Springtime invites us all to go outside and enjoy nature’s beauty. One of the most rewarding ways to enjoy the freshness of spring is by getting active in your garden. Last month we’ve shared with you five tips to make your garden more resilient. Following up on that, here are ten more ways to spruce up your garden:
1. Weed
Whether your garden has been a bit neglected, or winter rains have just spurred unwanted sprouting in your beds, weeding your garden is the best first step to clear out space for new garden creativity to grow.
2. Start a compost pile
You can buy a bin or build one yourself and make fertile compost to feed your plants. Collect food scraps, twigs, grass clipping, and other yard waste and get started. If you’re doing some extra cooking right now, this is a great way to put those food scraps to work.
3. Inventory tools and supplies
Do you have spare gloves and old tools clogging up your garden shed? Clear out old and worn supplies and clean up your tools to make your next gardening project easier and more enjoyable.
4. Create a plant swap
Do you have too many onions growing at once? Offer to trade some with a neighbor for their awesome zucchini. These can be dropped off easily while practicing social distancing.
5. Try lasagna mulching
Sounds weird, but this technique uses wet cardboard and soil to turn areas of your lawn into planting zones. The wet cardboard activates increased fungi activity to transform a square of your yard into plantable soil.
6. Enrich your garden soil
Prepare your beds for planting by layering them with potting soil, compost, and manure. Let it sit for a couple of weeks and come back to nutrient-rich soil that is ready for spring planting.
7. Set up deep watering stations
Bury five-gallon buckets into the ground near plants, leaving four inches above the earth to prevent lizards and other animals from falling in. Drill holes in the bottom of the buckets and fill them with water during hot summer months for deeper watering that reaches root systems and minimizes evaporation.
8. Create an herb garden
Find a sunny spot close to your kitchen and plant a large tub or small bed with herbs such as rosemary, mint, thyme, and basil for all your cooking needs.
9. Put up a garden shade
These can be made with material of varying degrees of sun protection depending on your plant selection and climate, but they work to protect your plants during the hot summer months, especially if your only planting space is in full sun. You can even make it large enough to have a shady spot to lounge in yourself.
10. Get those half-done projects completed
You likely have many projects in the works around your house. Finally, get that rain gauge installed or put up those tomato stakes.
Gardening is a great way to relax, pass the time, and grow your own food to use in delicious recipes. Use one of these 10 strategies to spruce up your garden and enjoy homegrown produce and flowers!
