Why is it important to educate our children about the importance of sustainability? The answer lies in the fact that we all need to be better informed about the impact of global warming, climate change, peak oil and food security. And the best place to start is within our own community and especially through our daily actions. Who better to hold us to account than our own children?

I remember a time ten years ago when one of my daughters returned from a year’s student exchange in Austria, her knowledge of recycling was extraordinary. Austria and Germany were way ahead of us in Australia with their commitment and actions in recycling. For quite some time until I learned, my daughter would often say ‘Mum! You should be recycling that – don’t throw it in the ordinary rubbish.’ Eventually I learnt to be more discerning and accountable for my recycling.

And recycling was only one area where her thinking was far more progressive than mine. Her experience of farmers’ markets, cycling and eco-literacy in general were admirable.

We have the chance now to learn more for ourselves and to support the work of the teachers in our community. All over the world people are taking a great interest in what they can do to live more sustainably permaculture courses, books and seminars are becoming increasingly frequent.

Why is it important to grow as much of our own food organically?  Here are  some facts to get us thinking. A report in the Journal of Complimentary Medicine in 2001 pointed out that US and UK Government statistics show a decline in trace minerals of up to 76% in fruit and vegetables over the period 1940 to 1991 – we can assume that this would also relate to Australia. The report examined data from the US Department of Agriculture which showed that over the entire 20th century the average mineral content of cabbage, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes declined from 400mg to less than 50mg. Declines were observed in protein, calcium, phosphorous, iron, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. The declines were significant e.g. 6% in the case of protein and 38% for the B vitamin riboflavin.

The UK publication Food Magazine analysed milk and concluded that the iron content had fallen 62%, magnesium was down 21% and the copper content had disappeared completely. Magnesium levels fell in almost all foods examined –4% in turkey meat but dramatically lower quantities in many cheeses. Parmesan cheese was the worst affected recording a 70% fall in value. The calcium and iron content of all the foods examined was reduced dramatically in every instance e.g. the iron content of a beef rump steak fell 55%.

Many modern farming practices lead to a reduction in quality. Grass-fed cattle produce meat that is much higher in nutrients like beta-carotene and vitamin E than their feedlot counterparts. All of this begs the question ‘Are we getting enough nutrition to keep our bodies healthy?’ It also raises the importance of keeping ourselves informed and as far as possible growing our own vegetable or buying organic. 

 Roz Townsend   Global Citizen committed to environmental sustainability,social justice and spiritual fulfillment. Please visit home www.roztonsend.com or contact me at roz@roztownsend.com

A Great Setting To Get Things Done In

Many people, particularly creative productive people find that the ambiance of a garden office is far more conducive to doing great work and just a far more relaxing setting to get things done in. This, it turns out is one of the most popular reasons why people from all walks of life and career genres are now having garden offices and workstations installed at their homes or places of work.

Now Far More Affordable

Garden offices have always been around but in years past they tended to be the exclusive domain of the more well heeled.

Those who had the money that it took to have a specialty structure of this type designed and built on their estates. However; in recent years new materials, manufacturing and construction techniques and developments have made the garden outbuilding so much more affordable.

A Great Home Improvement Investment

Also, the everyday common home owner has become so much more savvy in terms of property improvements and investments as well. The net result is that more people every day are realizing the great investment potential in incorporating a garden office or secondary outbuilding into their property or home improvement strategies. In short, garden building are a great place to put your home investment money.

A Multitude of Use Options

Also, more people are discovering the many design and use options for well thought out and built garden structures. Even of they don’t need an office or formal work area, garden outbuildings are a great alternative to the flimsy built and unsightly green houses, metal or wood tool sheds, barns or equestrian tack rooms. Also, they make great children’s play houses as well as extra unattached guest quarters.

A Myriad of Design and Price Options

The broad span of prices, as well as the eclectic range of styles has also been a great contributor to the growing popularity of garden offices and outbuildings. In short, what so many homeowners are discovering is that finding a style that fits their home and garden design motif, as well as their budget is now so much easier to do.

Exotic to More Contemporary Design Styles

In fact, today’s garden office or secondary residential structure can easily be found in just about any motif from any of the more contemporary design styles, to classical Victorian and even more exotic styles such as classic to contemporary Chinese and Japanese. They also come in highly decorative to more utilitarian designs with more straight forward functional lines and features.

The Ever Popular Classic Victorian Gazebo

Of course the classic garden gazebo is still as popular as it has ever been and built in the proper shade filled garden setting they are a fantastic contemplation areas. Decorative gazebos are also a great place to do one gardening tasks such as repotting and trimming plants preparing seed treys or working on floral arrangements. Gazebos also make great children’s play areas as well.

