The “perfect garden” is simple. It’s the garden you imagine with vegetables or flowers or a mix of both. It’s the garden in a size and location and design that suits your needs and wants. In reality, the perfect garden is where, how and when you want it – because there is no right or wrong way to garden. There is only your way. There are, however, ways to make it more perfect in terms of success so your time, energy and money are put to good use. Here are 5 tips for the “perfect garden,” all gleaned from my decades of successes and failures and training as a Virginia Master Gardener and horticulture student. For more specific tips about vegetable gardening, read How to Start a Victory Garden 2.0. Tips for a Perfect Garden Perfect Garden Tip 1: Know your zone. When I first started gardening in southeastern Virginia, I lived in USDA cold hardiness Zone 7. Tender plants were likely to freeze and die in a typical winter that often dipped below 32 degrees. Oh, … [Read more...] about 5 Tips To Grow The Perfect Garden
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Preparing Your Garden for Winter
Preparing your garden for winter is a fall activity for millions of gardeners and homeowners. If you are reading this story right now, you are in good company! Most people tend to think of spring when it comes to planting and gardening. However, autumn is a great time to get a head start on your garden for the following year. Here are a few things you should consider when preparing your garden for those cold winter months. Trim Hedges and Shrubs Preparing your garden for winter can begin with trimming your hedges and shrubs. The growth rate of plants slows down due to the cooler temperatures and reduced daylight. If you complete some prep during autumn, you won’t be faced with a lot of yard tasks during the winter. Pruning your hedges and shrubs in autumn makes them less vulnerable to freezing. And autumn is not bird nesting season, which is an important consideration when cutting back hedgerows. Working with heavy power tools can be dangerous, so you may want to … [Read more...] about Preparing Your Garden for Winter
Lawn Fertilization Tips for Spring and Fall
Lawn fertilization is necessary for healthy, green grass lawns. A well-fertilized turfgrass lawn is healthy enough to withstand stress from pests, foot traffic, and environmental factors. Quite simply, regular lawn fertilization is necessary to maintain optimal health. Here are some quick tips that will help you maintain a healthy green turfgrass lawn. Then I will give a more in-depth explanation of key lawn fertilization principles. Home, Garden and Homestead receives a small commission (at no cost to you) from product links in this story. Thank you for supporting this website! 5 Quick Lawn Fertilization Tips Fast-Release and Slow-Release Fertilization Depending on your lawn’s needs and your preference, you can choose between fast-release inorganic lawn fertilizers and slow-release organic fertilizers. You can even use the blend of multiple fertilizers if you wish. For example, some homeowners use fast-release fertilizers, followed by a top dressing of organic … [Read more...] about Lawn Fertilization Tips for Spring and Fall
Top Dressing Your Lawn with Compost
Top dressing your lawn with compost is a common practice that has been used for centuries. In fact, in the 15th century top dressing was applied to golf courses in Scotland. Because top dressing provides lawns with beneficial nutrients, many homeowners use this technique along with regular lawn maintenance routines. Read on to discover helpful tips and the benefits to top dressing your lawn with compost. The Benefits of Top Dressing Your Lawn with Compost Top dressing a lawn with compost may seem at first to be ineffective or even harmful to your lawn. After all, the last thing you likely want to see is compost covering up your once lush, beautiful grass. Although top dressing your lawn has a temporary unattractive appearance, its rich nutrients deliver incredible benefits to lawns. Applying compost as a top dressing to your lawn can improve the soil structure. Top dressing can also build up beneficial soil microbes, aerate compact soil, improve drainage, and even reduce … [Read more...] about Top Dressing Your Lawn with Compost
Make Your Own Houseplant Soil Mix
Make your own houseplant soil mix and you will save lots of money. You will also give your houseplants and container gardening plants the perfect growing media they need for optimal health and growth. One of the most critical aspects of houseplant and container plant care is soil. The right potting mix can mean the difference between a happy, healthy plant and one that struggles. While buying pre-mixed potting soil is possible, it's also easy to make your own. This article about how to make your houseplant soil mix will cover potting soil recipes and the proper ingredients. That’s because houseplants grow best in a soil mix that is specifically designed for them. A good houseplant soil mix comprises several ingredients, including potting soil, peat moss, and compost. Each component adds a particular characteristic to the soil mix. By varying the proportions, you can achieve the desired attributes. Let us discuss in detail the essential characteristics of potting soil mix and … [Read more...] about Make Your Own Houseplant Soil Mix
