eveningstandard--2019-04-18--Share your room or garden makeover with us to win prizes worth 1000

Share your room or garden makeover with us to win prizes worth £1,000

The four-day Easter weekend is an ideal time for enthusiastic home decorators to start makeover projects. And with two spring bank holiday weekends still to come, the transformation opportunities are endless.  From ingenious DIY hacks and reclaimed furniture fixes to luxe finishes and confident paint choices, turning a dated or underused room into a modern, flexible space is one of the most satisfying ways to improve our homes.  Which is why sharing the ingenious ideas you use to tackle decorating dilemmas is invaluable for us all.  Entries are now open for the Evening Standard Home Design Awards. To enter, and to find out how your home makeover projects could win you £1,000 worth of prizes, click here.  We are asking homeowners and renters across the UK to share with us their inspiring makeover projects, whatever the size or budget.  From kitchens and gardens to bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms, we're looking for the imaginative and thoughtful ways you have transformed a space.  It couldn’t be easier. Upload one photo and a description of your finished makeover in any — or all — of the categories to be in with a chance to win £1,000 worth of fabulous prizes. Entries close at noon on May 10 2019.  Each category will have two winners: home decorators and DIYers are invited to enter, as well as professional interiors experts and Instagram influencers, giving us 10 winners in total.  Our expert judges will debate and decide the winning projects in the exclusive Library & Lecture Room at Sketch, London's most Instagrammable design hotspot.  The winning designers and their makeover projects will be photographed and featured in the Evening Standard  in July and across our digital and  social platforms.  Each of our 10 winners will receive £550 worth of luxury hotel-style bed linen from Tielle Love Luxury. It will include the bestselling superking cotton duvet cover, sheets and pillow cases; a jumbo towel bundle (with eight towels in four sizes) and two feather and down pillows as used by the five-star hotel Claridge’s in Mayfair.  They will also receive a sleek Bose Home Speaker 500, optimised for voice control via Amazon Alexa with integrated wi-fi, worth £400, and a £50 voucher to spend in the Lecture Room & Library, Sketch London’s luxurious two Michelin-star dining room, where all the tasting and à la carte menus have been devised by French chef Pierre Gagnaire.  Our panel of expert judges includes Janice Morley, editor of Homes & Property; Dan Hopwood, former president of the British Institute of Interior Design; and award-winning design writer Barbara Chandler.  Joining them are design journalist and author of Mad About The House Kate Watson-Smyth; Marianne Shillingford, the creative director of Dulux; Thomas Sanderson product manager Laura O’Connell; and interior designer and TV presenter Sophie Robinson.  Judging will take place at Sketch London on June 3 in the recently redesigned Library, with its glittering chandeliers and vibrant hand-painted ceiling swirls. It  is set against the eye-popping backdrop of the exquisite Lecture Room, with its opulent burnt-orange shades and zig zag-patterned walls threaded with real silver under a stunning domed ceiling.  We are looking for clever storage  ideas, well-planned lighting, bold  paint choices and a flair for adding individual accessories to show a flash  of personality.  Award-winning design writer and one of this year’s expert judges, Barbara Chandler is eager to see the real-life homes of our readers and says “personal” is the key word.  “I’ll be asking ‘What makes this room different? Does it shout out the ideas, tastes, lifestyle, imagination, inspirations of its owners? I’ll be  looking for colour flair, careful use of space, clever materials and practicality. Does this room work?”  Clever use of craft, DIY projects and adventurous product-sourcing will also be considered.  “Where does everything come from? From markets and charity shops, the high street and DIY superstores, to auctions and high-end design boutiques... they all yield items that can make a room unique, a testimony to budgeting, knowledge, determination and resourcefulness,” says Chandler.  “So good luck to all our wonderful design devotees — and please make sure you tell us everything that you think makes your entry special.”


eveningstandard--2019-05-24--The best rattan garden furniture for your outdoor space this summer

It's that time of year again when the lawn needs sprucing up, the wooden decking needs repainting and garden furniture needs replacing in time for a summer of BBQs and get togethers.  With British summertime not guaranteed to be dry or indeed hot, outdoor furniture needs to withstand all weather conditions – but it also has to keep looking good every summer.  "The reason rattan is so well loved is because it's lightweight and durable", says Homebase's outdoor living buyer Katy Higgins.  "It not only looks great but lasts year after year, even with the unpredictable British weather."  Space is at a premium in many London homes.  So this retro set from Made.com, featuring two chairs and a small table for £399, is great for gardens on the small side. It can easily be pushed together to free up space when not in use.  The woven seats have been designed to make relaxing in the garden not only stylish, but comfortable too.  If you're lucky enough to have room to swing more than one cat around, make the most of having a patio with a full three-piece set.  Two matching armchairs, a three-seater sofa and an oval coffee table provide ample space for guests to mill around at daytime soirees.  Promising to be weather resistant – essential thanks to Britain's summer showers – this garden set from Barker and Stonehouse is priced at £1,299.  Offering a throwback to the rattan golden age of the Seventies, this bench from La Redoute boasts pretty intricate designs with a traditional natural acrylic varnish finish.  Priced at £293.40, it is part of the brand's CALAMUS garden furniture range and also features matching chairs and tables if you want to go all out.  BEST FOR: ADDING A POP OF COLOUR  Looking to inject some zing into your outside space?  The citrus lime green metal frame of this bench from Habitat will add a pop of colour to your garden.  The contemporary bench, priced at £250, is hand woven in plastic wire to help make it more durable in unpredictable weather.  Balconies in the capital are not known for their large spaces but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on furniture for your outside space.  You have to be clever with how you make use of the space available.  Opt for something that can easily be slotted away in the corner, like this white pod chair (£185) from Homebase. It still allows enough room for plants and shrubs.  Consisting of two benches, two sofas and a height-adjustable table, this set slots together to create a day bed for lounging once all your guests have departed.  From Next and priced at £1,999, the set comes in a choice of two colours, dark and light grey. We like the contrast of the light grey rattan base with the slightly darker cushions.  Grey is a great shade to mix and match. Invest in some yellow, red or pink cushions to add some colour.  Owners of small gardens can rejoice as there are lots of bistro tables on the market to help make the most out of limited space.  Our favourite has to be this sleek set with two high stools from Dobbies.  Priced at £549, it is made from a lightweight aluminium frame with a wood-colour finish, to help make it last in harsh weather, complemented by grey rattan on the seats.  We're not lucky enough to enjoy a long, balmy summer in the UK so it's important to make the most of the sunshine when it does eventually appear.  Made from synthetic wicker with a durable metal frame, this outdoor lounger from Marks & Spencer is perfect for soaking up the rays with a glass of wine and a thrilling book.  Priced at £149, it's great value, too.  One sure fire way to rack up those social media likes is to post a semi-smug picture on an Instagrammable swinging chair – just ask anyone who has taken a picture on the infamous Sanderson hotel's floral swinging chair...  Priced at £499, this statement double cocoon chair from Kaleidoscope works well indoors and outdoors. It'll also look great in a conservatory.  BEST FOR: UNDER £50  If you're just looking to try out the trend rather than invest, we love this bargain rattan bistro set from Wilko, for £50.  It's ideal for enjoying a morning cup of coffee in the sunshine.  It easily folds up so can be stored in a shed or even inside a cupboard indoors.  The practical set comes with a 12-month guarantee and a glass-topped table to help make it last.


eveningstandard--2019-06-14--Best gifts for gardeners The gadgets tools and accessories for green-fingered friends

Best gifts for gardeners: The gadgets, tools and accessories for green-fingered friends

