Whether you are green fingered or black thumbed, adding a garden to your home can add value to your property, when it comes time to resell. Not only that, the hobby of gardening can be a relaxing stress-buster when required. Below are some ideas on how to turn your back yard into a little green piece of paradise.
Remember to aerate your soil. If you loosen or puncture the soil, it will increase air permeability and water penetration. Aerating can be as simple as turning the soil over with a trowel, or in the case of lawns, making small holes in the grass. This can be done with an aerating machine, a garden fork, or even by walking on the grass wearing a pair of spiked golf shoes. This brings oxygen into the roots and promotes healthy new growth.
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.
Analyze the soil before you even get started with working in a garden. An inexpensive soil report can be used to adjust soil nutrients to optimum levels, which will ensure your garden thrives. Cooperative Extension departments often offer this testing service. It is a worthwhile effort so a garden can be productive on the first year of planting.
Try to grow only as much as you can use in your garden. After eating fresh vegetables, storing, freezing, and giving away to friends and family there is only so much that a person can use. Do not plant fifty tomato plants unless a vegetable stand is in your future because all those tomatoes will rot on the vines and will not be used.
When dealing with any type of seeds in gardening, it's important that you soak them overnight in a cool, dark location. Soak the seeds by placing them in a container where they are covered with water. That way, the seeds will have sufficient hydration and will have the best start possible. This increases the chances of survival for the seeds.
A useful solution to keep pests like bugs and flying insects away from your garden is to put basil, garlic or parsley plants as trim plants around your garden. These plants have the ability to deter pests, while still being quite useful in your kitchen! If a splash of color is more your style, marigolds have a similar effect.
If you are introducing children to gardening, start them off with an herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow and you can start them in containers, which are easier for children to handle. When children see that the herbs they grow can be used in your cooking, they will be very proud of their accomplishment.
Turn a quiet corner of your garden into a romantic arbor. By using a store bought arbor or simply constructing one yourself out of a few rustic poles, you can create an arbor. Use a selection of old fashioned, heavily scented flowers to create an intimate atmosphere. Honeysuckle, climbing roses, jasmine and sweet peas are ideal. By adding seating, you can sit and enjoy the scent on a summer evening.
To give your plant great nutrition without spending a lot of money, use leaves! Leaves are one of the best plant foods available. Try covering any exposed soil in your garden with small, shredded leaves. This will enrich the soil and will allow it to provide better nutrition to your plants.
While Mother Nature will eventually do the work needed to create compost from a backyard pile, even if it is not actively tended, you can give her a helping hand by adding compost starter to the mix. Compost starters, available from the garden centers, add microorganisms to the soil that help speed up the decay process.
Utilize frost covers for your plants when it gets cold. Frost may cause tiny ice crystals to form in your plant and shred the natural, soft flesh of the plant. Milk jug containers and other plastics can help assist you in making a closed environment around your plant. Ideally you want to protect your plant from being exposed to the cold outside air.
When maintaining an organic garden, be sure to always wind up your hoses. Dragging and storing a hose that is not wound up can take a lot of time away from you. Try using stationary or portable hose reels to wind up your hoses and to save you some time.
To help spread mulch easily, you can use a flat-head rake or a bow. If you are using a rake, you should use the rakes tined edge to pull and spread your mulch. Use the flat side of the rake to even your mulch on the bed. You will want to use a light push then pull action.
If you have plants that love acid in your organic garden, especially tomato plants, then coffee grounds make great mulch. It's simple to scatter the coffee grounds around your plants and then sit back and let the high levels of nitrogen help your acid-loving plants grow to great heights all summer long.
Use living matter to make the best compost. Though you may be tempted to start tossing everything into your compost pile, don't do it. Remember your compost is not a trashcan. Put in plenty of grass clippings, fallen leaves, and kitchen garbage such as food scraps and old leftovers. This will make your compost process faster.
These hints should have given you an idea on how to begin adding a garden to your property. Always remember that in order for the garden to always look its best, regular care and maintenance is required. However, with a little effort it is easy to produce an area that you can be truly proud of.
Orignal From: Learn All About Gardening In This Piece
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