Home gardening comes with a host of positive mental and physical boosts, as well as helping to beautify your property. After all, working in nature is known to reduce stress and increase dopamine levels. If you know what you’re doing, it can be easy to create a home garden that attracts the attention of everyone on the block.
That said, read on for ten helpful tips for creating a show-stopping garden space.
Choose the best seeds for Home Garden
The plants you grow will only be as great as the seeds you choose. When planting annuals or perennials, consider buying seeds in bulk with the hopes that a few will take. Then, separate the plants before transplanting them into your garden.
Grow Organic has excellent fruit and vegetable seeds for your garden to start the process off right. Knowing you’ve purchased good quality, organic seeds helps assure that the plants will do well.
Start small
We all love to “go big or go home,” but it isn’t a great idea when starting a garden. Keeping it small can help you tailor it to each plant’s needs while familiarizing yourself with a gardening routine.
However, make sure you don’t crowd your plants while keeping the garden small. Just because you’ve set aside a smaller plot of land doesn’t mean you can put the same number of plants in it as you originally wanted. Typically, most plants need around 12” between them to grow successfully.
Understand your USDA hardiness zone
The United States spans zones two through ten, with two being the upper northern states and ten being the southern tip of Florida. The zones represent the average cold weather patterns in the region.
Some plants thrive in USDA zones five through eight, while others only grow above nine or below four. Knowing where you live can help you choose the correct plants for your garden.
Know when to plant and prune
When beginning your garden, understanding when to plant is just as important as the upkeep.
You must plant some varieties the season before to ensure they grow the following year. An excellent example of this is any plant that grows from a bulb. Tulips, crocuses, and daffodils are lovely flowers planted during the previous fall. At the same time, garlic, potatoes, and onions are great veggies that can be planted early in spring after the final frost.
1. Flowers
Most flowers should be germinated in the early weeks of spring either indoors to protect them from the frost or outdoors after the final hard frost. Flowers like to follow nature’s rhythm as they grow.
2. Produce
You can start vegetables like cabbages, kale, broccoli, escarole, and artichokes indoors in early March. You can plant peas, spinach, and arugula outdoors in late March. Finally, you’ll want to start peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and tomatillos in early May.
3. Growth periods and pruning
When pruning your garden, you’ll need to consider the plant’s prime growing period. You’ll want to lightly prune during the spring or summer when the plant is lively and receives the most food from the sun. Just make sure you don’t trim off all the new growth.
Alternatively, it’s best to do heavy pruning just before winter so the plant can start its new growth quicker in the spring. Your plant may take a few seasons to “spring back,” but don’t worry. Plants always struggle the first year after heavy pruning.
Deadhead your plants
After your flowers bloom, you’ll have dead, off-colored flower heads that you should trim away. Deadheading prevents the plant from turning the finished flower into a seedpod. By deadheading your flowers, you’re encouraging the plant to preserve the resources it would have used to create seeds.
However, steer clear of this method if you want to harvest seed pods from your plants. Still, you should deadhead most flowers, as this partial deadheading can strengthen the seeds the plant produces and keep the remaining plant healthier.
Different plants have different needs
Each plant may have different needs regarding sunlight, water, soil type, and temperature. To start a small home garden, try and plant varieties with similar conditions that you can keep in one location.
For example, creating a small garden plot in an area with full sun means you should try to plant varieties that require full sun. Watering doesn’t need to be as specific when you garden outside because the ground can redistribute the water to prevent one plant from receiving more than another.
Compost and mulch are your friends
While compost and mulch can be difficult to work with, they’re great garden bases and should be tilled into the soil or placed on top. Compost can be store-bought and gives the earth an excellent burst of nutrients, while compost can help protect plants from harsh weather and freezing temperatures.
Consider native plant species
Native plant species are great to include in any garden because they promote natural pollinators like bees and butterflies and reintroduce birds and animals back into the ecosystem. Typically, native plants require very little maintenance because they have evolved to thrive in your specific environment.
Cultivate a container garden
If you rent the land, don’t have much of a yard, or have poor soil, you can always start a container garden. This type of garden is the same as any other, except each plant is in its pot.
You can put like-minded plants together (if they need the same amount of sun or water) to create beautiful arrangements that you can move around your property.
Plant “staple” plants
If you want to plot out a large area for a garden, plant a few “permanent” plants around to help you prepare for the next season. For example, you can grow a few perennials and evergreen bushes in various places around your garden to “fill in the blanks” come next spring with annuals.
In summary
Home gardening is a beautiful way to express yourself while indulging in nature. There are endless tips that can help you stay on the right track. But, these are some of the most important ones when starting your garden. Purchasing quality seeds, starting small, and knowing your plant’s personal needs are great ways to ensure you create a happy, thriving garden.
Also read: Prayer Plant: How to Grow and Care Guide
