetable Garden
2007-11-24 07:57:00
Growing your own vegetables is very rewarding. That is, until the pests come calling. One of the most aggravating banes to the vegetable gardener is the slugs and snails. They appear, usually at night when you're sleeping and unable to pluck them away, and nibble away at all your precious seedlings and plants. The appearance of holes in the middle of leaves is a pointed clue to a snail problem. Those silvery slime trails over leaves and soil may look pretty and sparkly in the sun, but are a death sentence for your tender young plants. The pests will continue until there are no leaves left to sustain the life of the plant.How many plants I've lost to these pests is frustrating. Not only is the problem a time-wasting nuisance, it becomes costly replacing those ruined plants. As a beginner gardener, the battle with pests in my garden almost made me want to abandon the idea. However, with a little maintenance and care, these ravenous pests will not be such an issue.First, it is important
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, Garden
, Control
Tomato Gardening
2007-11-24 07:56:00
You want to grow your own tomatoes? You want to do the tomato gardening? Very good choice of vegetable. Tomato
es are a great choice of you are just starting out with the whole vegetable gardening thing. They are easy to grow, you can grow them indoors and outdoors and they are the most common vegetable used in recipes. This article tells you everything you have to know to start out with tomato gardening.First of all you have to know that there are two different kinds of tomatoes the ones for outside are called indeterminate because they never stop to grow. They are also not that much effected by diseases and pests.The second kind is called determinate and are great if you want to grow some vegetables indoors or in some kind of container.Of course you have to start with the tomato gardening in a warm season, preferentially in the spring since then you can choose what way you want to go: Do you want to get seeds or just transplant the tomato plants?If you choose to buy seeds you have to
Organic Gardening Principles
2007-12-05 10:00:00
The reasons why you should learn organic gardening principles are many. It might be because you want to start a new garden, but you do not want to damage the environment. Maybe you want to transform your current garden. You may want to serve some delicious, organic fruits and vegetables to friends and family. Whatever your motivation maybe, you should always consider certain things when planning a garden.Your goal as an organic gardener should be to produce high quality products while using no outside resources. Following organic principles, means you should not use any nutrients, fertilizers, or pesticides. Better yet you should avoid using water tap, instead you should use rain water. You should try using natural materials, it's a challenge, but it will worth your while.You should start a compost heap instead of throwing away vegetables and other waste food. This is one of the best way to manufacture your own nutrients for your garden. You will discover that there is not really shor
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, Principles
Designing Your Flower Garden For Year-Round Beauty
2007-12-04 15:14:00
Season of bloom: A big mistake that many gardeners make is to buy only what they see blooming in the garden center in the spring. Their gardens end up looking lovely in spring and early summer, but lack color during the rest of the summer and fall. A balanced flower garden has about one-third of its plants in bloom at any given time. Divide your flowering season into thirds (or fourths, if you live in a long-growth season climate) and choose plants that bloom in each part of the season. Visit garden centers in mid to late summer to fine attractive plants that bloom in those seasons.Flower color and form: Garden
ers usually make flower color their top priority when deciding which plants to purchase. Popular garden themes that revolve around color include single-color plantings, such as white gardens, soft pastels, bright crayon-box colors, or motifs to match the color of your house. Although you really can't go wrong in mixing flower colors, some hues naturally go well together.Color wh
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, Beauty
Designing Your Flower Garden For Year-Round Beauty
2007-12-04 15:14:00
Season of bloom: A big mistake that many gardeners make is to buy only what they see blooming in the garden center in the spring. Their gardens end up looking lovely in spring and early summer, but lack color during the rest of the summer and fall. A balanced flower garden has about one-third of its plants in bloom at any given time. Divide your flowering season into thirds (or fourths, if you live in a long-growth season climate) and choose plants that bloom in each part of the season. Visit garden centers in mid to late summer to fine attractive plants that bloom in those seasons.Flower color and form: Garden
ers usually make flower color their top priority when deciding which plants to purchase. Popular garden themes that revolve around color include single-color plantings, such as white gardens, soft pastels, bright crayon-box colors, or motifs to match the color of your house. Although you really can't go wrong in mixing flower colors, some hues naturally go well together.Color wh
