If you want that green, lush garden, there are many things to do in order to get there. Gardening takes a lot of effort, planning, time and work, but it can be a great deal of fun. Try these hints to bring the fun out in gardening.
Good tools for the gardener include a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool. Get a portable stool if you want to garden comfortably without damaging your knees. It is also normal to move heavy objects and dirt around the garden, so a wheelbarrow is something you should have.
Start your garden by planting seed in small pots. When opening a garden, the most green method of beginning is from seed. The plastics used in nurseries are rarely recycled and ends up in landfills, so it is best to start with the seeds or buy from nurseries who use organic materials in packaging their plants.
To help create new plants, use root cuttings. The roots must be cut during the winter months, when the plants are usually dormant. A good knife should be sufficient for removing the deepest roots. Cut each root into pieces that are two inches in length. Fill a seed tray with a mixture of moist peat and grit, and lay the root cuttings on the surface. Lightly cover the root cuttings with a layer of the peat and grit mixture. Leave the tray in a place that is cool for about a month and seedlings will sprout. When they sprout, it's important that you plant each seedling in a separate larger tray or flower pot until it's time to put them outside.
Cover fences and walls with lots of climbers. Plants that climb are extraordinarily versatile, and can help hide an unsightly wall or fence, usually within one season. They can be trained to grow over an arbor, or through trees and shrubs that are already in the garden. Some need to be tied to a support, whereas certain climbers attach themselves to a surface with tendrils or twining stems. Reliable varieties include wisteria, honeysuckle, climbing roses, clematis, and jasmine.
Water your garden wisely. A soaker hose will save you time because you won't have to individually water each plant, like you do with a regular nozzle, or a can that you need to constantly refill. Make sure that your water pressure is set to low, so that no harm will come to any tender plants. Let the soaker hose do its thing for a couple hours, and your plants are watered.
Choose plants that will provide color in autumn. But, that does not have to be the case! If you plan properly, you can make your fall garden the most colorful time of the year. Many trees display a range of the vivid colors of fall, from bright yellow to rich crimson, including maple, beech, and dogwood. When you choose shrubbery, try hydrangea, barberry, or cotoneaster.
Consider planting evergreens that produce berries in your yard. These help to give your garden nice looking color, even during winter when most vegetation is colorless. Other winter plants include the American Holly, Winterberry, The American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.
If your soil is highly alkaline, try mixing used coffee grounds into the soil. The coffee grounds provide a cheap way to re-supply needed acid to the dirt. Improving the pH of your soil will make your vegetables and greens taste even better!
If you have a smaller garden, put in a dwarf tree. Many gardens within city limits don't have space for full-size trees, but have plenty of space for miniature versions like the dwarf fruit tree. This variety of fruit tree will mature and yield full sized fruit after about three years, though sometimes it can take a bit longer. The best time to plant your dormant trees is early springtime, and remember to water them liberally until they are well established.
You should make sure to divide your irises. Overgrown clumps of irises can be divided up to increase your numbers of this lovely flower. If you find any dead irises in your garden, immediately pull up the bulbs. The bulbs should automatically divide in your palm, and once you put them back into the earth, they will typically flower the following year. Use a knife to carefully divide rhizomes. Cut out new pieces from outside the bulb and throw away the old center. Every piece needs to have a minimum of one good offshoot. For optimum viability, plant your new cuttings into the ground without delay.
An English garden mixes plants of various kinds and sizes close together, which helps to give it a more multi-dimensional feel. If you only use uniform plants, your bed will look boring and flat.
As was mentioned at the start of this article the beginning, a garden is a wonderful way to have your own fresh fruit, veggies and herbs at home. Using the fruits and vegetables in the meals you prepare will have you feeling proud. Apply these guidelines in order to get the most out of gardening.
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