Gardening has outgrown the perception of being a retirement-age hobby; more of us are turning to cultivating plants as a way to relax, learn new skills and in some cases, grow our own food.  A lack of outdoor space hasn't deterred us either. You only have to look up to see window boxes budding with foliage, flowers and in some cases, fruit on many of London's residential streets.  If you've wandered around east London on a Sunday morning, you may have been among the crowds that descend upon Columbia Road Flower Market searching for all sorts of botanical bargains.  Equally in spring and summer, west London blooms with flower shows, from Chelsea to Hampton Court. Gardening inspo is everywhere, and if you haven't been bitten by the bug yet, you probably know someone who has.  Whether they're just beginning to flex their green fingers or they're a veteran botanist, we've put together the ultimate gift guide for gardeners of all ages and abilities.  From snazzy tools to ingenious gadgets, interesting plants and statement pots, any product in our roundup would make a fantastic gift for a gardening-mad friend.  See our pick of the bunch below  Summer is synonymous with outdoor entertaining, so help them turn their patch into a party pad with this bluetooth speaker that comes attached to a stake.  The ingenious summer staple works in grass, sand and snow, feature 360 sound and is also resistant to water and dust. What's not to love?  Help your friends keep undesirables away from their beautiful garden with this polite but firm mat, made from all-natural coconut husk. Measures 60 x 40 x 1.5cm.  Gardening is thirsty work, so if your loved one spends hours digging, trimming and potting in the sun, give them the gift of a well-deserved time out with this greenhouse-shaped tin from Emma Bridgewater.  Measuring 12 x 1.5 x 9.3cm, the steel tin is the perfect place to store some chocolate digestives, tea bags and their favourite mug. Add in refreshments to make a mini hamper we're sure they will adore.  Go about your outdoor chores with this hugely practical apron that will protect your clothes while safely storing everything you need in its roomy pockets.  There's also a small patch pocket that would be ideal for holding valuables like your phone and keys, as well as a hanging loop for tools. The apron comes in a timeless navy and white stripe design.  Offering everything you need to keep your outdoor space in tip top shape, homewares extraordinaire Sophie Conran has put her stylish touch on a set of essential gardening tools.  Designed to be both practical and attractive in equal measure, the collection is made up of a compost scoop, trowel, fork, weeder and pair of secateurs. It's everything you need to get growing in style.  So pretty and bang on theme, the V&A's fork and trowel set features a classic William Kilburn floral print. Available in both blue and pink tones, the set is made from aluminimum and should be handwashed after each use to keep them in good condition.  Find more gardening kit from the V&A here.  Every expert knows that a healthy garden needs regular pruning. Turn the chore into a joy with this pruner from design legend Orla Kiely. It's lightweight with durable pine wood handles and comes housed in a pouch patterned in the brand’s signature abstract floral style. A belt hoop on the back means the pruners can be kept close to hand to see to any unruly stems.  When in doubt, go for gold - or brass in this case. This gleaming garden set is made for gifting and comes in a present-ready box so there's no need to worry about gift wrap. Add a touch of luxe to their gardening routine.  A watering can is a must-have for budding and expert gardeners alike and this charming jug from Haws will raise the style stakes and become a statement feature in your garden in its own right. Featuring an all-brass rose and a down spout, this made in England beauty has a seven litre capacity.  Overwatering can kill a plant as easily as dehydration, but the temptation is there especially when you’re in a rush. The solution? A mister that delivers a fine spray of moisture, such as this vintage-inspired metal and glass design from Urban Outfitters. Chic enough to make an interesting accessory, it performs its function with minimal fuss.  A spade shaped like a diamond may confuse players at a poker tournament, but in the world of gardening it translates to this cool tool. Crafted in a unique shape from solid brass with a durable plastic handle, you could leave the spade in the soil to make a sophisticated accessory that will take your planters to the next level.  Has your loved one just ventured into gardening? Then they'll appreciate this comprehensive tool set, which includes a trowel, fork, five wooden markers, a wooden measuring dibber and garden string. They're all housed in a lovely handmade willow basket that keeps tools in place with elasticated straps.  If they're a keen gardener, one thing's for sure: they can never have too many planters. Present your green-fingered loved one with this cool and contemporary pot, which comes in four sizes and six colours, perfect for adding a pop of colour to their favourite space. If you're looking for an unusual gift, Pow Pots planters are one-of-a-kind.  If they fancy themselves a bit of a Gordon or Nigella in the kitchen, a plant that continually yields the fruits of their labour is a good bet as a gift they'll love and depend upon in their cheffy adventures. The Anthony chilli plant from Patch is a firecracker, taking around two months to ripen but once it has, they’ll be able to sprinkle a pinch of spice on everything.  Bring the outside in with a terrarium such as this, based on Milan's foliage-wrapped block of flats, the Bosco Verticale. In McQueens' classic floristry style, this is a terrarium unlike any you've seen; sculptural and otherworldly A miniature garden of succulents, plants, moss and tiny pink orchids (if selected) sit within this statement glass design, which comes in two sizes: small (45 x 24cm) and large (56 x 29cm).  From £145 | MCQueens | Buy it now  Dino-loving horticulturists will go wild for this T Rex-themed ceramic planter, which is glazed inside as well as over the exterior to ensure moisture stays locked in and plants are hydrated for longer. The statement piece is a fun way to display ferns and succulents whether that’s in the living room or on the patio. Make it a Jurassic party with two other dino-designs, Tricerapot and Plantosaurus, both also £30 each.  Encourage young budding gardeners with these absolutely adorable ceramic planters that are shaped like animals. They're pretty much self-sufficient thanks to the foam tongues that work like a bridge to slowly lap up water for the plants nestled on their backs. Perfect for the young - and the young at heart.  Robust gloves that feel soft to the touch, this set of men's gloves offer a high level of protection against nettles and thorns when on pruning duty. They're comfortable and warm and incorporate gold grain leather that's been treated so that it's water-resistant. A prudent buy for serious gardeners.  While these luxe gloves look far too chic to get covered in dirt, they are composed of a stretchy PU synthetic leather that is actually both dirt and water repellent and will also fit your hand, well, like a glove. They come in a silver hue with a chrome button detailing and an adjustable wrist strap.  What better way to nourish the hands that nourish the earth? 100 per cent natural, this sumptuous concoction is made with rose infused shea butter, frankincense, rosehip oil and ylang ylang.  Liven up your outdoor chores with the help of these fun gardening gloves featuring a classic William Morris floral print. The cotton gloves will protect your hands while you tend to your blossoming outdoor space.  Reignite your love of gardening by investing in fun accessories like these pink and butterfly embellished gloves. But it’s not all all talk and no trousers, these gloves can talk the talk with a lightweight and breathable fabric, adjustable Velcro cuffs and a stretchy design to ensure a perfect fit.  ESBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter


eveningstandard--2019-06-28--Best indoor herb garden kits for your kitchen 2019

The bad news: Buying herbs at the supermarket can get expensive and is often wasteful (use them once and then forget about them, anyone?). The good news: You don’t have to be green-fingered to grow your own indoor herb garden.  There’s a host of products out there that will help even the most serious serial plant killers get a continuous, fresh supply of herbs. Not only are herbs fantastic for taking your dinners from dull to delicious, they also help purify the air and make your kitchen look pretty at the same time.  If plants seem to shrivel up at the mere sight of you, a clever self-tending smart garden is a great option. These nifty numbers come with their own built-in grow lights to provide exactly the right amount your herbs need whether they’re next to a window or not. This often encourages optimum photosynthesis, meaning a rapid growth and an abundant harvest.  Many also come with self-regulating irrigation systems that filter the water through to the herbs over time and tell you when your plants need a refill. Some hydroponic products (plants grown with water and no soil) can be left up to three weeks, so you can book that holiday, grow and go.  If you don’t want to splash out on a smart garden, there’s also some brilliant back-to-basics options. A number of herb garden kits will provide the planters, a choice of seeds, and instructions on where to place them and how to grow them effectively. Many also have easy-to-use watering systems making it simple to avoid those too much or too little moments.  Growing your own herbs is also a healthy option, as you can choose organic seeds and follow an all-natural process free from pesticides or hormones.  We’ve rounded up the best indoor herb gardens for your kitchen below so flavoursome food is always at your fingertips. Ready, set, grow…  When life gets busy, plants tend to fall down the priority list. But you can still have an array of fresh herbs all year round with a no-stress smart indoor garden kit. This clever kit from Lakeland has its own LED grow light system, ensuring your herbs automatically get the correct amount of light, even if they’re in a dark corner.  There’s a self-sufficient water reservoir that makes it impossible to over or underwater your plants (all our prayers have just been answered), you just need to top up the two-litre water tank every three to four weeks and the smart garden does the rest, even letting you know when it’s time for a refill.  It comes with four organic seed packs - cherry tomato, sweet basil, chives and parsley - and your herbs will be ready to eat in just four weeks. We’re sold.  Bit green when it comes to gardening? Don’t worry, this indoor herb garden set is perfect for rookies everywhere.  Its innovative two-tiered design features an integrated waterfall and drain system that prevents plants from getting overwatered (hurrah!). You can keep your herb garden organised with the three metal name tags included in the set, and its sleek, modern appearance will give your windowsill the wow factor.  Go back to basics and keep things super-simple with a country kitchen herb box. This set comes with the rustic herb holder, four pots to pop inside it, peat-free compost to fill them, and four packets of herb seeds (basil, chives, coriander and parsley) to sow. All you do? Water, wait, snip, eat, repeat.  Put your feet up and let your indoor herb kit do all the work for you with a forward-thinking smart garden. Featuring a specially formulated ‘smart soil’, inspired by NASA no less, it has built-in sensors that ensure your plants receive the perfect amount of oxygen, water and nutrients, while the grow lamp allows them to germinate quickly.  Et voilà - your own fresh, healthy herbs grown without hormones or pesticides right at home. We love the simple Scandi styling, too.  Take your smart garden to the next level with Click and Grow’s super-sized indoor herb garden kit. You can grow your own herbs, salad greens and even edible flowers with this easy-to-use machine.  It comes with three mini tomato, three basil and three green lettuce pods, but you can purchase a range of classic Mediterranean pods like parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. All you do is plug it in, insert the plant pods, fill the water tank, and you’re good to grow.  Unlike many other hydroponic systems, this one doesn’t require you to add nutrients as the plant pods already contain and release all the nutrients needed to thrive. The plant pods use non-GMO seeds and are free from herbicides, pesticides or fungicides, making them a fresh, vitamin-rich option.  These pretty pots are ideal for growing your favourite herbs indoors - and for adding style to your kitchen decor. The powder coated steel adds a modern country look, while each pot has a drainage hole to avoid waterlogging. They’re also the perfect fit for most supermarket herbs, making life easy peasy.  Shake up your salads, soups and sumptuous dinners year-round with this grow-your-own smart indoor herb garden.  The science bit: The nifty gadget is hydroponic, meaning plants are grown with water not soil. The LED lighting system encourages rapid, natural growth, and the easy-to-use panel tells you when to add water and nutrients (included in the pack), and automatically turns the lights on and off.  Includes Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil and mint for a whole season of tasty meal times.  A lovely little set for beginners, this mini indoor herb garden comes with two cool metal plant pots, rosemary and thyme seeds, and two wooden plant labels. Just follow the seed packet instructions, pop them on your windowsill, and get growing.  £16 | Not on the High Street |  If you’re anything like us, you may forget to water your plants from time to time. This clever herb garden uses hydro felt pads to feed the plants.  All you need to do is add the water through the spout, and check now and again to refill when it’s empty. There’s room for three of your favourite herbs, and it’s created in a sleek white and grey colour combo to ensure it fits into any home decor style.  Looking for something a little different? Short on kitchen counter space? This upside-down planter means you can simply reach up and pick your herbs whenever you need them as they hang prettily above you.  Not only does it look great, it’s made from recycled plastic and has an in-built irrigation system that filters water into your plants for up to two weeks between refills. Low-maintenance and lovely.  For most of us with a busy lifestyle, an indoor herb garden that simply takes care of itself is ideal. The Lakeland Veritable smart indoor garden kit, then, has it all. Its sophisticated technology means you don’t have to worry about where you put it or when to water it - it does all the hard work for you. The freshest, organic, home-grown ingredients made easy. And who wouldn’t love that?  ESBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter


eveningstandard--2019-06-28--Best shed paint UK Colour ideas to transform your garden 2019

