A GARDEN IS A PIECE OF LAND WHERE WE CULTIVATE

A Garden is a piece of land where we cultivate, grow and develop different types of plants by taking proper care.

Gardening has been popular in India from ancient times.In the RAMAYANA,the name of 'Ashokvana' or 'Ashok-vatika' has been mentioned in which Sita was held captive by Lankesh.ASHOKA trees(Saraca indica)were predominant in this garden.A description of the layout of gardens and parks and artificial lakes in the city of Indraprastha is given in the 'Sabha-Parva' of the Mahabharata.Several trees like Saraca indica, Terminalia arjuna,Ficus benghalensis,F.religiosa,Michelia champaka, Butea monosperma and Cassia fistula have been mentioned in the Ramayana. Almost all of them have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata-a great Indian epic.
The association of Lord Krishna with Kadamb tree(Anthocephalus indicus) is well known.In the ancient Sanskrit work of PANINI in 'ASHTADHYAYI' several beautiful trees are mentioned,such as species of Ficus,Butea monosperma,Prosopis spicigera,Kadamba and few others.The poet Asvaghosa described the NANDANVANA in which Siddhartha saw flowering trees and lotuses.During the Buddhist period, gardens were laid around monastries and stupas and there were beautiful gardens in Nalanda and taxila.It is said that Lord BUDDHA was born under a tree in a garden,the PIPAL.The BODHI TREE,under which the Buddha attained NIRVANA,is sacred to the Buddhists.

The planting of roadside avenue trees(MARGESHUVRIKSHA) was an important contribution of the king Ashoka(233BC).Similarly, SHUDRAKA(100BC)has also given an account of gardens and flowers in the MRICHHAKATIKAM.Kalidasa(about 57BC)in his play 'SHAKUNTALA'has mentioned the pleasure-garden having a bower of the 'madhavi'creeper(Hiptage madablota)and several beautiful trees like Ashoka(Saraca indica),Kadamba,Arjuna,Vakula(Mimusops elengi), Palash(Butea monosperma),Parijata(Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) and Kavidara(Bauhinia variegata).
VATSYAYANA(A.D.300-400)HAS ALSO RENDERED INTERESTING ACCOUNTS OF FOUR TYPES OF GARDENS---PRAMADODYAN,UDYAN,VRIKSHAVATIKA ANDNANDANVANA.
Classical Sanskrit literature,as mentioned above, as well as the flower and tree motifs delineated in old sculptures and the architecture of Mathura(KANISHKA PERIOD A.D.78-101)Bharhut,Sanchi and several others and displayed in the AJANTA FRESCOES(A.D.100 TO 600)bear testimony to the importance of gardening and flowers in Indian culture.

Vegetable Gardening Basics

Creating Your Own Vegetable Garden

There are few things that are as satisfying to a home gardener, than to wander out to the vegetable garden, harvest and consume the fruits of their labor. Successful vegetable gardening involves far more than just popping a few seeds into the ground and waiting for a tomato to appear. Planting is only the third step of the three 'P's. Planning your garden, Preparing the soil, and then... Planting your vegetables!

For the best success, a vegetable garden should be well planned out in advance. The site location is of the utmost importance. A spot near the house in full sunlight is the normally the most convenient spot, however, drainage, soil quality, and shade from buildings or trees may mean the garden must be located in an area farther from the house. A good vegetable garden must have at least six hours of full sun each day in order for your food crops to mature properly. No amount of fertilizer, water, or care can replace needed sunshine. The soil should be very fertile and well draining so that water never puddles after a rain storm. While good air movement around a garden is important, windy areas should be avoided because winds can dry out or break plants. Choose a spot close to a water supply for convenience, and to avoid having to use long lengths of hoses. Planting a vegetable garden where it can be visited frequently will allow you to monitor plant pests and the general health of the garden more easily.

PREPARING THE SOIL

Fertile, well drained soil is necessary for a successful garden. The exact type of soil is not so important as that it be well drained, well supplied with organic matter, reasonably free of stones, and moisture retentive. The subsoil also is very important. Hard shale, rock ledges, gravel beds, deep sand, or hardpan under the surface may make the development of garden soil extremely difficult or impossible. On the other hand, infertile soil that has good physical properties can be made productive by using organic matter, lime, commercial fertilizer, and other soil improving materials. Soils should not be plowed or worked while it is very wet unless the work will certainly be followed by severe freezing weather. If the soil sticks together in a ball and does not readily crumble under slight pressure by the thumb and finger, it is too wet for plowing or working, because in this condition it will cake as it dries, making it unsuitable for young plants.
If your garden has already been cultivated and used in past years, there is little to do other than to plow in additional organic material, and fertilizers. The fertilizer may be in the form of composted manure or any good commercial complete plant food distributed at a rate of 3 or 4 pounds for every thousand square feet of vegetable garden. Infertile soil will often benefit from even larger proportions of chemical fertilization, but care must be taken not to add too much because of the danger of fertilizer burn. When manure is added to the soil, it must be composted prior to planting, because fresh, hot manure will also burn your plants.
If you intend to bring a previously unused patch of ground into cultivation, The work should commence the preceding fall, before the ground becomes saturated with water. An abundance or organic material should be plowed into the soil, and allowed to compost over the winter. The actual ground preparation is very much the same , what was involved in perennial garden.

