Lifestyle

Grow Your Emergency Vegetable Garden Easily

It is always beneficial to have some precautionary knowledge about impromptu gardening handy. Always remember that during times of crisis, even the most robust stockpile will eventually run out. But your ability to grow your own food will never leave you hungry. In this article, we will cover almost the entirety of how to grow an emergency vegetable garden, the survival garden layout.

The Right Place For Building An Emergency Garden

If there is a place in your house or apartment exposed to the sun for about four to six hours per day, you can easily grow your food there.

Small green-space: 

Even as little space as a single 8x4inches or a square area of the same is plenty for growing tons of green. For a small space in the front or back yard and patio spaces, the option of a raised soil bed is the best for emergency gardening.

Lifetime raised bed building can cost a fortune to build, and they are unnecessary if you are aiming to build just a survival garden. For that, you can use bricks to create a sturdy soil bed, and that too for very cheap. You can also repurpose materials such as wood, tires, or anything else that can hold soil.  

Balcony: 

Those who have a balcony can start by collecting several large containers, as big as they can find. Some container ideas are small-sized trash can, five-gallon buckets, big rectangular multi-purpose plastic containers, etc.

Next, you have to create a small hole at the bottom of the container by drilling, poking, or melting for proper drainage. If you are opting to buy new containers, you can choose from various garden pots to hanging baskets.

Window:

If you have a window with railings, then you can hang small plant pots from them. You can also build a small indoor survival garden near the window that gets plenty of sunlight. Wooden planks can also be used for making landings on or near the windows to build a small vegetable garden.  

Prepping The Site Before Putting Soil Beds Down

Many make the mistake of not prepping the place which you are considering to build an emergency garden. Start by removing any sod/grass in the site where you will have the raised bed. If you have enough time in hand, you can also use a tarp or black plastic to kill the grass in the desired area by staking the plastic sheet down at the bed site and letting it cook in the sun.

Killing grasses will reduce the growth of weeds poking in your garden in the future. If you don’t have enough time for removing the grass underneath, you can choose to shovel out the sods. Once killing all sods is done, you can place your soil bed on top. For further protection, you can also put landscape fabric to prevent weed growth.

Fill Your Containers Or Raised Beds With The Right Mixture

It is important to have the right mixture for filling the containers and raised beds. One such common effective mixture is one part garden soil, one part compost, and one post vermiculite, perlite, or sand. You can find and purchase these ingredients from your local garden store.

However, if you don’t have much space or ingredients and will work in smaller soil beds or containers, you can also work with organic potting soil with home-made compost.

The Right Way To Plant 

It is a common strategy to plant seeds at a depth of almost three times the diameter of the seed itself in the soil. However, when it comes to fine seeds, which are much smaller in size, they should be scattered on top of the soil and lightly pressed down.

It would be best if you never grow fruit trees on your lawn. It is because the watering and fertilization schedule of lawns will greatly vary from what actually the fruit trees will need.

Near climbing plants such as tomato, beans, peas, etc., a stake or trellises should also be planted. While planting the seeds, make sure you leave enough space near them. This is done so that you are able to weed out by moving around the plant in the future after they grow.

Best Plants To Grow In An Emergency Garden

Some of the best plants to grow in containers in case of an emergency garden are-

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Spinach
• Zucchini
• Winter Squash
• Leaf Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Kale
• Beans
• Beetroots
• Green Onions
• Herbs
• Radishes

Some Advices For Maintaining Your Garden

To achieve a happy and healthy growing emergency garden, you must take the following points into account-

• It is best to water your garden every day than dumping water once a week. The vegetable gardens need about an inch of water every week. And if you have or are planning to plant them in containers, then they might need a little more water. The easiest point to remember is that if the soil feels dry, then your garden needs water.

