Designate a Space for Your Gardening

Gardening does not need to take up hours of your time. The easiest way to brighten up your yard or outdoor living space without exerting a lot of time, money and effort is to designate a specific space for your garden. A lot of gardens are time-consuming because the plants are scattered throughout a large outdoor area. If you limit your gardening space to one raised bed, for instance, you will not have to worry about watering several garden beds or maintaining a large garden. Start by focusing one area in your yard that needs space and work from there.

Container Gardening Adds Easy Color and Texture to Any Space

Do you want to brighten your yard with color and texture, but don’t have the time or money for a whole garden bed? Consider container gardening, an easy way to add flowers or plants to any part of your home. Moreover, if you are working with malnourished soil, or simply don’t have the space for a full planting, container gardening can fill this void with minimal effort. You can opt for one large planter, a variety of container sizes, or a small-scale container garden. Container gardening is a cost-effective and easy way to satisfy your craving for a garden without having to do the full-scale plant bed preparation, seeding and transplanting.

Choose Hardy Perennials for Easy Year-Round Color

Do you wish you had a garden that boasts year-round color? You don’t have to be a gardening whiz to ensure that your garden is rich in color and texture on a year-round basis. There are many hardy perennials that, once planted and become well established, will present you with blooms throughout the growing season. Perennials are plants that continue to bloom season after season. For this reason, perennials will usually cost you more, but the investment in a long-lasting garden is well worth it. Make sure that you understand which perennials thrive in your climate. You will want to choose the hardiest perennials available in your area for the best low-maintenance garden. Visit your local nursery and ask which plants do best in your area despite minimal care and attention.

Install a Drip Irrigation System for Easy Plant Care

Do you wish you had a healthy, thriving garden, but don’t have the time it takes to water your plants on a regular schedule? A drip irrigation schedule can take care of this for you. Drip irrigation systems are becoming increasingly popular because, once properly installed, they water your garden with maximum efficiency. This system works by dripping water on a continuous basis, thus avoiding over-watering and loss of evaporation. A drip irrigation system can help keep your plants properly watered without you having to lift the hose ever again. Moreover, these systems can help save you water and time, making them an environmentally friendly option for the modern gardener. Visit your local nursery or home improvement store to take a look at the latest drip irrigation systems. They can be tricky to install, so you may want to enlist the help of a professional.

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First of all, you should know that there are not many things that you can screw up with a container garden. You can actually be more adventurous than with a regular garden for several reasons. The area to cover and amount of flowers needed is much less than in a big front or backyard garden and therefore a lot cheaper to change when something should go wrong. Therefore you can try one thing and if it does not work, then you just change it to something else.

Containers in a container garden can also be used to enhance the look. There are many materials that containers are made from. Clay, Plastic, Stone and ceramics are all options for planters that you can use on your balcony. You can also build a wooden stand or decorate the outside of the planter to achieve just the look you are looking for. But make sure to keep in mind that containers need to have adequate drainage through holes in the bottom of the container. Also, planting containers need to be fairly large in size to offer most plants a nice growing space.

An important tip for container gardening is to make sure that the plants you choose are right for the light available on your balcony or patio. If your balcony is more in the shade than the sun, choose plants that are shade tolerant such as hosta, ivy and begonia.

When planting, a few bigger pots look nicer than many small ones. Preferably arrange plants in odd numbers that makes for a harmonic arrangement. When planting a few big plants per big pot you can always fill the bottom with smaller filler plants to complete the “potscaping.”

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Many children love to help their parents with household chores or interesting tasks, at least for a certain amount of time and gardening is one of the things that children generally really enjoy helping with. Depending on the age of the children it might be hard to have them help since they might just destroy the garden instead of being helpful.

For younger children it might be helpful to have the garden fenced in or have a container garden or beds that are raised so that the children cannot just run in and over the plants without your permission. When you decide to involve your children in the garden, involve them in all the necessary steps so that they can learn the process. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that children like to play and can only work hard and diligently for so long. Therefore plan breaks, include games and fun into the designing and planting of your garden.

First of all, before buying any plants, go ahead and prepare the garden. Have the children help you dig and turn the garden patch and have them also help you laying out the garden patch with sticks, rocks and string. After preparing the patch, make a drawing together with your children and plan what kind of plants you want to have in your garden. Maybe there will even be a separate area for each of your children, where they can decide on one or more plants that they would like to take care of by themselves this season.