Best shed paint UK: Colour ideas to transform your garden 2019

Treat your worn and weathered shed, outdoor storage area or converted mini summer home to a fresh lick of paint.  Refreshing the outside of your shed will make your old wooden structure appear like new, add a bright point to a dull garden, or matched with your dedicated greenery.  Tidy up your neutral hued shed with a crisp coat of green, brown or grey that will help it blend into the landscape, or stamp your personality into the design with vibrant pinks, reds or yellows that will make it a stand-out feature of your garden.  Whatever colour you decide, it is crucial to opt for a quality and durable paint that will not crack, flake or peel off. Your desired speciality exterior wood paint needs to be weather resistant and work with the material to expand and contract as the temperature changes.  A good quality paint will have a lifespan of around six to 10 years.  You should also consider whether an oil or water-based paint works better for you. The former is longer wearing but are messier if you are DIY-ing, while the latter is easier to clean.  There are a range of finishes to choose between satin, gloss or matt, which is a matter of personal preference. Preparation is key, so apply an oil-based primer that will nourish the wood before you start.  Transform your outdoor space and breathe a new lease of life into your tired old shed.  For a modern, seaside-like feel, we are taking inspiration from this shed that is painted using Farrow & Ball. Blue Gray No.91 (from £26) – a cool hue with subtle mix of blue and green that appear at different points in the day – has a vintage, slightly weathered feel where any outside dirt only adds to the effect. It is treated to either an Eggshell (pictured) or gloss finish and offset with a just off white - Wimborne White No.239 (from £26) with a Modern Emulsion finish – in the interior that is one shade off from pure white.  Transform your garden into an outdoor oasis with the help of this Juniper Ash (from £33) periwinkle hue from Little Greene that has an intimate feel, while remaining modern and not overpowering. Choose between a high gloss or low sheen finish and pair with red, orangey or linen white accents or decorative details to make the colour pop.  Capture this beach look in your own home with super playful, vibrant colours that will bring your outdoor space to life. Opt for a block colour or take it to the next level with rainbow stripes.  For the bold red hue, we are looking to the likes of the Little Greene Atomic Red with either a high gloss or sheen finish (from £33). The shade takes the primary colour that was a hugely popular interiors trend in the 1970s and gives it a modern feel.  Treat your shed to a pretty in pink twist with a bold fuchsia like the Johnstones Paradise Petals (£9.99 per 1L), or the vibrant Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood Treatment in Sweet Sundae (£11 per 1L). The baby pink Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood Treatment in Sweet Pea (£11 for 1L) takes a softer approach to the look and would look striking surrounded with brightly coloured flowers.  We are taking a slightly darker approach to the blue shed pictured with a shade like the Ronseal Fence Life Midnight Blue Matt Opaque Shed & fence treatment (£12 for 1L).  This green shed differs from your traditional neutral iterations of the shade with a not-so subtle, eye-popping option that will certainly not blend into the background. To achieve this look, we like the electric Phthalo Green from Little Greene (£33 for 1L), the pastel green Ronseal Garden Matt Paint in Lime Zest (£2 for 0.75L) or for the most similar shade to the beach shed photograph, the Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood paint in Sunny Lime (£11 for 1L) does the trick.  A yellow shed will bring all the bright, summery and happy feels associated with the colour to your garden. Check out the Ronseal Garden Matt Garden paint in Sun Dial (£4 for 0.25L) or a warmer yellow like Citron from Farrow & Ball (from £26).  Shabby chic is one of the most sought-after design trends and works particularly well in your garden for a style that just gets better with age. Get the look of this shed with bluey greys like the Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood Treatment in Silver Birch (£11 for 1L) at the more grey end of the spectrum or the Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood Paint in Forget Me Not (£11 for 1L) for the more bluey.  Switch up your tired looking paint job with inspiration from this shed that is giving us serious country home vibes. Use the combination of fresh, slightly white hue like Acorn – Mid from Little Green that has a light green tinge (£33 for 1L) with a soft, demure green like Windmill Lane (£33 for 1L) for the detailing like the doors and frames.  If you are in the market for a subtle and classic looking shed, combine a versatile white like the Cuprinol Garden Shades paint in Pale Jasmine (£16 for 2.5L), a matt colour that looks best surrounded by colourful plants and flowers, with a cosy and inviting grey like the Cuprinol Garden Shades Matt Wood paint in Muted Clay (£16 for 2.5L) or Farrow & Ball’s Dove Tale, a warm grey with a touch of lilac, (from £26) for the door.  ESBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter


eveningstandard--2019-07-03--Two very different garden makeovers with ideas to suit everyone

Entries flooded in for the first Evening Standard Home Design Awards, given in five categories of Living room, Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom and Garden, for the best designs of the past 12 months.  There are two winners in each category: a reader homeowner and a professional, whether architect, interior designer or key influencer.  The expert judges set about their task at Sketch London restaurant in Conduit Street, Mayfair. Here are the two gardens they chose.  Freelance editor Jeroen moved into a Georgian maisonette in Hackney in 2012, where the big garden was good for Atticus, his Welsh terrier.  Jeroen dug out the skinny borders and replaced a shady bed at the back with a shed-cum-office. It took several years to create his “magical private space.”  First came Pinterest boards, consultations with friends and many sessions of Gardeners’ Question Time on the radio. He visited Vita Sackville-West’s white garden at Sissinghurst, with a return visit last year. Three established trees — a cherry and two viburnums — remained in place and a climbing rose was moved to a sunny spot from a dark corner. Fatsia japonica and magnolia trees were planted in 2013, and the rest of the garden in 2015. Thanks to Atticus, the re-turfed lawn became a “muddy mess”. So now the grass is artificial.  Sourcing: garden table, benches and mirrors found on eBay; Farrow & Ball paints in Off Black and Studio Green; artificial grass from Easigrass.  What the judges said: “Romantic and dreamy”; “A mini Sissinghurst”; “Inspired planting.”  Jeroen's tips: “Keep walls/fences dark to show off plants. Drifts of single plants work better than a jumble. Stick to a few materials for garden furniture. Mine are teak and galvanised metal.”  “I wanted for another room, but out of doors,” says Theresa Gromski, who lives in an Edwardian three-storey terrace house. She has turned her patio into a welcoming space, whether for reading solo or having a party.  Theresa is an influencer and freelance illustrator with nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram. “I wanted a lot of pattern and textiles, cosy cushions and throws,” she adds. Underfoot, concrete was replaced with porcelain slabs and outdoor rugs. With the help of husband Tom, she built seating out of reclaimed scaffold boards.  Extra touches include lanterns, strings of lights and an outdoor umbrella, while plants include bamboo and black bamboo, exotic grasses, heucheras and ferns.  Sourcing: Arizona bistro garden chairs and side table gifted by George Home; fire pit gifted by VonHaus; square black planters gifted by Get Potted; large arched outdoor mirror gifted by Cox & Cox; seat cushions, Madam Stoltz; outdoor rugs, La Redoute and Ikea; solar lights, Wilko.  What the judges said: “I want to go in and sit down — so pretty and welcoming”; “Original use of railway sleepers.”  Theresa’s tips: “Paint fences black to show off your furniture and textiles. Have a handy storage box to stow cushions away when it rains. For tropical vibes go for greenery rather than flowers, and mix vintage and modern planters.”  The prizes were luxury hotel-style bed linen from Tielle Love Luxury, worth £550; a sleek Bose Home Speaker 500, worth £400, and a £50 voucher to spend in the Lecture Room and Library, Sketch London’s luxurious two Michelin-star dining room.  Janice Morley, editor of Homes & Property; Dan Hopwood, past president of the British Institute of Interior Design; and design writer Barbara Chandler.  Then there was design journalist and author of Mad About The House, Kate Watson-Smyth and interior designer and TV presenter Sophie Robinson, both with an impressive number of Instagram followers.  Also on the team were style-savvy Marianne Shillingford, creative director of Dulux, Kristy Gray, digital editor of Homes & Property, and Laura O’Connell, product manager at Thomas Sanderson.


eveningstandard--2019-08-01--Five easy ways to keep your garden flowering in the hot summer months

