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Gemüseanbau auf dem Balkon – die besten Tipps und Tricks

In diesem Artikel erhältst du alle Infos zum Gemüseanbau auf deinem Balkon. Falls bei dir bisher der Gemüseanbau immer gescheitert ist, wirst du mit dem neu erlangten Wissen durch diesen Artikel schon bald Erfolge feiern können. Du brauchst also nicht zwingend einen Garten, um bei dir zu Hause Gemüse anzubauen. Beginnen wir gleich ohne lange um den heißen Brei zu quatschen!

Die besten Voraussetzungen für einen gelungenen Gemüseanbau

Damit dein Gemüse auf deinem Balkon erfolgreich wächst, benötigst du das richtige Material. Folgende Dinge kannst du dir auf deine Einkaufsliste setzen:

Anzuchttöpfe
Anzuchterde
Gemüseerde (mit Dünger)
Gießkanne
Töpfe
Kübel
Saatgut
Wasser

Und so funktioniert der Gemüseanbau!

Die Anzuchttöpfe werden dir dabei helfen, deine Saat optimal heranzuziehen. Das Saatgut wird dabei in nährstoffarme Anzuchterde gepflanzt, dadurch beginnt das Saatgut zu keimen. Aufgrund der nährstoffarmen Erde bilden die Keime längere und verästeltere Wurzeln, um so, besser an die Nährstoffe gelangen in der Erde zu gelangen.

Zu Beginn solltest du dich mit dem Gießen noch ein wenig zurückhalten. Versuche dabei nur die Erde mit lauwarmem Wasser zu gießen, sprich nicht die Keimlinge direkt. Du hast höhere Erfolgschancen, wenn du die Anzuchtphase innerhalb deiner Wohnung durchführst. Außerdem kannst du eine Frischhaltefolie über dein Anzuchtsttöpfchen spannen, sodass die Feuchtigkeit nicht so schnell verfliegt. Am besten einmal täglich gießen.

Sobald dein Gemüse groß genug ist, musst du diesem mehr Platz geben und umtopfen, nun kommt auch die nährstoffreichere Gemüseerde zum Einsatz. Du findest die zu deiner Pflanze passenden Angaben auf der Saatgut-Verpackung.

Mit dem Umtopfen heißt es für dein Gemüse jetzt auch “ab auf den Balkon!”. Gieße dein Balkongemüse von jetzt an täglich mit lauwarmen Wasser und besprühe dieses ab und an mit einer Sprühflasche. Wiederhole dieses Ritual so lange bis dein Gemüse Erntereif ist.

Wichtig: Je nach dem in welche Himmelsrichtung dein Balkon ausgerichtet ist, wird dein Gemüse schneller oder langsamer wachsen. Bevorzugt wird von vielen Hobbygärtnern der Süden und Osten, da du bei diesen Himmelsrichtungen am meisten Sonne abbekommst.

Gemüsearten für Anfänger

Gemüse ist nicht gleich Gemüse! Manche Sorten benötigen mehr Zeit und Mühe als andere. Mit Gemüsearten wie zum Beispiel: Tomaten, Rettich oder Paprika kommst du besonders schnell zum Ziel. Wir listen dir an dieser Stelle anfängerfreundliche Gemüsearten auf:

Tomaten
Paprika
Chili
Spinat
Mangold
Radieschen
Salat
Zwiebeln
Knoblauch
Rettich
Süßkartoffeln
Möhren
Sellerie
Rettich

Du findest diese Gemüsearten im nächsten Gartencenter. Beim Kauf empfehlen wir BIO-Produkte. Wenn du gleich mehrere Gemüsearten kaufst, kannst du auch gleich einen “Mischgarten” betreiben. Das bedeutet soviel wie, dass du zum Beispiel Tomaten oder Rettich neben Knoblauch setzt. Der Knoblauch hilft anderen Pflanzen bei Schimmel und sorgt außerdem für aromatischere Ernten.

