Gardening is one of the favorite hobbies around the world and for all the right reasons—it’s healthy, eco-friendly and rewarding. But it can also be time-consuming and hard on your back and wallet, that is if you don’t do it right. To make your garden beautiful and your gardening easy and relaxing, here are a few tips to follow:
Test your soil
It’s very simple—if you have rich and healthy soil, you will produce beautiful plants. On the other hand, if your soil is not optimal, you will need to invest much more time and care in your plants. To revive your soil, start a composting pile and feed compost to each plant. This will reduce the need for fertilizing and tending to plants later, and give you more time to reap the fruits of your labor. To check whether your soil is healthy, get it tested in your local lab. In many cases, you can do this for free, so don’t miss this opportunity. The results of the text will tell you what your soil needs and how to make gardening a breeze.
Consider smart plant placement
Smart plant placement includes keeping all your shade perennials in one spot, veggies that require daily care should be grouped together, and succulents and cacti as well. This will make tending to your plants much faster, especially when it comes to watering. For instance, you’ll know that your cacti need only occasional watering, so keeping them separate will reduce confusion.
Get the right equipment
Good gardening tools and equipment will certainly make your life easier. First, get soaker hoses that let water seep gently into the ground (this is especially beloved by vegetables and they will thrive). If you have planters, deep irrigation hose heads will also do the work. Also, to minimize those trips from one end of the garden to the other, invest in a wooden flat-bed wagon so you can move plants and supplies easily. And lastly, consider your personal comfort and safety with proper safety boots perfect for those chores that involve tools that can hurt your feet. Plus they are a life-saver when working in cold and wet weather.
Add mulch
No one likes to spend all their time in the garden watering and weeding. If you’re also one of us who love to avoid these chores, do yourself a favor and mulch your soil. A layer of mulch will protect the plants, reduce the occurrence of weeds and keep your soil moist so you can minimize watering. If you add your mulch early, you will manage great weed control and make gardening much easier all throughout the summer.
Pick the right hedge
A garden surrounded by a hedge is a sight to behold, but certain types of hedges require almost constant attention. Varieties like Leylandii and Photinia grow fast and quickly start casting shade over other plants. Ditch these and get something low-maintenance and slow-growing like Hornbeam or Yew. If you have space, reduce pruning and allow them to grow bushy, but if you don’t, cut them hard (they will live).
Minimize lawn care
Mowing the lawn is one of the most hated chores, especially if you have a patchy one. If your lawn needs a lot of repairs all the time, feed it with autumn lawn fertilizer in late summer to promote strong roots and make the grass more resistant. Also, a small shaded garden can completely do without a lawn. Replace grass with no-mowing alternatives like chamomile and creeping thyme. These are beautifully green and soft and require almost no maintenance.
With these tips, you’ll have time to enjoy your work and relax in your lovely space instead of having to slave over it constantly. Gardening can be 100% fun and no stress if you do it right.
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