We all go to seed eventually, but it’d be nice if the garden could last through the barbecue season.  In August, just as we’re spending most time out there, our favourite flowering plants lose their oomph, providing no colour to complement our new outdoor cushions.  These five simple tips will keep your garden flowering fabulously during this hottest of months, even if you can spare only a few minutes a day.  When a flower has faded, it turns into a seedhead and the plant stops producing any more blooms. Snip off faded flowers before they set seed so the plant keeps on flowering.  Cosmos, marigolds, roses, Shasta daisies, California poppies, dahlias, rose campion and zinnias will all reward you with new flowers if you snip off the old ones.  Cut back to the next flower bud down.  Break off the old flowers of your potted pelargoniums back to the main stem. If they’re ready, they’ll come off cleanly with a snap.  Mini snips let you do the deadheading one-handed (Mini Snips, £5.99, burgonandball.com). A Hip Trug (£7.99, burgonandball.com) will keep your hands free for tidy deadheading as you go.  As for hardy geraniums, shear them down to the ground now in one go and they will bounce back with a new lease of life.  If you’re going on holiday, time it for just before you leave and they’ll be looking better by the time you get back.  Frequent watering in August is unavoidable but lawns and established plants can be ignored.  Concentrate on potted plants and new arrivals. Five minutes a day before or after work is a good routine.  Spray hoses are convenient but can be fierce. The gentle Gardena City Gardening Balcony Sprayer (£9.99, robertdyas.co.uk) won’t create a mudbath on your decking.  For rooftops, terraces or balconies, attach your sprayer to a 10m Terrace Hose (robertdyas.co.uk, £26.49) which automatically rolls up after use. Or fit an automatic watering system.  If you haven’t an outside tap, the Gardena Adaptor for Inside Taps (homebase.co.uk, £3.50) lets you attach a hose to an inside kitchen or bathroom tap.  Don’t waste time pulling up weeds by the roots in summer. Chop off the tops with a hoe and leave them on the soil to shrivel up in the sun.  A long- or short-handled razor hoe is small enough to avoid damaging plants (£29.99, burgonandball.com).  Water on a general liquid plant food such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose Concentrated Plant Food (£4.42, diy.com) or a tomato fertiliser high in potash to encourage more flowering every couple of weeks.  Next year add a handful of slow-release fertiliser to the compost when planting and you won’t have to bother to feed later.  Smarten up edges of lawns with shears or a lawn edger. For a classy finish, do what professional gardeners do — make the edge of the flower bed a little lower than the lawn to create a neat shadow gap.


eveningstandard--2019-11-15--The new wave of gardeners making our outside spaces eco-friendly

Boomer gardeners move over, a new wave of savvy young gardeners are finding solutions to the problems of our age.  Gardening isn’t always as green as it’s cracked up to be. We douse our plants in chemicals, waste precious water, rip carbon-locking peat out of the ground and use 500 million plastic plant pots a year, the vast majority of which end up in landfill.  We cover our gardens in paving shipped across the oceans and then we’re surprised when we get flash flooding. We replace our lawns with plastic turf and wonder where the insects and worms have gone.  We all want to do our bit for the environment, but most of us lack the knowledge or time to make the greenest choices in our own outdoor spaces.  Thank goodness for millennial and Generation Z gardeners, who are putting pressure on the industry to adapt.  These disruptors, writers and designers are forcing changes that will soon trickle down to the mainstream, so that trip to the garden centre or online purchase will be greener for us weekend gardeners.  In the meantime, they’re prepared to have tricky conversations with clients.  Go recycled where possible  For London garden designers, the pressure to deliver a low-maintenance, neat-looking garden for busy clients can be immense and it can be hard to balance that with sustainability.  “You have to have quite tricky conversations sometimes,” says 26-year-old London garden designer Amelia Bouquet (ameliabouquetgardendesign.com).  “My solution for those wanting a neat look is to use evergreen shrubs like ilex crenata and pittosporums that look nice all year round so you have that low-maintenance, neat element but that will help wildlife.”  In gardens, Bouquet uses Envirobuild furniture and composite decking made from recycled plastic and wood lumber (envirobuild.com), and eco-friendly outdoor paint organicnaturalpaint.co.uk).  At RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year she proved that green walls don’t have to be made from metal and plastic, with a trade stand adorned with flowering plants in wool felt pockets (woolfeltcompany.co.uk).  In collaboration with window box company Living Windows (livingwindows.co.uk), based in east London, Bouquet designs perky painted planters made out of timber offcuts from lumber yards, pallets and ply.  Chris Williams, 29, runs the Edibleculture nursery (edibleculture.co.uk) in Faversham, Kent, and has pioneered the POSIpot, currently making waves in the industry.  Realising how crazy it was that 99 per cent of all plastic pots are only used to transport a plant from the shop to your home before being discarded, he and his business partner David Ware devised a flatpack cardboard sleeve rather like a popcorn box into which you transfer your plant while in the garden centre.  Plastic pots are reused at the nursery and any broken ones are shredded into fibres for 3D printers.  No chemicals are used at Edibleculture and pests are kept in check with companion planting.  “It’s difficult to convince older people that we’re not loopy,’”says Williams.  Londoners wanting a bit of the green action can order plants and peat-free compost in a 50L bag for life from the nursery, which delivers by electric van.  So far another 16 nurseries have adopted the Posipot and Williams and Ware hope the large garden centre chains will follow suit.  Greener gardening can sometimes be about looking at plants in an entirely new way.  Why you should consider letting weeds run wild  For London designer and writer Jack Wallington (jackwallington.com), 38, one group of underappreciated plants can not only fit right in with a modern city garden aesthetic, but is the most environmentally friendly of all: weeds.  “Weeds grow where they want to grow,” says Wallington in his new book Wild About Weeds (published by Laurence King, £19.99).  “Most of them look good and flower for months on end. You don’t need to water them or feed them with fertiliser, and wildlife love them.”  He adores flowering wall weeds such as ivy-leaved toadflax and bellflower and suggests leaving them to colonise steps and brick walls.  Mind-your-own-business looks sensational spreading over paving and Herb-robert will fill a corner with pink flowers for months.  “I don’t want people to grow a whole garden of weeds,” says Wallington.  “Just find one that’s happy in your garden. Look at it and assess it as you would other plants. Everyone can find a weed for their design that ticks the eco-friendly boxes.”  Like most of this new wave of designers, Wallington won’t use chemicals or compost made from peat, lays minimal hard landscaping and uses permeable materials such as gravel as much as possible. He even sows plants for clients himself, a real labour of love.  Just don’t come to him if you want a plastic lawn…


eveningstandard--2019-11-22--Tired terrace with bomb shelter in garden transformed into dream home

With its hulking concrete bomb shelter in the garden, age-old boiler making alarming noises, and a scruffiness that comes with years of being rented out, the Victorian terrace house that Charlie Boardman took on did not scream “dream family home”.  The main attractions were location and price, while the main challenge was to transform it on a budget.  And, over the past five years, that is exactly what she has done — while simultaneously caring for her children, dealing with a divorce and running her own business.  From the smart monochrome encaustic tiles leading to the front door, to the newly converted loft, Charlie has taken a tired old house and made it a comfortable, practical, and stylish home for her and her two sons, Lochie, six, and Rafe, four.  Charlie, 37, and her now-ex-husband, were living in a flat in Maida Hill when they decided to upsize.  With a foothold on the property ladder already, they had a decent budget. But they didn’t want to move far, which limited their choices.  So Charlie was delighted to find this three-bedroom one-bathroom Victorian terrace in Kensal Green within budget.  “It had been let and it was damp, it had aluminium Sixties windows which didn’t open, and the boiler was dodgy. But it was very light and it had some outside space — even though there was a concrete bomb shelter taking up two thirds of the garden.”  The couple were able to stretch themselves with the sale of their flat and paid £1.05 million for the property in 2014. The following spring, with planning permission in place, they decided to move out to Charlie’s mother’s house in Tufnell Park while building went on.  Charlie has an advantage over most home renovators: she runs her own company, Bricks & Velvet, assisting Londoners with their building projects.  But even with her years of experience she chose a builder who let her down. The project was expected to take six months but by the end of 2015 it was nowhere near complete.  She remains slightly perplexed as to why the project failed to proceed as planned. Her builder was dealing with family illness, which may have contributed, but by Christmas she and her builder had parted company and she was hunting for a new firm to take on the project.  “The only good thing was that it didn’t end up going over budget because I never pay for work until it has been done,” she says.  The building work cost £150,000 plus VAT and involved a loft and a side return extension that increased the floorspace from about 1,400sq ft to 1,850sq ft, reconfiguring the layout of the rooms, and top-to-bottom renovation.  Fixtures and fittings, including the kitchen plus five shower rooms or bathrooms, added a further £80,000 plus VAT.  This works out at about £150 per square foot. The original sitting room and dining rooms had been knocked through into one big room, so Charlie put up a wall to create a cosy TV room, painted the walls in deep teal and added squishy velvet sofas and luscious, bright blinds made from House of Hackney’s Artemis velvet (£120 a metre).  “I wanted to have an adult space which was really calm,” she says.  She installed a wood-burning stove and to make storage, she designed a window seat with built-in cupboards.  She wanted her kitchen to be the main family room, with glass doors leading out on to the garden. To keep costs under control Charlie opted for an off-the-shelf kitchen from Howdens and had the cabinet doors painted a charcoal grey, with a contrasting honed quartz worktop.  The floors are oak, walls are pale grey and the dining table is a zinc-covered piece Charlie brought from the old flat.  The room is large enough for a play area for the boys and a couple of comfy sofas. The pantry is an exercise in organisation, with ingredients decanted into rows of matching jars.  And, using the space stolen from the living room, beside the kitchen, Charlie had an essential good-sized utility room installed.  There are four bedrooms on the two upper floors — two in the loft for the boys, and two on the first floor.  The master bedroom has a wall of built-in wardrobes, a monochrome shower room, and walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s blue-grey Pigeon.  The bed linen is crisp white and an original Ercol bench bought from one of the regular antiques markets held in the village of Ardingly, West Sussex, is placed at the foot of the bed. This cool, calm haven won the professional category in Homes & Property’s Home Design Awards 2019.  With extra bedrooms in the loft, Charlie has been able to use the final bedroom as a home office. “I knew that with children I wanted to work from home.”  The family moved back into their home in April 2016, though Charlie and her husband have now separated. During the build she had decided that the spare room would have, as well as a shower room, a small kitchenette so that it could be used as a self-contained studio.  She is now considering renting it out to help out with the finances.  Overall, she has achieved exactly what she set out to do.  “It is a comfortable family home — and a good showcase for my work when clients come in.”  Get the look • The front path and built-in bench in the back garden are tiled with Bert & May’s geometric encaustic tiles (priced from £2.10 per tile). • The antiqued glass tiles used as a splashback in the kitchen are from Rough Old Glass which sells hand-silvered “foxed” glass. Small tiles start from £6. • Charlie is a big House of Hackney fan — fabric and wallpaper — and had the curtains for the master bedroom made from its black and green Palmeral design (£120 per metre). • The living room is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue and the kitchen cabinets in the firm’s Downpipe shade (estate eggshell paint is priced at £103 for 5L). • Pick up antiques and vintage pieces at the Ardingly Antiques & Collectors Fair near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, an hour by train from London.