Read more: Designing
, Beauty
A Touch of Brilliance - Water Gardening in a Small City Space
2007-12-03 07:46:00
If you think that because of your small city yard or patio you can't have a water garden, you will be happy to know that you can! Containers that need very little space can make very charming gardens.When you think of water lilies and water hyacinths being grown in a garden, you may picture them in large pools or ponds. They grow just as well in containers, though. Water plants need 5 full hours of direct sunlight per day, preferably with shade in the afternoons when the sun is the strongest.A deciduous tree may not be the best option for the shade in the afternoons, however, since the falling leaves in autumn can clog the pumps and harm the fish.Suggestions on Starting A Water GardenYou need to be able to access water easily to fill and maintain the level of your garden. The water will evaporate, so it will need refilled as this happens in order to keep the plants healthy. If you use water that is chlorinated, allow the water to sit for at least 2 days before adding it, so that the c
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, Space
Control Weeds Effectively In Your Garden
2007-12-02 06:37:00
No matter what you plant, all gardeners have one thing in common - trying to control the weeds in your garden! Instead of pulling your hair out, take a few minutes and design a plan to get rid of and control the weeds.Technically, a weed is any plant growing where it is not wanted. This could include what we normally think of as weeds, or it could include self sowing perennials or annuals. Weeds
can either grow from seeds or runners. Runners are roots or stems that originate from the parent plant and sprout new growth further along the runner. The biggest problem with runners is that even when you remove the parent plant, the runners will continue to sprout (and create their own runners!). Like any plant, weeds need the basic nutrients to grow: sunlight, water and nutrients. To control your weeds, you can remove any of these three things.When starting a garden bed from scratch, controlling weeds will be easier in the future if you get rid of them now, before planting. First, remove all
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, Control
, Effectively
Top Vegetable Gardening Tips For Tomato Growing
2007-12-01 09:49:00
Vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing are readily available. Most gardeners are happy to share their tomato growing tips and even non-gardeners who attempt to grow tomatoes every spring will offer advice. The difficulty for the novice tomato grower comes in trying so sort the valuable vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing from the old wives' tales.One of the best sources for vegetable gardening help is a local nursery. Buying plants at a supermarket or a chain store with garden center may allow you to purchase plants at a cheaper price, but it is unlikely that the staff in these stores know a great deal about gardening. For reliable vegetable gardening help, visit a local nursery. Many nurseries carry plants that they themselves have grown from seed, and they will be knowledgeable about each variety of plant and can advise on local conditions.Local Garden ClubMost towns have a local garden club and meeting together with other gardeners is a great way to obtain vegetable ga
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, Tomato
, Growing
Choosing Grow Lights for Hydroponics Gardening
2007-11-30 08:48:00
Hydroponics gardening makes a great hobby anytime of year, but especially during those dark cold winter months. In this system of indoor gardening, plants are grown without using soil. Instead, they are grown in a growing medium, feeding off of nutrient solution. As with any type of indoor gardening method, hydroponics gardening requires the use of grow lights in order for the plants to be able to synthesize food, grow, and reproduce, producing flowers or fruit.HID lights are often used for this purpose. HID, or high-intensity discharge lights, come in several varieties, including metal halide grow lights and HPS grow lights. All HID lights require a digital ballast in order to control electrical current through the lamp and ensure its proper function. Most also benefit from being used in conjunction with a reflector, which will direct and intensify the light that the bulb produces. LED grow lights are also very popular. These lightweight lights, using light- emitting diodes, produce a
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The Easy Way to Start a Vegetable Garden
2007-12-14 07:58:00