• You will need to get rid of weeds often. Weeds growing in your garden will compete with your plants for obtaining water and nutrition, which will adversely affect your sown plants’ health. Hence, you will need to keep the soil beds weed-free. In comparison to big gardens, weeding out the emergency garden will be comparatively easy because it has a smaller bed.

• In an emergency garden, compost is the only fertilizer you will truly need. Having some good compost is handy. It is because you can use that compost to sprinkle on the base of the plant (top dress) if any of your plants look unhealthy.

• Mulch is your garden’s friend because it helps to store the moisture longer and keep the weeds down. You can put a thick layer of mulch around your established plants. People use hay/straws, wood chips, seedless grass clippings, pine shavings, newspaper, etc., as mulch.  

• It is best not to leave ripe vegetables and fruits on the plants because most of them like to be picked. Make sure to pick cucumbers often, clip the herbs, harvest the beans, etc. If you leave them on the vine, then the plant will receive the signal that the season of production is over and hence will either go dormant or start to seed or, worse, die.

• Make it a habit to visit and check your garden every day. This will give you the opportunity to check on the moisture content in the soil, free your emergency garden soil of weeds, and pick green goods. It is also proven that engaging in gardening activities also improves the mental health of people.  

This article has almost covered instructing about all necessary criteria for growing an emergency vegetable garden. Now you can easily grow your own food at home. I hope the information we provided has empowered you. Remember that no time is better for growing plants than starting now.

15 Special And Perfect Gifts For Plant Lovers

There are many people, many such people who enjoy growing plants and take pleasure in taking care of the greens. These individuals are gifted with the green thumb that not all of us possess. But for someone who knows very little about gardening or plants in general, it might be difficult for them to choose a suitable gift for a proud plant owner. Let’s find out some cool gifts for plant lovers.

The most straightforward gift idea for plant lovers, that might come to your mind is buying them another plant. But think again because everyone else might be bringing in the same gift for them. We are providing a list of various creative and out-of-the-box gifts for plant lovers that your friend or family member will surely cherish. 

List Of Gifting Ideas For Plant Lovers | Gifts For Plant Lovers:

1. LED Grow light bulb for indoor plants 

A good gift for plants lovers would be to upgrade their usual purple grow lights with LED grow light Bulbs that feature the balanced spectrum of light their plants need but look like an ordinary light bulb.

2. Hand Painted Flower Pots For Plant Lovers

Beautiful plant pots always make a unique gift for plant lovers. So what’s better than a hand-painted flowering pot? Especially if the flowering pot is put together along with a new plant too.

3. Watering Globes – Useful Gifts For Plant Lovers

Self-watering globes are best for those who love plants but doesn’t have enough time to water them daily. They are available in different shapes and have various decorative features that look very cute, hanging out in your plants as well as your plants stay wet adequately.

4. Gardening Kit

Gardening kit, especially for the children and beginners, right plant pro, is a fun way to teach them how to grow vegetables. Additionally, these kits come along with other activities too which are quite enjoyable.

5. Plant Pictures And Prints 

The lovely plant pictures, prints and illustrations of pretty plants make the perfect gallery wall for any plant lover. Illustrations of stunning plants by Angela Staehling, the author of Happy Houseplants.

6. Watering Can – Stylish Gifts For Plant Lovers

As everyone knows, watering cans are very functional, but there’s no reason they can’t be smart and pretty too. A sleeky style version or small, modern watering can with equal parts sculptural object art, both of which are practical are planting must-have.  

7. Plant mister

Watering cans, although functional and pretty, are old-fashion. Whereas a glass mister which is pretty new and are undeniably beautiful which will make any plant lover swoon. It is aesthetically appealing earning a spot on the windowsill, and even practical too allowing the users to control how much they hydrate their botanical buds. 

8. Botanical printed clothing/blanket/towel

A plant lover must show-off their love for plants and what better way than botanical printed clothing, towels or blankets. A plant-lover will appreciate items of clothing and blankets with various botanical designs and sayings to show off an snuggle up with their favourite plants. And there is no reason why everything even the towels shouldn’t be on botanical designs.