Top Gardening Tips

Growing your own food has many rewards, from providing you with fresher, uncontaminated produce and cutting your grocery bill, to increasing your sense of well-being and slashing your risk of depression.  Interestingly, research shows gardening is also the most common hobby among centenarians around the world, suggesting the benefits it provides may help maximize your longevity as well.  Likewise, research shows farmers are one-third less likely to have a chronic illness than non-farmers,1and are less likely to die from diabetes or heart disease.2 Research3 also shows elderly individuals who garden on a regular basis have a 36 percent lower risk of dementia than non-gardeners.  According to longevity researcher Dan Buettner, who has studied the habits and pastimes of centenarians around the world, people who live to 100 and beyond have a number of things in common, including strong social support networks, daily exercise habits, a plant-based diet — and gardening.4  Gardening Basics For D... Steven A. Frowine Best Price: $1.81 Buy New $11.05 (as of 09:55 EST - Details) Perhaps this is not so surprising when you consider that gardening fulfills several healthy lifestyle criteria, including:  7. Stress relief and general sense of well-being — As reported by BBC News:5  Indeed, many gardeners report feeling a sense of joyful well-being, and according to research from Johns Hopkins,7 having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death  8. Life purpose — As noted by Dr. Bradley Willcox of the University of Hawaii, who studies centenarians in Okinawa, an area known for having the highest ratio of centenarians in the world (approximately 50 per 100,000 people are over 100 years old), “In Okinawa, they say that anybody who grows old healthfully needs an ikigai, or reason for living. Gardening gives you that something to get up for every day”8  9. Life satisfaction — According to a Gardeners World magazine survey,9 80 percent of gardeners report being “happy” and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners, and the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores; 87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens  Gardening Can Be Done Even in Tiny Spaces  There are many different ways to grow your own food, even if you live in an apartment. If you have a yard, consider yourself blessed, but if not, Alex Mitchell’s book, “The Edible Balcony,”10 is an excellent resource for how to grow produce in small spaces. Gardening 101: Friends... Henry Owen, Katherine ... Check Amazon for Pricing.  You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including vertical space, for growing food. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes and a variety of herbs. And, instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard and chilies, to name just a few.  For tips on starting your own garden — whether large or small, indoors or outside, for winter or spring — see my previous articles on the following topics:  Rule No. 1 for growing nutrient-dense food is building healthy soil. There are five basic principles to growing topsoil and building a healthy soil ecosystem, and these rules apply whether you’re working a farm or tending a small vegetable garden in your backyard:  1.Avoid disturbing the soil microbiome — The less mechanical disturbance the better, which means no tillage, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides  2.Protect the soil’s surface — Use cover crops, untreated lawn clippings, mulch and wood chips to maintain soil biology, prevent water evaporation and lower soil temperature, which is particularly important on hot days  3.Diversify your crops — Having a diverse array of plant life is essential to healthy soil, and cover crops help fulfill this requirement  4.Maintain living roots in the ground as long as possible — Growing something at all times is key to soil vitality, so be sure to plant a cover crop after you harvest your vegetables  5.Integrate livestock and other animals, including insects — To mimic the impact of wild herds, regenerative farmers will pasture chickens, cows, lambs, pigs and other animals to benefit the soil and ensure a highly nutrient-dense finished product.  While many homeowners cannot keep farm animals on their property, you can easily attract pollinators and predator insects to ward off garden pests by including lots of flowering plants.  New to Gardening? Start With Sprouts  One of the simplest and most inexpensive gardening alternatives is to grow your own sprouts. They’re a particularly excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. They also grow quickly, allowing you to harvest in about a week, and you don’t have to cook them. Sprouts are also a perfect complement to fermented vegetables, which are also easy and inexpensive to make at home, from scratch.  Sprouts are actually among the most nutrient-dense foods out there. Topping the list are sunflower seed and pea sprouts, which are typically about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. Sunflower and pea sprouts are among my own favorites. Broccoli sprouts, known for their anticancer activity, are another excellent choice. Other commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include: 101 Organic Gardening ... Shawna Coronado Best Price: $4.44 Buy New $12.06 (as of 09:55 EST - Details)  Another plant that is easy to grow that has many valuable health benefits is fennel. All parts, including bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds, are edible, and have a delicious flavor reminiscent of licorice. Raw fennel contains more than 7 grams of dietary fiber per bulb, and each 1-cup serving contains 360 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 43 mg of calcium, 10 mg of vitamin C and 15 mg of magnesium.12  The nutrients in fennel helps support healthy digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, heart health and immune function, and help prevent inflammation and cancer.13  Many of the benefits of sprouts relate to the fact that plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients in their initial phase of growth. As a result, you need to eat far less sprouts, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. For example, when sprouting seeds, nuts, beans and grains you get:14  •Higher vitamin content — In some seeds, the vitamin content is increased by as much as 500 percent during the sprouting process15  •Higher enzyme content — Sprouts contain an estimated 100 times more enzymes than fresh fruits and vegetables. These enzymes allow your body to extract higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from other foods you eat in conjunction with the sprouts as well  •Increased essential fatty acid and fiber content — The essential fatty acid and fiber content also increases dramatically during the sprouting process. Most people do not get enough fiber or healthy fats in their diet for optimal health, and sprouts can be a great source of both  •Increased bioavailability of minerals and protein — When the seed starts to sprout, minerals such as calcium and magnesium bind to proteins in the seed, which makes both the minerals and the protein more readily available and usable in your body.  In addition, the proteins are altered in beneficial ways during the process of sprouting, so you get more, and higher quality, protein from sprouts compared to eating the unsprouted seed  Many say they cannot afford to eat fresh and healthy foods, but sprouts are so inexpensive, there’s really no excuse for avoiding them, especially if you grow them yourself. Doing so can cut the cost by about 90 percent or more, compared to buying them.  My Sprout Doctor Starter Kit provides everything you need to get started, and comes with a bag each of sunflower shoots, broccoli sprouts and pea shoot seeds. When grown in soil, you can harvest your sprouts in about a week, and 1 pound of seed can produce over 10 pounds of sprouts.  Sunflower shoots will give you the most volume for your effort and, in my opinion, have the best taste. In one 10-by-10 tray, you can harvest between 1 and 2 pounds of sunflower sprouts. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Broccoli sprouts look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, which most people like. They’re perfect for adding to salads and sandwiches, and are especially tasty in combination with fresh avocado. 101 Chicken Keeping Ha... Lisa Steele Best Price: $11.18 Buy New $14.54 (as of 09:55 EST - Details)  I’ve partnered with a company in a small town in Vermont that develops, breeds, and grows their own seeds, and are industry leaders in seed safety for sprouts and shoots. All of my seeds are non-GMO, certified organic, and packed with nutrition.  As growing numbers of people are becoming excited about local food, healthier eating and greener cities, there’s renewed interest in the development of urban agriculture around the country.  However, it’s important to educate yourself about your city (including your homeowner’s association), state and federal ordinances16 before you plunge your shovel into the ground. There’s nothing fun about getting a citation for breaking the law.17  Zoning laws and ordinances are constantly changing, so you really need to do your due diligence in planning your urban garden. Common garden and yard care laws include:  A policy reference guide to community gardening can be found on PublicHealthLawCenter.org. Below are a few other resources that may assist you in your quest as well. Whether you want to plant organic veggies, a berry patch, or a much larger edible landscape project, make sure you are proceeding within the legal guidelines before you start, in order to avoid major headaches down the road.  Take Control of Your Health by Growing Some of Your Own Food  There is no magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Aches, pains, forgetfulness and loneliness are not automatic givens. You can achieve physical and psychological wellness at any age. For me, in many ways life continues to get better as the years go by.  It does require a measure of effort, however. To improve your health, you need to take proactive steps today, and every day going forward. Starting a garden, even if it’s just growing a batch of sprouts on your countertop, is perhaps one of the most rewarding steps you can take that will support your health in numerous ways. And, if you keep it up, you may even find yourself enjoying the boons well into old age.  The Best of Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2019-06-19--5 Beneficial Bugs You Want in Your Garden