When planting a garden where your kids can help never choose any plants that can be poisonous to your children should they try to eat some part of it. There are many nice flowers, vegetables and fruits out there that children can eat the one or other part without being harmed. If you are not sure which plants are included in the safe for children category in your growing region, your local garden center should be able to answer all your questions and give you good advice on what to choose.

After the soil is prepared, the design and choices are made; it is time to go to the local garden center. Have your children help pick nice plants, so that they feel important during the process. At the center take one to two extra plants from each of the varieties just in case. There can be accidents when children help plant the plants and after all the most fun is in planting the plants for gowns ups and children alike. And if there weren’t any accidents you will probably be able to find a spot for those plants or a container that you can set somewhere else.

During the planting process, mark the sports for the plants and lay out nice lines for the children, so that they exactly know where to plant the plants. If you have time and want to add an extra art project for your children, go ahead and make plant markers with your children that they can use to mark the plants.

When the plants are planted, use mulch in between the plants. Mulch is used for several reasons. First of all, shoes will stay cleaner and that is surely something good to achieve, when children are part of the gardening process, second of all, mulch will keep more moisture in the soil as sun blazes down on it.

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Disguising Unsightly Tree Stumps as Workable Outdoor Decor

Instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to remove your tree stumps, why not simply work around them? Indeed, you can create several workable outdoor decor elements that revolve around your tree stumps, including a quaint old wishing well. This project works best if you only have one tree stump, or if your tree stumps are spread far enough apart throughout your out door space. You can build or buy a pre-made decorative yard wishing well to place around the perimeter of the tree stump. Pre-made decorative wishing wells can be purchased unfinished or finished in a variety of colors and designs. Most wishing wells are round enough that they will fit well around tree stumps. This is a charming outdoor decorative element that is an easy way to disguise unsightly tree stumps in your yard.

Working With Your Unsightly Tree Stumps to Create a Dazzling Display

Instead of trying to completely disguise your tree stumps, you can use them to create a dazzling container garden display. Use the tree stumps as pedestals on which to place your decorative pots and containers. You can choose a planter or container that is around the same size as your tree stump and use the stump as a plant pedestal. Use smaller planters to create a decorative ring around the tree stump. For this type of project, you can really unleash your creativity. Use coordinating and colorful decorative planters and containers to create a fun and creative tree stump garden display.

Use Your Unsightly Tree Stumps as a Fountain or Statue Pedestal

You can also use your unsightly yard tree stumps to create an interesting statue or fountain garden display. Tree stumps work as natural pedestals. You can ring the tree stump with decorative yard displays, including coordinating flowerpots or containers. In the middle, you can place a decorative fountain or statue that stands as the centerpiece of your display. This is a fun and easy way to make the most of your tree stumps.

Use Unsightly Tree Stumps as Building Blocks to Your Garden Display

With a bit of work and ingenuity, you can turn those unsightly tree stumps into an integral part of your garden design and display. Using a saw or other tool (depending on the strength, size and location of your tree stumps), you can cut your tree stumps so that they can act as ’stepping stones’ to your garden. Shave down each tree stump at intervals to create the effect of ‘building up’ to your main garden display. This is a fun and easy way of working with your tree stumps to create an unusual and eye-pleasing garden design.

Smooth Down Your Tree Stumps to Create Ready-Made Garden Seating

This is a fun and practical way to make use of those unsightly tree stumps. You can build a decorative garden display around the tree stumps, and then smooth down the stumps themselves into comfortable and smooth tree stump seats. Create your own meditative Zen garden, and use the tree stumps as well-worn meditating stoops where you can sit and take in the surrounding garden.

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Fist of all, when you get started with your container garden, pick a few plants, vegetables and fruits that you would like to harvest throughout summer and fall. Of course you cannot grow every vegetable or fruit available on the market in a container, but many vegetable and fruit varieties can be grown in a container. One of the most favorite container plants is the tomato plant.

After you chose a few varieties, make sure that you have big enough containers. A tomato plant for example needs an at least five gallon or bigger container to grow well. Therefore you still have some space considerations when planting a container garden. Besides the container itself, the soil that you put in the container is an important factor for growing healthy plants and vegetables. Not any old dirt will give you the same result as a high quality gardening and potting soil. These soils are specifically designed for containers and the plants that go into the containers. They will for example hold moisture better than regular soil, but also prevent the plant from molding when there is too much water added. Special gardening and planting soils also have a starter amount of fertilizer. Proper nutrients are important for the growth of healthy plants.

