Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Best Tools for Gardening to Send a Lady as Gifts

Shopping for tools for gardening is usually an easy task when doing it for your own purposes. However, when looking for a suitable gift for a lady then it becomes a little challenging. You need the right gift in terms of function and its ease of use. For ladies you will obviously need to think of their ergonomic needs in terms of the weight and size of the tools. In a shop selling tools for gardening try and find out if they have those meeting ladies’ needs. If you are in need of a list of gifts for gardeners women need, then try the following;

  • A hula hoe: This is the perfect tool for weeding. Its long slender handle and light nature meets the need of every lady. You can weed while standing and works both when pulled towards you and away from you. The blade moves back and forth enabling easy maneuvering between plants. When the blade is no longer sharp you just remove and replace with another.

  • Trowels and harrows. These two kinds of tools serve the same purposes. They are used for weeding, mixing fertilizer and also in planting. The good thing about these gardening tools for women is that, there are women versions available in the market. These are usually smaller, lighter contoured with women’s needs in mind. They are versatile which makes them used more frequently.

  • Gloves. These are any woman’s must have tools for gardening. While it may seem obvious that a lady would have a pair, you can still score highly here with a great pair. Look for durability and comfortable material. It may seem pricey but it will easily become a favorite. Pick those that are cut resistant and with elasticized wrists to prevent dirt from falling back inside.

  • The wearable gardening stool. Of all gifts for gardeners women may need, this one is not usually in mind. This is why it is a great gift since it will be a good surprise. It’s great for moms facing strain while moving around. It is also useful for anyone who desires greater comfort while gardening. It is strapped around the waist hence it allows one to prune and weed without crouching or kneeling.

  • Handmade gifts. Not all gifts for gardeners women are expensive. On the contrary if you make them on your own they have a more personal touch and are unique. In this section of gardening tools for women, there is plenty to pick. First, you can have aprons made and these come with plenty of room to customize for the lady’s needs. You can also make gloves styling them with the color and designs that are appealing to the person you want to send the gift to. Lastly, you can have painted cans, and other accessories when looking for gardening tools for women who love themes.

All you need to keep in mind is getting a durable gift the woman really needs or will find handy.


Factors to Consider When Buying Garden Tools for Women

Gardening as a culture has caught up with many modern women. It is a hobby those who practice take very seriously and value it. This is why garden tools for women are a great gift choice for women who love gardening. The trick is getting the right gift that will be used frequently by the receiver. This will be the best way to know your gift was timely and spot on. Taking your time to find the right gift shows the thoughtfulness and effort you have made. Here is a simple guide to get the right garden tools for women.

You have to consider the kind of gardening first. This includes the scales and the plants the lady is having. You do not want to get heavy duty tools for women engaging in just a small gardening job. It is also inappropriate to get basic tools for someone who has been gardening for a considerable period because she is likely to have them. The other important thing to keep in mind is the taste of the lady. This includes such aspects as color and favorite gardening jobs. It is also important to get gardening gifts for Christmas which respond to the woman’s needs.

The above considerations will only help you to have a clue of which kind of tools for women to get. However, for the perfect gardening gifts for Christmas you should consider a few things.

For a start, you should consider the size and weight of the tools.  Women have much less upper body strength compared to men. They also have smaller grips and a little broader at the hips. This means they are going to strain using tools designed with men in mind. Unfortunately most tools do not factor this aspect. If you can get to stores that have women gardening tools then your search is over.

Ensure you consider design. Women look for aesthetic appeal in everything even gardening tools. Therefore, when looking for their tools choose those with attractive designs and color. Look for smooth finishes, curvy features and feminine color among other qualities.

You also need to buy gardening tools which are simple to use. A man will love and adore complex machinery and tools that challenge him, not a lady. Get best gardening gifts for Christmas which make their work easier. Tools that are easy to manipulate, maintain and fix are the best for women.

To sum it up, you should consider the durability of the gift. Any person will always value a gift that endures. They easily become favorites and valued as the person who gave them. It may cost you an extra dollar but let your tools be able to last through several seasons and hardy terrain. Whether it’s a shovel or a gloves trowel, they will only be remembered as long as they last.

With these factors in mind you will be ready to make your choice. If the store does not have tools for women, always go for the smaller grips, and sturdier tools. Avoid heavy tools and anything that screams masculinity. There are several forums online that can give you details on the tools you need. 

Exciting Ideas to Try When Getting Gifts for Garden Use

A gift that resonates with one’s hobby is always treasured. This is because it is used frequently and shows the giver spared some time to think about your likes. This is why getting gifts for garden lovers especially women is a great choice. To ensure your gift stands out from the rest you need to try out a number of ideas. Some research is always good to know what the market offers and a gardening hand tools sale is a place to you can start from. This article will help you with a number of ideas and tips on gifts for gardening mom.

The most obvious choice for Christmas gardening gifts are the garden tools. They are plenty only that when you are getting them as gifts for garden to women there are some considerations. You have to ensure that they have a lady in mind. This is in terms of such specifications as weight, size, handles, ergonomic design and other factors. It is also important to go for Christmas gardening gifts that are versatile. Women will find it more useful carrying a few tools that can do all the work rather than a huge bunch of them.

You do not need to go for the obvious in your gifts for gardening mom. Surprise her with other tools she had not considered buying or would never do so on her own. There are other amazing Christmas gardening gifts you can offer. Gardening books for instance are another option. Everyone loves a good informational read. Just ensure the books are either classics or new factual books that add to her knowledge. Reading reviews online and in gardening forums will give you an idea of what you can buy as a gift for your mom.

You can also give her a year’s subscription for her favorite magazine. Thus every time she gets a copy it will be like a new gift. Choose magazines that deal in new trends and practices in gardening. The other choice for gifts for garden is a year’s paid up membership to a botanical garden. This allows the woman a number of favors. She gets a chance to work on a good cause with others. She has free admission to the park and free parking space the whole year. This will be a unique surprise any lady in love with gardens will enjoy.

The other option is to go for garden accessories. The wide range of accessories available allows you the chance to get unique presents. You will also have gifts for each budget. Accessories such as hand warmers, garden buckets, pots and cans are available in every gardening hand tools sale. They also allow you some degree of improvisation either in painting them of making them yourself. Thus you can have them to match a certain theme in the garden.


The above ideas offer you plenty of options to work with. All you have to do is ensure the gifts are environmental friendly, easy to use and of great quality.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Things to Consider When Looking for Gardening Gifts for Her

There are many women who just love to spend time perfecting their garden. If you know she loves gardening, take your time and find the perfect gift idea for her. Gardening was once considered a man’s job. However, women have taken up gardening as an excellent hobby which helps them remain active and beautify the outdoor space. When you are out shopping for gardening gifts for her, there are some things that you need to keep in mind.