Have you ever asked yourself what a garden really is? That may sound like a dumb question, but I bring it up because the textbook definition of a garden doesn’t really do the word any justice. A dictionary will just tell you that a garden is a space where plants are grown, even though it’s so much more than that.  In reality, a garden is a place where humans have learned to tame the forces of nature for their benefit. It’s where we use natural processes to grow the things we need, and growing your own food is basically like hijacking mother nature. That sounds way cooler, doesn’t it?  It’s also a much more accurate description of a garden. Humans don’t really grow food, not like we build houses or pave streets. Our work doesn’t involve constructing a plant, it involves creating the best conditions for that plant to grow on its own. It’s all about fostering natural processes to produce something that we need.  Edible Wild Plants: A ... Thomas Elias, Peter Dy... Best Price: $11.39 Buy New $8.00 (as of 10:40 EDT - Details) One of the ways we can do that is by attracting the right kind of bugs to our garden. That statement might also sound kind of dumb, at least to rookie gardener anyway. Most of us were raised on the idea that bugs are a menace, and we must spray our gardens with pesticides to keep them away, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of species that are beneficial to our gardens. They can pollinate your plants, fight pests, and in some cases, they can help fertilize your soil. If these are the kinds of benefits you want your garden to have, here’s how you can attract these critters.  Some of the worst pests you can have in your garden are the ones you can barely see. Fortunately, ladybugs have a big appetite for many of them, including aphids, mites, and mealy bugs. They are attracted to certain plants that produce pollen, like buckwheat, dandelion, mustard, coriander, cilantro, dill, and so many others.  I know you probably don’t want spiders, but your garden sure does. These guys are one of the most prolific bug killers in the animal kingdom, and they’re a great way to keep your garden spotless. Fortunately, you don’t really need to attract them per say, since they are so abundant all over the world. They’ve probably already found their way to your garden at some point.  The real trick is getting them to stay. For that, you need to give them a home. A nice cool little nook that they can cuddle up in. One of the best things you can do is lay down some mulch between the spaces of your plants, like grass clippings or dried leaves. This will shelter them from the elements, retain moisture for them to drink, and keep them close to your plants.  Bees are excellent pollinators, and much like spiders, you need to provide the right conditions for them to build their home. For ground dwelling bees, one of the most important attributes they are looking for, is privacy, especially when they first start a colony. They want to settle in a space that won’t be disturbed. You can give them a bare patch of loose soil, topped off by some debris like leaves and rotting wood. The spot also needs sunlight but not too much. An ideal spot would have sun in the morning, but would have some shade in the late afternoon when it gets really hot. They also seem to prefer sloped locations that face south.  Wood dwelling bees like to make their homes in trees, and one of the easiest ways you can duplicate that is by drilling holes in a fence post or a rotting stump. In both cases, the bees need a source of water, and an ideal source would include a really shallow puddle of some kind, with perhaps a few pebbles that they can land on and drink from. They of course, also need plenty of flowers to pollinate, of which there are many species that they prefer alongside many of the foods you are probably growing.


naturalnews--2019-01-01--How to build a self-sufficient garden on as little as a quarter of an acre

Starting a home garden is one of the first steps that you can take to become self-sufficient. Like other aspects of prepping and survival, home gardening requires dedication and hard work yet it is also incredibly rewarding.  With some planning and the use of certain techniques and principles, your home garden can provide vegetables for the whole family. You won’t even need that much land since you can make do with as little as a quarter of an acre. This means even preppers who live in the suburbs can try their hand at home gardening.  Before you start sowing seeds, you must figure out how much food you need and can grow. These two things will depend on various factors, like the climate, garden space, the size of your family, and how much food everyone requires. (Related: A simple 5-step guide to starting your own vegetable garden.)  Back in the 1970s, research by John Jeavons and the Ecology Action Organization determined that 4,000 square feet (or 370 square meters) of growing space, with another 4000 square feet for access paths and storage, is enough land area to provide for an individual on a vegetarian diet for one year. This land is enough to cultivate a garden plot that’s about 80 feet x 100 feet (24 meters x 30 meters).  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  After making the necessary adjustments, such as if you have a larger household, start figuring out how many pounds of each vegetable your family eats in a week. The answer will help you determine what kinds of produce you need to grow.  For instance, if your family consumes about five pounds (lbs) (two kilograms [kg]) of potatoes weekly, you’ll need 20 lbs (nine kg) monthly or 240 lbs (109 kg) yearly. To meet your family’s needs, you must grow around 240 lbs, with a bit of overage in case you lose plants to disease, pests, or other problems.  Don’t waste garden space growing something that your whole family doesn’t like to eat and fill your garden with vegetables that your family can eat a lot of.  Try to plant early, mid, and late varieties of your crops. This gives you access to a steady flow of produce that’s spread throughout the growing season. Doing so can also minimize losses because of pests and diseases since the plants are in different stages of growth at different times.  Grow at least three different varieties of a certain vegetable. If you plant potatoes, choose a first early, second early, and main crop variety. You can also plant seasonal varieties, such as apples, beans, corn, onions, and peas.  Replant after you harvest your first early potatoes, then start planting quick growing crops in June.  You’ll have enough time to harvest these vegetables as well.  Use cold frames, greenhouses, or a hoop house to add a couple more weeks at the start and end of the growing season. If you live in an area with cooler climates, this will make it easier to grow tender crops like cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes. These methods can also protect your crops from unseasonal weather (e.g., wet summers) and pests like birds or small mammals.  You will learn as you go, so don’t feel bad if not everything works out as you planned it. To become totally self-sufficient, you might have to experience at least several seasons of practice. As you learn more about home gardening, you’re also gradually adding fresh produce to your kitchen and saving on your grocery bills.  Aside from the practical benefits of growing your own food, home gardening can also teach your children how to eat better and stay healthy they get older.  It doesn’t matter if you own several acres of land or a tiny plot in your backyard. As long as you put in the hard work, you can learn how to become self-sufficient by growing your own vegetables.  Visit HomeGardeningNews.com to browse more articles with tips on how to cultivate your own garden.


naturalnews--2019-01-01--REPORT Gardening may have a bigger impact than medication on preserving health

REPORT: Gardening may have a bigger impact than medication on preserving health

(Natural News) Patients with mental health problems, dementia, and cancer should spend more time gardening, a report says. British health charity, King’s Fund, urges the National Health Service (NHS) to have general practitioners prescribe gardening as an alternative treatment to standard prescription medicine. The report says that this activity can dramatically improve overall health. The cumulative effect is attributed to gardens “appeal[ing] to the senses — particularly touch and smell — which are important for people.” The report goes on to state that gardening, and being outside in general, proves to be extremely beneficial for those with mental health issues.  Former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health at the Department of Health, Jane Ellison MP backs this plan, stating the gardening is “profoundly good for you…[it] is a great way of keeping people active, of keeping them outside and keeping their sense of well-being very high. There are things we can do around physical activity in particular that bring immediate payback…I am trying to put this right across the agenda of dementia and cancer.”  Numerous studies show the cognitive benefits of gardening. More than anything, the act of cultivating life seems to evoke feelings of calm and contentment among people. These effects have been researched as far back as the 1940s, with an article released in the American Medical Association stating, “the chief benefits of gardening as therapy lie in the dim, almost uncharted area of our emotions.” The authors of this 1948 article said that gardening prescriptions should be more prevalent, but noted that the increasing influence of big pharmacological companies would put this therapy plan to the back burner.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  More than 60 years later, and nothing has changed. Those with mental illness are told to take synthetic medicine — even if several studies detail the various side-effects of doing so.  Gardening is an ideal alternative and integrative therapy. Studies show that gardening reduces stress levels. The act of planting reduces cortisol, the stress hormone. Other research cites an almost 20 percent reduction in violence among dementia patients who engaged in regular gardening. President of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) says, “I have long been aware of the therapeutic benefits of gardening — you don’t need pills so get out in the garden and enjoy it. It’s essential.”  “For me, there is a different evidential bar in something like social prescribing for people to get out doing gardening than there is for a vastly expensive new cancer drug,” adds Ellison.  The effects of gardening extend beyond cognitive function. The activity also strengthens the immune system by exposing people to a moderate-intensity exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week can dramatically reduce the risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and a plethora of other diseases. Gardening can help you achieve the required 2.5 hour goal each week. It is estimated that three hours of gardening is equivalent to an hour in the gym, in terms of number of calories burned. To note, studies also show that those who garden are more likely to exercise 40 to 50 minutes longer on average than those who prefer to walk or bike.  Gardening also exposes people to fresh air and natural sunlight. Data published in Biological Psychiatry concluded that fresh air can help prevent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Gardening also introduces children to helpful microorganisms that help them develop better immune systems. A report from the National Wildlife Federation concludes that children who spend most of their time indoors show a greater propensity for being obese and suffering from a vitamin D deficiency.  While there has yet to be a single, conclusive study on the overall effects of gardening on health, wellness experts suggest spending a few hours outside. If nothing else, gardening gives you the opportunity to spend less time watching TV and binge-eating on unhealthy food.


naturalnews--2019-03-24--One seed at a time Tips for growing your own vegetable garden

