How many times have you nagged your children with that timeworn phrase, "Eat your vegetables"?

In an era when fast-food commercials pollute the airwaves, organic zucchini can have a hard time competing with McDonald's French fries.

The solution?

Winter 2005 was difficult for the whole country. With record breaking cold temperatures in the North and East, hurricanes in the South and flooding rains in the West, it is time to rebuild as spring approaches. What better way to shake off cabin-fever than working in the garden. If you don't know where to begin, follow these easy tips for starting your spring garden.

Begin by taking a stroll through your garden and draw a diagram of your yard. Notice the shady areas, what will add color to them? Begonias and Hydrangeas love the shade. Take inventory of the locations that are in the hot sun all day. Are these areas dry? What will you plant in these hot, dry areas? Many vegetables and herbs love to bask in the sun all day, as do geraniums, roses, and petunias. However, be careful as the aforementioned flowers need plenty of water if they are going to be in the sun all day.

A healthy vibrant garden requires organic nutrients like carbon and nitrogen. Compost is a natural recycling technique used by organic gardeners to put nutrients back into depleted soil. It can be made at home by reusing leftover scraps from the kitchen and organic matter from the yard.

Making compost is like baking a cake or making soup. When you make it the first time or two, you use a recipe. The recipe contains a list of ingredients and an explanation of how to combine them. If an ingredient is missing or isn't added according to the recipe the cake or soup might fail.

This also applies to compost, there is a recipe. There are specific ingredients that require specific measurements. Furthermore, like your cake recipe the ingredients must be combined in a certain way for the recipe to succeed.

These jeweled berries are more than just a pretty fruit. Their bright color and tart yet sweet flavor reminds me of the holidays. Not only do I use these beautiful berries in my holiday cooking, but I use them in my decor when I entertain. But these are not the only benefits of these bejeweled berries. Cranberries are rich in antioxidants and nutrition which are vital to maintaining and increasing good health.

Finding the perfect gift for the organic gardener in your life may prove challenging, as local nurseries and garden supply stores often lack a satisfactory selection of plants, soil nutrients and accessories that are appropriately "green." Even in major metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to locate specialty seeds and plants that fit your recipients' stringent home garden requirements.

Here are five novel holiday gift ideas, all of which can be ordered from the comfort of your home via the Internet. We've even provided the hyperlinks, so click away!