Whether you garden for business, to feed your family or just for your own pleasure, the tips below will help you to make the most of your garden. You can figure out everything you need, so you do not waste money on unnecessary equipment, or the wrong types of seeds for your environment.
Use the handles of your tools as a handy ruler when doing your outdoor chores. Tools with long handles, such as rakes, hoes, and shovels can be converted into handy measuring sticks. Place the handles on the floor to measure the distance between them. With a permanent marker, note pertinent measurements on the tool handle. Now, the next time you do work in the garden, you’ll actually have a ruler at your fingertips.
Choose perennials that won’t be taken out by slugs. Slugs and snails can decimate a plant in one night. They tend to enjoy perennials that have thin, smooth, tender leaves, especially those of young plants. Perennials that have tough or hairy leaves are often times unappetizing to snails and slugs. Some of examples of these are achillea, heuchera, campanula, helleborus, and euphorbia.
Plant a variety of annuals, biennials and perennials to keep your flower beds bright. The annuals and biennials are usually fast growing because they only last one season, and this will let you change the garden every season for a nice change of pace. You can also use these flowers to fill gaps between shrubs or perennials. Notable collections include sunflower, marigold, hollyhock, rudbeckia, cosmos, and petunia.
If your plants have a powdery mildew, don’t use expensive chemicals on them. Mix some baking soda and a very small amount of liquid soap into water. Spray the mixture on the plants once every seven days or so until you no longer see the mildew. Baking soda won’t harm your plants, and takes care of the mildew efficiently and gently.
Vegetable plants should be planted where they can benefit from a minimum of six hours of sunlight every day. Most vegetables need that much sun to grow rapidly and successfully. This is true of some flowers.
Start your peas in a protected indoors environment rather than outside. If you give them a chance to grow indoors where they are protected, they will germinate better. The seedling may also be hardier, which means that they can better resist disease and attacks from pests. You could transplant the seedlings outdoors once they are able to survive and thrive.
Pick a plant that will be a focal point. In any great garden design, a good focal point captures the eye. A perfect example of a focal point is using a plant that doesn’t bear any resemblance to those that surround it.
Heather can bring helpful critters into your garden. Bees are naturally attracted to heather for its nectar. Since a heather bed is normally left undisturbed, ground beetles, spiders and other beneficial insects tend to live inside it. If you do have to tend to your heather, wear gloves in case you accidentally annoy one of the residents!
It simply requires some research, some work, and some patience. But soon you will see the work begin to pay off, as the garden begins to grow.