One seed at a time: Tips for growing your own vegetable garden

When planning a vegetable garden, start by outlining your goals for the coming growing season. If you’ve already started gardening, take note of some mistakes that you made in the previous season so you can avoid them as you restart your garden.  Here are five tips that can help you become a better gardener.  Before you start planting seeds, formulate a realistic plan of action. Begin each year by making a list of plants that you want to grow. Creating this list will help you map out how much food you plan on growing for your family.  Study which plants can be planted in close proximity – such as bunching onions, lettuce, and spinach – and which ones need lots of space – like melons and pumpkins. Next, research which vegetables and fruits are suitable for intercropping or interplanting.  Intercropping means “planting two vegetables in the same space,” especially crops that can share space amicably. Try to plant early crops that will be removed from the garden next to late-season crops. Intercropping also combines plants to save space.  Choose ideal pairs from the lists below.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  After you’ve done your research, start drawing out how your garden will look. Having an actual plan will help you stay on target for the space you will allot when you start planting in your garden.  If you wish to create biodiversity in your future garden, start with the soil. You can make homemade fertilizers using items that are normally thrown out, like banana peels, egg shells, and used coffee grounds. These organic materials can produce a “nutrient-rich, full spectrum fertilizer” that will slowly release the nutrients to the soil in your garden. (Related: A beginner’s guide to gardening: 10 Expert tips everyone must consider.)  Alternatively, you can help your crops grow by adding a compost bin to your garden. Composting will put brown and green items to good use since they are full of nitrogen and carbon-rich materials.  Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are anything grown in a laboratory using modern techniques, like gene splicing. GMO seeds produce vegetables that may contain allergens or toxins, which you don’t want in your food.  If you’re buying seeds for long-term sustainability, you need non-hybrid and heirloom quality seeds. Non-GMO seeds will produce fertile seeds that can be stored for future harvests. Grow non-hybrid seeds using only organic fertilizers so your vegetables have access to the best nutrients that nature can provide.  If you want to save money, start early by growing your own seeds. Check the optimum growing time for your location, then start around that time.  Another way to get a head start is by making your own seed starting mix. This will save you money, and it can also give your plants the best chance at growing hearty roots. To make a healthy seed starting mix, use light, well-screened materials that promote root growth. These materials will also ensure that the mix doesn’t compact in small seed starting cells or containers.  Other factors to consider are good moisture retention and drainage. Soil that is too moist may result in damping off, which can make pathogens grow. Damp soil can also kill or weaken seeds or seedlings before or after they germinate.  After you choose your seeds, the early stages of your gardening process will involve starting your seeds. If the weather is dreary, get a head start on your future garden by starting the seeds indoors.  Seeds started indoors can produce earlier and longer harvests. This gardening method doesn’t require special equipment – all you need is moist soil, comfortable temperatures, and a bit of hard work.  Longer growing varieties such as broccoli, cauliflower, and onions will benefit the most from indoor growing methods. Doing this also allows you to control their growing environment.  These tips should help you get your home garden started. In time, you will have access to nutritious and organically grown vegetables even after SHTF.


naturalnews--2019-06-27--FARMacy Gardening does wonders for your mood

FARMacy: Gardening does wonders for your mood

(Natural News) Stressed, anxious, and depressed students may find relief in gardening. The Counseling and Psychology Services (CAP) department of the University of Central Florida (UCF) prescribes gardening to improve their students’ mental health.  UCF mental health clinicians encourage their students to volunteer at the campus’ botanical garden where they can engage in a peaceful environment through activities like gardening. This garden prescription is part of their movement called “Thrive with CAPS” which aims to provide viable, preemptive strategies for healthier coping with stress and anxiety among students. (Related: Gardening and volunteering boosts mental health, relieving stress, anxiety and depression.)  This concept is a non-stigmatizing approach to mental wellness. It encourages students to engage in wellness behaviors not because they are anxious or depressed, but because they can live better quality lives and learn how to better cope with life’s challenges. Associate Director Teresa Michaelson also said they want their students to think about their own well-being, health, and self-care.  “Instead of focusing on, ‘I’m depressed and sad all the time,’ let’s shift it to, ‘I’m struggling right now, so I need to take extra steps to care for myself. What are some things I can do to help me feel better?'” said Michaelson.  Gardening and being one with nature provides numerous health benefits and positive feelings, which contribute to a healthy state of well-being. Being one with nature gives you a safe, peaceful environment where you can relax and quiet your mind.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  “There’s something inherent in connecting with nature,” said Larry Marks, a member of the CAPS clinical staff. “It taps your senses in different ways from seeing the greenery and expansive views, and allows you to get away from the hectic campus life to a more calming atmosphere. You might hear some nature sounds, smell the fresh air, feel the sun and the warmth on your skin. It taps into a lot of your senses, which contributes to a sense of calmness.”  Gardening is also a mood-boosting form of exercise. Digging, lifting, weeding, and raking are considered physical activities, and engaging in these can help combat mental illness. During exercise, the brain releases endorphins, which improves mood and increases productivity. Gardening is also gentle, so it provides an effective workout without putting too much stress on your body – unlike running.  Exposure to sunshine can promote the release of serotonin, a hormone that acts as a mood stabilizer. It can also increase the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that regulates body clocks, helping you to sleep better at night.  If you have low confidence or self-esteem problems, gardening can be an effective way to boost your self-worth. Gardening can give you a sense of achievement when you get to harvest and eat your own produce. Seeing the results of your hard work can be satisfying.  Additionally, volunteering can be a great way to socialize. Having a support group can help you recover from your mental illness. The act of volunteering itself also amplifies those positive feelings. The university’s arboretum staff guides and teaches volunteers how to maintain the community garden. They get a couple hundred volunteers every semester, and many of them say that they’ve had fun and relieved stress after a shift.  Take care of your mental health and beat depression by connecting more with nature.


naturalnews--2019-08-02--You dont need an outdoor garden for these 6 vegetables

You don't need an outdoor garden for these 6 vegetables

(Natural News) If you want to start a home garden but you live in an apartment – don’t despair. By being creative and resourceful, you can grow nutrient-rich veggies like carrots and kale indoors.  Keep these tips in mind before you start planting your vegetables. (h/t to UKSurvivalGuides.com)  Use the right pots.  To grow well, indoor plants need well-draining soil.  This means you have two options:  Use the right kind of soil.  It is best to use rich and fertile soil so your vegetables can thrive.  You can either buy organic potting soil or make your own, but different plants require different kinds of soil. One option is to get an organic standard potting mix that will net good results with most plants.  Create the best environment for your plants.  Ideally, the containers for your indoor garden should be placed in a warm and sunny area. However, if you have bad weather or your windows don’t have access to the sun, you can use grow lights instead.  These will recreate the light and temperature necessary for optimal growing conditions.  Preppers and home gardeners know that even if you don’t have a small plot of land in your yard, you can still grow the following vegetables in containers right inside your house.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  To cultivate shorter varieties of carrots, you’ll need a container about eight inches deep. For longer varieties, you’ll need 12 inch-deep containers to allow the vegetables to reach their full size.  Kale is a popular superfood you can grow indoors. One benefit of growing kale is that you can harvest the bigger leaves first. The smaller leaves can be left intact for a later harvest.  Even beginners can grow lettuce indoors since they require only a bit of space to grow. If you plan to grow lettuce, make sure you have sunny windows for your pots.  When selecting lettuce mixes, opt for those marketed as cutting lettuces or leaf lettuce varieties. Using these types of mixes allows you to harvest the leaves as the plant grows back. This way, you get more lettuce while putting in only half the work.  Microgreens are easy to grow indoors. They are perfect for home gardeners who want to cultivate a nutrient-rich plant that is not only delicious but also grows fast and only requires a bit of space. (Related: Easily grow vegetables indoors.)  Scallions will give any dish an oniony taste, which is great for those who don’t have enough space to grow onions indoors.  Tomatoes are suited for indoor gardens because they can thrive in containers. However, tomatoes require sunlight and you need to keep your pots near a well-lit window.  By growing vegetables indoors, you can ensure that you’re cultivating GMO-free produce. At the same time, home gardening will help you save a bit of money.


