How to Keep Your Garden Looking Great

A great garden isn’t just about what you plant, it’s about the overall appearance, too. Anyone can plant pretty flowers, but it takes time and effort to maintain a garden and keep it looking beautiful day after day. The following tips will get you on your way to a happy and healthy garden all season long.

Get the Right Plants

The first step of any garden is finding out what will grow in your area and obtain healthy plants.

• For the healthiest plants, you need to be sure what species will grow in your hardiness zone. Your hardiness zone will tell you what plants are suited for your climate and when to plant.
• Choosing healthy plants from the nursery will also go a long way toward a pretty garden. Be sure to check the leaves, stems, and roots of any plant you might take home for signs of distress or disease.
• Many plants have varieties that are resistant to disease. To find disease-resistant plants, be sure to check the tag or label on any plants at the nursery you’re thinking about buying.

Maintain Your Tools

Your garden tools are an important part of the appearance and health of your garden. Taking care of them will help you maintain your plants’ appearance.

• Always clean and disinfect tools after using, especially if you touched a diseased plant.
• Keep edged tools sharpened and in good working condition. Dull tools are not only harder to work with, they can also leave jagged cuts on plants that may invite disease.

Get Rid of Weeds

Weeds are the bane of every gardener’s existence, but they’re just a part of life. Getting your weeds under control can be time-consuming, but if you stay on top of the maintenance, getting rid of weeds will get easier over time.

• Refrain from cutting your grass too short. Longer grass can prevent weeds from sprouting by choking them out and denying them sunlight. A well-maintained lawn is one easy step toward fewer weeds.
• Use about 2 inches of mulch in your garden. Mulch will not only retain moisture for your plants but will also suffocate weeds and keep them from growing.  
• Weed after it’s rained. Weeds will come up from the ground easier and are more likely to have the root system intact, which will reduce the chances of them growing back.
• Plant your beds closely to create shade that is hostile to weeds. Planting too closely can create humidity that might invite disease, however, so be sure to know how much space fully grown plants will need.

Create a Layout

A garden design can make a huge difference in the overall appeal of your garden. Rather than placing plants randomly, you can create a specific vision that will wow any visitors.

• Try color-coordinated planting or planting similar-looking items together to create a scene that’s visually striking.
• Use herbs to make interesting borders and pathways.
• Pay attention to texture differences, and be sure to integrate items with different size and style leaves to keep your landscape interesting.
• Add plants in containers to your garden to spice up the look without doing any extra work.

Work With the Seasons

If you try to fight Mother Nature, chances are you’re going to lose. Maintaining your garden will be easier if you work with the natural flow of the seasons.

• In the summer, you should avoid watering your plants at the hottest and sunniest part of the day. Plants may get scorched. Water early in the morning or in the evening after the heat.
• Winterizing will ensure it doesn’t become a haven for pests. Remove debris such as dead foliage, and weed your garden before tilling the soil.
• Use healthy foliage and garden debris to compost. When planting time comes, you’ll have a jump-start on healthy plants.

Make Space for Relaxation

Your garden isn’t just about your plants, it’s about creating a space that helps you feel at peace. A good garden should have some space – no matter how small – for you to sit down and take in all the beauty around you.

Your seating area can be a small table with foldout chairs or something different like a bench. You can even go with something dreamier and put a tepee that offers a place to get away from the sun. Any kids that visit will love the whimsy that a tepee brings.

Whether you plant fragrant flowers or nutritious vegetables, your space should be a place a beauty and peace. With the tips above, you can have the garden you’ve always dreamed of and be the envy of everyone on the block.

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Bobbi Peterson

Bobbi Peterson loves writing and regularly posts on her blog Living Life Green. She’s also a freelance writer, green living advocate and environmentalist. You can find more from Bobbi on Twitter.

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• How to Keep Your Garden Looking Great - August 8, 2016