Resources for Better Gardening (18)

Gardens and Horticulture Index Page
The United States National Arboretum has developed this garden index that contains topics such as, Garden displays, collections and structures, map of arboretum grounds, What&s Blooming, Hort Hot Spots, Gardening Questions and Answers, Gardening Page, Arboretum Photo Gallery, Pest Management, Plant Introductions and Releases, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Plant Sources, List of state trees and flowers, and a new invasive plants page. Learn about Arboretum information, events & education, gardens & horticulture, and research activities.

Hydroponic Gardening Techniques
Research has determined since hydroponics were discovered that many different aggregates or media will support plant growth; therefore, the definition of hydroponics has been broadened to read "the cultivation of plants without soil." Growers all over the world are using hydroponic gardening techniques due to the lack of a large water supply or fertile farmland. Home gardeners have used this method on a smaller scale to grow fresh vegetables year round and to grow plants in smaller spaces, such as an apartment or balcony. Greenhouses and nurseries grow their plants in a soilless, peat- or bark-based growing mix. The nutrients then are applied to the growing mix through the water supply. This article includes information about light, water, pH, air fertilizer and maintenance of hydroponic gardening systems.

Carry On Gardening
This informative site is a forum and meeting place for people who love to garden and want to carry on enjoying its benefits and rewards. You can start at the Ideas Exchange page where you can tell the site what you think, ask questions and even provide gardening answers. Click on gardening topics and you will find hundreds of ideas that will help you in all aspects of gardening. The tools section has a comprehensive list of gardening tools. Read up on the latest gardening news and check out the links section for extra resources. This useful website has received the National Information Forum's Award for "Getting the Message Across."

Hydroponics for Kindergarteners
At the Kindergarten of The British Schools, in Uruguay, there is a continuing interest in finding new ways to improve the educational system. This article discusses how a kindergarten class experimented with a traditional garden plot with little results, due to several factors - limited space; mud prevented the children from keeping clean; the large number of children participating in the activities has not allowed the direct handling of tools; watering has been too complex for them to carry out ;and last, the crop has not been worth it, taking into account the big effort made by the group.

The Gardener's Web Resource
Billed as a a gardener's web resource, this helpful tool contains many gardening articles. Click on the directories menu items and you'll find a great search tool that will allow you to search six different categories: plants, maintainance, features, leisure, reference and services. The site also features a humor section, Q&As, Spotlight On various topics or products, Tips & Tricks, an Exchange area for gardeners looking for certain seeds or items and Links.