Apparently, we can see how nature is treated these days. It is a sad thing to know that people do not pay attention so much anymore to the environmental problems. What can we do about this?

It’s as simple as starting with the children. It is good to see the children’s involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening. Why should you consider gardening for your children?

Here are the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children with:

1. Science

In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant’s life cycle and how human’s intervention can break or make the environment. They can have a firsthand experience on the miracle of life through a seed. This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.

2. Life

Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child. In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated — it should be with care.

What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.

It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies. That live in your area. This information can be found at the local library.

To create the kind of environment that they find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.

Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants. Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health

1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.

Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.

When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don’t heap soil or mulch up around the stem. If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.

2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.

Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.

3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.

February, like January, is primarily a month for indoor gardening. He who has the seeing eye and sensitive heart finds beauty in Nature’s season of sleep and rest. It is an indispensable period. But the gardener’s spirit lifts after January is gone and he senses the change as days lengthen to shorten nights dark curtain.

Successful gardens depend upon carefully planning ahead. Most of the seed catalogs have arrived by this time. Order seeds of some of the newer varieties of vegetables and flowers which cannot be obtained locally, if you have not already done so. You may also wish to get seeds for trying some of the new annual and perennial flowers.

Each year a committee of experts selects the outstanding new-creations of flowers and vegetables. Probably no more than five per cent of the yearly selections possess the qualities necessary to assume a permanent place in our flower and vegetable gardens. Most of the annual winners simply get the spotlight for a year or two and then their glamorous roles are soon forgotten.

The gardening public, working under various soil and climatic conditions, makes the final decision regarding the real merits of the All-America selections.

February in the North is an exceedingly trying month for “the home gardener” The days are growing longer and winter seems to be on the wane, but there is so little that can be done and there is a great desire to be doing something. Some gardeners just cant wait to get started and they do things that should not be done.

For example, there are those who make the mistake of starting flower seeds in the house expecting to get a head start on the coming season. In the North, February is much too soon for this. The germination of the seeds is not the problem; they sprout very readily, but seedling plants do not have good enough growing conditions in the house at this time of year.

When they have grown a few inches tall, they start to lean toward the light and soon grow pale, thin and spindly. What was started with high hopes soon becomes a great disappointment and usually discourages the eager gardener from trying this interesting and profitable adventure when it should be done, under more favorable circumstances and at a time when there is a very good chance for success.

All untreated seeds carry on or within them microscopic fungi and bacteria. Hundreds of kinds of seed-borne organisms, capable of causing plant diseases exist. These fungi and bacteria may cause seeds to decay in the soil and young seedlings, bulbs, corms or rhizomes to rot before or after shoots emerge from the soil.

Organisms carried on the seed may also be the source of certain types of dwarfing or stunting, root rots, smuts, wilts, mildews, leaf spot and blights, stripe diseases, etc., which later appear on the growing plant.

Practically all vegetable and flower seeds benefit from seed treatment. Seed protectants, properly applied at the recommended dosage, destroy seed-borne organisms on and in the seed, check seed-rotting fungi in the soil, help establish a higher percentage of more vigorous seedlings, plus producing bigger yields of higher quality vegetables and flowers.

No other garden practice produces such benefits for so little money and time. Seed treatment is cheap garden insurance.

Influencing Factors

Certain factors influence the infection of seed and young seedlings by micro-organisms.

1 – Climatic conditions during the latter part of the growing season of the seed-producing mother plant. Some organisms may enter seed about the time of pollination, particularly if the period is humid. or wet.

All untreated seeds carry on or within them microscopic fungi and bacteria. Hundreds of kinds of seed-borne organisms, capable of causing plant diseases exist. These fungi and bacteria may cause seeds to decay in the soil and young seedlings, bulbs, corms or rhizomes to rot before or after shoots emerge from the soil.

Organisms carried on the seed may also be the source of certain types of dwarfing or stunting, root rots, smuts, wilts, mildews, leaf spot and blights, stripe diseases, etc., which later appear on the growing plant.

Practically all vegetable and flower seeds benefit from seed treatment. Seed protectants, properly applied at the recommended dosage, destroy seed-borne organisms on and in the seed, check seed-rotting fungi in the soil, help establish a higher percentage of more vigorous seedlings, plus producing bigger yields of higher quality vegetables and flowers.

No other garden practice produces such benefits for so little money and time. Seed treatment is cheap garden insurance.

Influencing Factors

Certain factors influence the infection of seed and young seedlings by micro-organisms.

1 – Climatic conditions during the latter part of the growing season of the seed-producing mother plant. Some organisms may enter seed about the time of pollination, particularly if the period is humid. or wet.

Some kinds of seeds must be sown soon after ripening or they will not grow. Others retain their life (viability) from one year to another depending on the conditions under which they are stored. A test for germination can easily be made before planting time by cutting a circle of flannel or paper towel to fit the bottom of a plate.

By marking the material in four divisions, four different kinds of seeds may be tested at one time. The cloth is moistened and ten or 25 seeds placed on each division.

Cover with another plate or with a pane of glass to hold in the moisture. Label each kind of seed planted including the date planted. Inspect the seeds from time to time. Count the number that sprout. If none germinate and the seeds are choice ones, test a second time.

Hardcoated seeds are slow to germinate. Kicking the seeds slightly may enable them to grow. Some seeds may require a period of cool or freezing temperatures. If none grow after giving them ample time for germination, the seeds are probably no good and it would be useless to plant the remainder of the lot.