Despite taking up the most considerable portion of most properties, yards go criminally underused. Although a sprawling green yard can be nice, mixing it up with plants can be both beautiful and functional. Here are a few gardening tips that every home gardener should know.
Flowerbeds in the Front, Food in the Back
This tip is more of an aesthetic choice, but it's still the standard most people abide. Vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and other edible plants usually get kept in the backyard. Meanwhile, more decorative plants like flowers and shrubberies stay in the front. Although flowering plants can also grow in your backyard, it's not usually in fashion to grow a tomato plant in your front yard, unless you're growing it on your porch for sunlight.
Garden For More than Aesthetics
Instead of just thinking about what looks pretty, consider what it can do besides that. There are many breeds of plants that can keep mosquitoes at bay, which could convince your family to stay outside longer. Other flowering plants can help the local bee population, which is good for everyone involved. Think about what your goal is with your plants, and get plants that reflect that.
Plan Your Garden By The Sun
There's no way to get a house that continually gets sunlight on all sides- so plan your gardens with which plants need the most and least sunshine in mind. Not only does this make sure your plants will last longer, but it also hopefully means they'll need less maintenance and work.
Don't Do It All At Once
As tempting as it may be to overhaul your garden and yards in one weekend completely, you can take your time with it. There's no shame in planting your garden over a series of weeks to make sure you don't get burned out. Doing it all at once may exhaust you not to want to work on it anymore. Be patient with yourself, and make sure you do it right.
A Garden Can Be Year-Round
Plants don't just vanish when summer is over! In fall, you can plant bulbs for the next spring, and in winter, you can start to sew plants that need more time to grow (depending on where you live). You can also use off-seasons like this to fertilize your soil or to start thinking about your new layout for the next spring. The cold shouldn't scare away your creativity with your yard!
Don't Forget Where You Are
Plants have a lot to do with location. If you bought Phoenix real estate, you shouldn't go jumping into plants that need constant water, just like you shouldn't have a cactus outside in Seattle. Get plants that work well with your environment. This kind of planning means there will be less work on your shoulders since the weather of your area should be able to help your plants thrive without much intervention. If you're smart about your gardens, they shouldn't have to be a ton of maintenance.
If you struggle to know where to start, landscaping professionals will be able to help you find the best kind of plants that you need to suit the type of garden you have and where you are located in the country. A landscaper will have the expertise to bring your dream garden to life, help with planning and budgets, and get it completed in time for you to sit out, relax, and enjoy your summer.
Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2020. Please Ask First
Gardening can be a big job. As well as regular gardening, we seem to have something that needs to be built, replaced or moved every year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful picture of Bleeding Hearts. I hadn't thought of getting one, but a Bleeding Heart plant might be just what I need to fill in a space in my yard. Thanks for helping solve a problem you weren't even aware of! (lol).
ReplyDeleteGlad to have helped :) lol
ReplyDeleteI have never planted a flower garden, only a veggie one and it did not do well.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I learned here today is that catnip is a great mosquito deterrent, who would ever think.
ReplyDeleteMy mom always planted a row of mixed flowers in her vegetable garden. Her mom did the same. I'm not sure whether it was done to attract bees or just to look nice, but either way, it's a tradition I think I'm going to follow.
ReplyDeletePlan Your Garden By The Sun. Our first garden was in full sun, but over the years our neighbour's tree grew up and blocked a lot of the sun. We started a new garden in another area and used the old one for more shade-tolerant plants. Now the neighbour has cut down the tree, so we're back to full sun. Gardening involves being flexible!
ReplyDeleteMy wife really enjoys gardening. Well...except the picking weed part! Lol
ReplyDeleteGood tips to keep in mind. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI will try and start small this year.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip is to Start Small. It's an expansion of Don't Do It All at Once. Start with a small garden, then increase in size each year until you get to where you want to be. Doing a whole yard of vegetable and flower gardens in one year would be overwhelming for a beginner.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest problem with our vegetable gardens has been keeping local cats out of the newly seeded beds. I've resorted to covering them with a wire mesh until the ground hardens and plants begin to grow, so that the area is less enticing as a litter box.
ReplyDeleteMy son is trying out the Ruth Stout method of gardening for th first time this year.
ReplyDeleteI like that you were able to paint your plastic flower pots (I read your DIY post). I have some pots that have faded in the sun and plan to use your instructions to brighten them up.
ReplyDeleteI like that you were able to paint your plastic flower pots (I read your DIY post). I have some pots that have faded in the sun and plan to use your instructions to brighten them up.
ReplyDeleteI checked out your link to the plants that repel mosquitoes. Very interesting. I have some of the plants listed; I'll have to move some of them near our deck to keep mosquitoes away!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why, but I seem to be enjoying my gardening more this year than usual!
ReplyDeleteI have an area of my yard that is less convenient to water, so I've made it the area where I put plants that don't need much water. Grouping those plants together has saved me a lot of time and effort.
ReplyDeleteMy issue with gardening - the pests :( I love doing it but have lost some items due to them
ReplyDeleteI've been rereading the article about mosquito-repelling plants that you have linked. The citronella plant sounds interesting. I like that it is perennial.
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing lots of seeds sprouting up! this is always an exciting time of year.
ReplyDeleteGardening requires lots of planning. Thanks for a list of things to think about before starting, and whenever we want to add new plants.
ReplyDeleteIt's too hot to work in the garden today, but it's a great time to read articles like this one to get ideas and plan.
ReplyDeleteI love gardening myself, it's such a wonderful way to get outside and relax a little :)
ReplyDeleteDoing a little bit at a time is the best way to approach pretty much anything I think!
ReplyDelete