Only a few herbs can be cultivated with success inside. This is generally either on account that there is not an adequate amount of daylight or the indoor temperature is not suitable for that particular herb. Basil is a great option since it is fairly flexible when it concerns sunshine. It may not perform as nicely inside as outside however it is still possible to raise. There are numerous growers who use artificial grow lights for growing herbs in the winter months.

With technologies always improving, grow lights have turned out to be ever more economical, meaning less heat being produced and lower price to run. It is relatively economical to buy a compact fluorescent grow lamp for use over a modest space of indoor garden. It is approximately 4 times more energy efficient compared to a typical incandescent light bulb. Furthermore a total spectrum lamp could carry an herb through its vegetative stage and its blooming stage quite well.  Many individuals should have the ability to cultivate basil even without artificial lighting, particularly if their home has a window thatis southward facing. Placing a plant in this window should allow basil to have the greatest hours of sunlight through the winter season. 

One more consideration for planting inside is that pots are not ideally suited for growing basil mainly because of water drainage problems. Although basil needs to be watered on a regular basis, it does not do well with standing water. Excessive standing water could cause the plant to die. The most effective method to avoid the issue of standing water is to ensure your container contains dirt that is effective for water drainage. Rather than working with regular potting soil, attempt to buy a rough potting mix at the nearby gardening shop. The consequence of having good water drainage usually means that the herb should be watered more often. 

Prior to growing basil indoors, take into consideration the surrounding room environment. Basil will grow better in balmy environments. Make sure to maintain the growing temperature as near to seventy degrees Fahrenheit as feasible, at the very least. Whenever you are putting the herb next to a window be sure there is no cold breeze which could hurt the plant.  Basil is truly durable and reasonably straightforward to grow inside as long as you employee these simple guidelines.

If not, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn why it simply doesn’t make sense – at least in my opinion – to grow herbs anywhere else but pots – even if you have acres of land available!

Following are several quick and straightforward reasons for getting into container herb gardening.

1.

City dwellers, apartment residents, and “small home” owners – or anyone with limited space – can grow fresh herbs! Compact pots can be placed on balconies, railings, windowsills, decks, living room floors… you name it. No direct sunshine? No problem. Just set your pots under artificial sun lamps and you’re good to go! It’s like having your own portable farm!

2. Pots offer greater flexibility, portability, and longevity. Start your herbs indoors or outdoors – the choice is yours. Then, when weather – or desire – dictates, move them in or out. Also, since the vast majority of herbs are perennials (i.e. they “come back” year after year as opposed to annuals that live one season and die off), they’re like the gifts that keep on giving!

However, if planted in the ground outside, your herbs would go dormant during the winter months (unless you live in a very mild climate) and you’d have to wait until spring for them to come back. So, why settle for fresh herbs several months when you can have them year round simply by planting them in pots!

3. Pots are pretty. Okay, this one is a bit of a stretch, but worth mentioning. Although your herbs don’t give a hoot whether they’re planted in a tin coffee can or a fancy urn (and they’ll do just as well in either), you might. After all, there’s a good chance you’ll be looking at your herbs for a very long time, so why not let select pots that enhance the look and feel of your home as well? I happen to be a “container fanatic” – I absolutely love beautiful Mexican pottery, ceramic urns, unusual terrariums, simple terra cotta pots, and the like. It gives me great enjoyment to create beautiful surroundings (I am a frustrated interior decorator :>), so I plant my herbs in pots that are pleasing aesthetically as well. Additionally, I group my herb plants with other ornamental flowers, fruits and vegetables. The results are often stunning and provide me that much more pleasure.

4. Some herbs just plain need to be “controlled.” Herbs grow like weeds; as a matter of fact, some botanists still consider them weeds (a bit insulting, if you ask me). And although herbs are wonderful “garden mates” there are several that will simply grow out of control if left to their own devices! So, pots then perform another valuable service; they act as natural “containments” for fast-growing, prolific herbs, like mint. But be sure to give your herb plants enough room to stretch out comfortably! (Tip: your pot should be 1.5 times the size of your herb plant). And if your plants seriously outgrow your containers, simply transplant them into something larger!

5. Pots allow you to move your herb plants to spots less tempting to critters. Recently, I mistakenly placed two of my herb pots (containing my favorites – dill and sage) on my deck’s railing. As I sat outside and sipped my coffee the next morning I noticed that one very determined squirrel had his/her little head buried in one of my pots and was happily chomping down on my precious dill! He/She had eaten my plant down to the very nub, and my luscious sage plant was nothing more than a memory.