9. Customized notebook with plant templates and stickers

Help your friends or family keep track of how much their plants have grown or how they feel about their little botanical babies with the sweet customized notebooks with plant templates and stickers. They can keep count of every small change every day made by their plants in their notebooks and recall it.

10. Botanical printed phone case

Although you may not be able to get your buds a new and shiny phone, you can inject a little personality and life into your favourite person’s mobile phone device with a botanical printed phone case. A large number of plant lovers are buying phone cases with beautiful pictures so it will definitely make a fantastic gift for your friends or family member.

11. Terrarium Candle

One of the best gifts you can give to your friend who likes plants and enjoys staying indoors is a scented terrarium candle. These candles are small in size and come in cute containers which are appropriate for keeping on bedside tables, study tables, shelves, etc. Some of the faux plant terrarium candles are made to look like a variety of succulents or even like cactus. The lavender, vanilla and pine-scented terrarium candles are the most popular among buyers. 

12. Plant style enamel pins

Enamel pins are some of those retro accessories that are now again back in style. You can easily find enamel pins with plant-based designs, or you can even order for making some personalized pins as well. It is one of the trendiest and very affordable gifting options that are also very rare. Gift some adorable happy plant enamel pins to your friend and watch them flaunt it on their denim jackets or backpacks. 

13. Books on gardening and plant care

An aspiring gardener certainly might need all the help they can get for growing plants outdoor or indoor. And what better help can be than a good self-help book on planting and taking care of the greens? Many how-to books come with easy instructions, helpful tips and picture assistance for gardening, and these books can be bought online or from a store.   

14. Multi-tiered plant stand

Do you know which gift an indoor plant enthusiast will greatly appreciate? It is a multi-tiered plant stand because they always lack sufficient surface for placing their beloved plants. A solid empty wood stand will give them another space for growing their new green friends. 

15. Small geo wall display set

Need a gift suggestion for a plant lover who has filled almost every area in their apartment with their indoor plant collection? Then the sleek designed minimalist wall mounted planters might be the best gift option for them. The small geo wall display set not only saves space but also looks very stylish with the different types of metal frame and ceramic. The variations in which they are commonly available are- white ceramic with a brass wire frame, black ceramic with the brass wireframe, and concrete vase with the copper wireframe. 

Some More Useful Gifting Options For Plant Lovers

• Terracotta Pots: All plant owners need a container for their green friend to grow and what can be better than one or a few beautiful terracotta pots. You can also paint these pots or attach small mirror pieces on them and give a personal touch to the gift.  

• DIY Customizable Garden Markers: We all know that garden markers are very useful as some of them come in handy for letting others know the kind of plant growing there or some help in scaring off insects or birds that might harm the plant. And guess what you can make these garden markers at home and gift them to a plant lover. 

• Forged Steel Pruners, Trowel, And Garden Fork Set: All plant owners need a good pair of pruners or trimmers, trowel, and garden fork. Gift these useful tools on the next occasion and help out a fellow green parent to create a beautiful backyard. 

Conclusion

We have provided some of the best gifts for plant lovers. And if you are a plant lover yourself and enjoy growing greens then why not treat yourself to such amazing things the next time you shop. I hope this article was helpful.

Best Fall Outfits For Women

The fall season is finally here and this is indeed exciting! While summers are a favourite of many given the plenty of style options available, fall is a great time for the fashion lovers to up their fashion game and look like an absolute diva. After all, you get to layer your outfits like a pro and put on your favourite pair of boots and adorn the aesthetic and best fall outfits for women!

However, a lot of us also struggle in acing the fall/winter fashion. Styling during the fall season seems to be a bit tough and all you need to do is to layer. But then layering can also be quite a tricky game. So now you must be wondering how to dress up during the fall? Don’t worry, we’ve got you sorted. In this blog, we will be listing out the best fall outfits for women and also give you tips on how to layer up.