First, you need to know that there are gardening tools which have been specially designed for women. These tools are not as heavy and cumbersome as the traditional ones. They are designed using lightweight materials so that women, who have a small upper body weight, are able to lift them up without strain.

Additionally, if you are buying gardening tools for any woman make sure they are exceptionally well designed. The tools should be ergonomically designed to make it easier for women to handle them comfortably. Most of the traditional tools used by men are designed for their large hands and grips. However, women have small grips and small hands so they are likely to feel uncomfortable using tools which are not designed to fit them.

Other than gardening tools, gardening books can also be great gardening gifts for women. Most women love reading especially valuable information that will help them in their everyday life. Look for a gardening book which she can get lots of information on how to improve her gardening skills. There are lots of reviews of gardening books on the Internet so go through them and select a nice gift for her.

There are also so many gardening accessories that can be a good gift idea for her. For instance, you can find beautiful gardening gloves online which she would certainly love. You will come across so many other gardening accessories like hand warmers, garden buckets and pretty gardening pots which she would treasure forever. The good thing about gardening accessories is that you have a very wide selection that is likely to meet different budgets. The accessories will form great gifts for women who love to garden.

Other than that, you can also consider garden inspired gifts. They do not have to be garden tools, books, accessories or any other thing that is going to be used in the garden. These garden gifts can beautiful glasses, pillows or vases with some patterns that resemble gardens. There are so many options online that you can consider just shop around and look for the right match depending on what she likes.

There are so many great gifts for the garden that are suitable for women. When buying any gift, remember that women are quite complicated. You need to understand her tastes and preferences even before you get to buying her any gift. Remember that there are so many options online that you can consider. Look for items which are colorful and well designed to represent her unique sense of style.

The Most Practical Gift Ideas for Mothers


Whether it is your mother, sister, grandmother or best friend, all women love cute gifts. There are so many things that can give you inspiration about the perfect gift ideas women. The best gift is one that matches her style and personality. Remember that women can be a bit choosy so you need to put some thought into the gift selection process if you intend to put a big smile on her face.

Most women love beauty so a cosmetic product can be an excellent gift for that special girl. However, it can be tricky to select the ideal beauty product unless you really know what she wants. Avoid items like facial creams which may be sensitive to most people and go for general products like the latest perfume. You might want to consider her favorite scents lest you select one that is not within her tastes.

Many women and girls love cooking. This is why kitchen appliances and accessories are among the great gift ideas for women. If you know that she loved cooking, you may want to replace one of her old appliances in the kitchen. This will certainly be something useful and one that she will use for a long time. You can also consider buying her beautiful cutlery or a kitchen accessory she would love. You are likely to find many options in the market.

Girls and women can spend their whole lives shopping for clothes. If you know that she loves clothes then look for something cute and nice that she would totally love. In this case, you have to understand her sense of fashion. The tricky thing about clothing items as gift ideas for women is that it can be hard to find the perfect fit. You may be disappointed in case she likes the clothes but it just doesn't fit her properly. It’s always best to buy clothing items at a retail center that accepts exchanges in case the one you bought is not the right fit.

Shoes are also among the best gift ideas mothers. Shoes will come in different colors, sizes and accessories so you must know her tastes. If she doesn't put on heels then don’t buy her any because they will end up damped in the closet forever. Look for cute shoes which she can wear at home or on those special occasions depending on her style.

Everyone says that jewelry is a girl’s best friend. Whether diamond, silver or gold, jewelry will put a smile on her face. Know her tastes as well so that you don’t select something that she wouldn't wear. You don’t have to go for diamond or gold, there are beaded traditional pieces which are excellent gift ideas for women.

Lastly, if she loves spending her free time gardening, why not get her some great gardening tools. Today, there are gardening tools designed especially for women and they are not heavy and cumbersome as the ordinary tools. They make gardening light and eliminate the discomfort and strain common after using old garden tools. These tips should help you find the best gift ideas for women.

A New Breed of Gardening Tools Designed for the Women


Gardening is considered a laborious task. To many women who have taken up the hobby, gardening can be a challenge when they have to use tools which are heavy and cause them to strain and hurt their backs. Before you consider quitting gardening altogether, learn this great news. Today, there is gardening equipment which has been designed with the woman in mind. The equipment is not only lightweight and comfortable but it is also best suited for any woman.

First of all, the tools for gardening which are designed with women in mind are made using strong lightweight materials. Men usually have more upper body strength compared to women. They are able to hand the old gardening tools which are heavy and cumbersome. However, women have a smaller upper body weight and therefore have to strain when using heavy tools. The best gardening tools for women are those made using lightweight materials.

Additionally, women’s hands are smaller than men’s. These gardening tools which are designed with women in mind are ergonomically designed to fit a woman’s small hands. Women also have smaller grips so it is very uncomfortable dealing with a gardening tool that is designed for a larger grip. This means that it is way comfortable for the woman to deal with these tools for gardening compared to the old equipment designed for men.

Another advantage of this gardening equipment is the fact it helps to reduce the strain on your body. The fact that the tools are designed to fit the shape and structure of a woman’s hands means that the user will not strain. Quite often, women end up suffering back pains after gardening because of using the wrong tools. The variety of tools designed with women in mind can be very comfortable to use. This means that you can practice gardening for longer hours without any physical injury or discomfort. Some of the gardening equipment even comes with adjustable handles to reduce discomfort. This makes gardening a fun and practical past time activity for any woman.

All these tools for gardening must also be safe. As much as the main goal is to make the equipment suitable for women, safety cannot be compromised. The tools are designed in order to maximize your safety so you don’t have to worry about experiencing injuries if you use the tools accordingly.

Most importantly, you will find these tools and equipment very reliable. There are manufacturers who are coming up with tools that stand the test of time. There is no need to worry about replacing the gardening items every other year because they last. If you know any woman who loves gardening, you may want to consider introducing these tools as a gift. The tools and equipment are sold online so it is up to you to identify the most reliable manufacturer. There are also different types of gardening equipment and tools on offer such as pruners, spades and gardening forks. All are designed for the woman who loves gardening.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Gardening Gifts that Women Will Love

Women differ vastly in their preferences and understanding them for men has always been a difficult task. The way to a woman’s heart is in understanding her as much as one can. It means observing her habits, listening to her patiently and being accommodating to her emotions. For most men this is a herculean feat. However, there are some endeavors that women take to like fish to water, and gardening is one of it. Talk to any woman about flowers, trees and garden and you will see their face lighting up with interest.