PLANTING THE VEGETABLES

Using your garden layout map which you created in the planning stages, use stakes to mark out where different rows will be planted. Build your trellises or set in stout stakes for climbing plants such as peas and beans. Create mounds on which you will put in the vining plants such as cucumbers,pumpkins and melons. Don't forget to establish your pathways early so that you won't be walking across areas which will be planted. You don't want to be compacting the soil which you have worked so hard to fluff up.
You are now ready to sow your seeds, and to put in your vegetable bedding plants. Planting depths and spacing are critical, so don't crowd to many plants into the allotted space or you may end up with spindly plants and no food. Be sure to place a tag or marker on each row or area so that you will know what to expect will sprout there and when! Water your garden thoroughly the day before you intend to plant

AS YOUR GARDEN GROWS

.During dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more water each week, especially when they are fruiting.
Mulching between the rows will help to control weeds, conserve moisture in the soil, and provide you with pathways to access your plants. Black plastic may be used, or you can utilize grass clippings, straw, wood chips, or garden debris.
Throughout the growing season be vigilante against insect pests. Discovering a bug problem early will make it much easier to take appropriate action and eliminate the pests. Do not use pesticides once the plants have fruited unless it becomes an absolute necessity, and be sure to follow the manufacturers recommendations.
Weeds rob your vegetables of water, light and root space. Keep them pulled out regularly (try to get the entire root) and the job isn't too bad. If they are allowed to go to seed, you may be dealing with thousands of weeds instead of a few.
Once you have harvested your crop, put the spent plant and other vegetable matter into your compost pile so that it can be recycled into your garden again, next spring

The beauty of flowering plants needs little exaggeration of any description. Every gardener seeks the beauty and color that a variety of flowers can bring to the landscape. The proper arrangement of flower beds in your garden and thoughtful care to them can insure you a continuing bloom of colorful flowers year after year.

SOIL PREPARATION

Soil Preparation Preparing the soil for flower beds or borders requires more care than planting a lawn. For example, digging must be deeper. You could dig the bed 2 feet deep, although 1 1/2 feet is suitable. It is, possible to grow flowers in a shallower bed than this, but the deeper you dig, the better your production will be. Any heavy lumps should be broken up, spread in some sand, cinders or ashes in the bottom soil to break it up. It’s a good practice to work in some manure, well-rotted compost, grass clippings or peat moss into the bottom. Let it settle naturally - do not firm the bottom soil down. Good loam should be used for the topsoil - e.g., humus, peat moss, well-rotted manure, well-sifted leaf mold or heavy sand. Wood ashes are fine for spring, and lime may be used for loosening the soil. You might think about the character of your soil and consider the particular fertilizer which contains the elements your soil needs most.

All lawns require the correct nutrient levels to remain healthy and vigorous. When you maintain the correct nutrient input the chances are that you will have a lawn that is weed free, disease resistant and drought resistant.

There are three key nutrients required for a healthy lawn. These nutrients are Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potash (K). Any lawn that is deficient in any these three nutrients will not be healthy and will suffer. We will look at the role of each of these three key nutrients in turn.

Nitrogen - Nitrogen is responsible for healthy vigorous growth during the summer months and it gives the grass its deep green colour. Nitrogen is the most important of the three nutrients and should be applied in greater quantities than phosphate and potash. The reason being it is that it is used up by the plant quicker, it is also more prone to leaching through the root zone. Nitrogen is applied during the spring and summer to encourage and maintain grass growth and keep the lawn in a healthy condition. When your lawn is growing vigorously the grass can suppress any weeds and moss that would invade a weaker lawn. Nitrogen should not be applied heavily during the late summer and early autumn as it can encourage disease, especially fusarium patch which can be very damaging.

Phosphate - Phosphate is important for a deep and healthy root system, resulting in a more drought resistant lawn during periods of drought. Adequate phosphate levels mean an earlier start in the spring time and a healthier lawn during the growing season. Phosphate is more readily available in the root zone than nitrogen, but it would still beneficial to apply some phosphate annually.

Potash - Potash hardens the plant and helps with disease and drought resistance and can be applied at any time of the year.