Without doing any further delay, let’s dive into the tips:

1. Polo neck sweater

When building your fall wardrobe, the most essential piece you need to have is a Polo Neck Sweater. Polo necks are your must-haves when you want to layer to keep yourself warm. They are among the basics and help you in building your outfit. So, it is imperative to ensure that you get your hands on one which provides good quality and fitting. Make sure to purchase them in neutral colours to make them more versatile. 

Below we have listed some looks that you can attain using this basic piece of clothing:

• An effortless way to style the sweater is by going for a basic and minimal look. Wear your Polo-Neck Sweaters with well-fitted jeans and you are good to go! This is a classic and extremely effortless styling option.

• There are again endless ways of layering an outfit, especially when the piece of clothing is basic and versatile. One way to do this is by wearing them underneath a summer slip dress. Complete the look with sneakers. This is a look suitable for brunch or a casual day outfit.

• Lastly, for all the Bohemian fashion or Indo-Western style lovers, Polo necks are your best buddies. Couple your polo-neck sweater with printed skirts, trousers, kurtas and even a saree. Finish off your look with lots of silver jewellery and there you go, looking stunning!

2. Plaid shirts

Plaid as a Print is synonymous to Fall Style. They are all over the Internet and an extremely comfortable addition to your closet. One wearable way to have them in your closet is by adding a Plaid Shirt. The brownie points are that they look good practically with anything! 

Here are some ways to style them:

• Throw over your Plaid shirt over your favourite LBD. Wear tights underneath and complete the look with sneakers, sketchers and you have a fall appropriate street style look ready!
  
• Simply wear your Plaid Shirt with your favourite pair of jeans or a skirt. Accessorize the look with sneakers and some hoops. A perfect casual look is ready!
  

3. Denim jackets

Okay, so Denim Jackets are essential and should be there in every closet. They are extremely comfortable, handy and can never ever go out of style. Since Denim is a thick fabric, they extremely fall appropriate. There are countless ways to style your favourite denim jacket.

We are listing two ways for you to take inspiration from:

• One way to style them is by wearing them with your favourite summer dress or jumpsuit. Pair your denim jacket with that bright coloured dress or jumpsuit from your summer wardrobe. Finish off the look with some hoops and ballerinas and you have a girl next door look ready!
  
• This one is for those girls who live for the Indo-Western Style. For this look take any regular cotton Anarkali from your wardrobe. Wear this Anarkali as a dress and put a denim jacket over it. Complete the look with small jhumkas and juttis for footwear. And there you have an effortless, unique look ready!
  

4. Sweat shirts

How can we miss out on sweat-shirts while choosing fall outfits for women. They are extremely comfortable and can look great even when worn in the most basic manner. Pair them with your regular denim, skirts and yes, even with overalls! This season you could go for a one having tie-dye prints on them, or the ones having some quote or graphic prints. A tie-dye co-ord set of sweatshirts and sweatpants would be the most appropriate pick for the 2020 fall season.

5. Knee-high boots

Last but not the least, boots are a must-have in your fall outfit for women list. This was perhaps the most classic and ravaging invention in the history of fashion. Boots can instantly elevate any look especially when they are sexy knee-high boots. You could go for a black or a brown shade and pair them up with practically anything— jeans, slip dresses, party outfits, leather pants. They will easily add the oomph factor and make you look drop-dead gorgeous.

6. Trench coats 

Trench Coats are again a beautiful addition to your fall closet and when styled in the right way, you can never fall out of love with it.

To start with, preferably go for colour in the brown, beige shade as these would go probably with almost every kind of outfit. You could simply style them with your basic denim, pants, trousers and even dresses— they would instantly elevate any look of yours!

With this, we come to the end of this blog. These are some of the outfit options you should definitely try out this fall season. Extremely comfortable, these pieces are very wearable and look fashionable, even when worn in the most basic manner. In the end, make sure you confidently carry out any of these looks when you step out because it is when you ooze out confidence, you make a difference!