My advice? Keep your pots close to your home; close to your cats and dogs; close to your broom – far away from “easy-access” critter areas! (What’s even worse is that there’s plenty of food on our deck for birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and the entire animal kingdom. They need to leave my herbs alone).

So, grow those herbs! But please, put them in pots so you too, can enjoy their bounties all year long! Here’s to your happy and healthy pot herb garden!

One way to reduce stress is to engage in an activity that is opposite what you do during the day, on your job.  Over the years I have suggested gardening as a stress reducing tool. Gardening does not have to be strenuous to be effective, and it can be fun.  Besides the benefit of doing something physical, you can produce some beautiful results that will contribute to a beautiful yard or patio. 

There is a sense of pride that comes with planting a rose bush, for example, feeding and watering it, and watching it produce beautiful blooms.

Or you may want to grow orchids.  For people who have houses, there will be plenty of places to put blooming plants to beautify your yard and perhaps over time to make a place where you can sit quietly and enjoy what you have done. Check with your local nursery to see which plants grow best in your area.

For those who live in apartments, you might consider container gardening.  If you have a small patio or porch, you can put many kinds of plants in pots and watch them flourish. It is amazing how many different flowering plants can be grown in pots.  Miniature roses do well as do bulbs.  Unless you have a large pot, if you want roses it is best to stay with the miniature type.  A warning.  Well cared for and fed miniature roses can become quite large.

Plants inside your home are also a beautiful touch.  They add to any decor, and need little care beyond watering and regular feeding.  Some of my house plants are more than 20 years old, and all I do is water and feed weekly, then trim every so often.  Put a plant on a tall plant stand in a corner where there is plenty of light, but not a lot of direct sun.

Before you start any of this it would be a good idea to go to a local nursery or home improvement store where they sell plants, and just look around.  Think about where you would like to place your plants, how big they will become, and the type care they would need.  A terrific starter plant for inside is Pothos.  It will grow in nothing but water, and if fed weekly produces huge beautiful green leaves. Once rooted in water, you can plant in soil, unless you have already purchased one that is potted.  You can put different varieties in the same pot for an interesting look.

When we work with living plants, nurture and cultivate them, feed and water them, we derive a sense of accomplishment and pride.  You will find yourself de-stressing and enjoying what you have done to beautify your home and garden.

Mention fitness to anybody, and they automatically think of killing themselves in the gym, but spending tons of cash on a gym membership is not the only way to get a good workout. Look outside. Does your garden look as if it could do with a spruce up? Well get out your rag clothes and be prepared to sweat!

Any type of movements, like the ones involved in gardening will raise your heart rate, and a raised heart rate will mean you are training your cardiovascular fitness. As well as improving your fitness, gardening also helps promote fat loss. Studies show that an hour in the garden can burn between 250 – 400 calories per hour! That’s just as much as an hour’s jog.

Not only does gardening improve your cardiovascular system, it also increases your strength and helps build muscle mass. Activities such as digging, pushing the mower and shovelling all involve large muscles being worked, leading to them increasing in strength and muscle mass.

One other health benefit from gardening is your exposure to sunlight. Sunlight is vital for your body to produce vitamin D which is used to promote healthy bones and may help slow down the effects of osteoporosis. Sunlight is also a good motivator, as it keeps your spirits and mood high.

As silly as it may seem, a good stretch before you take part in any gardening activities is important to prevent any injuries. Gardening can be a very physical activity, and can be strenuous on your body, so stretching beforehand will reduce the risk of pulling a muscle.

So, the next time you look at your garden and realize it needs a makeover, do not throw it to the back of your to-do list, get outside, soak up the sun and enjoy the many health benefits it will bring you. Not only will you be thanking your garden for the good workout, you will also be left with a visually pleasant garden as a result of all your hard work.

How many times have you been wondering what to do with that unused area in your in the back of your new home. It’s about time you make a real commitment to grow a backyard garden. You’re now thinking of some the benefits you and your family will enjoy when you grow a organic vegetable garden.

No harmful chemicals guaranteed because you grew it all yourself. Does anyone really know how many chemicals and pesticides are exposed to the vegetables you buy in the grocery store? Many markets and vegetable stands claim to be free of harmful chemicals.

But how do you know what happened back on the farm. Their organic vegetable garden could have been planted in soil that has chemicals in it or could have been near a crop that has been sprayed with chemicals you just don’t know.

Long term exposure to vegetables has been suspected to link to reproductive and developmental harmful effects although there is little documented proof of this.