So the next time you are held up on deciding gifts for women choose gardening gifts. A gift that will enhance their gardening experience is sure to be a big hit. Garden gifts don’t have to be expensive. If it is something that they can hold in their hands every time they walk into the garden it is great. It will bring back fond memories about you. Gardening gifts come in wide price ranges and the categories are simply unlimited. Either you can walk into a hardware store or look around online for the right one.

Personal I prefer online shopping for the simple reason that it is convenient. But there is more to it – you can compare prices, get it delivered at your home or to the person you want to send a gift…and more.

Here is some great Christmas gift ideas for her.

· Women’s Garden Clogs: They are available in a very wide range of designs and colors. The most common materials used in garden clogs are rubber-like plastic and the usual sizes are 6-11. Clogs usually come with cork to protect the soles. It is a wonderful gift if the receiver has a really big garden to tend. If you are not sure about her size you can choose to send a gift voucher that they can redeem. Prices range around $50.

· Women’s Garden Cloths: Some of the popular garden cloths for women are Long tail tanks, sun hats, railroad stripe overalls, long sleeve action shirts, short sleeve long tail crew, railroad shorts, utility vests, gardening Capri, short sleeve no-sweat scoops and knit pants. Price range $15-75.

· Garden Tools: The ideal tools that women really love are the ones they can hold in their hand or the ones that save on labor. Popular items are pruners, convertible pruner with loopier, small steel spades, hedge shears, easy lifter trolleys, spring brace rakes, leaf rakes, folding saw, round point shovel…and more. Price range $20-250.

· Fertilizers: Popular chemicals for gifting are weed killers, ready-mix nutrients for flowering plants, wood treatment chemicals for trees, power sprayers, and moss killers.

A great way to send your woman a gift is to include a book on gardening. Some popular books are RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers, Food for Free, and Wild Flower Key – How to Identify Wild Plants, Trees and Shrubs.

The Bare Essential Tools for Your Garden

Gardening is an age-old hobby and fascinates the young and the old, and women and men alike. Gardening brings in many benefits that not even avid gardening enthusiasts know. They help to relax your mind, exercise your body, and even help you reap a small profit. Gardening has helped hundreds of people to find peace of mind, and medical researches even show that people who do gardening are more like to radiate love and goodwill for others, and live longer.

Gardening is a hobby that does not require big investment (of course you can invest a lot and reap the benefit). Some affordable gardening tools and a piece of unused land in your backyard is all that you need. You can even do gardening living in a condo. There are plants that are best suited for indoor growing. Indoor plants help you to beautify your living space. It is also a great way for spending your leisure hours caring for them.

What you spend for all these benefits and more is a small investment in gardening equipment. They are worth investing and make your endeavors easy to accomplish. Here are some essential tools for gardening. Of course, you can add more to make gardening more pleasurable and fruitful. You don’t have to travel too far to buy them. They can be found in the local hardware stores. Most of them can be ordered online as well. Online ordering is advantageous, because you can compare quality and price over a wide range of manufacturers.

· Garden Scissors:

Garden scissors are very important and are used to deadhead flowers, harvest flowers and vegetable, cut strings and even open bags for potting. Though a heavy duty home use scissor will suffice, the ones especially made for gardening is recommended.

· Weeders:

Weeds are usually difficult to control and they sprout almost everywhere. If left to grow they can retard the growth of the plants around. The only way to minimize their spread is to remove it manually using weeders. They are particularly shaped to penetrate the soil and get at the root. Weeders have a fork like tip that can get at the roots deep inside the soil.

· Soil Knife:

It finds use in transplanting young saplings and is a must for gardeners. It has a sharp tip with a blade like body with a wooden handle. It is very helpful for scooping out the soil along with the root without damaging the plant.

· Pruning Shears:

This is yet another tool that is very important for gardening. Plants, especially the ornamental plants tend to grow unevenly and need to be shaped periodically to give it a neat appearance. They are available in various sizes and materials. See that the ones you order are light to carry.

· Water hoses and wands, shovels, rakes, saws and loop hoe are other tools that you can add if you wish. They are not an absolute necessity, but they do help to give you a richer gardening experience.

Giving a Personal Touch to the Gift for Your Mother

Mothers are the most special people on earth and there cannot be anyone whom you understand better. But, when it comes to giving her a gift, you can get a little confused, because of the sheer number of choices available to you. For mothers, the money value is not what that will make them happy, it is the love that comes from her children that matter most for them. Mothers, believe, will see your love more than the gift.

A $100 gift is only as good as $10 gift mind you. Sprinkle your $1 gift with love and it will become a $1,000 gift. Definitely I don’t mean to say you should be looking around for a $1 gift. Presenting your mother a gift is a token of appreciation of the great sacrifices she has made for you. And your gifts should radiate your feeling from your heart. It should reflect how much you understand her.

Here are 5 great gift ideas for mothers.

· A handmade gift is a great idea. More so, if you craft it by yourself. You can buy a photo frame and include a photo showing a great moment that happened in the family – a vacation or a celebration will work wonders.

· A subscription for her favorite magazine is also great. You can do some research on the books she has been reading recently. A book on ageing gracefully will be wonderful if she is in her 70s or above.

· Mothers love gardening and growing flowers. If she has a penchant for a particular flower, buy a sapling, plant it in a flower pot and gift it to her. Do the planting yourself, and give a personal touch to it.

· If you have a big budget, you should be, then, you should consider a cooking range. Mothers spend a lot of time in the kitchen and what more can be more appeasing than a well thought-out cooking range?

· A top-class recipe book and her favorite ingredients included is an excellent idea for mothers’ gift. If you can include a piece of cutlery it will add that much more to an ideal gift.

When you learn to select a gift for your mother you also learn to select gifts for women. You understand their likes and dislikes better and the little things that keep them fascinated. Some gifts for the garden are a pair of ear rings, a necklace and mostly anything that they can wear on person. Cosmetics, lingerie, makeup kits will work wonderfully well. For Gift ideas, women are the best to seek help. So ask a woman what she would like best and you will have got a clue. Their instinct is the best bet to a woman’s heart.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Selecting the Right Location for Your Garden

Growing an herb or vegetable garden is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable, as well as productive, hobbies that you can engage in. With a little imagination, you can make your garden beautiful as well as productive, but just like any piece of real estate, with a garden it’s all about location. Choosing the right location for your garden is the most important part of your planning because no matter how much you tend and care for your plants, if they are planted in the wrong area, they aren’t going to grow properly. There are several important things to consider before you break ground for your garden.