After planting the plants, make sure that you water your plants regularly. Keep in mind that containers and pots generally dry out faster than a big garden patch, especially on hot days or long stretches of dry weather. Also important when watering the plant is to get some advice from your local garden center about the watering preferences of the plants. Some plants prefer to be watered close to the soil while others do not have such preferences. If you think that these preferences are not easy to take care of, make sure to ask your garden center employees for the easy to take-care varieties and you will not have to worry about such issues.

Container plants need to be fertilized on regular bases. Containers and pots do not hold very much food for the plants and therefore more food has to be added to the pot. There are many ways that you can fertilize your container. Some of the easier ones are plant stakes. Plant stakes hold all the nutrients a plant needs over a longer period of time. Therefore you do not have to remember to add the fertilizer on weekly or bi weekly schedule, but you might only need to replace the stake every few weeks. There are also easy to use fertilizers that you can add to your water when watering. Other fertilizers are sprinkled on the top, but these fertilizers are harder to apply in the proper amount.

And do not forget the factor sunlight. Many fruit and vegetable plants need a good amount of sunlight throughout the day to grow and produce a crop. Tomatoes for example need a minimum of five to six hours of sunlight a day and the more the better. Therefore you will not be able to grow a container garden anywhere but on the sunny side of your house. Plants that do not get the proper amount of sun will not flourish and might not even produce more than one or two vegetables or fruit on the plant, which in the end might be a waste of money and time for you.

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All you need is essentially a good size container, a bag of good potting soil and the plant that you want to grow. There is no tilling, no weeding and no digging holes to plant the plants. Just add some soil about half way up the container, set your plant in and then fill around the plant with more soil. Container gardening is fast and easy and can even be achieved by busy people.

If you think you are too busy to have a garden and a healthy crop of vegetables, think again. There are many vegetables that do not need much attention. After planting, besides the quick watering, there are only a few other smaller things that need to be done to a container garden.

As we just found out, planting a container garden can be done in a very short amount of time. After you planted your chosen vegetables or herbs, the plant needs to be watered on regular bases, as well as fertilized. If you want to make your regular fertilizing efficient and fast to safe you time, just buy one of the liquid or powder fertilizers that can be added to the watering can and therefore combine the two steps into one.

Considering that you most likely will not have to weed a container garden, you save a lot of time. If you used proper gardening or potting soil bought at your local garden center you will have controlled soil in your container that should not grow any weeds.

During the growing season you might have to get some supports to help your plants support the vegetables. This task is also fairly fast done. At the time you buy your containers, soil and plants, just go ahead and buy some plant stakes that you later than just insert into the soil close to the plant and then attach the plant with some string or gardening wire to the stake. This should not take you more than a few minutes per plant and your crop is secured.

When getting ready for your container garden, make a list where you write down the essentials that you will need during the growing season. If you are able to get everything that is necessary to grow your plants right away before you start you will be able to safe a lot of time. You will have any and all accessories on hand and get your maintenance tasks done within minutes. This way having a container garden and getting a great crop at the end of the growing season is even possible for busy people. Whether you run from appointment to appointment or you work long hours, a container garden will need a few minutes of care at the end of the day from you, a few minutes that are surely possible in even the busiest schedule.

Some of these tasks can even be done by other family members if necessary. If you prepare the watering can the night before, your kids or other household members will be able to water your plants on the days that you might not be home because you are on business trip or similar. Even your neighbor might be able to help out on those days that you are out of town since it is so fast and easy to take care of a container garden. So go ahead and start one now, you will love the result and be proud of yourself when you harvest the first vegetables that you planted.

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Containers, Containers, Containers

It used to be that gardening was restricted to flower beds, but container gardening has swiftly become one of the most popular ways to garden. Why has container gardening become one of the preferred gardening methods? Container gardening has become increasingly popular because it is easy, inexpensive and provides optimal results in a short amount of time. In short, you can create an instant garden through the use of garden containers. If you need a patio that lacks color, construct or purchase a container to fill the area. You can choose to plant bright annuals or less showy but longer-lasting perennials that will bloom on an annual basis. Choose a planter that fits in the area. When it comes to choosing flowers and plants in your containers, consider the following important factors: plant size, color display, plant size, sunlight and watering. Make sure that you have easy access to water. You will be much less likely to keep up your container garden if you have to haul water across the yard. Plant close to a water source, and choose a location that receives an adequate amount of sunlight for the types of plants that you are growing.

