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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Don’t Have Time to Water? Drip Irrigation Can Work Wonders

Drip irrigation is a type of watering system that drips water directly into the soil at a very slow rate. This allows for minimal evaporation loss to wind and sun. If you have a garden or a garden bed in which all the plants require more or less the same amount of watering, installing a drip irrigation system is a good and efficient way to make sure that your garden thrives without any need for traditional hose watering.

Assorted Planters Add Color and Texture

Do you have a garden that needs color and texture? Even the greenest garden needs a splash of seasonal color. An easy way to fix a drab garden is to add a few well-placed planters. Choose seasonal annuals for the brightest blooms. For year-round color, create a handful of planters that feature perennial flowers and plants. The number of planters will depend on your specific garden. For a small garden, one or two planters may be all that you need. For larger gardens, you may want to invest in larger or more planters.

A Few Well-Chosen Hardy Perennials Can Transform Your Entire Garden

Think year-round color is difficult to achieve? Not with a few well-chosen perennials. Pick a handful of hardy perennials that thrive in your area and plant them in visible, well-chosen locations in your garden. The hardiest perennials are known to thrive in extreme temperatures with minimal care.

Start Your Own Compost Pile

This is easier than you think, and it can add invaluable benefits to your garden with minimal effort. Creating your very own compost pile can help add to your garden’s vigor while significantly reducing the amount of yard and food waste that you produce. Compost simply refers to organic matter that has decomposed to create dark brown soil-like crumbly substance, called humus. This is organic-rich matter that can be used to enrich all of your plants. The simplest way to create your own compost is to set aside a space in your yard where your can start your pile. Ideally, you would want to use a bin, but if this is not possible, simply choose a spot that is relatively clear. Use this space to pile food waste and yard scraps, including carbon-rich material such as sawdust, branches, twigs, stems, straw, corn stalks, dry hay and dry leaves. Include plenty of green nitrogen-rich materials as well, including kitchen scraps (no meat products or bones), grass clippings, coffee grounds, used tea bags, hair, feathers, fur, manures and other nitrogen material. Moisten the pile and turn it with a pitchfork periodically. After a few months, you will have ready-made compost that will enrich your soil. All that from food and lawn scraps!

Add Colorful Hanging Planters

Boring garden got you down? Here’s an easy solution: add a few planters. Hanging planters often come pre-planted – all you have to do is find the right space to place them. If you have a deck, patio or front porch, a hanging patio can add an easy new dimension to your garden.

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Choosing the Right Plants is Key

Many novice gardeners spend a lot of time and money on plants that simply will not thrive in their garden. The key to establishing a healthy, lasting garden is choosing the right plants. If you don’t know already, figure out what planting zone you are located in. This is very important, because you might otherwise spend money on plants and seeds that are simply not intended to thrive in your specific climate. Although many plants can be adapted to a wide range of climates, make it easy on yourself. Choose plants that work in your climate. However, despite this warning, there are many hardy perennials that can be planted in a variety of gardens across a great diversity of climates. Before you get started in designing your own perennial garden, find out what winter hardiness zone you fall into. Also, check the back of seed packets to make sure that the plant will thrive in your growing conditions.

Your Secret Weapon: Plan Your Own Perennial Garden

As a gardener, your secret weapon to establish a lovely garden in no time will be the use of many hardy perennials. There are many different kinds of perennial plants, each with its own particular set of growing requirements. Some perennial plants are much easier to establish than others, and it is up to you to choose the plants that are most suited to your growing conditions. Fortunately, you will find that each planting region has its own set of hardy perennials that are suited to your particular growing conditions.

The Cost of a Colorful Year-Round Garden

Walk into your local nursery and you will notice that there is usually a pronounced difference in the cost of plants. The colorful annuals that come in that standard black plastic six-pack may be tempting, but if you were looking to establish a low-maintenance year-round garden, you would be better off resisting these colorful temptations. These colorful annuals will only last one season, and then it is up to you to replace them. Perennial plants, on the other hand, will continue to grow and, if you’re lucky, bloom throughout the season. It is no wonder that perennials are more expensive than annuals. They may not look immediately colorful, but stay with these plants and watch them grow.

A Short List of Easy and Low-Maintenance Perennials

Here is a short list of perennials that are appreciated for their hardiness, color and wide adaptability. These include the Peony, which will generally grow in zones 3-8. Many lilies are remarkably well adapted to a variety of climates, and will provide color throughout the warm growing season. Choose Siberian Iris, the Bulb Lily and the Daylily, all of which have been known to grow in zones 3-8. Other lovely perennial flowers that have become a staple of gardens across the country include the low-maintenance Purple Coneflower (also known as Echinacea, highly regarded by some as a medicinal herb), the Stonecrop and the Black-eyed Susan. All of these can be grown in zones 3-8. Finally, for zones 5-8, the Cranes bill is a hardy perennial that has even been grown successfully in zone 3.