Give Your Plants Plenty Of Sun

Sunlight is one of the essential gifts for the garden in that it at the root of promoting a healthy green space. Nearly every fruit and vegetable, as well as most herbs, will require full sun for a minimum of 6 hours each day in order to produce. This doesn’t necessarily have to be all at once. If your garden gets 3 hours of full sun in the morning, and another 3 hours in the evening, they will grow very nicely.

Knowing where the sunny areas of your property are sounds simple, but you must remember that the path of the sun will change during the course of the growing season. An area that is full sun in the early spring may be shaded by a fence or another structure later in the season. An easy way to find out where your garden will get maximum exposure to the sun is to mark the sun’s progress for a day.

By doing this you can gain some idea as to what areas receive the most sun. If you are tracking the progress of the sun in the early spring before the trees have begun to leaf out, make sure that you allow for the amount of shade that will be produced by the canopies of nearby trees. Many beginning gardeners have spent numerous hours preparing their garden only to find it fully shaded after the leaves come out. If you orient your garden north to south, there will be less chance of your plants shading each other.

Keep Your Garden Level

If you are using raised beds, this is less important because you will level the garden as you make it. However, for those planting directly in the ground, you won’t want any low spots where water can gather after a heavy rain. Planting on a slight slope can sometimes work well, especially if it faces the south, but a steep incline can lead to problems with erosion.

To make sure that your garden is not going to turn into a bog when it rains you simply have to watch after a rainfall to determine where the low spots are. If you need to place your garden in this area because of space limitations, some soil and a little work will be necessary to ready it for planting. Rototillers and a large landscape rakes are perfect gardening tools for leveling soil and make the perfect gardening gifts for the planters on your list.

Having a garden is a great way to provide your family with fresh produce and avoid all the chemicals and pesticides that are common with commercially grown vegetables. One last thing to remember is to keep your garden out of high traffic areas. If your space is limited and you think there may be a problem with people taking a shortcut through your tomatoes, an inexpensive garden fence may be a very wise investment. While this article covers the bases there are actually a number of books that go into detail about these concepts and these make good gifts for the women and other enthusiasts in your life.

Green Thumb Fathers Day Gift Ideas



Father’s Day is nearly here and with it comes the inevitable gift shouting chores. It seems so much easier to come up with gift ideas for mothers. For some reason, gift ideas for women are easier to brainstorm.

It’s not that we don’t love our fathers. Because of men’s natural tendency to mollify their emotions, purchasing a gift for your dad can be a little on the tricky side--far more so than other gift ideas. Women aren't just inherently easier to buy for, it's probably that we stress a little more about making sure that Dad gets something he really likes.

Growing Up Means Being a Little More Considerate When we Buy Gifts.

As children we can quite often get away with a gift that Pop’s really doesn’t like much. Dad’s still going to be grateful isn’t he? As an adult you probably want to put a little more thought into what you give your father for Father’s Day.

What's on Your Father's Day Gift List?

One way to find the perfect gift is to consider what your father enjoys as a hobby.

Gardening is becoming more popular for a great many men. In years past gardening was seen as the province of ladies and older men, but more and more that is no longer the case. Men of all ages are maintaining gardens as a way to get a little exercise and provide healthier foods for their family. The male gardener today ranges in age from 20-80 and even older. Men enjoy growing a lot of different vegetables and fruits, as well as—in the case of some men, even hard-to-grow flowers such as orchids.

Having a gardener in the family makes it a little easier to find just the right Father’s Day gardening gifts. Green thumb gifts, gardening gifts for Father’s Day are going to be a hit for the man who loves the outdoor world and growing his own produce.

Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Gardener

Father's Day gift ideas that incorporate his love of gardening into the gift make it easier to come up with a gift that you know he's going to love. Just a few Father's Day gift ideas include:

An indoor salad greens kit or an indoor hydroponics kit is also a wonderful Father's Day gift idea. Hydroponics is less labor intensive in most cases than actual in-ground gardening but allows for growing a wide range of different items. The indoor salad greens kit offers the same advantages while cutting down on the world involved.

Of course, if your father is, like many men, someone who enjoys working a larger outdoor garden, there are several gifts which could be given to accommodate his love of gardening too.

For the guy who loves gardening and moves a great deal around particularly in container gardening scenarios, a great gardening gift idea might be a garden cart. These make it easier to move weighty things from one area to another without getting into so much manual labor.

A set of outdoor containers which are large enough to hold the different vegetables that he might like to plant, as well as seeds or better still, plants which are partly grown to place in the pots is also a wonderful gardening gift.

A weedier to help to lower the labor involved in removing the weeds from an in-ground garden might also be a helpful gardening tools for the avid gardener and would be a good Father's day gift idea.

What's the Bottom Line?

Essentially, anything that would be helpful in the garden could be a good idea for a Father's Day gift for the man who enjoys getting his hands dirty in the garden. For those who are a little older, make gardening easier with some gardening ideas or kits that allow for low labor and low maintenance gardening. These are Father's Day gift ideas that any dad can appreciate.

Eat What You Grow-How a Garden Can Improve your Life.

 Having your own garden isn't just something that country folk are doing in order to fortify their cupboards and reduce budgets. More and more we're seeing tools for gardening not just in the country, but also outside high-end urban homes.

These days, it's almost a necessity. Not only that, but maintaining your own garden is considered the "trendy" thing to do. Its an opportunity to work together with your family, learn about how to survive without the grocery store, and get a bit of exercise at the same time. According to the Garden Writer's Association in a recent report, more than 38 percent of all households now have a garden.

All those things aside, keeping a garden just makes good sense. It makes good sense for all of the reasons previously stated, but more, because having your own garden allows you to introduce healthy, natural foods at meal time.

What are the Benefits of Home Grown Vegetables?

First and most importantly, vegetables grown at home, in your yard or garden are going to be far safer than those mass-produced at industrial facilities.

How many times in the recent past have we heard of a produce recall for some type of contamination?

In just the last year alone we've seen government recalls of vegetables from once trusted companies such as Dole, Tropical Valley and Prime Foods for contaminants including salmonella, listeria, and even for undeclared allergens. In many cases the issues came from contaminated gardening tools and implements, which came in contact with foods. The same may hold true of gardening equipment that is used in multiple areas or gardens. Contaminants as well as unsanitary harvesting techniques may cause an allergic reaction. These contaminants can be serious and in some cases deadly, yet they are becoming more common.

