Harry Potter books and movies have been a huge success around the world. And with the newest movie about to be released on July 17th, 2009, a Harry Potter theme garden might be a perfect addition to your garden. This could also encourage your children to take an interest in gardening.
photo credit: tinyfroglet

Creating a Harry Potter theme garden will depend on your growing climate, plants available and a little creativity on your part.

Hagrid, a popular character from the story, had a garden along with a charming cottage. The cottage would be somewhat difficult to copy but a fairie house would be a good replacement and fairie homes have that mystical feel to them.

Pumpkins also grew in Hagrid’s garden. In the current movie Hagrid grows huge orange pumpkins. Any pumpkin would fit in this theme garden including the miniature pumpkins, or the Lumina pumpkins (called ghost pumpkins by some), which are white on the outside and orange on the inside.

Hellebores, which grow in a multitude of colors varieties, grow well in many climates. They are mentioned many times in the Harry Potter series and are used for making potions. The Kingston cardinal is one example of a Hellebore.
photo credit: alice-palace

There are many magical plants mentioned in the Harry Potter movie but they are not real.

But with a little creativity you can substitute actual plants in your own Harry Potter theme garden creation.

For example,

• you could use  Balloon flowers or Chinese lanterns in place of puffapods.
• The money plant has a unique look and would fit into the garden well.
• Flowering cabbage or kale could be used to represent mandrakes.
• Bat plants, Venus flytrap and any evening flower such as a moonflower would add interest to the garden.
• And you will find many herbs would have a look that would fit into this them garden well. Ginger, sage, nettle and wormwood are a few examples.

You will learn more about all the magical plants in the world of Harry Potter by visiting  the plant section of the Harry Potter Lexicon website.

Night lights and garden art would add more interest too as would varying heights in the garden. And any garden seems to benefit from mini pond or rustic fountain.

This is a project your children may really enjoy and lead them to years of gardening. And any theme garden add fun to your garden and backyard

Technorati Tags: plants, theme garden, Theme Gardens

I had read that there were numerous advantages to setting up your own nursery indoors at home. The prices of fresh produce were very expensive and I often could not afford it. I also liked the fact that my own produce could remain pesticide free.
photo credit: schnaars

After I read about all of the benefits of setting up an indoor nursery at home I was excited to give it a try. The article recommended the equipment that I would need to get started.

First you will have to find an area that has enough space to set up your plants.

Just make sure that the area you select does not get too cold. Garages and basements make great places to start your seedlings as long as they are heated.

Assemble whatever table or shelving system that you will be using for your plants and set up your trays filled with potting soil.

When starting your own indoor nursery, you should experiment with a variety of different seeds. Try out some fresh herbs and vegetables and a few different types of flowering annuals.

Remember whatever you can not plant at your home, your neighbors and friends will be happy to use in their gardens.

Many people choose a fluorescent grow light to stimulate the initial growth of the plants. These light are energy efficient and perfect for use in small areas, such as an at home nursery. A fluorescent grow light generates a lot less heat than some of the other types of grow lights and can be placed in much closer proximity to the plants.

A fluorescent grow light is also very affordable. You can use them in virtually any size space and there are a number of models available to fit your budget.

The article also informed me about the latest in technology for nursery and greenhouse lighting. Ufo led grow lights are environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and an excellent choice for starting seedlings. Many nurseries and greenhouses have already made the switch to ufo led lighting.

Even though ufo led lights are more expensive to purchase initially, in the long run they will save you money. Your electric bill will be lower and the bulbs will not need to be replaced as frequently as others.

In these economic times it just makes sense to establish your own indoor nursery.

You will save yourself money and have direct control over the types of plants that are available to you.

Technorati Tags: container gardening, fluorescent grow light, indoor plants, ufo led

Everyone I talk to this year is battling strange summer weather conditions. It may be a drought, too much rain or cold weather. Weather that is abnormal or constantly changes will make for poor crops and plant diseases.
photo credit: aresauburn™

Rainfall every other day creates the perfect setup for foliar fungal diseases on vegetables.

Many fungal diseases thrive and spread in a humid climate where plants stay wet for long periods of time.

Other fungi prefer cooler wet weather.

Whichever situation you are facing in your area, these conditions will create plant disease unless extra steps are taken to help.

Good air circulation will help plants stay healthy. Remove any sickly leaves and keep weeds down.  You may also decide to plant disease resistant vegetable varieties as a precaution for humid or wet weather conditions.

Fungicides such as Daconil can be used to help combat these diseases. Always make sure you diagnosis the plants problem before spraying a fungicide.

Many fungal diseases appear first as leaf spots. Common plant diseases in the garden are early blight and late blight on tomatoes and Irish potatoes, rust on snap and pole beans, and powdery mildew on squash, cucumbers and watermelons.

Another weather condition that affects the vegetable garden is fluctuations in day and night temperatures.

Stunted growth and dieback may occur and about the only way to correct this is to replant the plants. It may seem drastic but unhealthy plants do not produce well and may spread disease to healthy plants

Deformed tomatoes or catfacing are common problems if the weather is cool and cloudy at the time of bloom. And tomatoes tend to crack during rainy periods when the temperature is relatively high. This happens more when rains follow a long, dry period.

Many of the cosmetic flaws found on fruit may be attributed to drastic changes in temperature and moisture levels during the flowering sage and even during the first stages of fruit developing.

Lack of pollination, petal drop, or no fruit in some vegetables may also be attributed to drastic changes in weather patterns or abnormal temperatures.

Sprays will help any disease from plants that are stressed from bad weather conditions but poor fruit or vegetable crops really cant be controlled unless you grow you crops in containers, which can be moved indoors or into a greenhouse or if you can cover your crops.

Poor weather conditions can affect any area and my NW Pennsylvania garden has seen a few too many unpredictable gardens seasons in the last few years.

For this reason I have learned to always grow a few tomato and pepper plants on the patio or in a greenhouse. I also grow strawberries year round in hanging baskets. I also keep row cover handy for covering my plants against rain and cooler nights.
photo credit: quinn.anya

If your garden is suffering from poor climate conditions these ideas may help and your weather may also improve.

Technorati Tags: gardening tips, plant diseases