An organic garden brings a vibrant and colourful touch to any eco home. But instead of just the run of the mill vegie patch out the back, having a garden professionally conceived by a landscape architect can add a unique aspect that highlights your own green passion.

“Landscape architecture is a combination of science and art,” says landscape architect Steve Batley from Sydney Organic Gardens. To Batley, the process of designing a sustainable garden for an eco home involves a world of creativity while employing good practical design that works with nature.

A well designed garden is a living ecosystem that encourages animals and people to interact with nature. Children love connecting with the earth and gardening is a great way to teach them to cherish the environment.

Here are some handy tips to consider for your own organic garden:

Eco Home Tip #12 – Save water – Use water wise plants that are native to the area. Water tanks are also great water saving devices.

Eco Home Tip # 13 – Organic smorgasbord – Mix in your vegies with native plants. Including edibles with native plants is “good for pest management,” says Batley.

Eco Home Tip #14 – Passive solar for the greens – consider passive solar principles in your garden. Make the most of sunnier areas for plants, while shady spots are great for benches and relaxing.

Eco Home Tip #15 – Farmer knows best – Farmers periodically rotate their crops to maximise the use of the soil. You can do the same in your vegie patch, try rotating your vegies through different parts of the garden to make the most of the nutrients in the soil.

With the right planning and care, your garden can be the perfect organic haven for both you and native wildlife. Find more great organic gardening tips in the Green Pages green directory.

About the Author:

Visit your leading sustainability directory and news source at www.thegreenpages.com.au

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Get an organic garden for your green home

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the affects that every day household items can have on the environment. Let’s face it, going “green” has become hip. Americans are increasingly looking for products that do not harm the environment.

Manufacturers are jumping on the trend towards environmentally friendly products in big way. In fact, even the standard tried and true garden hose is getting an extreme makeover these days.

Have decided to replace that old garden hose with an eco-friendly one? If so, here are few guidelines that will help you choose the right one.

Recycled Materials

A true earth friendly garden hose should be made from at least 50% recycled material, usually polyurethane or rubber, or a combination of both. Polyurethane hoses are generally much lighter than an all rubber hose. From an environmentally friendly perspective, the more recycled material in the hose you choose, the better.

Water Conservation

Water may one day very soon be Earth’s most precious resource. The conservation is water is critical and hose manufacturers have stepped up to do their part. Eco-friendly hoses today use patented water restrictors that control pressure and help avoid soil erosion and puddling. A good hose will use at least 50% less water than a traditional garden hose.

Lighter and More Flexible

Recycled polyurethane is 2-3 times lighter than all rubber hoses. Look for a light hose that still contains a UV protective coating. Without it, the hose could become cracked much easier after exposure to direct sunlight. This will also prevent the hose from kinking as well.

Drinking Safety

Everyone who has taken a drink for a garden hose has probably has this thought: “just how safe is this water after traveling from the spigot to the other end?”. With today’s eco-friendly hoses, this is no longer a concern. As with other products bearing the name, “green” garden hoses use non-toxic substances and are completely safe to drink from.

Environmentally safe hoses come in all sizes and lengths. Next time you go to replace your old hose, consider purchasing one that is not only easier to use, but better for the environment as well.

About the Author:

For more information on garden hoses, garden hose reels and gardening in general, visit Garden Hose Guide

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How To Choose An Environmentally Friendly Garden Hose

Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT, is another popular system.  The plants are held in troughs with nutrient solution constantly trickling over the roots.  A reservoir with a pump that is submersible re-circulates the nutrient solution continually, pumping the solution to the top of the troughs to trickle back through the system.  Larger Nutrient Film Technique systems are used commercially, both abroad and in the United States.  When choosing a Nutrient Film Technique system, care must be taken to choose the correct trough size.  Large commercial systems use wider troughs with greater flow capacity.  Aeroponics is a system in which the plant’s roots are suspended in air.  They are excellent for growing herbs and leafy vegetables.  The plants are held in web pots with neoprene inserts to support the plant.  Different hold configurations in the top cover provide the proper spacing.  Aeroponic systems are also great propagators.  The seedlings can be germinated in rockwool then transferred directly to the web pots.  Aeroponic systems are also very popular at NASA research centers and other educational facilities around the world.

The Europonic System is modeled after commercial systems that are used in Europe.  A basic system has three trays and holds eight plants each.  The system may also be expanded to five trays if desired.  A nutrient solution is pumped from a thirty-gallon reservoir to individual emitters at each plant.  The solution trickles through the rockwool, over the roots, and back to the reservoir where it is re-circulated on a constant basis.  Rockwool, or mineral wool, is the most popular and highly used hydroponic medium.  It is made from spun material fibers and has a high water and air holding capacity.  It can also be cut and formed into many shapes and sizes that allow many diverse growing applications.  The Europonic System uses rockwool slabs with two slabs fitting into each tray.  Rockwool is easily able to support a relatively extensive root system so the Europonic System is ideal for vine crops such as tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers, plus large flowering plants. 

In a continuous drip system, a single pot is used with a two-gallon reservoir underneath.  The system acts like a percolator as air is pumped down a vertical shaft, creating pressure, and nutrient solution is forced up another tube.  A drip ring constantly irrigates the substrate, and the nutrient solution drains back into the reservoir.  This type of system is easy to use, inexpensive, and great for individual experimentation.  However, it is impractical for most commercial applications.  Ebb and flow systems are also popular in hydroponics.  They are good for crops such as lettuce, pepper plants, miniature tomatoes, and potted flowers.  Ebb and flow systems can also be used as an herb garden to provide fresh basis, thyme, and oregano year round.  Ebb and flow systems do have a few drawbacks, one including the possible buildup of fertilizer salts in the substrate.  As the water evaporates between flooding, the salts are left behind as a residue and may rise to toxic levels.  It is best to flush the system with pure water periodically to take away any toxic salt buildup. 

To find out more about hydroponics see: homemade-hydroponics.com

If you want to make money from growing you’ll find makemoneygrowingplants.co.uk another great resorce.

I was a bit skeptical when buying the system, but I really wanted to see how good this guild was. To be honest I was a bit surprised at how easy they explained hydroponics and how it all works.  Granted this is not a system for the advanced grower as it touches on a lot of the basics. But if you’re just getting into growing this is a must. You can go to Home Depot and buy everything you need to get going and for cheap.

The biggest benefit of the guild is how it lays out a complete system that anyone can build. If your just getting into hydroponics this is a must. homemade-hydroponics.com