Growing Your Own Food is Safer

You have the advantage of knowing precisely what kind of fertilizer has been used on your produce as well as the nature of the soil in which it was grown. In addition, the handling of your produce and the way in which it was harvested is within your control so you can to ensure that it is safely treated and well cleaned.

Growing Your Own Food is Healthier

In most cases the back yard gardener is a gardener who does not use high levels of chemical pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. This means that the foods you grow are not only safer to eat they are quite likely more nourishing. While there is some debate, in several instances, organically grown vegetables have proven to have higher levels of some nutrients.

1.Vegetables are a good source of vitamins, enzymes and phytoplankton that your body needs. Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can help to combat and may even lower your risk of some types of cancer.

2.Likewise carrots and other yellow and orange vegetables have been found to reduce the incidence of cancer even in those who smoke.

3 Gardening can provide healthy nutrition, safer produce and build families as you work together toward a common goal.

With all of these reasons for growing your own food, doesn't a garden sound like a great place to get your exercise this summer? With the proper tools and a good bit of determination, you will be eating better in no time.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Ultimate Guide to Garden Soil


Soil is the foundation of all plants that grow in your garden. Soils are the heart of successful gardening and a bountiful harvest. If you plan to grow flowers vegetables, herbs or any plant for that matter in your garden, you must give sober thought to the quality of your garden's soil. Fertile soil leads to an abundant harvest yet gardening enthusiasts tend to neglect this important component.

If you plant crops in your garden without a good foundation, that is, healthy soil, you will not see the successful fulfillment of your hard work. Gardeners should not only focus on using the right gardening equipment along with pest and disease control measures but should also ensure they thoroughly prepare the soil and be mindful of its nutritional capacity and content.

Importance of Garden Soil

If you have spent any time tending a garden, then you know how fundamentally important your garden soil is. Garden soil is the heart and life of your garden. Plants will grow well in rich organic soil. Gardeners that grow flowers, vegetables, fruits and other plants realize that florae mature well in healthy soil.

Garden soil plays a huge role in the way plants grow because it provides support and anchors plant root systems. Plants will obtain most of their essential nutrients from the soil, not from sun or water. Garden soil is also used as a storehouse for water and necessary food rudiments.

Garden soils also contain microscopic organisms that carry out vital duties that support your plant’s development. These microorganisms unlock nutrients for use by plants and they also break down dead plant matter, returning their nutrients to the earth in a perfectly balanced system. Your garden soil should, therefore, be healthy, porous and loose to allow for water absorption and nutrient retention to be transferred to your plants.

Preparing Your Soil

Preparing your garden soil before planting will ensure you achieve a deep, fertile and loose soil that will aid in the production of a plentiful crop. Properly fixing the soil requires the use of appropriate gardening equipment as well as a good dose of patience. A shovel is necessary for turning your soil thoroughly. The shovel’s harp edge is good for breaking dense earth into finer particles and for cutting through tree feeder roots. While processing your soil, be sure to remove any lose stones, weeds and roots you come across.

Once your soil is completely turned, you are ready to add a healthy layer of organic matter in the form of animal waste or rich compost to augment nutrients in the base layer. These organic materials are gifts for the garden, as they will add richness and conditioning to your soil; ensuring the health of your fruits, vegetables and herbs. Be sure to turn and mix the organic matter into your soil using lightweight, ergonomic gardening tools.

Garden soil is unarguably the most important element for plant growth. Before planting, gardeners should ensure they prepare their soil suitably so as to enhance soil structure. Follow these tips to improve the overall quality of your soil and watch as your plants in turn yield superb crops this growing season.

The Definitive Guide to Gardening Gift Ideas for Mothers


If the most important women in your life are gardening buffs, why not take advantage of this Mother's Day season to score a few points by finding the perfect gardening gifts to pair with her interest? But before you rush to your local home improvement store, make sure you consider the following gardening giftideas for women first.

General Gift Ideas

Women love beautiful things. That is why the items that should be on the top of any respectable gardening gifts list must be merchandise that will enhance the overall look of your recipient’s garden. You can never go wrong with a well thought out gardening gift this Mother's Day.

Up front a few garden accessory options to consider are garden bells to turn gentle breezes into subtle sound in her garden space.  Add timeless style to her garden by giving a garden statue this Mother’s Day.  Your mother or wife will find herself delighting in luxurious comfort with your gift of an attractive garden bench.  Rain chains, wind chimes, wind spinners, customized stepping stones and many other Mother’s Day gifts are waiting at your local garden center. But what if you want to give something more personal?

Homemade Gift Ideas

If you are the creative type and would like to give your special lady a more unique gift this Mother’s Day, then why not consider taking on a homemade gift venture? Potted planting projects make simple but impact full gifts for the garden.

To get started you'll need a pot, some ceramic fruit or vegetable, seeds, a nice ribbon, and Kraft paper stickers. What to do: Place the ceramic fruit or vegetable in the pot. Once you have your materials, place the seeds that match the ceramic fruit or vegetable in an envelope. Afterwards, place a paper sticker containing the seed planting directions into the envelope. And finally, to make your homegrown present attractive, tie the ribbon around the pot. Any color will do. If you are not particularly handy or wealthy, don’t worry there are options for you too.

Inexpensive Gift Ideas

Expressing your love this season does not need to be expensive. There are quite a few inexpensive gardening gifts she is sure to appreciate. The key here is to find something that is sensible and useful. Simple gardening items like garden gloves, a well made apron, a stylish hat, a seed shaker, and the like are enough to put smiles on faces this Mother's Day and won’t require a loan to purchase. You can also bundle a few personal items with your package, like her favorite scented hand lotion, an exfoliating hand soap, or elegant perfume. 

Create a Gift Basket

Gift baskets are super easy to make even if you haven't done it before. All you need is a wicker basket and some gardening giftideas for mothers like plant food spikes, plant markers, small peat pots, instructional DVD’s, gardening shears or other functional and decorative items. Make sure you arrange the articles nicely inside the basket. Also, don't forget to add a ribbon and a personalized tag with an expressive message like, “You Fill the Garden of My Heart With Love” to make the basket more appealing and unique.

Mother's Day only comes once a year, so make it a memorable experience by heaping on her beautiful and practical gardening gifts. If you consider the above gardening giftideas women will love, you are sure to choose the perfect gift.

What Every Gardener Ought to Know About Raised Beds


A raised bed is the type of garden made up of beds of soil raised some distance above the ground.  The beds encase the soil separating the garden space from the surrounding environment. Soil beds are intended to allow an individual to tend to plants without having to stoop to ground level but not so high that it makes proper plant care cumbersome.

