10 Tips to Ensure a Lively Garden

It isn’t just that there’s snow outside or that we have a high of 8 degrees on Thursday that makes me happy to publish an article about gardening. It is also because I have plans to get back to gardening next year! You guys know that after the divorce (literally almost exactly one year ago) I stripped my life down to the bare essentials and removed excess so that I could focus more on my happiness and healing. My vegetable garden was one of those things, one less worry this last summer.

But I missed it! And I am totally ready for next year and so excited about the plans I have for it.

My garden my was first attempt (by myself here at my home) at not just gardening but also making pickles. It was a ton of fun and work but I made sure to start small.

My plans next year include building raised beds inside my little garden all the way around along the fence, leaving the middle open for walking around. This will cut my weeding down by a ton and make it so much easier to work!

(The following is a contributed article.)

Who doesn’t love a beautiful and colorful garden? It boosts the curb appeal of your home, and it’s rewarding to see all of your hard work come to life.

A well thought out garden will appeal to many senses of the body. From wanting to touch the plants, breathing in the pleasant aroma, and enjoying the pop of color from flowers, we’ll help you create a lively garden that the whole neighborhood will envy.

Add Splashes of Color

Adding in a pop of color with flowers, herbs, and even some vegetables will dramatically change the look of your garden. Bringing in bright colors helps to compliment all the green from the leaves and grass around.

Layer With Mulch

If you want to keep your garden looking its best, you should top the soil with a layer of mulch. Mulch acts as a protective layer for the soil and plants. It helps to retain moisture, provides the nutrients your plants need, and it also helps to reduce the number of weeds popping up.

Group Colors Together

When it comes to arranging a garden so that it looks its best, it does require a bit of creativity. Having many flowers with the same color in the same area will have a more significant impact on the overall look of your garden over plopping one or two flowers.

Don’t Overcrowd

Overcrowding your garden is possible. If there is too much going on, it will make your garden look cluttered and lose a lot of its appeal. You want to find a balance between how many plants you have and how much of the ground you can see.

Give More Water Less Frequently

When it comes to watering your garden and lawn, the best way to do so is by giving it lots of water less frequently. For the roots to soak up the water to feed the plant, the water needs to penetrate deeper into the soil. By watering less often, the roots grow deeper and stronger as they search for water.

Keep Gardening Tools Sharp

Having all of your gardening tools sharp is not only helpful for you, but it is also better for the plants. If you try cutting a plant with dull scissors or knife, you may risk breaking off more then intended and damaging the plant.

Attract Butterflies

When you imagine a beautiful garden, likely butterflies are flying around. Butterflies are a great way to add an extra element to your garden. Attract them by planting long blooming plants and herbs.

Plant Good Seeds

If you plant old seeds into your garden, you likely won’t have much luck with them. You want to have healthy seeds ready to plant. You can do a simple test to see if the seeds are still viable with a paper towel.

Be Creative

Your garden is a space to show off your creativity and style. Try out rustic decor, bohemian decor, modern decor. Have fun selecting a variety of plants, trees, shrubs, herbs and vegetables that you like best. Have a basic game plan of what you want to include and how you want the end result to look, but allow yourself to be creative throughout the process.

Test the Soil

You could put in hours of hard labor in your garden, but if the soil is poor, there is only so much you can do. It’s essential for the health of your garden and lawn that the soil contains all the nutrients it needs to feed the plants.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)