Green Forest
Tips
- Create only the garden you can handle. Decide how much time you have to spend; this will help with your plant selection.
- Keep in mind that maintaining a garden is a process not an one time event .
- Plant for as many seasons as you can. Think spring bulbs, summer blooms, fall color, winter interest. If you plan it right, you can dig once and plant 3 different seasons in one hole!
- Don’t forget leaf color. Some of the best gardens have few blooms, but amazing leaf color and structure. This saves on pinching or removing faded blooms.
- Reduce your lawn as much as you can. The less lawn, the less reliance on chemicals and less mowing.
- Plant in odd numbers. Groups of three; these are more pleasing to the eye and create continuity. Since they’re the same variety, they’ll have the same needs, making maintenance easier.
- During the growing season, spend a few minutes every day doing something in the garden. It can be as simple as removing a few weeds to pinching the mums. This reduces the amount of labor time over the weekend and gives you a few minutes relaxing outside.
- Compost made easy. Dig a hole somewhere in the garden and fill it with compost. When it’s full, move on to another spot and dig a hole. You don’t need a fancy composter, just a shovel. It will improve the soil, save some food from the dump, and is quick.
- Equip yourselves with adequate hand tools. Basic gardening equipment like a shovel and a spade are a must to start with .
- Plant regional, native plants as much as possible. These are used to the environment and less trouble than many imports.
- Choose easy-to-grow plants such as: Herbs : Basil, Mint, Rosemary. Flowers : Marigolds, Zinnias, or Sunflowers. Vegetables : Tomatoes