A Raised garden bed offers significant advantages to the gardener owing to the nature of its design. Raised bed gardens are often used for cultivating delicate seedlings and reducing soil compaction from stepping on the soil. Raised beds also isolate your soil, preventing surrounding earth from finding its way in.  This fact allows you to better control the quality of your garden soil. Simple gardening tools can also be used to weed and perform other routine maintenance functions in your elevated garden. Actually building a raised garden is simpler than most might think.

How to Build Your Garden

Before beginning the construction of a raised bed garden, issues of space availability and building materials should be considered. The width of the bed should be about 4 ft, the height about 10 to 16 inches. As long as space is available the length can be left to the builder's discretion.

The most commonly used building material is rot resistant wood due to its natural resilience, including locally available cedar and redwood even though others work well too. Bed construction tools include a handsaw, square, level, hammer, screwdriver and drill and some simple tools for gardening like a shovel.

The basic frame is constructed by cutting out pieces of wood according to the desired length. The various ends are held together and measured with a level to ensure that they are flat. The corner posts are then fitted and the frames fastened with screws such that each corner post has two frames that are intersecting at the corner. Another row of similar sized board is added below the first and then screwed together to the corner post as was previously done.

Soil can then be poured into the bed and braces added if the beds are over 18 feet high. Braces prevent the bed from bending out by reinforcing the bed with aluminum supports screwed to the opposite sides across the bed. Stones and other unwanted material should be removed from the bed once it has been filled with fertile soil. Once the soil is added, gardening equipment can then be used to level the soil as required.

Design Idea

Raised beds can be designed in different ways that allow the aesthetic value of flowers to be enjoyed while accommodating the space available. Circular designs are versatile and can be used to shape flowerbeds situated in small spaces.

Raised beds are great for creating controlled garden environments while reducing the caretaker’s workload. Design flexibility allows them to be both practical and decorative gardening environments. A fairly easy construction process makes raised beds an ideal idea option for any gardening enthusiast.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sweetly Pampering And Yet So Practical, Gardening Gifts Always Click

A beautiful garden always attracts and a gardening tool is something that every gardener, a hobbyist or a professional, craves for. Be it vintage gardening stuff, garden supplies, gardening books or tools, gifts like these are always high on people’s wish lists and hence never fail.

What we can’t say with words, a gift says. If your mother, wife, sister or friend has a flare for gardening and you are confused about what to gift her, then an antique English lead urn or a pot with fresh herbs for the kitchen garden would be the perfect gift idea for her. A kneeler, a pair of beautiful and durable gardening gloves or a pretty gardening apron would be a choice present as well. For a person having a thing for unconventional gardening, vertical gardening pieces, chicken coops, planters and stylized raised platforms, beekeeping mechanisms and homemade kits are awesome options which are always loved.

An assortment of old fashioned bushel baskets, a gardening hat, striking garden sculptures and a set of spectacular lily bulbs are unconventional gifts that few gardeners expect but every one of them come to love one they are presented with them. A few thoughtful gifts for the garden would include a gift consultation with a reputed gardener or a paid trip to a horticulture firm where a person can acquire useful knowledge for his or her garden and learn new techniques too. If a person you know loves gardening and is a voracious reader too then no gift would be better for that person than a book on gardening. Several great volumes and encyclopaedias exist in this domain written by prolific authors which make a good read.

Gardening equipment given as a Christmas present or a souvenir is a hit with every gardener because it is something very common and handy that no one can ever have enough. They not only make the process of gardening an easy and happy experience but they are a collector’s delight too. Moreover it is a myth that they are instruments without appeal. Branded tools specially designed by skilled designers give a tinge of class to a gift of extreme utility. How many ever tools one possesses, a pocket pruner of top quality, leaf shredder, collectibles and antique gardening tools are always welcome!

Having posh stuff always attracts and this holds good for gardening too. Top rated gifts can be branded jam pans, porcelain berry baskets, hand thrown fermentations pots, durable designer jars, gathering baskets, herbal garden soaps which are tools for gardening that radiate care and passion for gardening in a classy way.

Be it New Year’s Eve, Christmas celebrations, a birthday or a casual party, a gardening gift can be presented and accepted with delight everywhere. The options available are too many which makes the choice of a classic gift that pleases pretty easy.

The Perfect Gift For The Perfect Woman

Gifts are much more than just remembrances or tokens of appreciations. They are expressions of emotions that go beyond words to express how important the person receiving them is to us. And hence every woman who plays a pivotal role in our lives, who defines us, deserves to be given the best gift to let her know that our world is perfect because of her.


Gifts should radiate class as much as they should express feelings. Gifts for women should reflect their tastes and it should be evident that the person gifting them understands her well. The ideal gift would be one that is simple and yet special like a book for a mother who loves reading but rarely finds time to do so or a beautiful pearl necklace for a wife to remind her how beautiful she still is or a copy of the movie that your girlfriend loves. A cute pet that would be her companion would be a perfect gift if your mother loves pets and always wanted to have one.

The first person that shares our joys and sorrows is our mother. She is our pillar of strength and guiding light. When it comes to gift ideas for mothers the best gift would be a designer greeting card telling her how special is she for you and a day’s pampering at a beauty salon to give back a small bit of the care that she showers you with everyday. A dress that she always wanted to own would be an instant hit too.

Dining and spending some quality time at a restaurant with an ambiance that attracts would be a good plan too be it a mother, a wife, a sister or a close friend that you are planning it for. Good food along with great music at a nice place always clicks. Gift ideas for women who love accessories are many and easy to translate into reality. Be it classy ear rings, designer clutches and purses, funky tops with quotes expressing your feelings or a colorful set of bangles, everything is appreciated immediately because it shows that you understand her like no one else ever does. Gardening gifts that would help her pursue her old wish to have a beautiful garden of her own would be a wonderful choice too.

Always remember one thing when you are too perplexed with gift ideas women on this earth loves chocolates and flowers. A perfect anniversary gift would be to leave a set of notes especially for her to lead her to a table set with her favorite flowers and chocolates. A personalized poem would be an added star.

A woman sees a lot more in a gift than a mere souvenir. What matters for her are the care and the effort that you put in selecting for her the best gift on the Earth that she can relate to.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Late Winter Gardening Tips

Believe it or not the warm months are not the only chances you have to work your garden. Even though the air is brisk in late winter there is still ample opportunity to put those Christmas gardening gifts to good use and spend some time outdoors. You will be able to get by with a limited set of gardening tools this time of year and the work you put in will see you ahead of the game for spring.

