Spring Gardening Review

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple but well-maintained garden, you only need two things - determination and know-how. Here are some tips on how to keep your garden by the yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading
Keep your border free from wilted flowers and dried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads will encourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer. Many perennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annuals benefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops.
Certain plants - especially foliage plants like Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops are pinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and so more blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggy unless they are pinched out.

4. Fertilize lightly.
A minimal amount of fertilizer will further boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water your yard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly because of nutrient depletion. A fortnightly application of liquid fertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it is more readily absorbed by the leaves. Container plants will be considerably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer applied regularly.

5. Weed out.
This is one of the best ways to preserve the beauty of your garden by the yard. Remember, weeds compete with your plants for both nutrients and moisture. If the weeds are not close to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch. If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator, rather than a spray. This will protect you plants from spray-drift.

6. Water them well
One good tip when it comes to watering your garden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week, making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion. Deep watering will encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able to withstand dry spells weatherwise

7. Say no to chemicals
Chemicals are dangerous to humans and often kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, so avoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives that work almost as well.

With these simple tips, your garden by the yard will soon be the envy of your neighbors.

Gardening is something that many do for a love of nature and for a chance to relax. Some do a little, and are happy with that, but others take it much more seriously. They may come up with amazing spring garden designs that would take your breath away. Those are always a lot of fun to view, and can be even more fun to grow. It might be compared to putting together a very complicated puzzle and hoping everything comes out just right.

If you want to put together your own spring garden designs, you should think a lot about your skill and knowledge of plants. You want to think about color and design, but you also have to think about caring for the various plants that you choose. Some are harder than others to care for, and that can be problematic for those who don’t have a lot of time to mess with hard to care for plants. If you are pretty sure you have the time and the talent, go ahead and see what you can do on your own.

You may want spring garden designs, but you may not have any idea where to start. You can start small to see what you can do on your own, or you can always ask someone for help. You can find many who work in home improvement stores who specialize in gardening. You can find them where you might suspect; in the garden section. If someone is not there that can help you with the basics of spring garden designs, you can ask when someone might be in that knows what they are doing so you know when to go back. They may even have some gardening classes that you can attend, and these are normally free.

If you want to tackle spring garden designs without any outside help, but you are really coming up empty when thinking about what you want to do, you can always find ideas in many places. You can find some great ideas by doing an image search for gardens on the Internet, or you can look through gardening magazines for things that you like.

Use some of the ideas you find to make up your very own spring garden designs. You will have something that is all your own if you mix and match, and then add some things that are special to you. After your first go, you may find you have enough of your own ideas that you don’t need to take them from anyone else.

Choosing the Best Plants for Your Garden

Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept. You’ll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Now you are ready to plant. Well - almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organized, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the center if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.

The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, gray or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.

Source: General Articles