Any gardener knows that there are many things you have to think about before you dig your first hole. By learning from experts, you can feel more confident that your efforts will be rewarded by beautiful flowers or delicious crops. Consider the tips here before you do anything else in your garden.
When designing a garden area of your yard, a good place to start is with a tree or hedge as the anchor or structural foundation to your garden. Plant grasses and perennials around the taller centerpiece plant to add texture, color and flow. In time, these plants will fill out as they grow and look splendid against the taller trees or shrubs in the background.
The first thing you should do when planning a garden is test the soil. For a tiny fee, a soil analysis may be done, and based on the results, the soil can support a growing garden by you enriching it as necessary. It can avoid ruined vegetables and flowers, so check with places, such as a cooperative extension department to see where you can obtain the analysis.
If you want a patch of green in your garden, consider planting a ground cover instead of a lawn. Lawns require a lot of water and maintenance. On the other hand, a ground cover usually uses less water, and certain varieties discourage weeds from growing. Many varieties of ground cover have the green color comparable to a lawn. You can save time and money with a ground cover.
You can test the viability of your seeds by soaking them overnight. Drop them into a container of water and keep them in a dark place for a day. Check the location of the seeds. If they sank to the bottom, they are usable. If they float the the top, they may be dead.
To cut down on the time you spend pruning and pulling weeds, make sure that all the tools you use are sharpened and cleaned. A dull or dirty tool will make basic gardening tasks much more challenging, and can significantly increase the work you have to put into your garden. Caring for your tools regularly is more than worth the effort it takes.
Consider using weed-control cloth in your garden. Weeds cause a tremendous amount of work for any gardener. While the cloth is not the most attractive option, it does its job. If you place strips of the material in between the rows of your garden, it will keep out the vast majority of the weeds.
When planting your bulbs, have you ever wondered what end of the bulb should be pointing upward? Even though the growing end will naturally grow towards the warmth of the sun, being planted in the right direction will make it easier on the growing shoot. If a bulb has a pointed end, the end with the point should be planted upward since it contains the stem. Long tubers and rounded corms are more difficult to figure out which end to plant upward. If they still have dried roots attached, plant that end downward.
So, these tips have likely guided you in the right direction towards starting your garden. Take them to heart and do not be afraid to dig even deeper, so to speak, into the information out there about gardening. Soon, you will be able to exercise your green thumb and grow beautiful plants.