It’s your children who are at the greatest risk to harmful effects of chemically laced vegetables they consume. Their bodies are still growing and developing and are unable to process these chemicals.

Having a organic vegetable garden is great reason to get out and have a little exercise. You may be busy and have very little time to get to the health club for your needed exercise. Your daily or every other day garden chores are a great workout to burn excess calories and keep your weight in check.

Doing your garden chores is a thorough workout of many of your muscle groups, your arms, back, legs and more.

These garden chores require you to stretch, bend, reach, and to squat a lot of stretching which helped your flexibility. To grow a backyard garden is a wonderful method to get healthier through daily exercise along with a healthy chemical free diet.

Plus you are doing share to help save the environment. This way with commercially grown vegetables there will be less pressure on the farmer to produce large supplies of vegetables. But at the same time more of a demand to make their harvest a chemical free harvest which will result in safer, healthier vegetables.

Instead of using chemicals and pesticides that could end up polluting our rivers and environment imagine the improvement on our environment if a lot more people where planting an organic vegetable garden, container garden or even a small patio or balcony garden. Yes you can change the world if you grow a backyard garden no matter how large or small.

If you’re like me you probably hate the idea of eating foods (and providing them for your family) that may have been grown with chemicals.

Not only that, but the foods you buy from the supermarket may have been hanging around for days or even weeks before you buy them. This means that the life energy of the plant you’re going to eat is gone. When you eat something that is still living you absorb its life energy, which has additional health benefits.

It was those cherished times spent with my grandpa that gave me my love of gardening.

But when I finally bought my own home, some years later and started to garden – well let’s just say that I didn’t have a green thumb. It was embarrassing! Surely there’s a gardening gene passed on from generation to generation? Even if it skipped a generation that should have still worked out for me.

And my parents didn’t have a clue about gardening, so they were no help. Most of my friends grew up with the same dilemma as me – our parents just weren’t gardeners.
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So there was quite a bit of hit and miss in my first few years of organic gardening. I managed to have some things give me small yields, but many of my plants didn’t thrive. The thing is, that I really loved the time I spent in the garden – especially the veggie garden. It was the one place where I could feel calm… to recharge and restore some sanity to my life.

I decided to get a serious amount of  my head, one way learning intoor another. I decided to educate myself so that I could get good at growing my own food.

I studied horticulture at TAFE, completing certificate III in Horticulture. Then I became the co-owner of an edible plants nursery for several years.

By this time I was growing enough vegetables to keep my family going over the main growing season. I was quite proud of myself – and still am. The thrill of saying “I grew that” about things we were eating – well I can tell you – it’s joyful. Truly joyful!

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Ask gardeners in their golden years why they still garden, and you’ll probably receive a variety of answers.

“I love it, and it keeps me going.”
“It gives me something to get up for each day.”
“My garden is my pride and joy; it’s been with me for many years, and I intend to give it loving and tender care as long as I can.”
“My garden warms my heart. It gives me pleasure and serenity”
“You’re never too old to garden.

Gardening has added years to my life.”
Those are just a few remarks you might hear from these active seniors, these dedicated gardeners. But some of them are also quick to add, “I can’t do as much as I used to do. I’ve had to slow down, but I’m not giving up.”

Gardening is a healthy, stimulating physical activity that, with some consideration for ways to lessen the load, to continue gardening with a little less effort than we put forth in our earlier years, can be enjoyed on into our eighties and nineties. Here are a few suggestions and ideas to help you keep enjoying the fun of gardening as a senior gardener.

Benefits of Gardening in our Senior Years
Let’s first look at the benefits of gardening, the reasons why you should keep on, keeping on.
It is a most enjoyable form of exercise that can increase levels of physical activity and help to keep you mobile and flexible.
It continues to improve our endurance and strength.
It can help to prevent diseases like osteoporosis.
Reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
Provides a sense of a job well done, an accomplishment.
Provides a background for enjoying nature and the outdoors.
Gives nourishment to our souls as well as our stomachs (as in edible gardens).

Customizing Your Garden for Your Senior Years
The garden you tended in the past may prove to be too daunting today.

You may want to rethink your garden space and plan for a smaller, more selective garden. How much time do you want to devote to caring for your garden? How much physical exertion can you do without risking the pleasure of gardening? If you’re creating an edible garden, forget about the neighbors and grow only those plants that provide you with food you really like and grow just enough for you. Forget those extra vegetables that will need to be canned or frozen.

Consider gardening in raised beds or containers. A sunlit porch or an open deck makes a great “garden plot,” with rows of deep containers that are easy to weed, water and care for.