Fazit

Du benötigst nicht unbedingt einen Garten, um erfolgreich Gemüse anzubauen. Dein Balkon kann der ideale Ort sein, um Gemüse wie Tomaten, Rettich und viele weitere Gemüsearten anzubauen. Eine gute Vorbereitung und das richtige Material für die Aufzucht deines Gemüses ist die halbe Miete. Der Austausch mit Gleichgesinnten kann dabei sehr wertvoll sein. Wir wünschen dir viel Erfolg beim Gemüseanbau auf deinem Balkon!

Pattern-Japan

夏本番！植物柄に込められた願いもまとって、浴衣でお出かけしよう

　梅雨も明け、いよいよ夏本場です。休止されていた夏祭りや花火大会も、徐々に復活しつつあります。夏祭りや花火大会と言えば、「浴衣」。普段は着ないような大胆な柄も、浴衣ならむしろ気分を盛り上げてくれます。今回は、浴衣の柄に見る個性豊かな植物の柄と、そこに込められた意味をご紹介してみたいと思います。

浴衣はもともと、平安時代の貴族が入浴の際に着用した湯帷子（ゆかたびら）がその原型と考えられています。江戸時代、銭湯の普及とともに庶民にも広がり、さらに木綿栽培の発達により綿素材が普及したことで、その吸湿性の良さから入浴後に羽織るものへと変化していきます。庶民文化の発達とともに絵柄も様々なものが考案され、江戸時代中頃には庶民の夏の普段着として浸透しました。

このように、浴衣はもともと湯上りに着るバスローブ的な役割であったことから和装の中でも最もカジュアルなもとされ、絵柄や装いの幅も比較的制約が少なく、自由に人々に楽しまれてきました。

そんな人々に広く愛されてきた浴衣には、人々に親しまれてきた様々な植物が柄として取り入れられています。一体、日本人はどのような思いをその柄に込めてきたのでしょうか。代表的なものからいくつかご紹介しましょう。

「立てば芍薬、座れば牡丹、歩く姿は百合の花」という言葉を聞かれたことはあるかもしれませんが、この表現は、立っても座っても歩いても、その姿が美しい女性の様子を表すのに使われてきました。ここで使われている牡丹、芍薬、百合はいずれも浴衣の古典柄によく登場します。同じボタン科の芍薬や牡丹は、原産地の中国では上流階級に人気があったとされ、幸せや富、女性の美しさの象徴とされていました。百合も、そのすっきりとしたたたずまいから、純粋や無垢、威厳を象徴するものとして好まれてきました。

菖蒲は、まっすぐ剣のように伸びた葉と紫の色合いの品のある花が特徴ですが、「しょうぶ」と読む音が「勝負」や「尚武（武士の心得）」に通じることから、浴衣だけでなく甲冑や武具などにも用いられてきた柄です。勝負強さや礼儀正しさ、延命長寿などの意味が込められています。

菊の文様は、皇室の紋章にも使用されているとおり、その花言葉も「高貴、高潔」といった意味があります。落ち着きと品を感じさせる柄として、浴衣でも好まれています。

また、浴衣の柄に植物柄が用いられているのは女性ものだけではありません。一見幾何学模様のように見える「麻の葉柄」は男性の浴衣で定番ですが、これにも「成長」や「魔よけ」といった意味があるとされています。

これ以外にも、浴衣の柄に用いられている植物モチーフはたくさんあります。例えば「朝顔」なら固い絆や愛情、「撫子（なでしこ）」であれば純粋な愛や貞節、「紫陽花」は小さな花が集まった花の形から「和気藹々、家族団欒」など、それぞれに意味があります。こうした植物の特徴や季節感から昔の人々が連想し、結び付けてきたもので、季語や花言葉としても今も受け継がれています。

　こうして見ると、浴衣の柄も単なるデザインとしてではなく、様々な願いが込められたものとして感じられ、袖を通すときの気分も違ったものになるでしょう。今年の夏は、久しぶりに浴衣でおでかけしてみませんか。あなたの浴衣の柄はどんな柄で、どんな意味があるのしょう。Picturethisで季語や花言葉を探してみましょう！

Garden Care-French

Comment assurer l’entretien de son jardin et de ses plantes au moment de partir en vacances ou de quitter la maison ?

