gardening

With winter behind us and warmer weather finally arriving, it’s time to give your outdoor space a little facelift. Small DIY updates can make a big impact and help create an oasis that’s perfect for family fun.

Sprucing up your yard can also help keep your home looking fresh and appealing if you’re planning on selling it soon. Keeping up with the latest landscaping and gardening trends will ensure that your yard looks and feels beautiful.

Eco-Friendly Landscapes

Eco-friendly landscapes are an excellent way to improve the quality of your outdoor living space and reduce environmental waste. They are also more cost-effective than other landscaping options.

One way to ensure your garden is eco-friendly is by selecting plant material that is native to your area. These plants are more adapted to the conditions they will find themselves in and therefore require less water, fertilizing, and maintenance than non-native plants.

Another way to make your yard or garden more environmentally friendly is by using compost instead of artificial or chemical fertilizers. Compost breaks down into rich soil that provides healthy plants with the nutrients they need.

Less Lawn

One of the best ways to save money and reduce your impact on the environment is to reduce the amount of lawn you have. Depending on your location, this could mean the reduction of thousands of gallons of water a year.

The most obvious way to shrink the lawn is by incorporating landscaping features like a pond, a retaining wall or even a patio. The most effective use of these features is to create zones that offer something for everyone – whether it’s a place to play, eat or just relax in the sun. In the end, you’ll have a low-maintenance, sustainable, and attractive landscape.

Vertical Gardening

Vertical gardening is a great way to add greenery and color to your outdoor space. It’s also a fun way to grow your own fresh food.

It’s all about selecting the right plants to make your garden thrive. Some plants like shade and need a little extra care, while others do well in sunnier locations.

Succulents, tomatoes, and cucumbers are some popular choices for vertical gardens. These vining plants can be trained to grow up a trellis or support and don’t need a lot of water.

Plants for Pollinators

Plants that attract pollinators are a great way to improve your outdoor living space. Integrating these plants into your garden not only helps these essential creatures but also adds beauty and color to the landscape throughout the year.

There are many different kinds of pollinator-friendly flowers to choose from, so it’s important to consider your landscape and its climate to find the best choices for your area. Remember, pollinators need water and shelter, so try to provide those amenities in your yard.

Plants for Caterpillars

In many ways, caterpillars are beneficial to the garden. They help keep weeds under control by eating their leaves, while also serving as food for other insects and creatures.

Caterpillars feed on a small range of plants, including flowers, herbaceous perennials and shrubs. Plants they like best are ones that produce lots of flower or fruit, and which have narrow leaves and are not too big.

When a caterpillar is ready to pupate, it forms a chrysalis. This is another interesting stage, as the caterpillar molts its skin one last time and becomes a butterfly.

Water Gardens

Water gardens are an excellent way to add a natural, soothing touch to your outdoor space. They come in a variety of designs and are perfect for both large and small garden areas.

You can find water plants that float or sit atop the surface of the water or those that are completely rooted. They are easy to plant and are a great addition to any home.

Choosing the right mix of plants is also important in water gardens. Some of the more popular options include lilies, lotus, and irises. These plants not only add beauty but also help to purify the water.

Gardening is a healthy hobby that offers respite from the demands of everyday life. It’s also a great way to get some exercise and eat fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

However, when you’re busy with work and other responsibilities, it can be hard to find the time to maintain your landscape. Thankfully, there are plenty of low-maintenance landscaping ideas that will keep your garden looking its best without much fuss.

1. Plant with the Season in Mind

For those with busy schedules, landscaping is often the last thing on their mind. So, it’s important to consider low-maintenance plants that are easy to care for.

Planting with the season in mind will help you choose flowers that will bloom at their best during a particular time of year. For example, planting crocus or daffodils in fall will provide color during the winter and early spring.

This will make the entire landscape look cohesive, even if it is comprised of different types of plants. In addition, it will avoid a situation where plants are competing for the same resources.

It’s also a good idea to use plants that are adapted to your area. These native species will be easier to care for than ones that aren’t suited to the climate of your home. They can grow without a lot of irrigation and will tolerate dry soils as well.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Replace Plants That Don’t Work

Gardening is an activity that can help keep your body and mind active, improve your nutrition and make you feel more relaxed. In addition, gardening helps you save money and time, which can lead to a better work life balance.

To create low-maintenance landscaping, it is important to pick plants that are well adapted to your location and climate. This will reduce your need for pesticides, fertilizers, and watering.

Another way to reduce maintenance is to avoid overplanting in the garden. This is because overplanting can take up too much space, making it more difficult for plants to grow to their full potential.

You should also choose plants that don’t need a lot of water, such as hydrangeas or shrubs. They are great choices for people who are busy and don’t have a lot of time to spend on their gardens.