Growing your own vegetables is something that gives many people great pride. Nothing is more satisfying than sitting at the kitchen table knowing the things you are about to consume we made with your hands. Trying to replace this satisfaction is very tough to beat. We have gathered some tips to get you started quickly and effortlessly toward your first vegetable garden.There are a wide variety of vegetables that you can choose from to put into your first garden. The key is choosing the ones that you love to eat. This will give you something to look forward to and you're more likely to take better care of something you like than food you hate. Some of the more popular vegetables that people usually start with are sweet corn, beans, peas, and tomatoes. There are many others but these are the ones most people will start with. These are also very hardy and grow fairly quickly so you will see progress and that will make the first time gardener very happy.Dividing up your garden space is al
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, Start
, Vegetable
What Grow Lights are Required for Indoor Gardening
2007-12-13 08:10:00
Those who are new to hydroponics gardening and other forms of indoor gardening will want to learn how to garden in this manner successfully. Just like any hobby, you need the right tools in order to get the best results. When it comes to indoor gardening, having the appropriate lighting system will be a big key to the success or failure of your garden. What is required for indoor garden lighting?The most energy-efficient yet effective grow lights you can use for hydroponics gardening are HID, or high-intensity discharge, grow lamps. They are relatively small units that produce a great deal of light. They are hydroponics lights that most closely resemble sunlight, which is what plants need in order to grow well. There are several types of lights that are HID, including high-pressure sodium grow lights, also called HPS lights. High-pressure sodium grow lights are very efficient, and are easy lamps to start.All HID lights require a digital ballast to be used in conjunction with these type
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Hydroponic Gardening - Popular, Not New
2007-12-12 07:32:00
Hydroponic gardening is not a new invention, but its popularity is currently increasing drastically. People are now using this process of growing plants, flowers, and vegetables without soil in their homes, where previously it was mostly used just by professional gardeners.Because of the 'hydro' in the name, it is a common misconception that the plants are being grown in water instead of soil. They are in fact grown in liquid, but it is a mineral nutrient solution, not water. It is also possible to use clay, sand, gravel, or vermiculite in hydroponics.In hydroponic gardening, plants have a constant access to water and the nutrients that they need. You can give them exactly what they need when they need it. You don't have to worry about watering too much or too little, or not giving enough nutrients, since the plants absorb everything that they need at the right time.The following information will explain other advantages to hydroponic gardening. First of all, you don't have to worr
Preparing Soil For A Vegetable Garden
2007-12-11 07:06:00
Considering the importance of soil in plant growth, one needs to ascertain the characteristics of soil that is being used for the purpose of growing plants in a vegetable garden. Properties of soil including the nutrient levels can be determined by getting the soil tested in a registered environmental laboratory.The soil test results will determine whether there are any deficiencies in the necessary nutrients that are required for proper growth of plants. However, one needs to inform the laboratory that the soil sample has been collected for a vegetable garden plot.The parameters that are commonly tested in a soil include the pH of the soil, its alkalinity, nitrogen content, phosphorus content, concentration of sulfur and also potassium. Most vegetable plants thrive well in soils whose pH ranges between 5.5 and 7.5. Determining the pH of soil is important because pH has significant effect on the availability of nutrients and water. A soil type can be termed as "good" only if the ph
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, Vegetable
Using Crop Rotation In Your Organic Garden - For Healthy Plants & Higher Yields
2007-12-10 07:53:00
Crop rotation is the age old practice of rotating plants to different growing areas in your vegetable garden. Plants
that belong to the same family are rotated or moved each season. This aids plants with their nutrient needs and helps avoid pest and disease problems.Giving a little extra thought at your planning stage by including a crop rotation system will save you time, money and effort. You will need to spend less on organic fertilizers if you incorporate soil-building cover crops along with nitrogen fixing plants. By using crop rotation you will prevent many pest and disease issues that you would have needed to find solutions for.Say you decide to grow potatoes in the same plot each season. As you lovingly water your potatoes (or it rains) the nutrients are slowly leached from the soil. Your potatoes have specific nutrient requirements. Once they have used all available nutrients you will start to notice problems such as poor yields or pest infestation.Each season, as you grow you
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, Rotation
, Organic
, Higher
Making The Most Of Your Small Garden
2007-12-09 09:26:00