Adaptive Tools
There’s a new word in the gardening vocabulary; it’s ergonomics, which is derived from the Greek words ergon (work) and nomos (study of work). Thus, ratchet action pruners, adjustable rakes that offer back relief, garden kneeler seats and lightweight carts can be purchased at garden centers or ordered on the internet. These newly designed tools offer much-needed assistance in performing gardening chores.

Keeping Safe While Gardening
Here are a few suggestions for keeping safe and accident free in the garden:
Warm up by walking and stretching a bit before beginning to garden.
Prevent sun exposure by working in the garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Wear a hat and sunscreen.
Have water or juice available to quench thirst and stay hydrated.
Rest often; take small breaks to sit in the shade.
Use power tools with caution
Make sure your garden paths are free of obstructions and that they are flat and not slippery.
Tend to cuts or insect bites immediately.
Don’t touch your eyes or face after handling garden soil; wash your hands as soon as possible.

Some Final Words of Special Consideration
Some physical, mental and age-related conditions should be considered when older people work in the garden.

Your skin becomes more fragile as you age, and thinning skin is more susceptible to injury from bumps, bruises, cuts and sunburn.
Your vision is changing, and the loss of peripheral vision and diminishing eyesight can restrict some activities.
Your thought process and memory abilities may be affected by the aging process.
As you age, you are more susceptible to temperature changes. Be careful of dehydration or heat exhaustion.
Your balance is often not as good as when you were younger, and falls can be more damaging to the aging body.

Don’t let the aging process stop you from gardening. Just be selective in how you garden and how much you garden. Keep enjoying the beauty of the outdoors and the special smells and sights of your garden. After all, retirement is for doing what you love.

The media increases, boron becomes less available to plant absorption. Absorption of boron and other nutrients in rose have been demonstrated by Haag et. al., (19841 The critical nutrient level of B in the tissue ranges front 25 pm, to 100ppm, with monocots normally containing less boron than dicots (Chapman, 1973). For high quality rose, leaf tissue content of boron should be between 30 to 60mg/kg. This is based on data of Boodley and White, cited by Mastalerz (1977). Boron is involved in carbohydrate metabolism particularly in the translocation of photosynthate (/Catyal and Randhawa, 1983). Boron helps in maintenance of conducting system and water relations (Joiner el. al., 1983). It also helps in translaation of sugar to corolla and delays senescence of petals thialevy and Mayak, 1981).

Boron plays a role in the active salt absorption, buffer action, and precipitation of excess cations and regulation of other elements and that, iris a membrane constituent (Couch and Ungar, 1954). As the pH of the media increases, Bo becomes less available for plant absorption (Mongel and Kirkby, 1978). Furthermore, boron is regarded immobile in plants, and Oertli and Richardson (1970) attributed this to high local immobility combined with net upward flow of boron in the transpirational stream of leaves From a field trial experiment M “Raktagandha” rose Bhattacharjee (1996) studied Inc influence of boron in growth, flowering, post harvest life and nutrient rernobilization. It was reported by him that foliar sprays of boron in November and January was found very effective over soil applications. Between the two foliar treatments, boron spray at 0.2 percent markedly Improved the vegetative growth, flower yield and flower quality. The treatment significantly improved fresh and dry weight of out flowers, increased water uptake and lengthened the vase life. Treatment of boron, particularly 02% foliar spray, was very effective in increasing the uptake of Fe, Zn and B; while no significant difference was noted with N and K uptake.

INFLUENCE OF INORGANIC FERTILIZERS

A rose receives the food through the leaves and through the roots. If healthy and vigorous growth is to be maintained, there must be correct balance betiveen the two There are wide variations in the physical structure and chemical composition of soil in the rose growing area of different countries. Hence, feeding and manuring can never be precise and exact under all circumstances. These depend so much on local conditions and on differing individual experiences. Reginar feeding of balanced fertilizers in roses at monthly or even more frequent intervals throughout the growing season is essential. Some further feeding is necessary after the first flush to build up the bushes and ensure the good subsequent crop. Iris essential to apply fertilizers to rose for sustained production and maintenance of proper growth. Inorganic fertilizers are swifter in their action as compared to organic manure. Nitrogenous fertilizers are more important at proper time. Phosphorus also helps in production of more and better blooms. Adequate supply of potash is needed for production of well-ripened wood to withstand frost and infectiotss from pest and diseases.

INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS

Balanced feeding with nitrogen and phosphorus impart vigor to the plant, increase size and brightness of flowers, stimulate flowering, and encourage sturdy and healthy foliage. Maharana and Pradhan (1976) recommended 15gm N and 8grn P,O, per pat of “Celebration” rose for better production.