naturalnews--2019-08-27--5 Garden hacks to boost production and reduce loss

Post hole diggers are versatile tools. Aside from their main purpose, which is to dig narrow holes for building fences or installing posts, you can use post hole diggers for planting.  Planting with shovels and trowels can put some pressure on your back and knees. Make things easier for yourself by using a post hole digger to plant vegetable transplants.  Try this out by using a post hole digger to create a uniform planting hole. These holes can also be used as an opening for back-filling with soil mix used for growing plants. Combine compost, coffee grounds, eggshells, and worm castings with the garden soil to back-fill. (Related: Homesteading tricks: 2 Secrets that can get rid of weeds in your home garden FOREVER.)  Don’t throw eggshells away. Save them to prevent blossom rot in your garden. Crops with blossom rot like tomatoes will have a black, rotten spot at the bottom.  This condition occurs because the developing fruit of a plant doesn’t get enough calcium. Blossom rot isn’t caused by a plant disease like a fungus or bacteria. Crops that may develop blossom rot include cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, and squash.  To treat and prevent blossom rot, leave some crushed eggshells into each planting hole. This gives the tomatoes the calcium they need.  Get CLEAN FOOD and help support our mission to keep you informed: The Health Ranger Store lab verifies everything we sell with accredited testing for heavy metals, microbiology and food safety. Certified organic facility, ISO-accredited on-site laboratory, no GMOs or synthetic ingredients. The world's #1 source of lab-verified clean foods and superfoods for nutritional healing. 600+ products available. Explore now.  Additionally, you can use crushed eggshells to keep slugs away from your plants. Sprinkle some crushed shells around the top of each plant. The sharp edges of crushed eggshells will hurt the slugs as they crawl over the shells, keeping them away from your crops.  Last but least, crushed eggshells can also be added to a compost pile.  Did you know that you can grow cucumbers on straw bales?  First, cut three evenly spaced holes on top of a straw bale. Make each hole about eight inches deep and six inches in diameter.  Fill the holes with a mixture of compost, potting soil, and worm castings. Straw bale is the perfect height to let the plants use a trellis to cascade over.  Use old pantyhose to protect cabbages from worms. It can also keep out pests that attack heads of broccoli and cauliflower.  As the young cabbage heads start to emerge, cover the top of the heads with pantyhose. This unusual covering is the perfect barrier for various kinds of pests.  Pantyhose is also elastic so your crops can grow easily even when covered with it. Leave the pantyhose on to protect your broccoli, cabbages, and cauliflower until they mature.  Home gardeners who want to use natural methods of keeping out pests can plant hot peppers around the outer rows of their crops. Hot peppers won’t just keep pests away from your plants, they can also help deter groundhogs, rabbits, and squirrels that want to munch on your vegetables.  Try covering your cabbages with pantyhose and plant hot peppers around your crops to keep pests out of your garden naturally.


naturalnews--2019-09-07--Tips for growing your own food without a garden even if you live in a tiny apartment

Tips for growing your own food without a garden, even if you live in a tiny apartment

Here are some suggestions for preppers who want to grow their own food even without a backyard garden.  If you want to grow more than just herbs in an indoor garden, plant vegetables in pots and various containers throughout your apartment. (Related: Self-sufficiency training: How to practice homesteading in an apartment or tiny home.)  Listed below are some of the best herbs and vegetables to grow in an apartment with lots of sunny windows:  If you’re not sure if you want to start a home garden, try joining a community garden first to get a feel for gardening. Community gardens allow groups of people to grow different types of flowers, fruits, herbs, and vegetables in either individual or shared plots of land.  There are many ways to make a difference once you join a community garden. Aside from growing organic produce that are free from harmful pesticides, you can donate a portion of your harvest to local food banks or soup kitchens.  Home gardening doesn’t have to be a solo endeavor.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  Do you have relatives or friends who want to start gardening but don’t know how? Partner with them to start a co-owned garden.  If they have space in their yard, provide the labor and share your crops with each other. Use your creativity to make the most of the space available to you.  Another option is to join Community-Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs), especially if you want easy access to farm ingredients.  Even if you already have a home garden, you can join a CSA to have access to a larger variety of freshly grown produce. When you join a CSA, you can purchase shares of fresh fruits, vegetables, or other kinds of food from local producers.  Generally, CSA members send their payments at the beginning of the year. Your shares will then be delivered to you either weekly or biweekly throughout the growing season.  If you join a CSA, your money will help support local farmers.  Use online shops or social media to find supplies for your home garden. You can also search online if you need to get in touch with other homesteaders or local producers.  Join groups for local homesteaders and trade produce or learn tips from your fellow gardening enthusiasts.  You can learn a lot by reading articles and joining forums online, but the best way to develop your gardening skills is by learning from experts and gaining hands-on experience. Improve your current skills and develop new ones by volunteering at local farms.  Keep in mind that not all farmers will accept your offer, but you won’t know until you ask around and find a willing mentor.  If you don’t have enough space for a garden in your apartment, get your groceries from a farmer’s market. Support your local foods movement by purchasing fresh and locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats, and more.  Shopping at a farmer’s market means you also directly support small farms.  There are many ways to grow your own food even if you don’t have your own garden. If you want to eat healthier, start a container garden or shop at farmer’s markets.  Read FoodFreedom.news for more articles about food self-reliance.


naturalnews--2019-10-04--Home gardening basics How to grow these 5 vegetables that maximize your crop yield

Home gardening basics: How to grow these 5 vegetables that maximize your crop yield

(Natural News) Growing your own vegetables is tricky. You never know how the weather, the soil, or other factors might affect them. To maximize the yield of your crops, it’s best to do your homework on the vegetables that you want to plant.  Here are just five vegetables you can grow. (h/t to TheOrganicPrepper.com)  Listed below are five vegetables which you can grow in your own home. It tackles five fundamental factors to consider when planting:  Always consider these factors when choosing plants for your garden.  Asparagus is a perennial vegetable rich in B-vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  Basil is a versatile vegetable used in many culinary creations. It is also one of the easiest plants to grow yourself.  Borage provides leaves that you can use for tea, and blue flowers to decorate your salad. Every part of it is edible, aside from the roots.  You can grow your own broccoli to use a wide array of dishes. It is also rich in vitamins K and C.  Chamomile has a lot of varieties, but the one used to make tea is German chamomile. Make sure to check this first when getting your seeds or seedlings.  Learn more about planting vegetables in your own home at Homesteading.news.


naturalnews--2019-10-14--Urban gardening: 6 Vegetables to grow in your backyard

You can also grow veggies on rooftops or your windowsill. Use large, deep containers to give the plants a lot of room to grow. Most plants require about six hours of sunlight daily, but herbs and salad greens can survive with less.  The vegetables below can be grown in containers or sown into the ground, depending on how much space you have in your home.  Broccoli seeds planted in mid to late summer should be ready for the fall harvest. Broccoli does well in full sun and well?drained soil. Some kinds of broccoli can handle a light frost.  For spring harvest, start broccoli indoors about four to six weeks before the last frost. For fall harvest, start the plants indoors two to three months before the first frost.  Transplant the broccoli into your garden when the plants are three inches tall and root systems are established. Plant broccoli by sowing seeds in 1/4-inch deep soil. They prefer full sun with about 15 to 18 inches of space per plant.  When growing broccoli in containers, use those that are about 18 inches in diameter and about three gallons in size. Broccoli needs containers with good drainage.  Use a light soil and grow only one plant per container because broccoli needs lots of room to grow. Harvest after 60 to 90 days.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  Carrots are easy vegetables to grow. They favor cooler weather, and it’s better to grow them during fall, winter, or early spring. Carrots can be harvested after 73 days, but if you prefer sweeter carrots, harvest your crops earlier.  Start carrots outdoors, after a frost. Plant them in full sun and leave three seeds per inch. When they reach one to two inches high, thin seedlings two to three inches apart. Don’t overwater them.  When growing carrots in containers, use deep pots to give them room to grow. Plant carrots in lightweight soil that drains well. Carrots grown in containers require very regular watering. Mulch carrots to maintain moisture and prevent weeds from growing.  Dark greens include vegetables like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. These leafy greens can be planted two to three weeks before the last frost. Harvest individual leaves throughout the growing cycle.  Sow seeds directly into the soil in holes 1/2-inch deep and six to eight inches apart. Dark greens favor full or partial sun and cooler temperatures during spring or fall. Harvest after 50 to 60 days, depending on the vegetable.  To grow dark greens in a container, use a pot about six inches deep and six inches in diameter. Move the containers to the shade on hot days.  Dark greens are usually sweeter and less bitter if you grow them during cooler weather.  Peas favor winter and it is resistant to frost, making it one of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Start peas three to four weeks before the last frost date. Peas can germinate in temperatures as low as 45 degrees. Start seeds indoors or sown directly into the soil.  Plant peas in full sun in one-inch deep soil. Keep seeds six inches apart. Harvest peas after 50 days.  When growing peas in a container, use a large pot since the plant spreads out. Spread peas evenly across the surface, then cover them with several inches of soil.  The nitrogen in fertilizer may negatively affect your harvest so use fertilizer sparingly. Keep the soil moist and leave the container in full sun. Add a trellis so the peas can climb.  Salad greens like lettuce can be grown in a warm, sunny windowsill. Succession planting gives you access to salad greens throughout the season.  Sow lettuce seeds directly into the soil and stagger plantings every two to three weeks. Plant the seeds in soil that’s half an inch deep and six to eight inches apart.  To grow lettuce in a container garden, use a well-drained pot six to 12 inches in diameter. Don’t overwater lettuce because the roots will rot. Lettuce requires frequent shallow watering.  Lettuce will grow in full or partial sun and during spring or fall. Depending on the type of lettuce, crops can be harvested after 39 to 45 days.  As lettuce grows, cut the outer leaves for salads and let inner leaves continue growing.  Plant tomatoes in early spring and again in midsummer. Start tomato seeds indoors, then transplant when full leaves set. Harden young plants for one to two weeks before planting.  Plant tomato seeds in soil that’s 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep. When transferring tomatoes to your garden, space the plants 36 inches apart. Tomatoes thrive in full sun.  Tomatoes should be planted in very large containers that are about 18 inches in diameter. Use deep and well-drained soil so the plant can develop a hardy root system.  Keep the soil consistently moist, not wet. Tomatoes require supports like a cage or stakes. Add diluted liquid fertilizer every two weeks and leave your containers in full sun. You can harvest them after 62 to 100 days.  During the off-season, gather some essentials for your garden like pots and seeds. Plan out what you’re going to plant, then mark important dates on your calendar such as the first and last frost, when to start and sow seeds, and when to transplant seedlings outdoors. Finally, take note of estimated harvest dates.  Vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods available. Start your journey to healthy and sustainable living with your very own home garden.