Les vacances d’été approchent à grand pas, et bien qu’il s’agisse d’un moment de détente attendu par tous, les plantes et le jardin sont souvent ceux qui pâtissent le plus de nos départs en vacances. Comment s’assurer que notre jardin garde son vert luxuriant pendant notre absence ? Comment prendre soin de ses plantes en amont, pour qu’elles soient aussi belles qu’à notre départ lors de notre retour ? On vous donne tout de suite nos conseils, pour assurer l’entretien de vos plantes et de votre jardin, en prévision de votre départ en vacances.

1. Luttez activement contre le dessèchement du jardin : un bon système d’irrigation

Quand on part en vacances, le principal danger pour les plantes de notre jardin concerne le manque d’eau. L’été se fait chaud, les températures grimpent et vos plantes se retrouvent sans système d’irrigation pendant de nombreuses journées successives ? Pour éviter que vos plantes ne brûlent au soleil, pensez à installer un système d’arrosage adapté. Il peut s’agir d’un système d’arrosage automatique, qui s’enclenche à différentes heures de la journée, ou un système de goutte à goutte, pour favoriser la bonne hydratation de vos plantes. Des solutions auxquelles vous devrez réfléchir si vous souhaitez préserver la santé de vos plantes.

2. Coupez vos fleurs fanées

Avant de partir, prenez le temps de couper vos fleurs fanées, qu’il s’agisse de vos buissons de roses, des fleurs de vos massifs, ou encore des fleurs en pot qui décorent votre maison et jardin. En coupant les fleurs fanées, vous stimulez la pousse de nouvelles fleurs, la sève de la plante étant économisée pour de nouvelles pousses. De ce fait, lorsque vous rentrerez de vacances, vous pourrez retrouver vos plantes en fleur, de nouvelles fleurs ayant fait leur apparition pendant votre départ. Une très bonne manière d’avoir l’impression d’un jardin bien entretenu au retour de vos vacances !

3. Mobilisez l’aide de vos voisins ou d’un proche

Si vous n’êtes pas en mesure d’équiper votre jardin et vos plantes d’un système d’arrosage suffisamment fiable et efficace, l’aide de vos proches pourrait être particulièrement précieuse. Si vos voisins partagent votre passion pour le jardin, ils pourraient être disposés à assurer l’arrosage et l’entretien de votre jardin en votre absence, en l’échange de vos services lorsqu’ils partiront à leur tour en vacances. Si vos voisins ne sont pas disponibles, l’un des membres de votre famille ou un ami pourrait accepter d’effectuer des visites régulières à votre logement, afin d’y arroser convenablement les plantes qui en éprouvent le besoin.

4. Déplacez vos plantes en pot à l’ombre

Les plantes en pot sont souvent les plus durement touchées face à la chaleur, puisqu’elles ne disposent pas de profondes racines, permettant aux plantes plantées en pleine terre de bénéficier de la fraîcheur du sol. De ce fait, avant de partir en vacances, et si vous êtes amené à vous éloigner de votre maison pendant de longues journées, il peut être bénéfique de placer vos plantes à l’ombre, même pour vos plantes qui préfèrent le soleil. En France, les épisodes de canicule sont de plus en plus fréquents, et les journées chaudes du mois de juillet et d’août peuvent lourdement fragiliser vos plantes en pot.

