1. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!
Mulch, mulch, mulch! It keeps weeds down, keeps the soil cool, helps conserve water and amends the soil as it decomposes. For a few bucks a bag, mulch is the best gardening buy out there, and the difference it makes as far as plant health and vigor are concerned is really remarkable. —Patricia Blais, creator and author of Gardensablaze.com
2. Don’t Give Up!
I think a lot of beginning gardeners make the mistake of feeling like a failure if they kill a few plants. I think the best gardeners are willing to make a lot of mistakes and learn from them. —Jessica, author of The Garden Blog of a girl growin’ Southern
3. Stop Purchasing Unnecessary Products
You can stop applying all products to your lawn. Just aerate, overseed in the fall and leave the grass clippings on the lawn. For a little money, the next smart thing to do is add a layer of compost in the fall or spring. —Susan Harris, GardenRant and Sustainable-Gardening
Keep Your Garden Green
4. Prepare for Each Season Beforehand
Generally, people don’t take the time to up-start their garden in the spring or winterize it in the fall by turning the soil, amending the soil, cutting back plants, pruning, weeding, fertilizing, etc. It’s WORK, but it’s essential in order to keep your garden healthy throughout all seasons. The more time you put into your garden in the spring and fall, the less work you will have to do in the winter and summer. My biggest tip for all seasons? Deadheading. (That doesn’t mean the Grateful Dead—ha)! Deadheading means the removal of spent or fading flowers in order to spur new blossoms and keep a plant looking tidy and neat. —Jennifer L. Scott, aka "Miss Daisy," executive assistant for Fusion-io and founder of Gardening With Miss Daisy
5. Go Back to the ‘Roots’ of Gardening
In the old days, gardens weren’t a recreational pastime like they are today. People grew plants and trees for food, medicine, fragrance and dyes, often in very small spaces. And they didn’t use any pesticides. Having a healthy "green" garden simply involves grouping plants according to their needs (sun, water, spacing, etc.), using mulch to keep roots cool and competing weeds down, fertilizing appropriately and doing routine maintenance. —Patricia Blais, creator and author of Gardensablaze.com
What is your number 1 Gardening Tip?
6. ‘Weed, Feed and Deadhead’
Nothing is foolproof, but there are some hardy flowers out there for the average gardener — plants such as petunias, marigolds, geraniums, zinnias, alyssum, daylilies, black-eyed Susans, hostas, shasta daisies, yarrow and roses are just a few. They are hardy and easy to grow, making them more bullet-proof. Some bullet-proof veggies are tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, strawberries, basil, dill, parsley and cucumbers. My simple recipe for all flowers is "weed, feed and deadhead." Weed it out, feed the flowers with nutrients and water and deadhead to spur new blossoms. —Jennifer L. Scott, aka "Miss Daisy," executive assistant for Fusion-io and founder of Gardening With Miss Daisy
7. Organic Is the Least Expensive Way to Go
Organic gardening is definitely the least expensive way to go. It’s not a matter of switching to organic products; the goal is no products at all. That’s possible when you choose the right plants and have healthy soil (or focus on improving the soil you have). —Susan Harris, GardenRant and Sustainable-Gardening
wOw Scenes: Our Gardens
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