Green Thumb

Green Thumb
(Noun) Green Thumb  (plural green thumbs)
(idiomatic) (a green thumb) A natural skill for gardening.

Little Miss Greenthumb,
Where did she go?
Out to the garden
Where green things grow.

She waters the parsley,
Lettuce, and peas,
Then puts down her pail
And gets on her knees

The Green Thumb.

Green Thumb is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• greenthumb gif

Are you interested to put up your very own vegetable garden at home? If you are a first timer in gardening, there are a few things that you need to know to start a vegetable garden, but it’s not really a difficult thing, however, it requires a lot passion and patience, because once you start gardening, you will have to work on it, take care of your plants, for as long as they exist and or as long as you want them to continue growing and producing.

First, think about what kind of vegetables you’d like to grow, then buy seeds from a reliable source. Second, you need to find a perfect spot for your vegetable plots. You need to have a space that has adequate sunlight, and fertile soil that is able to absorb the water well.  You also have to remove the weeds and all other plants in that spot.

You don’t just plant your seeds right away. First you need to condition the soil for planting. You have to make it fertile and well irrigated. If you plan to do organic vegetable gardening, use fertilizers made out of natural materials such as decayed vegetables, and other animal compost products.  It will take a few weeks before your plots are ready, and once they are you can start planting your seeds, and then make sure to water your plots once a day. Do not pour too much water, just enough to keep the soil moist.

You may notice weeds growing even before your seedlings do, make sure to remove them immediately because they absorb the soil nutrients that are meant for your seeds. After a few weeks you will notice tiny sprouts starting to grow. At this stage, you should not pour too much water in them because they are sensitive and may die of too much water.

Growing vegetables gives me a sense of fulfillment that I can’t describe, and when harvest time comes and feed your family with your own healthy product of your own labor, the happiness it brings is lasting — and you get to save money too, because you don’t need to buy those vegetables from the market.

First Time Vegetable Gardening is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Potted plants, or every plant for that case, require 3 basic components to flourish – controlled sunlight, good soil, and an adequate water supply. New-sprung herbaceous plant gardens are no exclusion. Proper placement and regular care will see to it that your plants thrive and produce on a regular basis. The amount and variety of the herbaceous plant you produce will determine how they ought to be lighted.

Where would you place potted herbaceous plant to provide the most adept sunshine? Obtain a room with a window that fronts south or west. This direction yield the most favourable light. Some make use supplementary light source like fluorescent lamps that provide more consistent, even out lighting for plants in pots . These lights do work well in sequestered, temperature-controlled areas, if there’s interior place to arrange them up in good order.

In conditions of soil quality and chemistry, new herb gardens flourish in soil that Is not excessively fertile and has got enough drainage. This is attained by compounding sterilized potting soil with a mixture of perlite and coarse sand, in a 2:1 ratio. There should also be a base quantity of gravel in the bed of each pot to allow water to run out easily from the soil.

Adding up a small quantity of lime to potting soil likewise aids equilibrate the pH level for best growing conditions. A teaspoonful of lime in a 5-inch pot is a practiced rule of thumb.

How you water your herb plants also makes a difference in how good they thrive. Some individuals use a spray bottle to mist the leaves of herbs and keep the surface soil damp without drowning the soil with water. This helps prevent over-watering the plant or drenching the roots of the plant with excessive amount of water. Look At how water is distributed to herbs in outdoor gardens through rainfall.

Growing herbs in pots indoors also gives you the chance to move perennials outdoors in the summer, while holding the more delicate yearlies mostly inside. With but a few exceptions, as in the case of herbs like tarragon, chive, and mint, all of which can endure an early mild frost, most herbs should be brought indoors before the first frost in wintertime.

Some herbaceous plants do well in pots or containers than others, and the variety you choose to grow will determine the strategy you use to bring the best outcomes. Some of the more popular options for container herbs are things like pot marjoram, lemon balm, chamomile, sweet basil, oregano, and rosemary. Mint can be a little tricky, since it tends to dominate the soil and reproduces quickly. In these cases, a little extra maintenance may be necessary to isolate certain plants and keep your containers under control.

With appropriate pruning and regular maintenance, growing herbs in pots returns great results. Several trial and error is necessary to determine the best techniques, and most herbs do best when they are repotted and harvested on a regular basis. Herb gardening is a rewarding experience that provides fresh ingredients for your favorite meals and provides a long-lasting hobby for years to come.

Growing herbs in pots is a post from: Wise Mom Says

“The Green Thumb Mom,” that’s what my kids and husband calls me. Actually, other people also think that I possess the gift. I am not sure how people came up with the term “green thumb,” but I am happy that I am one of those people who are lucky when it comes to planting and growing plants of any kind.