Break Out the Pruners

As the door begins to close on the winter season it is a great time for trimming vines. Over grown vine shoots that were tough to spot and reach during the warm months are now easy to prune. Getting an early handle on “fugitive” vines will save surrounding plants from being choked when spring comes around. Make sure you have a sturdy and comfortable set of pruners to tackle the job.

Don’t put your pruners away just yet because cutting back ornamental grasses is another chore best done during winter’s close. You want to prune back old grasses before the new growth begins to grow into the old blades making pruning unmanageable. To simplify your job wrap masking tape around tall grasses and use your pruning sheers to cut the dried growth back to ground level. A power hedge trimmer works for tough to cut grasses.

Get Creative

Winter is a great time to get a head start on your garden’s layout. We don’t wear the same clothes every day so why should your garden look the same every year. If you have a flare for design, sketching out your garden plans on graph paper with a pencil might work well. For the rest of us, there are a number of good computer based tools for gardening. Better Homes and Gardens has a very capable online garden planning tool.

For vegetable gardens draw a diagram of your garden, as it was laid out in the current year and begin planning your crop rotations for next year’s garden. This advanced planning makes setting up and planting the garden in the spring more efficient and a lot faster.

For decorative and formal gardens reconfigure your current plan to add some layout creativity and color to this year’s display. Make sure to note the location of any perennial plantings you want to keep.

Get the Kids Involved

When it gets cold outside consider starting an indoor worm bin. This will be a great chance to get your kids interested in gardening. What child doesn’t love worms?Tear up some old newspapers for bedding, and add organic kitchen waste for your new friends to eat. The worms’ “castings”, code for poop, is a great organic fertilizer.

Your family and friends should not be the only recipients of your gift giving during the winter months. Put your Santa hat back on and deliver a few gifts for the garden this winter and your spring gardening experience will be so much more satisfying.

How Improving Your Gardening Skills Can Raise Your Home Value

A well-designed landscape and impeccably maintained garden can easily make your home the highlightof the neighborhood and in a stagnant real-estate market curb appeal can be the difference between your house selling quickly or not at all. A garden bursting with a rainbow of plants will entice would be homebuyers to take a second look. Their eyes will be immediately drawn to the gravel path flanked by well-manicured hedges, to the rioting color of blooms that edge the verdant lawn and to arbors fully covered with flowering vines. Whimsical poppy sways and other garden figures tucked amid plants provide a wonderful element of surprise. Gardening is certainly fun!

Gardening is one good way to take advantage of a person's creative nature. The home and its surrounding garden is a reflection of the homeowner’s personality. Gardening is a stress-relieving endeavor that improves the value of your property and the well being of the gardener. Unlike someother home improvements whose value tends to depreciate with time, well designed and maintained landscaping increases your home’s long-term value. As they mature, the trees and the plants will enhance the aesthetic value of the property.

Planning and Installing

A garden that would enhance the appeal of your home and consequently increase its market value has to be well planned and well maintained. To begin the planning exercise you can use online resources like the Better Homes and Gardens interactive landscaping design tool to get some general ideas but hiring a landscape architect will yield the best results. Once you have figured out the design details, engaging a firm to do the installation makes good sense. If you hired a good architect to create your design plans ask them for a contractor referrals. Collect several bids and choose the company that meets your selection criteria and connects with your vision.

Maintenance Tips

After everything is in place the lawn has to be regularly mowed and the bare spots reseeded. Plants have to be watered, weeded and fertilized. A service can be hired to maintain the garden but caring for the garden yourself can be a rewarding experience. Needless to say, the proper gardening tools for lawn care and plant maintenance are important. Hose and lawn sprinklers, trowels, hand rakes and shovels, hand pruners and hedge shears are the common tools of trade for the effective gardener. These tools would make ideal gardening gifts for the grower in the family.

Take Care of the Gardeners in Your Life

Planting, weeding, trimming hedges might not be your idea of a swinging time but for the gardener in the family getting his or her hands dirty while improving the appearance of their home is like heaven. To keep them happily on the job of beautifying your home, the family green thumb would certainly appreciate receiving a few thoughtful gardening gifts. Gardening gloves, knee pads and portable benches are ideal gift ideas for mothers who enjoy spending time with their plants.

Visit local flea markets and rummage sales to find one of kind gifts for women. Quaint planters, beautiful vases, a wrought iron love seat will give your garden space a unique look. Garden stakes in the shapes of butterflies and creatively crafted birdhouses make wonderful gardening gifts to for a "green thumbed" family member.

Gardening is a wearying but very rewarding home improvement activity. A beautifully landscaped home, one with a well-maintained garden has excellent curb appeal and curb appeal can immensely increase the value of your home. So, what are you waiting for? Sharpen your tools and get ready to beautify your heart and home.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

How to Clean Your Gardening Equipment



Repeated use of your gardening tools will dull their edges and soil moisture combined with minerals contained in the ground will stain metal and wood surfaces. If you are like most gardening buffs, your gardening equipment will probably grow dull and worn from frequent use. Should this happen there is no need to purchase new gardening tools. A little elbow grease and know-how will have you back in the dirt in no time.

Before you begin scrubbing, your first task will be to pull together a few essential suppliesto get the job done right including:

• To remove surface dirt and stains get an environmentally friendly cleaner, water (garden hose will work) and worn rags for wiping and polishing.

• To remove tough stains use a plastic scrubbing brush, steel wool pads, wire brush and if available a power drill fitted with a rotary brush attachment

• To sharpen metal tools, a solid metal file and sharpening stone

• To lubricate and maintain the cleaned finish linseed or cooking oils work well.

When cleaning any tools for gardening make sure you use protective eyewear, gloves and a dust mask.

Cleaning Your Tools

Begin the restoration process by using your brush, detergent and water hose to remove any lose dirt and debris from your gardening tools. Once the equipment is clean dry them off and let them sit overnight to completely dry. Executing the following steps properly require a completely dry set of tools.

Rust Removal

After you are sure the tool is dry, use your wire brush and steel wool to remove any rust that has collected. A drill mounted rotary brush will help you clean out those hard to reach spots and will speed the job. Limit grating or focused grinding as this will weaken the integrity of the metal and reduce the useful life of your gardening equipment.

Smooth Handles

Use sandpaper to smooth wooden handles and remove painful splinters in the process. Once finished use your rag to remove any residual dust produced by during the sanding process.

