The most inviting place on your homestead may very well be your flower garden. A well-planned and cared for garden makes a great place for daily meditation and weekend relaxation. By following the quick and easy tips presented here, you too, can have a lovely flower garden of your very own.
Find the crops that grow well in your local climate and the soil in your garden. If you try to force a plant that doesn’t like your weather, you’ll end up putting out a lot of work for very little result. What grows well one year will probably grow well next year too, so plant it again.
Make use of rain buckets and barrels around your home. You can later use this collected rainwater on your garden to grow healthier plants, while saving the planet. This method also reduces your water bill, as you can’t be charged for using the water that runs off your roof!
No gardener really enjoys weeding, but it is necessary. Using weed control cloth can make your job a lot easier. Lay down strips of cloth between your rows and you’ll end up saving yourself a lot of trouble. It may not look quite as nice, but your body will appreciate it.
When digging holes for your plants, don’t be a neat freak. Don’t dig holes that are perfect, with sides that are as smooth as can be. You are actually making it more difficult for the root system of the new plant to take hold in the soil. For best results, keep your holes a little messy.
You can dry herbs by putting them in your car. You can neatly arrange them on a sheet of newspaper in a single layer. Then close the doors and windows and let it air dry. The warmth in the car will dry the herbs quickly. The herbs themselves will create a very nice aroma.
To avoid injuring yourself while gardening, be sure to do some warm-up stretches before starting your project. Most people may not think of gardening as exercise, but injuries like pulled muscles frequently occur in the garden. You should also be sure to move around and not stay in one position for a long period of time.
There are many common household items that can be used to good effect in the garden. Try using duct tape to remove aphids from the leaves of infested plants. Wrap the tape around your hand, sticky side out, and press it to the leaves to remove the aphids. A lint roller can be used for this tasks as well.
When gardening, it is important that you protect your ears. If you can not hear someone around you while you are working with machinery, than the sound can be damaging to your ears. An easy way to help alleviate this problem is to wear ear plugs when using loud machinery.
Take the time to plant your roses properly and you’ll enjoy greater success down the road. Dig a hole larger enough to easily accommodate the roots and enrich it with organic matter. Build a mound of soil in the hole and drape the roots over it. Fill half way and water to remove any air bubble, then finish filling the hole.
Don’t use broad-spectrum pesticides for your garden. It’s true these pesticides kill the pests you don’t want, but they also lay waste to the advantageous insects that make those same pests a regular meal. The helpful insects in your garden can be highly sensitive to pesticides and if their population goes down, the harmful insect population will grow. If this happens, you just fuel an expanding cycle of needing even more pesticides.
So it is easy to see that by starting with well-developed soil, choosing the right plants right from the start, following instructions for planting and care and being vigilant regarding pest control and watering, it is easy to create and maintain a beautiful and impressive floral display in your yard.