I love flowers, but aside from that, I also plant fruit-bearing trees, and vegetables. I don’t want to feed my family with mostly fruits and vegetables that we buy from the supermarket. As much as possible, I try to feed them with organic food, reason why I plant a lot of vegetables, herbs, and other plants.

In this blog, I will share experiences, tips, and tricks, when it comes to gardening. I will also blog about different plats and flower arrangements, and other things related to flowers, trees, plants, etc.

The Green Thumb Mom – Gardening Tips and Tricks is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Gotu kola is a medicinal herb that thrives in India, China, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, and other tropical countries. This herb, also known as “centella asiatica”, thrives well in places with good water supply and much sunlight.

Gotukola is rich in vitamins A, B, E, and K. It also contains magnesium which is crucial to many body functions such as energy production, protein formation, and cellular replication.

Otherwise called as Gotu cola is called “Brahmi” in Sanskrit, which means “wisdom” or “consciousness”.  This herb is very good in boosting memory and intelligence because it increases blood circulation and oxygen supply to the brain. Gotukola re-vitalizes the brain and the nervous system, increases attention span, and improves concentration. It is also used to treat depression and anxiety.

Gotukola is a good nerve tonic. Like gingko biloba and lecithin, gotu kola dissolves and unclogs the cholesterol in blood vessels, thus improving blood circulation in the body, and supplying more oxygen to the brain for good memory and intelligence.

This cholesterol-dissolving property of gotu kola makes it good for the treatment of varicose veins and venous insufficiency. This also makes gotu kola as a good herb for lowering high blood pressure.

Gotu kola is good in the treatment of wounds, and for acetic acid- induced gastric ulcers. It is also good for the treatment of skin rashes, itching, redness, thick skin, and other skin diseases such as psoriasis and leprosy.

It has powerful antioxidant properties. It increases the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. This herb is called  “miracle elixir of life” because of its anti-aging and rejuvenating properties that promote youthfulness and longevity. A legend is told of Chinese herbalists who lived up to more than 200 years because of their taking raw gotu kola.

Gotu kola neutralizes blood acids and cools  the blood, making it good for fevers and inflammations. It is a blood purifier, and is good for heart and liver functions. Gotu kola is used to treat rheumatism, blood diseases, connective tissue disorders, schizophrenia, kidney stones, and poor appetite.

Gotucola has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used to treat syphilis, hepatitis, diarrhea, epilepsy, asthma, mental fatigue, and insomnia.

Gotu kola has many health benefits. Some herbalist used it to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Most adults eat the raw leaves of gotu kola daily to prevent dementia and other memory-related problems due to old age.

Gotu Kola And Its Health Benefits is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• gotocola health benefits
• gotocola
• gotu kola health benefit
• gautocola hrbs
• gingo gotocola
• gotu kola philippines
• gotu kola herbal elixir
• benefits gotu kola for demential
• gotocola benefits
• gotu kola philippines benefits

Today, I have a nutritious raw vegetable salad for my breakfast. It was a mixture of bitter gourd, radish, cayenne leaves, okra, peppermint leaves, and gotu kola leaves garnished with calamansi (lemon) juice, and a pinch of salt to taste. All these vegetables and herbs I took fresh from our garden and flower pots.

You may wonder why from flower pots. Here at home, we plant our vegetables in flower pots. It is practical, and very economical than planting flowering plants on it. We do have flowering plants and orchids too, but we plant more vegetables for our daily consumption. Besides being practical and economical, it is safe and healthful too being free of toxic chemicals from fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides.

Passers-by are amazed to see our concrete fence decorated with flower pots planted with vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, lemon, cayenne, bell peppers, okra, pechay, radish, and lemon grass. At our front yard we have a small uncemented space where we plant cucumber, bitter gourd (ampalaya), and sweet potato. All around the house, we planted horse radish and sweet potato. Our neighbors and visitors liked them, and they are  interested to plant vegetables on flower pots at  their homes too.

We also planted herbs on flower pots. We planted gotu kola, peppermint, oregano, and turmeric. We planted gotu kola outside our concrete fence for passers-by and neighbors who would like to ask for it. It thrives very well and more people ask and took some for the treatment of some ailments. One lady ask and took almost a sackful of gotu kola leaves. She said she uses it as tea to treat her husband who was schedule for heart by-pass operation.

Our vegetables and herbs at home are all organic. We use black sandy loam soil, and put organic fertilizer from vermi worms. We also use decomposed leaves as fertilizer for our vegetables. We do not use insecticides or pesticides to treat our plants. We make our own insecticide which we learn from a book about organic plants.

