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Time-saving gardening suggestions

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Anyone who maintains a garden is aware of the infinite hours that can be consumed by tasks. A year-long routine of planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, cutting back, and composting is required for cultivated ground, and there is no end in sight. However, there are solutions to lessen the burden.

The secret is to keep your tool shed organised. Another key suggestion is to buy equipment, compost, feed, and pots before you need them. In this way, you may start working in the garden right away rather than wasting a lovely sunny day travelling to the garden centre.

Consider converting a portion of a large area you need to manage into a meadow. A conventional summer meadow requires far more maintenance than a spring bulb meadow. If you plant bulbs that bloom before May each autumn, you can use the area as a lawn for the rest of the year, starting with January crocuses and ending with species tulips in late May.

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Autumn Gardening

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Autumn is a transitional season that gives gardeners a chance to plan for spring. It’s also a season when gardeners could try planting trees and shrubs that will eventually head into a dormant stage. Make the most of the Autumn ground conditions before the soil becomes too hard or waterlogged. 

It’s important before you start planting that you focus on getting rid of any signs of pests or disease. If you leave diseased plant matter, the disease could reoccur in the spring and spoil your blooms. Dig through your soil and remove any dead plant matter, leaves and weeds. 

Autumn is also the time to plant bulbs that will bloom in spring. Bulb roots will need 6 weeks to take hold so it’s important they are planted before the frosts hit while the soil is still warm enough.

Once you’ve finished planting it is just a case of maintenance.

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Gardening for Beginners

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Get to know your garden.

Check the aspect, knowing where the sun hits the ground will help you to know what to plant where.

Check out anything that’s already growing to identify the soil type that you have.

Sit down and plan your garden, this way you can plan what you want to grow where rather than go wild at the garden centre buying plants that don’t compliment each other.

Learning how to plant properly will ensure your plants grow well and live for a long time. Knowing when and how to feed and water your plants is key to their survival too. You’ll want to be on the lookout for pests too. Most garden pests are harmless and are often contained by natural predators however sometimes pest populations can become an infestation and will need attention. Don’t see wildlife as an enemy though, remembering birds eat a variety of pests and bees pollinate. 

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What’s the Goal for your outside space?

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Who knew wanting to redo your outside space came with so many choices and things to consider. The first and most important step is to think about what your goal is. What is it to be used for? Is it for the children/grandchildren to play? Is the space purely for decoration? Or is it to be used for outdoor entertaining? 

Write down all the things you want to be able to do in the garden once it’s completed. Having this all written down will help you when you start to plan, or if you are looking to hire a landscaper, you will be able to tell them exactly your goals for the space. 

Involve the whole household in the planning stage. You may not all want the same for the space. Everyone’s opinion needs to be considered. You don’t want to find out when it’s almost finished that someone else in the household doesn’t like it. Work to resolve any issues at this early stage. 

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How To Create The Perfect Fall Garden

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This article will give you tips on creating the perfect fall garden with autumn landscaping ideas.

Prepare your garden for the new season.

Clear out dead leaves and plant a nutrient-rich garden bed. Either dig up your old plants or place them in containers to make room in the ground for new ones.
Consider planting annual flowers such as dahlias, zinnias, and sunflowers to give your garden a burst of colour for the fall.

Planning

Determine your budget: Creating a large garden will require more money and more time. Consider the size of your property and the amount of time you are willing to devote to your project.

You should also consider whether or not you can take care of all the plants yourself so that you don’t have to hire someone or spend a lot of money.

If you are willing to do a lot of gardening, consider buying some plants from a local nursery.

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Tips for Creating the Ideal Summer Garden

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Creating the perfect summer garden is a difficult task. It requires a lot of research, planning and some patience. Many factors need to be considered, such as climate, soil type, and the available space. A good start is to think about what you want your garden to look like. What kind of animals will you have? Will it be a place for relaxation or play? Is it for growing food or simply for aesthetic purposes?

The following tips will help you design your perfect summer garden:

– Research the climate in your area and choose suitable plants for those conditions. Is your soil chalk or clay-based? How much rubble or stones are in the soil?

– Consider what kind of animals you would like to see in your garden and think about building in some habitats

– Think about how much space you want to dedicate to the garden, i.e. how big is your current patio, or do you wish to build a shed?

– Think about what purpose the garden will serve. For example, will you be entertaining, or is it for the children to play in?

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Gardening Advice

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Here are some quick gardening tips to help you around your garden:

Using composting bins will save a lot of money and can reduce food waste
Shop at local nurseries as you can often buy plants cheaper and your supporting independent local business.
Learning about your garden including light levels, soil quality and moisture content of the soil will help you to choose the right plants and vegetables that will thrive in these conditions.
Ensure that your hose pipe is long enough to get to all areas of your garden, this will save you trips back and forth with a watering can.
Giving plants enough space to thrive and grow is essential.  Plant them too close together and they are competing for the nutrients in that area meaning one plant may not survive.
New plants can be very delicate, so handle them gently.
Weed your garden regularly especially within flower beds and vegetable patches to make sure the flowers and plants you wish to grown gain all the goodness from the soil and feed.

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Tips for Beginner Gardeners

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If you are looking to get into gardening, here are a couple of tips to get you started. 

You don’t need a lot of space when it comes to gardening.  It’s better to start with a small plot or some pots while you see if it’s for you. Think about how much space a fully grown plant will take up, versus a small seedling. Think about your plants – do you want to save money and grow plants from seeds, which is cheaper, but takes longer and requires either a greenhouse or lots of window sill space, or do you want to buy small plants from the garden centre?

Set a budget. Whether you’re on a tight budget or not, it’s a good idea to know how much you can comfortably afford. Do some planning and don’t get enthusiastic and buy lots of seeds and plants from the garden centre and bung them anywhere when you get home.

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How to Keep Garden Fountains Clean

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Having a garden fountain or water feature in your garden brings a calming and pleasant ambiance that is hard to top, but you do need to perform a little maintenance on them, to keep them looking nice and properly functioning.

1. Keep any plant debris such as leaves cleared away.
2. Remove any algae growth with a bristle brush.
3. Use an algae cleaner regularly to stop algae growth.
4. Do NOT use chlorine as this could damage the rubber tubes and seals in the pump.
5. Ensure that you top up the fountain with water when needed, so that the pump is always submerged.
6. Clean the water pump once a year to keep it operating properly.
7. Always keep water running, they are meant to stay on, so as to reduce the chances of algae build-up, unless emptying for winter.

Using these tips will help to keep your water fountain or feature from experiencing an algae build-up which will eventually clog the pump and cause it to burn out.

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Top 6 Plants for Hanging Baskets

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Hanging baskets are an excellent way to maximise space in a small garden by providing beautiful displays at eye level. Having the right plants in a hanging basket can really add an astounding atmosphere of elegance to a garden.

Top 6 Plants for Hanging Baskets

1. Fuchsia- have an exotic-looking multicolour bloom that is very eye catching

2. Million Bells- are small petunia-like flowers that bloom in large clusters for an incredible pop of colour

3. Petunia- have beautiful medium size blooms that come in a variety of colours and can create a cascading affect in hanging baskets

4. Begonia- like a partially shaded location and should not be over-watered

5. Geranium- is an evergreen perennial which provide a bold splash of colour in any garden

6. Lantana- has tiny flowers that grow in bunches and like plenty of sun

All six of the beautiful flowers would be excellent for growing in hanging baskets to give your garden an alluring burst of colour.