3. Pick Plants That Don’t Need a Lot of Water

Many busy people find it hard to find time to tend to their garden. Between jobs, children, and other life obligations, it is easy to let things fall by the wayside.

Luckily, there are lots of plants that thrive on little maintenance. These plants make great additions to your landscape.

Perennials are a perfect choice because they will continue to grow and bloom year after year without much fuss. Some even reseed themselves!

Native plants, which are local to your climate and soil, are another low-maintenance option. They require less water and fertilizer because they have deep root systems that are adapted to the conditions in their area.

Some perennials, like pasqueflower and penstemon, are also drought-tolerant. They will not only look beautiful, but they will also help to save your garden from excess watering.

4. Choose Plants That Are Easy to Care For

Gardening is a great hobby and often helps people escape from their hectic work schedules. But it can also be a stressful and time-consuming activity if your plants are prone to overgrown weeds, pests, or disease.

That’s why it is important to choose plants that are easy to care for. That way, you can spend more time enjoying your garden instead of spending time tending to it.

A few of the easiest to maintain plants include wildflowers, perennial herbs, and shrubs that grow from runners. These are the ideal plants to add color and interest to your landscape.

For a low-maintenance perennial that provides year-round color, try beautyberry (Vaccinium uliginosum). These hardy shrubs feature lilac blooms in spring and summer, and they produce a profusion of gorgeous purple berries during fall and winter.

Whether you’re looking to update your current landscape or start from scratch, there are a few important things to keep in mind. These tips will help you to create a landscape that’s both beautiful and functional.

Plants, hardscapes, and garden ornaments all have their own unique visual details that can be used to create a cohesive and captivating design. By considering these visuals, you can create a landscape that will make your neighbors green with envy.

1. Know Your Plants

Just like pets, plants have specific needs and requirements that you need to know if you want them to be happy.

This includes sun, soil, and space considerations. Knowing where your plants need to be positioned will help you design the garden that best fits their needs and creates the most visually appealing garden.

2. Know Your Soil

Having the right soil for your plants is essential to a healthy garden. It has a lot to do with texture, drainage, nutrients, pH and more.

Knowing your soil type will help you make informed decisions about what plants to grow and how to amend your existing soil to achieve optimum health. Here are a few easy tests you can perform at home to determine your soil’s type:

3. Know Your Irrigation System

Irrigation systems save water by delivering the right amount of water to the lawn and garden when it needs it. It also helps manage the dispersion of soil nutrients to keep your landscape healthy and green.

Keeping your system in top shape can help you save money on your water bill and avoid costly repairs down the road. Be sure to pay close attention to any signs that your system may be struggling.

4. Know Your Mulching

Mulching can improve the appearance of your landscape, but it also serves a number of important practical functions such as conserving moisture, suppressing weeds, reducing erosion and decreasing water runoff.

The key to mulching is knowing what type of mulch is best for your garden’s needs and when to use it. This will help you save time and money and keep your garden healthy and thriving.

5. Know Your Curb Appeal

When buyers are looking at your home, they will first see the front door, windows and porch. If these areas look drab and unappealing, they are likely to turn off potential buyers.

Knowing your curb appeal is essential to boosting the value of your home. Fortunately, there are many small changes you can make to improve your home’s exterior.

6. Know Your Watering Schedule

Getting your landscape and garden right requires you to know how often and when you should water. There are no hard and fast rules, but knowing the ideal watering schedule for your plants is essential to success.

Most lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week–either from rain or watering–to soak deeply enough to promote strong root development and drought resistance.

7. Know Your Irrigation System

A well-maintained irrigation system will help keep your lawn, flowers, plants and bushes looking lush. It can also save you time and money by saving water over hand-watering your lawn.

Once the sprinklers are in place and connected to your controller, you have to program the right amount of water into each zone. This is a complex task that often requires guidance from professionals.

8. Know Your Soil

Soil is a vital component of any garden. It determines whether plants thrive or die.

To learn more about your soil, get a soil test from your local county extension office. Or you can try three DIY soil tests at home to gauge your soil’s health and pH level.

Soils can vary greatly, ranging from sandy to clay. Understanding the make-up of your soil and how to work with it will improve its properties, making your garden more productive and beautiful.

9. Know Your Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is a major factor in attracting potential buyers to your home. And it’s important to know how to boost your curb appeal before you put your home on the market.

One of the best ways to improve your curb appeal is to make sure that your lawn is well-maintained and clean. A dirty lawn is not a good look for a buyer and it can deter them from buying your home.

10. Know Your Watering Schedule

Knowing your watering schedule will help you keep your lawn and plants healthy, save money on your water bill and reduce water waste.

Most lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week–either from rain or watering–to soak the soil deeply enough to promote stronger roots and drought resistance. This can be done in a single watering or broken up into two or three waterings each week.