Our vegetables, herbs, and other plants grow very well, and their leaves are deep green. We ensure that they get much sunlight, and from time to time, we water them with rice washings. We do not over water them to avoid erosion of soil and fertilizer.

Planting vegetables on flower pots is very economical, and is not space-consuming. You can use the black trash bags as pots, or if you can afford, you can use flower pots made of clay. There is no problem with plants that grow tall – our eggplants, okra, and tomatoes grew tall and bear much fruits. Support them with sticks when they grow tall, or bear fruits to prevent them from falling or breaking.

Maximize your backyard space at home. Plant your vegetables on flower pots, and go organic. Save more money, and be healthy by consuming your own vegetables and herbs that are free from pesticides and other toxic chemicals.

Organic Vegetables on Flower Pots is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• calamansi leaves as an insecticide
• grow gotu kola in a pot
• planting vegetables in pots
• vegetables and herbs for small pots at home
• what is the odor of camansili

The green plants of a garden are refreshing respite from the inanimate things inside our home. The green leaves of plants in the garden soothe the eyes, and the fragrance of their flowers enlivens the senses. The green foliage in the garden not only soothes tired eyes, but it also provides abundant pure fresh air to cool and to nourish the occupants of the home.

Beautiful garden landscapes always attract and fascinate me. They always remind me of Nature. The grass, the rocks, the fountains, the brook and the ponds are naturally designed to exude a pristine beauty that is only found in Nature. The sound of cascading water from the waterfall and fountain, the gurgling sound from the brook, and the sweet chirping of the birds have powerful therapeutic effects on the body and mind.

What is it in garden landscaping that makes our surroundings more beautiful? It is the green plants, and the beautiful fragrant flowers of various colors. It is the cascading waterfall and fountain, the flowing brooks, and the pond that teems with multi-colored fishes. It is the smooth Bermuda grass, and the green plants and trees, and the birds, bees and butterflies that visit it everyday.

A good garden landscaping includes playground apparatus too, such as swings, seesaw and bars. It can have a summer house for children, and some small buildings to entertain and refresh visitors during hot summer days, or during the night for star gazing, and to watch nocturnal birds.

I’m so lucky that my husband knows how to work on installing the necessary things when doing the garden landscaping, such as the plumbing work for water lines, electric outlets, garden lighting, lanterns and wall lights, worklights, floodlights, metal security fences and gates, and various decorative marble and ceramic wares and figurines to enhance the beauty of our garden. It really saved us a lot of money. Just imagine if we had to hire and pay different people to do those different jobs. It really pays to learn DIY stuff.

Beautifying Home With Garden Landscaping is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• beautifying home

Organic is the trend in vegetarianism and vegan lifestyle nowadays. Vegetables sold in markets are not safe anymore. Commercially grown vegetables are sprayed with pesticides, and boosted with fertilizers that are loaded with chemicals harmful to health. And to preserve these vegetables fresh, they are sprayed with formalin.

A safe alternative is to grow your own vegetable at your backyards. When your backyards have limited spaces or no soil, you can plant them in flower pots or in plastic bags. Buy flower pots or plastic bags big enough to accomodate your plants when they grow. Among the vegetables that thrive well on pots are tomatoes, eggplants, raddish, pechay, okra, and bell pepper. You can also plant lemon grass, sweet potato, and lemon.

Use sandy, loam soil. Do not use soil mixed with clay – it becomes sticky when you water the plant, and eventually becomes hard, preventing the water to go down and to be absorbed by the plant. Cover the soil with rice husks to prevent it from drying.This will prevent excessive water evaporation, and maintain the soil moisture.

Before transferring the seedling, or the young plant, be sure to prepare the soil in the flower pot or plastic bag well. Put enough loam soil up to the level will prevent draining out or erosion when you water the plant. Put fertilizer around  the plant, especially the bottom part. Put more soil and fertilizer at the bottom for the roots to really absorb the nutrients. Then plant the seedling or young plant on the pot. Be sure that the roots are not damaged or cut, and the soil are not pressed hard around the plant.

Use home-made organic fertilizer. Make a compost pit. Put grasses and leaves in it, and let them decompose until ready for use. You can buy an organic fertilizer at the store. There are one or two varieties of organic fertilizer available in the market; choose those made by vermiworms. It is really organic and very good for the plants. If you can afford, you can make your own organic fertilizer from vermiworms. Look for stores that sell vermiworms. It is a little bit expensive, but it is a good investment. Cover these worms with dried grasses, and after a time you will have a pure organic fertilizer.