To the Point

Maintaining a sharp edge on your tools reduce the load on your body by helping the tools penetrate the soil. Without removing too much of the metal surface use your file to sharpen the edges of your tool. With hedge clippers, large sheers and axes you should use a sharpening stone and oil to smooth out the edges.

Pretty as a Picture

Now that your tools are like new again, apply oil to both the metal blades and wooden handles of your tools. Be sure to remove any excess oil after thoroughly rubbing in the application. Once this process is complete, you will be surprised by the quality of the result and the change remaining in your wallet.

10 Things Every Senior Gardener Should Know



As you age stress from loneliness or life changes can impair your immune system and make you susceptible to disease. Using medications may be helpful short term but sometimes it becomes apparent that a person under severe stress requires help at an emotional level. Gardening has therapeutic benefits for older people, more so when they make a vegetable garden with specially adapted garden tools where after they can benefit from the nutrition. There is no doubt that when an older person is deeply relaxed, certain positive physiological changes occur.

For seniors, the gentle exercise and enjoyment gardening offers, brings about a reduced heart rate, better digestion, lower blood pressure and a calmer breathing rate. Gardening contributes to improving the oxygen uptake of all cells in the body, and for the person in a wheelchair, the person with disabilities as well as for the senior who feels inadequate, gardening improves self esteem as well as feelings of well-being . However there are 10 things every senior- and disabled gardener should know about the use of gardening equipment and simple tips and advice on being safe, comfortable and pain free in the garden.

What Every Senior Gardener Should Know

Wearing sunscreen and a hat and working in the garden early in the morning or in the late afternoon is advised. For seniors who can't get out sideto garden, basins of varying sizes can be used to cultivate plants and make gardening easier.

Seniors should have cuts and insect bites attended to immediately and only walk on non-slip walkways.

Special, light weigh gardening equipment can prevent wrist pain. Specialized spades and forks for instance are designed to position the wrist at an angle so that stress is reduced.

Wearing protective gardening gloves as well as protective shoes is important.

Seniors should steer away from power tools and use lightweight gardening tools with ergonomic designs that require less effort and which are easy on the hands. Sharp tools also require less effort. Some garden tools are specially designed for the elderly and come with attachable extension poles.

Today, hanging baskets are available with pulley systems to raise and lower them for people in wheelchairs and for the elderly who have trouble standing.

Benches placed in shady areas where older folk can sit down, have a jar of water make it easy to get their breath back in between weeding, pruning and digging activities.

Gift ideas for women to make gardening easier might include a useful garden apron with handy storage pockets or a pouch to carry small garden tools with ease.

Copper plant markers also make great gifts for seniors, particularly for those with Alzheimers. Use a permanent marker to write the name of the plant on it to remind seniors of the names of the plants they love tending to.

Raised garden beds are an excellent idea for disabled and elderly gardeners who find bending difficult. These garden beds are made from things like car tires, sleepers or bricks.

Happily Ever After

Gardening is one of life's simple pleasures in a hectic world, and seniors as well as those with disabilities needn't let pain and stress deprive them of the pleasure of nurturing flowers and vegetables. For a wonderful sense of well-being, seniors living with high blood pressure and arthritis can enjoy the pleasure of pain-free gardening by making some simple modifications.

Getting older and even being in a wheelchair certainly doesn't mean putting such a pleasurable pastime on hold. By making a few adjustments seniors can once again perform tasks in the garden and start benefiting from this healthy activity.

The Little Known Secret to Overcoming Weight Loss Problems




So many people struggle every day in their attempts to lose weight. We start and stop gym programs and jump on and off the diet bandwagon. Without consistency none of these approaches will work. If burning calories was enjoyable we might just have better luck. Edible gardening is a powerful and pleasurable way to lose weight while beautifying your home and life.

What is Edible Gardening?

Edible gardening involves growing fruits and vegetables in one’s garden for consumption. It is the practical integration of food plants with a decorative or ornamental setting. Plants such as blueberries, lettuces and fruit trees can all be part of your consumable garden. This type of approach can enhance a garden through the provision of a unique ornamental component while at the same time providing additional aesthetic, health, and economic benefits. Edible gardening is a mixture of beauty and utility, and is one of the perfect gift ideas for women whose husbands, friends or family members love gardening.

Edible gardening, however, does not have to be limited to edible plants and vegetables only. In fact, filling the garden with edibles can lead to an overabundance of food, as well as work and time. Instead, this method should be about careful planning and balance between herbs, fruits, vegetables and decorative plants in a way that a garden is practical, bountiful, and visually pleasing.

Weight Loss Benefits of Edible Gardening

People can get in or stay in shape by participating in edible gardening. The use of gardening equipment such as hoes, shovels and wheelbarrows requires exertion comperable to working out in a gym or lifting weights. It is a complete form of exercise that gives one an enormous sense of accomplishment. This type of exercise provides a major opportunity for overweight gardeners to lose weightas they plant mulch and till all summer long. As the crops in the garden ripen, less work is required. However, during the peak gardening times of April and May, one can easily spend 5 or more hours a day in the garden, all the while doing more squats and hauling more weight than could have been done in a gym.

The other weight loss benefit of edible gardening comes in the form of the produce. The fresh fruits and vegetables harvested in your garden provide a healthy addition to your diet. This means with the consumption of healthy vegetables, you stand a good chance of reducing your caloric intake and thus losing weight.

Mental Health Benefits of Edible Gardening

We all have busy and stressful schedules and are in increasing danger of burning out should we fail to find a way todischargingtension. Edible gardening can provide an avenue for relieving stress as digging in the dirt and being outside is a cathartic diversion from life’s stresses. In addition, gardening is a meditative and solitary experience that can definitely contribute to mitigating anxiety.

Gift ideas for the Gardeners in Your Life

If you cannot figure out what to buy for the active gardeners in your life, there are any number of gift ideas to consider. Every gardener should wear a pair of gloves at one time or the other while working. A good pair of gardening gloves would make a perfect gardening gift and one that will be appreciated and used extensively. The gloves you select should be designed specifically for a man or woman’s hand depending on the sex of your doneeand have reinforced fingertips to aid touch sensitivity. A strong, lightweight wheelbarrow is another good suggestion. Edible gardeningor any other gardening for that matter requires a wheelbarrow to transport equipment, plants and other necessary items. Be sure to purchase one with a large wheel for ground clearance and lightweight materials to ease strain on the body. Gifting wheelbarrow to your favorite gardener is a well thought idea that will assist in streamlining his time in the garden.

Edible gardening is the weight loss killer app offering both a good calorie burn and nutritious food. Adding a few gifts for the garden in the form of edibles benefits both your home and your waistline.