5. Billes d’argiles, pots pensés pour retenir l’eau… Des installations à ne pas négliger

Il existe de nombreux outils et installations qui permettent de limiter la déshydratation de vos plantes, des options qui peuvent être intéressantes au moment de votre départ en vacances. Parmi ces différentes options, on retrouve les billes d’argiles, qui permettent de retenir un maximum d’humidité. Vous pourrez les placer dans des pots de toute taille. Il est aussi possible de choisir des pots qui fonctionnent à la manière de véritables réservoirs d’eau, et qui permettent de garder vos plantes au frais, l’eau s’écoulant progressivement pendant votre absence. Pour faciliter votre choix, n’hésitez pas à demander les conseils d’un spécialiste de la jardinerie !

6. Renseignez-vous concernant les conditions climatiques à venir avant votre départ

Enfin, quelques jours avant votre départ en vacances, prenez le temps de consulter les conditions météorologiques prévues pendant votre absence. Quelques jours de pluie pourraient être annoncés, ou au contraire, des journées particulièrement chaudes et sèches. En fonction de ces informations, vous pourrez adapter les besoins d’arrosage de votre jardin, pour vous assurer que vos plantes ne manqueront de rien, malgré votre absence. Cela peut aussi vous permettre d’éviter de déranger inutilement vos proches, en cas de conditions climatiques favorables à vos plantes.

Avant votre départ en vacances, connaissez-vous l’état de vos plantes et les soins dont elles pourraient avoir besoin ? Si ce n’est pas le cas, utilisez PictureThis pour analyser la bonne santé de vos plantes !

How to attract birds into your garden use a pine cone?

DIY Pine Cone To Attract Birds

Do you like birds? Or do you want birds to soar and sing in your yard?

To own it, you just need these productions:

Step 1: Spreading peanut butter in all of the nooks and crannies.

Step 2: Rolling the sticky cones in wild bird seeds.

Step 3: Hanging them in a tree and wait.

Let’s see how many birds would visit your yard!

Make a garden tire planter

Gardening with Rainbow Tire

Using old tires to create your own garden is an environment-friendly and smart idea. With a little paitn and imagination, giving them a magically transform.

Step 1: Clean up these old tires and paint to give them some color or pattern.

Step 2: Selecting a location and designing how to put them.

Step 3: Stuffing with soil and plant seeds or seedlings of flowers or begrtables.

Let’s try it now!

How to Start Seeds in Eggshells

Mini Garden in Kitchen

Growing plants in eggshells is such a fun and easy way to create your mini garden. You have all materials at your fingertips:

Step 1: Fill the eggshell with soil. Poke a small hole in the center.

Step 2: Planting two seeds in the hole, cover the top gently.

Step 3: Put your egg carton on a well-ventilated windowsill with plenty of sunlight. Watering every two or three days with a small amount.

Your tiny garden awaits.

Let‘s try it now.

A Brief History of Floral Arranging

Decorating with flowers has been an important part of many countries for thousands of years. These traditions have been passed down for generations to become the foundations of flower design today. Every culture has its accepted styles and techniques, and learning to pull from them will help you make your arrangements all your own.

A full history of flower design deserves a book all its own. Here’s a highlight reel of some of the most notable moments.

Ancient Egypt

While humanity has valued flowers since the start, our first record of their use comes from ancient Egypt. There, floral décor involved braiding fresh flowers into garlands and wreaths or flinging petals at special events.

China and Japan

It’s believed that the Chinese were the first to put flowers in containers of water to prolong their lifespan and provide more opportunities for artful arrangement.

The Japanese took cut flowers further with various techniques and even schools of thought on the best practices. Flower arrangement became an aspirational art form and meditative practice that inspired relaxation.

One popular Japanese technique is Ikebana, also called Kado. It’s a traditional practice where flowers and foliage are chosen to convey specific feelings or emotions to the viewer. Each piece is selected for its benefit for the final composition, and the design process is meant to be deliberate and reflective.

Ancient Greece and Rome

Think of the olive branch crowns of the Grecian Olympics, and you’ll know that flowers had symbolic and ceremonial importance. There was heavy influence on the meanings behind the types of flowers chosen, and this era of flower arrangement is known for utilizing fruit within the designs.

