How to Build a Compost Bin

Starting a Compost Bin

With all the snow currently on the ground there is not a lot you can do in the garden right now, but one of the things you can get going on as soon as to can get out in the garden is to start a Compost Bin, you can buy a comercial product or build one yourself, You can often buy a bin though your local council at a great saving or build one out of scrap wood, I myself have built several very good bins using old builders pallets,

You can compost most Kitchen waste, but do not add meat or bread as these encorage vermin such as rats,also do not add diseased plants or perennial weed roots, but dead flowers, grass mowings and dead garden waste can all be turned into very good compost and inproving your garden soil, worms in your compost bin help the break down of material that is added and your bin is best in the sunny spot rather than shade as it helps the waste rot as the bin warms up faster

Feeding Garden Birds in Winter

Dont forget the Garden Birds in the colder weather

Did you know that without garden birds that not a single plant would be growing?

Do you have birds flying around your garden?

Some are benefical and some are not: I may be of help on the topic of birds. Did you also realize that birds are an essential part of the plant-animal association becuae they consume insects. If there were no birds, not a single plant would be on the earth. Now some birds won't even enter a garden if they don't see a way to obtain either food or shelter or perhaps both. It is a good idea to protect birds and provide a bird house
or shelter for them to remain around your garden. When you see a lot of birds in your area, around your home, etc. you will know that there are fewer insects per acre than in an area where the birds are scarce.

The bird's ability to destroy insects continues throughout the year, as there are so many insects that come and go through the year. The grain eating birds such as the sparrow and the finches also will destroy many insects during the nesting season, and throughout the rest of the year will have a pure diet of seeds. So in this manner these birds will keep down weeds.

Please think about the good that birds do as it far outnumbers the bad that they do. Try to attract as many species of birds as possible and this does mean providing some food for the birds and the proper food at that. Sunflower seeds are very popular with many species of birds such as the Finches, Titmice, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers. Try to have feeding stations kept full and get them in place early.

A lot of birds will linger around if food is provided.

Birds like to nest in shrubbery and will distrust

the open lawn. Also, place those bird baths in shrubs or where cats can't get to the birds easily.

You can plant surrounding evergreen trees
near your garden that will help to attract birds, but the plants that offer food to them are the best and less expensive on your budget than having to supply most of the food for the birds to have them around to help you get rid of the insects in your garen.

I hope that you will gain much pleasure from sitting in your garden
on a favorite bench or just looking out your window at the beautiful birds that arrive and rid your garden of insects, letting you and your family have lots of nutritional food for your home.

Snowbirds At Our Garden Bird Feeder
Uploaded by katedep. - Discover more animal videos.

Basic Gardening Tips : How to Create Good Growing Soil

Gardening for Profit

Gardening can be a very profitable hobby, that anyone can do if you have a back or front Garden. You can grow most of the produce for your family.

As you drive across country you can see so many people with front and back gardens who have converted a small plot of land into a vegetable garden, If your traveling by train you pass many back gardens that are neglected and could be put to good use,Gardening can be a good hobby, keeps you fit and it is a good way to cut grocery costs

If you don't have a large area of land,then make a small garden. Any size garden is worth the effort. You can use hanging pots suspended from the eaves of your house to grow strawberries, carrots, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. If you have no land at all, most cities offer Allotment plots. Along with the plots, you get all the water you need. Fertilizing and mulching a garden can run up a bill, so here are some cost saving tips.

* Manure is available for free at horse stables and chicken farms. It may contain weed seeds, so compost it first(heat will kill the seeds).

* Mulch is free in some cities that have recycling programs or local public farms.

* There are some inexpensive ways to keep pests away. You can use garlic or hot pepper sprays are effective on most pests (place a few cloves of crushed garlic in a quart of water). You can place copper bands around your garden to deter snails and slugs.

The main challenge of growing your won produce is the sudden surplus of one item. One way to avoid this problem is to plant in shifts. Plant one row one week, another next week, and so forth. This way your produce will ripen in shifts. If you didn't plant in shifts and you have bushels of product to use, try preserving them by canning, freezing, and drying. Another way is to sell extra surplus by putting a sign in your front garden: fresh produce for sale. Have fun gardening!

Snowdrops in the snow