EZ Gardening For Beginners

Gardening is usually one of those things that people like in theory but don’t really have either the time or resources for in reality. If you are one of those people who would love to have some fresh flowers and plants around your home, but you either don’t have time to tend a real garden, or you don’t have the space to plant one, then window box gardening could be for you. Window box gardening has all of the benefits of traditional gardening, but window boxes are easier to maintain and can be used by anyone. Window boxes also have the added benefit of making the flowers and the plants easier to see from inside the house, which means you don’t have to sit outside to enjoy your handiwork.

If you think window boxes are for you, before you can get into the fun part of choosing plants for your box, you have to first consider where you are going to place the window box. Where you box is placed will dictate which kinds of flowers you can have in it. Ideally, you want your window box to either get full sun or part sun – if it is totally in the shade, you will be limited when it comes to picking flowering plants. Of course, window boxes are loved by apartment dwellers, and the surrounding buildings can impact the level of sun. Don’t forget to consider things like the color of the surrounding buildings. Even if buildings shade your window box, if those buildings are white, they can reflect enough sun to allow you to plant full sun plants. If the surrounding buildings are dark, even if your plants seem to get full sun, you might have better luck with part sun plants because the dark buildings will absorb some of the sun.

Crucially, you must also consider the wind. This issue becomes especially important if you live several floors up. Wind speed increases are you go higher in the air, and heavy winds can be detrimental to sensitive plants. Even more important to remember, however, is that a falling window box can be deadly to people walking below. Choose a sturdy box with a good system of attachment to your window so your box doesn’t become a deadly projectile to people walking below in heavy winds, and preferably, place your box in some place that is shaded from the wind.

Once you have found the perfect place for your window box, you can get around to choosing your box yourself. Window boxes are generally made of four materials – clay, plastic, metal, or wood. The choice really comes down to which look you like the best. However, plastic is generally the cheapest, sturdiest and easiest to work with. Clay is often extremely heavy, because it needs to be glazed and it needs to be thick to handle the soil.

Now for the fun part: choosing the plants. Your gardening center will be able to give you advice on the best kinds of plants for the temperatures in your area and which kinds of soils you will need for the plants you pick. Be sure the plants are compatible with the level of sun your window box will get. Also be careful about overcrowding your window box, which will cause weeds to grow.

Flowers in window boxes tend to grow away from the window, but if you want the flowers to be equally visible inside and out, flip your window box around every few days. This will cause the flowers to grow vertically instead of out, so you will be able to enjoy your window box from all angles.

Gardening can provide a wealth of learning opportunities for children. Not only does gardening open their eyes to thinks like soil nutrients, the different characteristics of different plants, the effects of the weather on the environment and how food is grown, it also helps them gain a sense of responsibility. Caring for their own plants is a good way to teach children to take responsibility for their belongings and to learn about what is required to take care of another living thing – making plants a great stepping stone on the way to having their own pets.

Of course, it is easy to see how growing plants and flowers can be a beneficial learning experience for children, but that does not mean that all plants and flowers are appropriate for children to grow. Some plants and flowers may be to difficult for little ones to tend, while other plants and flowers be able to be downright dangerous. For your children to get the most out of the experience of gardening, carefully selecting the right plants and flowers is the key.

When choosing plants and flowers for gardening with kids, there are a few factors you need to consider. First and foremost, consider safety. Plants and flowers can often be poisonous, and depending on the age of your child, this factor can be a serious issue. If your little one is still of the age in which they want to put everything in their mouth, shy away from poisonous plants. Next, consider the amount of work that goes into caring for the plant or flower. Choose one that requires an age appropriate amount of work for your child. You want to encourage their success in the garden, so err on the side of caution and don’t give them more than they can handle. In addition to these concerns, you of course also have to take into account all of the regular gardening considerations, like choosing plants and flowers that are appropriate for your area and the size and placement of your garden.

One great way to go with kids in the garden is choosing food plants. Tomato plants, green beans, squash, watermelon, strawberries – all of these food plants are relatively easy to grow, and your child will get a kick out of seeing the food go from “theirâ€