Every homeowner wants a beautiful garden to compliment his home. Some gardens are big, some are small, and some are just right. If your garden is smaller than you care to admit, don't let that keep you from making the absolute most of it.GET CLEVER WITH YOUR COLOURINGWith smaller gardens it is a smart choice to try and keep the colour scheme simple. Don't go for too much colour variety as this may make your garden appear smaller and more 'cluttered'. Remember, less is more, so try to limit your colour selection to maybe two or three colours, combined with the natural greens and browns.DON'T WASTE SPACEIf you have water features or pot plants in your garden, make sure they serve a purpose. If you're not planning on filling your water feature and having it operational, get rid of it. The same goes for pot plants. If you aren't going to fill them with flowers, they are just wasting space and making your garden even smaller.DON'T BE TOO BOLDWhile bold plants and garden landscapes m
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, Small
Winter Gardening
2007-12-08 08:07:00
The fall clean-up is done, your bulbs are planted and your looking forward to the spring gardening season. You need not look so far ahead. Winter can be a busy time for gardeners. Planning, of course, is essential but there are a few other chores which can be done as well.Here are a few gardening tips to help you get through winter.Review last year's journal and start a new one for this year by recording your seed/plant orders Browse through catalogs or spend a little time online searching for the plants you'll be using during the upcoming season. First, however, plan your new garden or update your existing one.Rework your garden design, think about what was missing in the garden during the previous season. Also, look around, what could make the landscape more interesting during the winter months. Often, a large evergreen serving as an anchor or specimen shrub can improve a winter landscape. Look for shrubs with winter berries, trees which begin budding in late winter or tress and s
How To Build A Water Garden Fountain
2007-12-07 09:10:00
Garden fountains are accessories to water ponds - be they small or large. The sound of flowing water, be it rippling or cascading are so relaxing that they add up to the peacefulness and tranquility of outdoors.There are so many fountains to choose from. You can go for the dramatic fountains that are made out of cast stone. You can save space by going for wall fountains. There are so many finishing to select. There is the garden wall fountains that are appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use. There are sandstone finishes that add classy appeal.Other factors we suggest you consider before deciding on the ideal fountain for you is your living space situation. Is your garden big enough to accommodate the outdoor fountains made out of copper, stone, and fiberglass? These fountains are normally so large that those who have big gardens consider these to be the center of their exterior.Another factor that determines the kind of water garden fountain you purchase is if you have pets. If th
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, Garden
, Fountain
Hydroponics at Home - A Simple, Easy to Build Hydroponics Flood and Drain System
2007-12-06 07:54:00
A homemade hydroponics system does not have to be complex, difficult to build or require an array of pipes and pumps. The simple flood and drain, or ebb and flow system, outlined here can be operated without any electricity and requires only one tube.This system is based on a gravity feed. You use two large pails, one for your plants and another to hold your nutrient solution. Your nutrient solution will flow into your grow medium when the nutrient pail is placed at the same level or slightly higher than the pail containing your grow medium and plants. The solution will drain, after feeding your plants, when the pail is lowered to a point below the level of your plant pail.Here's what you need:A sturdy table to stand your pails on. The height is not important. If you don't have a table, use a plank and some concrete breeze blocks.Two large, clean buckets, about five gallons each.A few feet of flexible half inch tubing. How much you need depends on the height of your table.Some clean
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, Simple
, System
Indoor Organic Herb Garden
2007-12-22 08:17:00
Growing an organic herb garden is a delightful project. The fragrant plants not only look and smell good; they are also good for flavoring foods.Indoor organic herb gardens have the advantage of being year-round, giving a continuous supply of fresh herbs. An indoor organic herb garden can be as small as a few pots on a window sill or as large as a greenhouse filled with containers of aromatic organic herbs.Herb ChoicesThere are many ways to decide which herbs to include in your organic herb garden. Here are some ideas.1. Italian Herb Garden
: Plant rosemary, oregano, basil, fennel, and chives. Terra cotta containers will make your indoor organic herb garden look authentically old world.2. French Herb Garden: Begin with lemon basil, marjoram, and parsley, and add other herbs you like to use in French cooking.3. Fragrant Herb Garden: Choose angelica, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. This organic herb garden is a natural air freshener.4. Tea Herb G
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