Getting Started - Creating a Garden and Choosing Plants
Tips and techniques for making a new garden and selecting the plants to put in it.
Gardening Basics - Getting Started in the Garden
Starting a garden should be a pleasure. But it does help to have a little knowledge of how to go about making a garden. Here's a quic selection of articles to give you confidence in creating your won garden.
Starting a garden should be a pleasure. But it does help to have a little knowledge of how to go about making a garden. Here's a quic selection of articles to give you confidence in creating your won garden.
Making a Garden - How to Start a New Garden
Starting your first garden shouldn't be a daunting task. Probably the best piece of advice is - Start Small. If you're frozen in your steps, wondering what to plant, where to plant it, how to not kill it..., here's a bottom line Step-by-Step primer for you. Veteran gardeners, how many times have you been asked for help from frazzled first timers. Here are some tips to pass along.
Starting your first garden shouldn't be a daunting task. Probably the best piece of advice is - Start Small. If you're frozen in your steps, wondering what to plant, where to plant it, how to not kill it..., here's a bottom line Step-by-Step primer for you. Veteran gardeners, how many times have you been asked for help from frazzled first timers. Here are some tips to pass along.
Tips for a Better Garden
Great gardeners seem to know all the little secrets for making plants happy. Luckily, gardeners love to share almost as much as they love to talk about their gardens. Here's a collection of quick gardening tips and ideas to make your garden better. Feel free to share you gardening quick tips too.
Great gardeners seem to know all the little secrets for making plants happy. Luckily, gardeners love to share almost as much as they love to talk about their gardens. Here's a collection of quick gardening tips and ideas to make your garden better. Feel free to share you gardening quick tips too.
Amending Your Garden Soil - Making Good Soil out of Bad
Most garden plant problems are caused by poor soil. What is good soil and how do you know what kind of soil is in your garden? Understanding your garden soil means knowing its fertility and texture.
Most garden plant problems are caused by poor soil. What is good soil and how do you know what kind of soil is in your garden? Understanding your garden soil means knowing its fertility and texture.
Soil Amendments
Knowing how much mulch or amendment to purchase for your garden is always a bit of a guess, but you can make it an educated one by using a couple of easy measurements and calculations. Here's how to know how many bags, pounds or cubic yards of mulch will actually give you 3inches of coverage.
Knowing how much mulch or amendment to purchase for your garden is always a bit of a guess, but you can make it an educated one by using a couple of easy measurements and calculations. Here's how to know how many bags, pounds or cubic yards of mulch will actually give you 3inches of coverage.
Deadheading, Pinching and Cutting Back
Flower gardens require constant maintenance to look their best. Common garden chores like pruning, pinching and deadheading are easy to master, as show here in this step-by-step photo tutorial.
Flower gardens require constant maintenance to look their best. Common garden chores like pruning, pinching and deadheading are easy to master, as show here in this step-by-step photo tutorial.
Loosening, Teasing or Tickling the Rootball of Plants
Teasing or tickling the roots of a plant refers to loosening pot bound roots. If you place the plant into the ground or into another pot without first loosening the balled up roots, they will continue to grow in a circle, rather than reaching out into the soil, developing and anchoring the plant. It may seem like a harsh thing to do as you are plantin, but as explained here, teasing the roots is just tough love.
Teasing or tickling the roots of a plant refers to loosening pot bound roots. If you place the plant into the ground or into another pot without first loosening the balled up roots, they will continue to grow in a circle, rather than reaching out into the soil, developing and anchoring the plant. It may seem like a harsh thing to do as you are plantin, but as explained here, teasing the roots is just tough love.
Choosing Healthy Plants
When selecting plants for your garden or home, check the overall health of the whole nursery as well as the plants you are choosing. Watching for signs of insects, disease, stress and abuse can pay off big in the long run.
When selecting plants for your garden or home, check the overall health of the whole nursery as well as the plants you are choosing. Watching for signs of insects, disease, stress and abuse can pay off big in the long run.
How to Harden Off Plants
Young, pampered seedlings will need a period to adjust and acclimate to outdoor conditions, prior to planting in the garden. This transition period is called "hardening off". Hardening off plants gradually exposes the tender plants to wind, sun and rain and toughens them up. There are 3 approaches to hardening off plants.
Young, pampered seedlings will need a period to adjust and acclimate to outdoor conditions, prior to planting in the garden. This transition period is called "hardening off". Hardening off plants gradually exposes the tender plants to wind, sun and rain and toughens them up. There are 3 approaches to hardening off plants.
Grow Award Winning Plants
Growing new varieties of plants is the best way to learn what grows well for you. Some plant growers organizations give out annual Plant of the Year awards to point gardeners toward excellent choices for their own gardens.
Growing new varieties of plants is the best way to learn what grows well for you. Some plant growers organizations give out annual Plant of the Year awards to point gardeners toward excellent choices for their own gardens.
Ideas and Products for Creating Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds are a good gardening technique for areas that have soil problems like poor drainage, too many rocks or plain old poor soil. Gardening in a raised bed allows you to bring in the best gardening soil. You can create raised beds simply by piling soil. However if you want something more permanent and sturdy, you’ll want to frame your raised beds. Here are several options for creating raised beds, from building it yourself to having it delivered to your yard.
Raised beds are a good gardening technique for areas that have soil problems like poor drainage, too many rocks or plain old poor soil. Gardening in a raised bed allows you to bring in the best gardening soil. You can create raised beds simply by piling soil. However if you want something more permanent and sturdy, you’ll want to frame your raised beds. Here are several options for creating raised beds, from building it yourself to having it delivered to your yard.
Safe Digging for Gardeners and Do-It-Yourselfers - Call 811!
Gardeners and other do-it-yourselfers now have help when contacting their utility companies before digging in their yards. A new 811 number will connect you with a national operator who can get the professionals you need out to your property in a matter of days. Here's what you need to know to take advantage of this service and keep you, your family and your home safe.
Gardeners and other do-it-yourselfers now have help when contacting their utility companies before digging in their yards. A new 811 number will connect you with a national operator who can get the professionals you need out to your property in a matter of days. Here's what you need to know to take advantage of this service and keep you, your family and your home safe.