<\/p>\n
To the The garden Water gardens are exotic looking and its serene \u00b7 \u00b7 \u00b7 \u00b7 For those who Aquatic plants When the No-soil gardening is used to describe the Hydroponic The basic \u00b7 \u00b7 The medium used for root growth of hydroponically Before The Container Gardening in small spaces means having to plant in A bag of dry,
\nordinary person, a garden is seen as a piece of ground for growing flowers,
\nfruits or vegetables, or as a place of recreation. <\/span>But to an avid gardener, the garden is full of potential, mystery
\nand individuality. <\/span>Besides the
\nconventional garden of roses and flowering plants, other categories of
\ngardening have sprouted forth to cater to the differing needs and tastes of the
\nmodern era. <\/span>
\nstyles chosen and types of plants grown reflect on the person doing the
\nchoosing and growing in his or her particular patch of earth (or water). <\/span>Let's take a stroll down the garden path
\nbelow and experience some of the unique qualities and personalities of various
\ntypes of gardens inhabiting the lives of people around us.The Water Garden<\/font><\/h1>\n
\nbeauty provides opportunities for all kinds of reflections. <\/span>Not many people would be able to resist the
\nsoothing atmosphere of a pond, rippling in the sunlight and filled with
\ndifferent types of watery inhabitants.
\n<\/span>Pond gardening is not difficult and is considered an easy start for rank
\nbeginners in the gardening world. <\/span>Just
\nfollow and remember four simple rules for pond gardening:<\/font><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span>Ponds need aquatic plants, fish and water snails for
\necological balance.
\n<\/span><\/span>Grow aquatic plants in their own pots using the usual heavy
\nclay garden soil (forget fast draining soil mixes).
\n<\/span><\/span>Keep 75% of the water surface covered with vegetation.
\n<\/span><\/span>If the above three rules are followed, the pond water should
\nnever need to be changed.
\ndo not have a natural pond or man-made pool, an old barrel or ceramic\/ nursery
\npot could be transformed into a mini water garden, enticing children to peer
\ninto its mysterious depths. <\/span>There are
\ntwo kinds of water gardens – still or active.
\n<\/span>Gardening can be done in the first but not the other. <\/span>This is because an active garden usually has
\nmoving water like a fountain that tends to be noisy and splashy. <\/span>Most aquatic plants prefer calm water with
\nthe exception of watercress.
\ngrow faster than anything else and need to be controlled or it would soon take
\nup all the space of the water garden.
\n<\/span>Water lilies and a few other aquatic plants with floating leaves are the
\neasiest to control and maintain. <\/span>The
\nideal depth of a water garden is about 18 inches. <\/span>For an in-ground pool, a special pond liner made of polyvinyl
\nchloride (PVC) or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EP rubber) need to be used
\nto line the inside.
\nstructure of the water garden is ready for occupation, it is time to fill it
\nwith a mixture of life forms. <\/span>The
\nstar-like flowers of the water lilies (Nymphaea)<\/i>,
\nwhich could come in purple, lavender or pink, brighten up the pond as they
\nfloat serenely on the water surface, while the water lettuce provides a
\ndifferent texture to the cool landscape.
\n<\/span>Fishes such as goldfish and guppies will help to control algae and
\nmosquito larvae, and aquatic or water snails will help to eat the decaying
\nvegetation and algae. <\/span>Once the water
\ngarden has achieved a natural balance, the water does not need to be changed.The Hydroponic Garden<\/font><\/h1>\n
\nGarden. <\/span>The concept of hydroponics came
\nfrom a group of scientists who managed to isolate and study the six ingredients
\nneeded for plant growth – temperature, light, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide and
\nmineral nutrients. <\/span>They found that with
\nthe right combinations of these ingredients, without the benefit of soil, the
\nplants grew and at a healthy rate too.
\n<\/span>As hydroponics gain in popularity with gardeners, its other advantages
\nwere realized, for example, there is no heavy soil to dig, no weeds to pull and
\nno soil pests or diseases to worry about or overcome.<\/font><\/p>\n
\nprinciple of hydroponic gardening is growing plants in a sterile medium
\n(instead of soil) and a small pump cycles a nutrient solution over the
\nroots. <\/span>The two basic systems listed
\nbelow have been proven to be practical for home gardeners:
\n<\/span><\/span>Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)<\/span><\/i><\/b> Gardens<\/span><\/b> – The plants grow in specially
\ndesigned channels such as gutters or PVC pipes and a thin stream of nutrient
\nsolution is constantly passed over the roots.
\n<\/span>This system is easy to build at home and are well suited for a variety of
\nvegetables and herbs.
\n<\/span><\/span>Ebb-and-Flow Gardens<\/span><\/i><\/b> – This garden is best for
\ngrowing anything potted, such as houseplants.
\n<\/span>It uses a watertight tank or tub, which is periodically filled and then
\ndrained back into the nutrient reservoir.
\ngrown plants need to be a porous yet stable and inert material, for example,
\ngravels, coconut fiber, polyurethane foam, rock wool or expanded clay. <\/span>For light requirements, the high-intensity
\ndischarge (HID) lamps provide the most effective and efficient supplemental lighting. <\/span>The two preferred types of lamps are
\nhigh-pressure sodium and metal halide, which produce much more light per watt
\nof electricity than fluorescent tubes.<\/font><\/p>\n
\ntransplanting into the hydroponic system, the nutrient solution has to be
\nprepared. <\/span>A ready-mixed formulation is
\nrecommended, as it will simplify matters considerably – you do not have to buy
\nseveral different kinds of fertilizer or accurate weighing equipment. <\/span>Besides keeping the nutrient solution in
\nbalance, the solution's pH need to be maintained between 5.9 and 6.3 and the EC
\n(electrical conductivity which depends on the amount of dissolved salts)
\nbetween 1.6 and 2.5. <\/span>Water also needed
\nto be added regularly, as the plants will consume water faster than the
\nnutrients. <\/span>Some of the common plants
\ngrown in the hydroponic garden include tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces and
\npeppers.The Container Garden<\/font><\/h1>\n
\nGarden is the perfect answer for condominium or apartment owners who do not own
\nany plot of soil or have a backyard to start a garden. <\/span>Some of the most spectacular gardens could
\nbe found on the rooftops, patios or balconies of the world's largest
\ncities. <\/span>A small space is all it takes
\nto create a little garden hideaway.
\ncontainers and having to choose what plants to grow carefully. <\/span>Plants could grow up on trellises or hang
\nout from something overhead. <\/span>The
\ncontainers used are limitless and up to the imagination and creativity of the
\ngardener – from custom-made pottery to antique bathtubs, clay pots, wooden
\nplanters, plastic containers and so forth.
\n<\/span>The only requirement for the container is to have drainage holes at the
\nbottom. <\/span>For hangers, wire baskets lined
\nwith moss and filled with a growing medium is best as they allow the plants to
\ngrow all over the basket surface including the bottom.<\/font><\/p>\n
\nsoil-less mix is usually used for container gardening. <\/span>The mix is then soaked with water before
\nplanting. <\/span>When choosing plants for this
\nstyle of gardening, look for plants with long blooming periods (short annuals),
\nbulbs, perennials, herbs, vegetables, shrubs or citrus fruits. <\/span>As the plants take roots and grows in the
\ncontainers, it becomes necessary to check on the moisture content as the soil
\ncould dry out quickly in hot weather.
\n<\/span>Fertilizers (liquid or solid) also tend to wash out of container soil
\nfaster than garden soil so this aspect need to be monitored as well. <\/span>At the end of day, growing and blooming
\nplants will provide great pleasure and a sense of achievement for the garden
\nowners.