Gardening is a fantastic and worthwhile hobby as it provides you not only with a creative outlet, but also with fresh produce for you and your family to enjoy. Getting started may provide some challenges, as there are several nuances to successful gardening. This article is meant to provide you with the requisite knowledge to ensure you get the most from your garden.
If you are intending on getting into gardening, be sure to purchase the right tools and equipment necessary to do all the tasks. This will help insure that you do not end up ruining your garden by using improper tools and wasting a lot of time and energy for naught.
Avoid chemicals for pest control. Chemicals are effective but can also damage your plants. You should look for natural methods instead. For instance, you can buy jars of ladybugs and release them on your plants. Ladybugs are natural predators for a variety of smaller insects that eat flowers and other plants.
Wait for the right moment if you plan on dividing a plant. Leave perhaps two years to grow and divide it at the end of the season when it looks at its best. If your plant shows signs of diseases or has areas with fewer leaves and flowers than others, it is too late.
A great way to keep insects and pests at bay in your garden is to spray your plants with a dish soap and water mixture. A mixture of one quart water and one half teaspoon dish detergent will kill off those pesky parasites. Be sure to respray every fourteen days.
From the simplest of gardens to the most grand, there are always rules of thumb that will help ensure you get the best possible results from your garden. By following the tips and advice from this article you will be well on your way to enjoying the fruits, and vegetables, of your labor.
Calendula & Concrete: Plant diversity and benficial insects
Choose plants with long-season blooms and varying architectures. This includes big flowers like daisies or coneflowers, and small lacy flowers such as sweet alyssum, caraway, dill, and parsley. Herbs are great in general, as are cover crops like buckwheat and clover. Members of the mint family, such as catnip and hyssop, are good choices too.
In my own garden, I have catnip, herbs, and yarrow that are good for the insects. And I usually let a few veggies go to flower too, such as my mustards. I’d like to gradually add more native plants, and I definitely want a more “structurally complex” yard, especially the front, which is still mostly plain old turfgrass and ho-hum azaleas.
