10 Things to Grow in Your Garden This Season

Are you hoping to establish a flourishing garden this year? If so, you are not alone. More people than ever are starting gardens. Some are hoping for organic produce. Others are looking for ways to cut down on the grocery budget. The following are ten of the most beneficial items to grow in your garden and why you may want to do so.

1. Tomatoes: Perhaps the best option for long term use is the tomato. Choose a variety like Italian Romas or Beefstake which are hearty. Use them in salads, make tomato sauce with them which you can store long term in jars. You can also make stewed tomatoes and salsa and have it available to you year round. Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow, too.

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2. Herbs: Growing a few herbs in your garden (or in a small container near a kitchen window) is a fantastic way to freshen up meals. Choose herbs like rosemary, cilantro, parsley, and basil. They can be dried for long term use.

10 Things to Grow in Your Garden This Season

3. Cucumbers: These are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. They do take up a bit of room, but kids love this fresh taste.

4. Peppers: Bell peppers are relatively easy to grow in warmer climates. If you wish to grow hot peppers, you definitely need high temperatures. Still, they can be added to sauces and salsas both fresh and canned. You can dry hot peppers, too, to use throughout the winter months as a way to warm up.

5. Strawberries: Those who love these fresh berries will enjoy growing them. You can also grow them in pots in a sunny location. They continuously produce crops of berries. You may even wish to consider raspberries and blueberries if your climate allows for them.

6. Squash: Summer squash and butternut squash are two favorites. They provide for a hearty meal and they last a long time after harvesting them when stored in a cool, dry location. Add them to soups, stews or serve as their own dish.

7. Beans: Beans are very easy to grow. After sowing them, it only takes a few weeks before you'll have a strong growth and will be nearly picking them. They will continue to produce so long as you are gentle with the removal of the beans. Choose from many varieties.

8. Corn: For those with a large area for growing vegetables, consider corn. Most people love its taste and it can be a good producer. The only drawback is the long growth time and the amount of space it can take up.

9. Watermelon: Summer is never complete without watermelon. You can grow it in your garden without a lot of work. It does spread widely so be sure that you have enough room to allow for its long reaching arms!

10. Salad Greens: Greens of all types can do very well in a garden. You can grow salad greens, collard greens or any others that you prefer. You can also consider broccoli and cauliflower, green cabbage and red cabbage.

These top ten items are just the start. There are so many wonderful vegetables and fruits to enjoy fresh from the garden.

10 Things to Grow in Your Garden This Season

Whitney Segura is an expert at Rion Hobby Greenhouses and Portable Mini Greenhouses.

How To Repel Snakes From Around Your House, Garden Or Farm

Snakes tend to follow their prey which usually like to stick to the edges of walls, fences, the base of trees, etc. These are the places where snakes are most likely to pick up on fresh scents of mice, rats and other rodents.

Some studies have shown that it is possible to use some substances that have a pungent and long lasting nature which effect the snakes smelling mechanism in such a way that it will prefer to leave the vicinity of the substance.

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Naphtalene is one such substance. Naphtalene is the substance used in moth balls (and you know how pungent that is). Moth balls are really just any one of certain kinds of wax balls that have been infused with naphtalene. Naphtalene can also be bought in liquid form from specialized dealers. In my experience you can spray it onto to porous stone, concrete, wood, dry leaves, trees, etc. All these places are good places upon which to spray naphtalene just as long as they are not washed with water afterwards.

How To Repel Snakes From Around Your House, Garden Or Farm

In small areas moth balls may be good because the substance is trapped inside a wax ball and therefore it's release will be slow and over a prolonged period of time. In larger areas you will need to buy naphtalene in liquid form and to spray it directly onto surfaces. Application should be repeated every two months during the snake season for best results. Naphtalene will not harm the envronment or cause any lasting damage to the snake. It will simply cause it go to look for food elsewhere.

If you use this substance to repel snakes you will have to keep the rodent population in check through other means on your own. Snakes help you with rodent control and the fact that they also pose potential a threat to you is merely an unfortunate accident of nature.

A good natural method of controlling mice and much more effective than snakes it to encourage the presence of a barn owl (or two) on your property. They will eat many mice in a single night. Snakes will only eat one every few days. Nesting boxes for owls can be bought at specialist dealer shops or on the internet.

How To Repel Snakes From Around Your House, Garden Or Farm

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