Many suburban homes have unused space, especially in the backyard, that can be turned into a thriving vegetable garden with little effort. All that is required is a little knowledge and careful planning. Beginners are usually at a loss as to where and how to start. But there is help. 'Starter Vegetable Gardens' by Barbara Pleasant is a book that has everything a newbie needs to get started and is the definitive book on vegetable gardening for beginners. You can also find lots of information online, for instance read about organic vegetable gardening for beginners at Sustainable Suburbia or using vegetable planters at Garden Bound Home. But in the meantime, lets talk about choosing some easy growing vegetables.

Depending upon the space, time, energy and determination you have, you can start with any vegetable that suits your taste and, of course, the climate of your area. But as a beginner it would be best to choose from the really easy to grow vegetables. Greens beans, peas, carrots, radishes and tomatoes fall in this group. Leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach are also great for beginners. These vegetables grow quickly and do not require a great deal of attention. Also, they can be grown almost anywhere where good soil, water and sunlight are available. These factors make them ideal for  beginners.

Before starting your garden, it is important to have a plan. A plan gives you direction and a sense of purpose, which is essential for accomplishing anything. Having a theme is also advisable. This makes it easier for you to decide what exactly you want in your garden. If your theme is a salad garden, then you can grow vegetables that go in salad. But the great thing is that many of the easiest go with any kind of theme. Barbara Pleasant's book has 24 fail-safe, small-scale garden plans that are a great help in choosing your theme and making your plan.

Whatever the theme, beginners are advised to start with beans. Green beans - especially bush beans - are among the fastest and easiest vegetables to grow. Green beans are essentially summer vegetables, and in the right condition they grow in such abundance that they can feed the entire family for months. But the best thing about them is that once planted they practically grow on their own. Radishes and carrots are also great for beginners. There are a great many varieties of both vegetables and they come in many different colors. They are also packed with vitamins and fibers. They like cool climate with lots of sunshine. Leafy plants like lettuce and spinach are not only easy to grow; they also add beauty to your garden. And then there the tomatoes that are a permanent fixture in so many recipes. They require warm weather and lots of water, but can be left pretty much unattended once planted.

If you really want to know more and have been toying with the idea of turning the unused space around your house into a vegetable garden then consider buying or borrowing 'Starter Vegetable Gardens'.

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Green men are usually depicted in art and architecture as a face peering out of the leaves some time he sports a beard of leaves and hair of leaves as well.  He represents different things to different people but we know this is a very old myth.  There are statues like this that date back to Roman times so the design itself is very old.  Various meanings have been ascribed to it over the years and after the fact associations made.  I think it must be a fun image to carve because it is rather timeless and sculptor after sculptor seems to be drawn to it.

The green man represents the life, death and rebirth cycle represented by the progression of spring, summer, winter and fall.  I think he also represents our repressed wilder nature or the part of us that longs for nature.  He has been associated with Robin Hood and the wild men of the forest.  There is also a strong association with fairies in celtic tradition.  Fairies were often referred to as the green men.  And though modern sensibilities may ascribe that designation as ancient aliens I prefer the fairy interpretation.

I think as soon as we became, 'civilized' and tied to the land we started longing to be free to roam again.  The green man represents this longing.  During Beltane the god and the goddess consort and the green man represents our wilder drives set loose.  Who doesn't go to a green man festival and dream of stepping aside with a pretty lady and enjoying the privacy of the glen for an hour or two.

Green men were often worked into the architecture of grand cathedrals under the watchful eyes of the friars the wildness called even in and maybe especially in the church pew.  Green men have been with us a long time and are not fading into the distance any time soon.

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Stevia is one of the most effective foods for people considering an alternative to the dreaded table sugar or artificial sweeteners. This plant is very health compared to its alternative, since it contains some nutritional value and a zero caloric value, which means that it does not cause these blood sugar level spikes that regular sugar causes. As you have probably guessed, this is perfect for diabetic people, and indeed this group of people is one of the biggest consumers of Stevia worldwide. Moreover, Stevia side effects are not apparent, and have not been recorded in the history of the South American people of Brazil to Paraguay, who are the natives of which this plant has been originally used by.

I highly recommend growing Stevia as a part of an organic garden. This can be quite a nice and rewarding challenge, as the benefits you would get are pretty vast. One of the biggest advantages of growing such a garden is the vitamin B12 benefits you can get from it. All vitamin B12 foods in nature originally received their B12 content due to a soil bacteria, as opposed to popular belief, where vitamin B12 can only be obtained from meat products and its cousins - fish, poultry, etc.

All carnivore and omnivore animals on this planet get their daily required dosage of B12 by eating either plants that have grown in contact with the soil (any plant actually), or by eating herbivore animals who themselves ate plants. So originally, all vitamin B12 on our planet comes from the soil. The point is that this vitamin is exterior to the plant, so we must not wash the plant before consumption if we truly wish to have some B12, but today this has become quite a problem, since our modern agricultural fruits and vegetables are focused more on productivity, and are thus chemically sprayed for a better yield and return on investment. However, if you grow your garden organically, you do not have to worry about washing them later, and you may as well freely enjoy the benefits of vitamin B12 that accompanies them.

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Among the more popular types of full-power led grow lights is the 300 watt high power led grow light which is commonly used in traditional and hydroponic gardening inside. The 300 watt full-power red grow light is better for the planet and inexpensive. The plants tend to be healthier as opposed to the ones that develop under standard lighting.

In the first place, a complete led fluorescent light will not emit as many toxic substances as the older bulbs. An example of this is the popular fluorescent light which emits a small vapor of mercury so it is somewhat risky if it happens to be dropped. Since the 300 watt led grow light do not take up a great amount of power, their carbon footprint will not be big. Carbon has been proven to be the reason for the growing trouble of global warming.

Second, as stated earlier, the 300 watt led grow light is not as expensive to operate than the previous versions. Though the bulbs costs more in the beginning, the savings on electricity more than makes up for the cost over time as well as its durability. A 300 watt led grow light typically can run for 50000 hours which converts into about 8-12 years. Another benefit is the are not as inclined to break easily and the ballast used to mount them does not need changing often.

The plants get wonderful benefits if they mature under a complete led grow light. In the past, fans were used to cool off the air encircling the plants because it got very warm from traditional lighting. LED bulbs will not singe or destroy plant or fruit leaves and will not dry the roots and it also helps with photosynthesis.

A strong 300 watt led grow light is a marvelous investment. It may be costly in the beginning but the cost will be made up for in other ways. It is good for plants and the planet in general.

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Welcome to my Plants and Gardening Blog! I love to travel and see exotic plants and beautiful gardens, so I will be posting (hopefully many!) photos of plants and gardens here, along with reviews of the gardens I visit and posts about gardening topics.

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