Be sure to put fertilizer in your plants from time to time, either once a month, or once every two months. It depends on the plants – how big it is, what kind of plant it is, how fast it absorbs the fertilizer, and of course, how much fertilizer is eroded with the soil when watering the plants. Do not forget to put rice husks as toppings over the top soil. This will prevent excessive water evaporation, and will maintain water moisture around the plant.

Do not forget to water your plants. Water them in the morning and in late afternoon before the sun sets. Like us, they need water to grow. When the soil are left dry for a certain period, the plant withers and die. So water your plants regularly.

Do not just water your plants – check them also for insects. Insects eat up the leaves of plants, and kill the plants eventually. Check for caterpillars and snails too. They also eat the leaves of plants. Caterpillars are hard to find. They crawl behind the leaves, and can mimic the color of the leaves. And the snails too. You cannot see them crawling on the leaves – you will only see leaves eaten up.

Check your plants for aphids too. Never use toxic chemical spray to control them. Put a little petrol in water-soap mixture, ansd spray on plant leaves to remove aphids.

How To Grow Organic Vegetables At Your Backyard is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• organic fertilizer in pechay
• how to plant kangkong
• natural fertilizer for pechay
• how to make home made fertilizer for vegetable plants
• organic fertilizer for pechay
• organic fertilizer relatedv to pechay
• organic fertilizers for pechay
• pechay
• pechay fertilizer
• pechay health benefits

Actually we need stress for us to accomplish our goals. What makes stress unwanted is when it is on excess and is too heavy for us to bear. Our life is greatly influenced by the amount of stress or tension placed upon it that some folks compares it to a string instrument. When it is properly tightened a lovely music is produced if it played by a master musician, too loose or too tight strings could not produce a perfect performance.

Relaxation, especially if we are in contact with nature could help us prevent stress accumulation, drain all those fatigues, help us think clearly, and could recharge our energy making direct contact with nature a good booster for our work capacity and our general health. For ill individuals, contact with nature could serve as supplement for recovery to those who are under medical treatment and therapy. Nature has healing effect, it re-creates us.

Haven’t you noticed that the smell, sound, and sight of nature could really help us feel physically and mentally relaxed even without knowing about psychological researches conducted that direct contact with nature could increase our sense of well-being especially in boosting physical and mental health? You will appreciate more how nice it is to be in direct contact with nature if you have kids since studies showed that nature has great impact on child’s affective, cognitive, and moral development.

If you cannot set a schedule to join excursions as much as you want, you still have other alternatives to be with nature like hiking and having a picnic with your family in your local nature preserve or in a park with many trees, having a small garden in your yard to take care of, or an aquarium at home. Plant your plants in pots if you have no space for gardening, that’s what we are doing at home.

You can even feel some benefits through indirect contact with nature. If you feel so tired at night and want to relax, watching nature scenes on TV could help. At home, we keep books and magazines with pictures of nature for us to see every now and then to feel relaxed as alternative of watching nature on television.  I even have large wall photo of nature posted  on bedroom to help me feel relaxed. Hearing a nature sound on CD could help you feel relaxed and reduce the bad effects of stress too.

We need to fight stress accumulation if we want wellness. Fighting the bad effect of stress is part of healthy lifestyle. If having nature sounds as your background an excellent choice for your meditation, how much more if you take time to be in direct contact with nature and could smell, see, and feel the beauty of it? Take time to appreciate nature. And hope, along with it is our great respect to preserve the nature  we are enjoying now for  the generations to come to relate what is the feeling to be on wilderness.

Interact with nature to obtain peace and health.

Nurturing A Nature Lover Spirit is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Use rice washing to water your plants. If you eat rice, you can relate to this. Aside from the fact that you can save water, your plants and orchids can also benefit from its fertilizing effect. I don’t know what is it in rice washings that makes the plants healthier, but it sure does work for me!

Another is using the water that you used in washing fish. But since it’s a bit smelly, you can dilute it with more water and use it to spray or water your other flowering plants. You will notice a big difference from the previous state of your plants when you have not used this fertilizing technique yet.  With the fish washing sprayed on, Orchids bloom and become healthier, their leaves become green, and the are are more flowers .

For the rest of your plants, you can use the vegetable and fruit skin peeling, like that of potato, carrots, etc., as fertilizers. But first you need to have it decomposed, to dig a small hole in the soil and bury the vegetable cuttings and skin peelings. When decomposed, they are the best organic fertilizers that you can use for your plants.

Home Made Fertilizers for Your Plants and Orchids is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• use fish washing water as fertilizer
• SPRAYING PLANTS
• fertilizer for orchids
• fertilizer from fruit peelings
• homemade fertilizer for flowering plants
• rice water plants
• rice water for fertilizer
• rice water fertilizer plants?
• rice water as fertilizers
• rice washings to use as fertilizer