Not everybody has a green thumb, but everybody can grow a garden with the right guidance and a little determination. This article presents a number of concise tips that can help you to get more from your efforts.
Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favor any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.
If you want a patch of green in your garden, consider planting a ground cover instead of a lawn. Lawns require a lot of water and maintenance. On the other hand, a ground cover usually uses less water, and certain varieties discourage weeds from growing. Many varieties of ground cover have the green color comparable to a lawn. You can save time and money with a ground cover.
If this is your first time planting a garden, you should purchase seeds and plant them in seed trays to allow them to grow some before planting them outside. By doing this, your plant will be stronger and much more likely to survive once you plant it in the soil outside.
Create a convenient cleaning station next to your outside faucet or garden hose. Collect all of your old soap slivers from around the house (or simply use a whole bar) and place in a plastic mesh bag. You can often find these bags in the produce department of your favorite store for storing vegetables in the refrigerator, or in the laundry department for delicates. Hang the bag near your hose, and the mesh works as a scrubber as well as containing the soap for an easy hand washing station.
Think about asking friends or family for cuttings from their existing plants. Many plants will grow from cuttings so that you do not have to purchase a whole plant yourself. It takes only minutes to learn online which part of the plant you should cut off to replant, and using cuttings can save you hundreds of dollars in landscaping and gardening costs.
Clean your garden tools before you put them away. It seems strange to worry about keeping a gardening tool clean, but it’s actually very important for the health of your plants. Tools that are put away while coated in dirt can harbor microbes and even insects that can be deadly to your plants.
Don’t you hate it how fresh mint leaves take over all of your garden, even though you love them? Instead of planting mint in the ground, confine it to a large pot. You can bury the container so the top is flush with the ground if desired, but the container’s walls will prevent the roots from spreading so that the plant won’t take over your entire garden.
Think carefully about how you are going to lay out your vegetable garden. Unlike most other gardens, you want to consider practicality over aesthetics for your vegetables. Some vegetables emit chemicals that can inhibit another’s growth; some tall vegetables might overshadow small vegetables, which might not allow them to grow and ripen. Look at each vegetable plant’s properties and carefully consider where to put it in your garden.
If you are growing a vegetable garden, you may find that pests can be difficult to control. Don’t spray any harsh chemicals on your vegetables because you will be eating them later on. Persistence and care is a much better solution for pest control, but many avoid it because it actually requires some work on their behalf. By noticing them at an early stage, you can simply pluck them away from your plants with your fingers.
Keep yourself safe, it’s the first thing to know about gardening. Wear protective eye-wear when handling lawnmowers and other garden machinery. Wear gloves when you are working in the dirt. This will keep you safe in case of an incident and protect your body from different elements in the environment like Moving Company Los Angeles,
Create a zen garden by adding a water feature. Water features come in all sizes and designs. it is possible to have a very small water feature that is suitable for a patio or a very large pond. Several manufacturers make kits do-it-yourself kits that can be installed in just a few hours.
You should wait to buy your indoor gardening supplies until summer is over. All stores will want to make room for their winter inventory. That means that you should be able to find great deals on everything that you will need to start and maintain your indoor garden. It is important to stock up when the prices are low.
If you are experiencing a problem with slugs or other insects, a wonderful organic contact pesticide is diatomaceous earth. You can buy this at most garden centers, and it comes in a white powder form. It is an abrasive material that will kill the critters by damaging the skin of the slugs and joints of the insects.
Avoid chemicals in your garden. Keep the toxins out of the food and the water supply. One of the best parts about organic gardening is eliminating chemical compounds from your food supply. There are many alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Almost any problem can be cured with the right management.
Making rich, organic compost for your garden doesn’t take special equipment. All you really need to do is dump your kitchen scraps, lawn trimmings and leaves in a pile, and let nature take its course. It may take a bit longer, but in the end you’ll have a rich, healthy compost.
Gardening is a fun hobby for people of all ages. You can make a lovely flower garden in your yard, or grow tomatoes in small pots on your balcony – the list of options is endless. Nearly any lifestyle can accommodate some kind of gardening. Relax and enjoy what nature has to offer you.