The Renaissance

Across Europe, the Renaissance was a time of evolution for many forms of art, and floral arrangements were no exception. In fact, as painting became more commonplace, artistic flower arrangements came into greater focus. This period is defined by designs that are more adventurous with their arrangement, with asymmetry becoming a favored design practice.

The Victorian Era

The Victorian era saw a return of flower arranging back to a way for individuals to express their status. Personal flower gardens peaked in popularity, and many elites took to making bouquets with their own backyard blooms for display in their homes and to give to friends who visit.

Today (and Beyond)

In the 21(st) century, greenhouse technology and refrigeration mean that an almost limitless variety of flowers are available to us today, and they remain an essential part of special events like weddings, funerals, and even high school dances. This means there’s more potential for incredible flower arrangements than ever before. You can combine varieties from different regions of the world in one bouquet or grow your own for a farm-to-table aesthetic.

Floral design remains an evolving field. There’s no knowing what tomorrow’s trends will be, so join the hobby and leave your mark!

Is Floral Arranging Worth It?

There’s no shortage of hobbies to devote your time to today. Should floral arranging really be one of them? It turns out that there are many more benefits to filling your surroundings with beautiful flowers than most people realize. Here are some of the advantages of finding a passion for floral design.

Boost Your Mood Naturally

Filling your living space with flowers is a proven way to improve your mood. Research shows that they can have an immediate impact on your happiness levels by decreasing anxiety and making homes feel more welcoming. The consequences are especially profound for seniors and the sick — putting floral arrangements in hospitals and nursing homes can significantly improve the quality of life for residents.

Temporarily Transform Your Space

Looking to give your living room a refresh? Fresh flowers are an easy (and temporary) way to do so. The right arrangement can immediately transform a drab corner, and you have total freedom to switch up the look every time the mood strikes.

Showcase Your Creativity

Floral arrangements are an under-appreciated art form and an opportunity for creative expression. Each flower petal acts like paint for you to transform the “canvas” of the bouquet.

Likewise, there’s evidence that surrounding yourself with flowers can improve creative thinking. One study found that employees performed better on creative tasks when they got to look at flowers before they began. Keep some in your office, and you might soon come up with your best ideas.

Reduce Stress

Not only are floral arrangements soothing to look at, but the process of making them can lower your stress levels. Designing and building a floral arrangement is a type of playtime for grownups that leads to relaxation. In fact, in centuries past, the Japanese viewed arranging flowers as a form of meditation.

Connect with the Natural World

Almost everyone could benefit from more nature in their lives. Bringing flowers into your home lets you embrace the outside world in an interior environment. Floral arrangements can help you fight nature deficit disorder and feel more connected to the natural world, all from the comfort of your living room.

Promote Relaxation

Essential oils are popular for a reason — they bring natural scents into our homes. Skip the diffuser and instead incorporate fresh flowers into your space. Many varieties, like roses and lavender, have scents that release feel-good chemicals in your brain as you breathe them in. There’s also evidence that merely looking at flowers can reduce your heart rate and promote a sense of relaxation.

Aid Memory and Recall

Can floral arrangements make you act smarter? Some studies seem to say yes. Research from Germany found that certain floral scents aid memory formation and offer a higher-than-average chance you’ll recall information than if you weren’t exposed to them.

What Is Floral Arranging?

Welcome!

If you’re reading this book, you clearly have an interest in floral arrangements. Maybe you’re already growing your own backyard blooms and want to learn better ways to display them, or perhaps the world of flowers is entirely new to you. Regardless of your prior experience, arranging flowers is a rewarding hobby that will benefit your life in many ways.

But before we can dive into the specifics, let’s look closer at what floral arranging really means.