Major Picks — Fall Outfits For Men In 2020

The fall season is finally here and excites every fashion lover out there! Not just it marks the beginning of the winter and our favourite Party Season, but this is the time when we can level up our fashion quotient to another level. Some might confuse the fall season with the boring, sweater, hoodie time; however, if you know the right techniques, the styling options are endless!

So, if you are a guy and are a fashion enthusiast, then this blog is for you. In this blog, we will be listing out the must haves for your ‘fall outfits for men 2020’ collection. These are staples and their addition can accentuate any basic look. This makes them your must haves. So let’s head into the blog right-away:

1. Turtle neck

Turtle Neck sweaters are definitely one of the most essential constituents in your fall outfits for men 2020 wardrobe. They are supremely comfortable and have the element of smartness in them.

When it comes to styling, the options with a turtleneck sweater are endless. You can wear them with your regular denim, and have the most basic yet smart look.

They are great pieces to wear under a blazer for formal or semi-formal events, and can even be paired with half jackets for any brunch, date, or casual day-out plan.

Make sure to purchase them in neutral colors to make them very season-appropriate.

2. Faux Leather Jacket

Another very classy and worthwhile addition to your fall closet in a faux leather jacket. A leather jacket when worn over the simplest of T-shirts can uplift any look. Wear them off for any informal events-brunch, dates, casual day-out and even for semi-formal events. 

Make sure to invest in a good quality leather jacket-preferably in black or brown to make them more versatile. So this season invest in a good quality faux leather jacket and get yourself sorted!

3. Flannel shirts

Flannel Shirts are again a very suitable addition to your fall outfits for men 2020 collection. They are super comfortable, easily available and practically go with every casual look. You could either wear them simply with your formal pants and denim. 

Otherwise, you could also wear one over your t-shirt or chinos. These flannel shirts would act as a shacket. Makes them a useful piece right! This season preferably gets your hands on one with a plaid print. Plaids are again very typical of fall, and a plaid shirt will become all the more season appropriate.

4. Boots

Okay, if we are talking about fall constituents, we cannot miss out on Boots. Boots are synonymous with fall fashion. And for this season, invest in a good pair of Jodhpur Boots. 

These Boots are extremely fashionable, comfortable and can instantly elevate any look. One smart way to wear them is with trousers and chinos, with a jacket on top. They are suitable for any casual get-together or dinner look.

5. Pullovers

Another essential item in the fall wardrobe, this season invest in a good pullover. They are extremely comfortable and practically don’t require any styling. All you need to do is to wear them over your shirt/t-shirt. 

So, this season make sure you buy one which is of good quality and good fit as these make a great difference. Preferably get your hands on one with neutral shades or on a darker tinge of any colour to make it more season-appropriate.

6. Blazers

Blazers are very essential for every closet, as they are the mantra to power dressing. Not only are they the most suitable wear to any formal event but they can also be worn out for casual get-togethers. 

When worn for an informal gathering, blazers add a sense of power and confidence to the entire look. This season, make sure you invest in a good blazer, even more than one if you wish too. You could choose a black or a brown shade that seems quite suitable for formal events, and choose something in bright colours or patterns to make it a good pick for casual events.

7. Half Jackets

Last but not least are Half Jackets. You could either go for the puffed ones or the regular ones. These are again very comfortable additions to your closet and the styling options with them are immense. 

You could wear them with any shirt, t-shirt and even kurtas-making them a perfect pick for any Indian Event. Get your hands on one in a darker tinge— crimson, dark brown, navy blue. This will make them a perfect piece in order to mix and match.

With this, we come to the end of our blog. Make sure you add these elements to your wardrobe this fall season. Wear them off in your own unique, creative ways, and step out with utmost confidence for all the compliments to be showered on you!