DIY Gardening Tips

submitted: Apr 29th 2008 | by: Admin | Total views: 149 | Word Count: 469 | |

If you've decided to get started with flower gardening, you should start out learning some basics. For example, one of the first things you will run across is annuals versus perennials. As you might suspect from the words themselves, annuals must be replanted anew each year. Perennials bloom every year without replanting.

Perennials and annuals should be planted together. Perennials bloom every year, but different varieties bloom at different times in the season. They die back during the winter and then start the cycle over in the spring. By mixing annuals and different varieties of perennials together in an area, you can count on blooms throughout the growing season.

Keep color schemes in mind as you group flowers. For example, you may like putting white, blue and purple together, or pink and red. White and red go with almost any other colors. But make the color scheme pleasing to the eye. After all, isn't that the point of a flower garden?

Successful flower gardening will take some planning. Not all flowers thrive in all locations. You need to become aware of each plant's need for light and water so you can place them in the best location. Gardening is sort of a three bears proposition when it comes to sunlight and water--not too much, not too little, but just the right amount.

Soil matters. Sandy soil will need to have something added because it won't hold water. Compost and peat moss are what most gardeners use. On the other hand, if your local soil is mostly clay, you'll need to work in some compost and sand to help it drain better. You've probably noticed the need for compost. Get used to using compost because it's a great source of nutrients and encourages good drainage.

One common rookie mistake in gardening is planting flowers too deep. This is not very good for the flowers--they may not die, but they certainly won't thrive. The problem is the water doesn't always reach to roots before it drains away.

You should clip off dead blooms during the summer months and discard them away from your garden. Not only does this stop the spread of disease, it will also encourage more blooming.

Believe it or not, some insects are good for your garden. Plants don't reproduce without pollination. Insects like butterflies, beetles and bees are essential to the pollination process.

Other insects are good to keep because they naturally control harmful insects. Dragonflies, ladybugs, mantis and others are an excellent organic way to get rid of aphids. Learn how to attract these helpful creatures and give them a home in your flower garden.

The key to an enjoyable flower garden is careful planning. Although not impossible, it's certainly not easy to move flowers around after you've planted them. So make sure you start out thinking about blooming cycles and colors from the beginning.

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