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Create a Raised Garden Bed

Need an easy way to teach your kids about gardening? A raised garden bed is an easy way to establish a no-fuss, no-muss garden. Choose a space in your garden, patio, deck, yard or whatever space you have available, and restrict your family garden to this one raised garden bed. Make sure to plant hardy perennials that will not require constant care and attention. Keep a watering can by your raised garden so that you or your children can water the bed at a moment’s notice.

Plant Your Own Windowsill Herb Garden

Want an easy way to teach your kids some gardening basics? A windowsill herb garden is a fun and simple way to learn about the basic growth pattern of plants, and to reap the rewards of your work. Moreover, a windowsill herb garden does not take up a lot of space, nor do you need a lot of time and money to establish a healthy, thriving herb garden. Moreover, you can even enjoy the results together by using your herb gardens in a family mean.

Start Your Own Family Cactus Garden

Here is a fun and creative way to garden together as a family without having to spend a whole lot of time or money. Start a family cactus garden that adds color and texture to your garden, without taking a lot of your time. Start by picking out pots that you and your kids can paint. Let your children express their creativity by using different paint colors and craft supplies to decorate their own pot. Then it’s off to the nursery to pick out cacti. Each member of your family should choose cacti that fit into your pot. Use a soil specially prepared for cacti and help your children pick out cacti. Cacti come in a variety of shape, sizes and colors. When it comes to planting cacti, make certain that you wear thick gloves and handle the plants with care so that you do not get pricked. Cacti do not need daily maintenance, and can create an earthy and fun environment for your children and family to enjoy. Try to choose blooming cacti so you and your family can plan to enjoy seasonal blooms.

Plant a Family Tree

Want a project that the whole family can do together? Why not plant a family tree? You don’t have to wait until Arbor Day to plant a tree. Take a trip to the nursery together and pick out a tree that is suited for your area. Consult with a nursery attendant if you are not sure what kind of tree you should be planting. Let your kid’s help you choose the perfect location and dig the hole. Planting a tree together is a wonderful experience that the whole family will remember for years to come. Set up a periodical watering schedule that works for the whole family. Although it takes a bit of pre-planning, once the tree is planted, this garden project will not take up a lot of your family’s time. With luck, this low maintenance garden project will be enjoyed by future generations of garden-lovers.

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Time for a Hardy Perennial; the Four-o’clock Blooms Year After Year

One of the hardiest perennials around is the four o’clock, also known as Mirabilis jalapa. This perennial should be planted in full sun March to June, and loves the heat. It provides you with a pink and white bloom, and some varieties are pink and yellow. These are bushy plants that can grow up to three feet tall. The blooms release a strong fragrance in the late afternoon. The tops of the flowers will die back in cold weather, but these lovely plants will reseed in the garden on their own.

Beautiful Cosmos Provide Bright Blooms in Summer and Fall

Cosmos, a native flower of Mexico, provides bright beautiful blooms. You can acquire both annual and perennials. These beautiful flowers are drought-tolerant once established. They come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from pale pin to bright magenta. These plants are popular because they make excellent cut flowers. They are also non-stop bloomers that persevere throughout the summer and well into the fall. They will also readily reseed in the garden, so they can make a glorious comeback every year in your garden.

The Black-Eyed Susan Makes its Triumphant Return Each Year

Another popular perennial is the black-eyed susan, flower that makes its triumphant return to the garden year after year. These plant seeds should be planted from October to January. They are popular because they can thrive in the sun and require low water usage. The black-eyed susan is also known to attract beneficial pollinators. This plant also spreads easily by seed in the garden. Beware if you want to restrict this plant to one area of your garden, because it has been known to be invasive.

Begonias Provide Color and Warmth to Your Garden Year After Year

Begonias are popular perennials that can also be grown as annuals. These can be planted from September to May, and are often available as nursery stock. These will tend to do best if given filtered, rather than full, sun. Plant begonias in rich, composted soil material and then water and fertilize well with fish emulsion every two weeks.

Artemisia Provides Fragrance and Color Your Yard

This fragrant and aromatic shrub grows as a perennial. It is best to plant in full sun. They will provide your yard with lovely gray, silvery foliage, and are known to attract beneficial insects to gardens. The strong fragrance is also known to discourage insect pests, including moths, ants, caterpillars and aphids.

Gallardia Offers Year Round Wonders and a Long Growing Season

Gallardia, sometimes know as blanket flower, is a perennial that is easy to grow from seed. Plant it in full sun from mid-September to April. This plant is available as seeds or nursery stock and has been known to attract beneficial pollinators and other helpful insects. They are also know to be very hardy, and will continue to flower right up to the first frost if the blooms are removed.

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