A Raised Garden Bed Can Spruce Up Your Sidewalk

If you have an uninspired sidewalk, consider sprucing up the area with a raised flowerbed. It is easy to build your own flowerbed, or you can purchase a ready-made bed that you can install along the sidewalk area. You can use your raised flower bed to plant showy seasonal annuals, adding a splash of color to an otherwise bland and dull area.

Choose a Splashy Color for Your Sidewalk Garden

If you are planting along your sidewalk, this is the perfect location to show off your color and garden design skill. For easy maintenance, choose a bright perennial that is suited for the location and your climate. Or experiment with a ‘two tone’ garden by planting two lines of flowers that are designed to coordinate in color formation.

Add a Decorative Border to Your Sidewalk

Another easy way to add life to a lifeless sidewalk area is to add a decorative border. There are many different designs you can choose from. Pay a visit to your local home improvement store or nursery, and you will find that there are now more border designs than ever before. You can choose between brick and plastic borders, making this a viable option no matter what kind of budget you are working with. You can choose among decorative plastic borders that can provide an eye-pleasing design to your sidewalk garden. This simple touch can add a whole new dimension to your garden. Moreover, adding a decorative border can also be quite practical, as they can help restrict the growth of weeds, and keep pests off of your garden bed.

Deck Out Your Patio with Hanging Planters

Here is an easy way to bring new life to your lifeless patio garden. Add a few hanging gardens and you will see how this simple addition can add a whole new dimension to your garden. If you have a patio, hanging planters can be an easy way to experiment with different plant textures and blooms. There are many plant varieties that do well in hanging planters. Make sure that you have a water can with a long spout for easy watering.

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First of all, when starting your container garden, whether it is from seed or from a young plant from your local garden center, the soil is essential. Many plants are very sensitive to the soil they are planted in. Unlike weeds, fruit and vegetable bearing plants do not grow everywhere and even if they grow on some minor soils, they might not bring they crop they would on a good soil. So get your pots clean and ready with a good soil recommended for gardening. Also keep in mind, that the container needs to be at least 5 gallons or more to properly support the growth of the plant.

Your second important choice is the plant itself. Tomatoes come in a great variety of sizes, colors and tastes. From cherry and olive tomatoes over plum tomatoes to big size sandwich tomatoes (such as fat boy), it is all available. Besides the size and taste of the tomato the size of the plant falls within this size. Some tomato plant get to a full grown height of only a few feet while others might grow up to 5 feet tall. If your space or height is limited where you are planning to cultivate your container garden, make sure that you pick one of the smaller varieties. A friendly employee at your local garden center should be able to direct you to a good variety such as the bushy types for container gardening.

Even in a container garden it is important to support tomatoes properly. The tomato fruit actually is very heavy for the weak branches of the plant; therefore it is necessary to attach the tomato plant to some kind of a support such as planting stakes, tomatoes cages or small trellises.

Tomatoes generally need 5-6 hours minimum of sun so pick your spot for the container garden appropriately. Do not pick the shade side of the house, too little sun will not ripen your tomatoes in time and also minimizes the chance of a good crop. The more sun the better will your tomato plants grow and most likely the more tomatoes you will harvest.

Tomatoes need to be watered on a daily bases in hot or dry climates. Generally it is better for tomatoes if they are not watered from above, but rather from below. This should be easier achievable in a container garden, since you will generally water fewer plants than in a big backyard vegetable garden. Also keep in mind containers, planting pots and hanging baskets dry out much faster than regular soil in a big garden.

Very important for container gardens besides the regular watering is fertilizing. Container gardens have a small amount of soil compared to the big surrounding of a vegetable garden in the back yard and therefore the amount of food for the plants contained within the container is much smaller. Regular fertilizing is necessary to provide the tomato plant with the essential nutrients to support a big crop and grow properly.

Tomato container gardening is a very possible undertaking for many different occasions. Tomatoes are such a versatile ingredient and can be used in salads, as snack, in soups, salsas, chili’s and much more.

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