Guiding Principles of Flower Arranging

Flower arranging is an art form where flowers, foliage, and other plant material is presented in visually pleasing ways. It’s not as simple as sticking some stems in a vase — proper flower arrangements must pay attention to certain design principles in order to be aesthetically pleasing.

As with all art forms, there’s no right or wrong way to arrange flowers. However, there are guiding principles that the greatest arrangers keep in mind when working on their floral designs. These include the following:

Proportion: The relationship between the sizes of every element within your design, from the plant material to the container. Generally, an arrangement’s height should be one and a half to two times the size of its container.

Focal Point: Many of the best floral arrangements have one point that draws the eye, either based on differences in height, contrasting colors, or other elements.

Unity: Floral arrangements achieve unity when all the design elements combine to create something more valuable than the individual components.

Scale: This is the relationship between the size of the overall design and the space where it’s displayed. You don’t want a tiny bouquet on a large table.

Balance (Physical): This is the distribution of materials or the overall “weight” of the arrangement. Heavy blooms need to be well supported to ensure they stay upright within the composition.

Balance (Visual): Another form of weight, visual balance determines whether a bouquet looks poised at a glance. You don’t need symmetry to achieve this — carefully arranged asymmetrical designs can have visual balance.

Harmony: To achieve harmony, floral designs must have all their separate elements (materials, colors, textures, height) blend, so the overall design appears cohesive.

Rhythm: The best floral arrangements have a visual flow or a direction that your eye travels with distinct focal points.

Achieving Your Own Style for Floral Design

Beyond these guiding principles, floral arrangements can fall under various design categories. You might be influenced by the precision of French gardens or the understated simplicity of Japanese Ikebana.

But while it’s helpful to learn the elements of what makes arrangements work, there’s also plenty of room to be creative. Once you know the rules, you have full permission to break them and go in your own direction. Flowers become your canvas — it’s up to you to transform them into art.

The rest of this book will work to educate you about the art of flower arranging so you can build beautiful bouquets that reflect your unique design preferences.

Shanshui-Style Penjing

Along with shumu, shanshui is the other main penjing style. Shanshui is incredibly important to penjing as it helps set a clear difference between penjing and other related arts, such as bonsai. Read on to learn the elements that set shanshui apart from other penjing forms.

Shanshui Penjing is about Creating Miniature Landscape Scenes

The most crucial difference between shanshui penjing and other small-scale artistic planting styles is that shanshui depicts landscape scenes, in miniature, rather than displaying a single specimen plant. This representation of entire landscape scenes sets shanshui apart from shumu penjing, bonsai, and other art forms.

Rock Design Is a Main Feature of Shanshui Penjing

Shanshui penjing almost always features rocks in one form or another. Typically, these rocks account for the main structural components of a shanshui penjing display. These rocks are often arranged in patterns that mimic natural landscapes, especially mountainous scenes.

Since shanshui penjing is mainly about creating miniature landscapes, the stones used in shanshui often imitate hills, cliffs, or outcroppings. At times, the shanshui artist may spend many hours carving and perfecting their stones to achieve a specific texture and overall look.

Shanshui Penjing Includes Water Features

The other main element you are likely to notice in a shanshui penjing display is water. While stone mimics landforms, like hills and mountains, water in a shanshui penjing design typically imitates a lake, pond, or river.

The prevalence of water and stone emphasizes one of the most important spiritual principles associated with penjing, the balance between contrasting forces. In shanshui penjing, water provides a softness that perfectly juxtaposes the hardness of stone.

Shanshui Often Incorporates Small Plants

Water and stone help distinguish shanshui penjing from other penjing styles, but plants remain important as well. Nearly all shanshui penjing displays will include some form of plant life, whether that be miniature trees, grasses, or mosses.

These plants help add interest to a shanshui display and can soften the appearance of the rocks. The plants used in this style also help reinforce the idea that a shanshui display is a miniature representation of a natural landscape. As such, plant life is crucial to creating a sense of realism in a shanshui penjing design.