Horticulture is a great pastime and could bring many benefits. Whether you choose to grow flowers, vegetables or ornamental plants, many find that nurturing and tending to a garden brings such a rewarding feeling and sense of accomplishment. Learn how much water your vegetables and flowers need and be sure you plant them in the right kind of soil. Follow some of the advice contained in this article for further ideas of things you should know.

Flower Bed

TIP! Plant some perennials in your garden that repel slugs. Slugs and snails are voracious eaters that can destroy a plant literally overnight.

Use both biennials and annuals to add color to your flower bed. Biennials and annuals that grow quickly can add color to a flower bed, plus they permit you to modify the way the flower bed looks each season and each year. They are very useful for filling in the gaps between perennials and shrubs in a sunny area. Some of these that you might consider are petunias, marigolds and sunflowers. If those are not flowers you like, you can also try cosmos, holyhocks or rudbeckias.

Use climbers for covering fences and walls. Known commonly as climbers, these plants are very versatile, easy to grow, and they will quickly spread out to cover up walls and fences within a single season. You can also train climbers to cover arbors and other things that you want covered, and they will even grow right through trees and shrubs. Some may need to be attached to a support, and others will attach themselves to any surface using their twining stems or tendrils. Plants such as clematis, wisteria, climbing roses, or honeysuckle are always great choices.

Deciduous shrubs and young trees need to be protected. Any potted shrubs should be sheltered in the winter from cold weather. Connect the tops, and then place a sheet over the top of the wigwam. Covering your foliage in plastic will let the air in – and may lead to decay.

TIP! If you want to keep your garden free of pests, start with healthy soil! The hearty plants that will grow in a garden with rich soil can resist the bugs and diseases that weak plants can’t withstand. If you want to get the best plants, begin with a soil that has hardly any chemicals, and that will bring salts.

Fertilizing is an important step in preparing your garden soil. Manure helps your plants grow. Make sure you use a product that is commercially composted so you don’t risk adding pathogens to your garden. There are a lot of different ways to fertilize plants; make sure you actually take the time to do it.

Plant for fall color. However, you can still maintain your gardening hobby throughout the fall months. Foliage never looks as colorful and vibrant as it does in the fall. There are a number of trees that provide exuberant displays of color, such as Dogwood, Beech and Maple. There are practically as many types of shrubs chosen for their fall colors are there are gardeners! Barberry, hydrangea and cotoneaster are particularly popular choices.

Water your garden wisely. Put down the watering can or garden hose, and spread out a time-saving soaker hose instead. Keeping the water pressure low on your soaking hose will help avoid harm to tender plants. Let the soaker hose do its thing for a couple hours, and your plants are watered.

TIP! When winter comes, you can save a few plants by transferring them inside the house. You may want to save the most beautiful or expensive ones.

Keep your pet out of the garden with old perfume or aftershave in the grass. Your dog will find more interesting scents to explore elsewhere and leave your garden alone.

Any time that you are gardening in direct sunlight, dress appropriately to prevent skin damage. Always apply sunscreen with an adequate SPF level. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Finally, throw on a wide-brimmed hat to protect your scalp. By protecting yourself from the sun’s rays, you lower your risk of getting sunburns or skin cancer.

One way to help your organic garden thrive is to leave an undeveloped area that is conducive to the wildlife around your area. One side effect of this is that where animals thrive, so do birds and insects that help nurture and pollinate plants, which will increase the quality of your garden.

TIP! Plant bulbs if you want spring and summer flowers. A hardy perennial addition to your garden, bulbs will continue to delight every year.

It can be extremely fast and easy to plant perennials into your garden. Simply slice into the ground with a spade, flip the top layer of soil, and then cover it with several inches of wood chips. Let the area sit for a couple weeks, then begin digging into it and planting your new perennials.

There should be no rush when you are planting a seed. The first thing you should do before planting is moisturize the soil. Spread the seeds, and leave them enough room to grow. Bury them three times as deep as the size of the seeds. Some seeds need some light to grow, and therefore shouldn’t be buried.

As has been noted above, there are many rewards inherent in gardening. The benefits always seem to be great, like having fresh vegetables, flowers and a nice outdoor activity to tend to throughout your days. By applying some of the advice you have learned, you can find a lot of joy from gardening.

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