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Make Your Neighbours Green With Envy

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When was the last time you stared out of your bedroom window, eyeing up your next door neighbour’s back garden?

Admit it, we all do it.

Mentally measuring the length of the grass, critiquing their taste in gnomes, wondering how much that conservatory cost; you know you do it.

Make your neighbours green with envy with these tips to getting your garden looking beautiful.

 

Grass

The foundation of most gardens is the grass – a beautiful green lawn can make any garden look good.

When you look up and down the road, everyone’s grass is a different colour, this is because everybody cuts, waters and fertilizes it differently, not to mention the fact that there are a variety of common grass types.

You may think your lawn needs cutting, however the longer you leave it the better.

When the grass is longer, it traps more moisture and shades the roots and soil from the sun, which means it won’t dry out and will stay green.

When you do mow it, put your mower on the highest setting and it will look neatly trimmed and greener.

To maintain your green grass, water it at around the same time every morning with regular fertilizing in early and late spring, as well as early and late fall.

 

Flowers

When picking flowers, most people tend to focus on colour. Instead, focus more on texture and size contrasts in order to achieve a diverse, inviting outdoors space, as opposed to an area that has been purposely co-ordinated and looks unnatural.

 

Veg patch

Growing your own may take a lot of setting up, but it can be really worthwhile, money-saving and look great! With your own personal allotment you can grow anything you like, from potatoes to pole beans, radishes to rhubarb. Stick a scarecrow in there for good measure too! Why not?! A vegetable patch can really make a garden look like a practical and delicious haven.

 

Accessories

Move away from the traditional gnomes and terracotta and find some unique garden ware that will have your neighbours saying ’Where can I get one of those?’. But be careful, don’t overcrowd your garden with accessories so much that it takes the attention away from the prettiest accessories… the flowers.

Making your garden look fabulous is a lot of fun, but make sure you regularly maintain it for all year round fabulousness!

Becky is a keen gardener who loves styling her garden with unique garden ware from http://www.nutscene.com/.






Things To Consider Before Setting Up Your Home Garden

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Having home grown vegetables is a nice perk. Not only are they delicious, and you are able to know exactly how they were grown, growing your own vegetables can help you live healthier and help keep your pocketbook a little fuller.

The idea of having a garden is commendable, but there are some things to consider before you get started on your home vegetable garden. By thinking these things through ahead of time, you will be able to build, plant and grown a garden that fits perfectly in your lifestyle.

1. Location
The first thing to consider is do you have a location for a garden? Do you have an area that the sun hits for at least six to eight hours a day? How much space is this area? It all matters, especially when you figure out what fruits and vegetables you want to grow.

2. Harvest
Once you decide on the location of your home garden, now is the time to figure out what you will grow. If you are limited in space, potatoes, tomatoes and other large plants may not be your best bet, but smaller crops of peppers and strawberries may workout just perfectly. Would you rather have a dense supply of one to two plants or a small wide variety of plants with just one or two of each? You will also need to consider how you will plant your garden. If you have large plants in front of small plants, they may cast shadow and diminish the much needed sunlight for the smaller plants. There are also some plants that grow well near each other and vice versa – all things you should consider before planting.

3. Preparation
Before planting, it is a good idea to prep the soil and plan an irrigating system. Will you grow your fruits and vegetables organically? The richness of the soil will also help your plants. If you do not live in an area with good soil, you may have to purchase some. Either way, remember fruits and vegetables are best grown with a nutrient-rich soil and need plenty of water. Speaking of water – will you run a base line irrigation hose throughout your plants or simply run sprinklers? When planning your irrigation method, make sure you plan a way for the water to run off as well – plants do not do well if they are not drained properly.

4. Boarders
Adding a fence around your garden is a good idea to keep away critters who may want to harvest your garden before you are ready. By taking this extra precaution, you will be saving your hard work by keeping rabbits, raccoons and other animals out.

Now that you know what items you should consider before setting up your home garden, you can begin tackling these tasks and get your home prepped for a prosperous harvest come this summer. Happy growing!

Kathryn Thompson, health advocate and assistant to Susan Wright DVM who is the staff expert for Dog training Collars , devotes part of her time providing encouraging advice regarding life changes and healthy living that make a difference.

Small Space Gardening 101

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Attention, all gardening enthusiasts! Just because you have limited space does not mean you cannot have a garden to call your own. Know that having a small space is never a reason to not have plants in your home. You can make do with the limited area that you have thanks to container gardening. As long as you have a windowsill, balcony or patio, you can have the garden you want—and even enjoy some edibles.

Windowsill Gardening

When it comes to container gardening, the first thing that comes to mind are pots. However, you should also think about boxes—specifically, window boxes. Anybody who lives in an apartment can make use of window boxes to have their own gardens, either to display colorful flowers or grow edibles and herbs.

To have a garden by the window, make sure you have a window box that measures at least two feet long so that you will have enough space for a small batch of salad greens. The size is also perfect for growing at least four to six large herbs. Herbs are ideal for window boxes because they are low maintenance plants; all you need are shears, a watering can and some fertilizer. Oregano and rosemary are good choices, but purple basil and chives are better, only because these give a pop of color and make for an interesting display.

Regardless if you decide on herbs or some other plants, make sure to choose flora that are of different colors and shapes. Doing so will make your garden more attractive. Also, do not forget to have a theme: combine together plants that are similar (salad greens, edible flowers, herbs, etc).

Patio and Balcony Gardening

If you have a postage-stamp yard, utilize the space provided by your patio and/or balcony. As long as you have enough room for pots, you are all set. However, ensure the spaces you choose for your container garden receive enough sunlight, or else your plants will not thrive. A water source is also important—the plants should be located near a faucet or hose.

So what should you plant in the pots? Container favorites include petunia, impatiens, pansy, geraniums and licorice vine. If you wish to grow your own vegetables, you can do this too. Food crops can do well even in containers, provided they get the water and care they need.

When planting vegetables in pots, you have to consider both the kind of plant and the size of the pot. Naturally, bigger plants need bigger pots. This means that the likes of tomatoes and cucumbers should be planted in pots with a diameter of two feet or more. Meanwhile, the likes of herbs, greens and peppers are ideal for smaller pots. You can even tuck these between or under larger plants.

It is important for you to know that while you cannot increase the size of the pots, you can maximize space. You can do this by staking, either with wooden sticks or metal cages (like in the case of tomatoes). Staking not also keeps the plant upright, but also prevents sunscald and rotting.

This article was written by Ericka in behalf of McIntyre Masonry, the company that has the best stonemasons in Ayrshire. Ericka has written articles on various topics, but counts those about home and gardening as her favorites.

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