Guest Post - How to Make the Most of Your Garden

Today I have a guest post that is no good for me personally, as I kill any plant I come into contact with nearly immediately, but for those of you with gardens, January is a good time to start your planning for optimum growth (so I hear. I'll stick to plastic flowers, thanks.)


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No matter what the size of your garden, it’s important to keep it in good condition, while making the most of its features. You can achieve this in a number of different ways, with the end goal of adding value to your home, while also creating a more pleasant atmosphere around a property. Some key areas that can be focused on to make the most of your garden include professional services, growing fruits and vegetables, installing new buildings, using the right conservatory blinds, and starting a compost heap. These tips, and more, can be found below:


Grow Fruits and Vegetables

Another case of something that becomes easy once you get over the challenge of starting it, having a fruit and vegetable patch can generate a lot of produce for the kitchen, and can save you money on your weekly groceries. You can also make the most of a small garden by using bamboo sticks and rows to separate out different sections. Mini vegetable patches can be a great idea for children!

Install New Buildings

A significant investment like a summer house or a gazebo can provide an excellent place to shelter from the sun during the summer, and a way of avoiding the rain. Adding in a gazebo can also make for a good base for barbecues and picnics.

Make the Most of the View

Many people don’t get the chance to appreciate a well maintained garden due to their window coverings, which can block views. You can avoid this problem through the use of window blinds that can be rolled out of view in a conservatory, or easily adjusted to let in natural light.

Make it Child Friendly

Your children will spend their early years exploring all areas of your garden so it is imperative that your garden is not only child friendly but also a lot of fun. Removing sharp objects is a given and ensuring tools remain out of reach should be easy. Wendy houses, climbing frames and sand pits make for a great garden for both you and the kids.

Make Your Shed More Efficient

You can improve your gardening skills by decluttering your shed, making it more efficient. Sort through anything that you’ll never use again, which might include old paint and mildewy boxes.

Pick the Right Plants

Choose garden plants that are appropriate for the season, and can be easily maintained. Once you get started, you can add more rows and containers to the garden.

Start a Compost Heap

Having a compost heap in the garden can add to your recycling efforts as away of storing mulch and food cuttings. This option is particularly recommended if your local council don’t issue green bins.

Use Containers with Small Gardens

A small garden doesn’t mean that you can’t carry out a lot of these tips. Use containers and hanging baskets with patios, and place pots for growing herbs and spices on windowsills, and within your kitchen.


Invest in Professional Gardening Services

You don’t need to do this very often, but it can make a significant difference to the appearance of your garden. A professional report can identify the best way to deal with problem weeds, and can also suggest ideal plants for different seasons. Effectively, a professional assessment of your garden can give you the information that you need for your own maintenance routine.


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Author Bio: Liam Ohm writes about home improvement, from wetrooms to solar panels – he writes
about it all.



 

Shown Up by Three Year Olds

The girls are requiring all of my attention today, so I'll keep this short and laughable.

Remember how I killed the plant?

My toddlers have now proven their plant-tending abilities far superior to mine.

I give you, the grassmen.

Yes, it's true. What mere days ago were nylon stockings, grass seeds and cotton balls are now fully-fledged grassmen.

Beautiful, aren't they? We are very artistic around here, as you can see.

And if you are wondering why the grass is growing right out of their faces and not as hair out of the tops of their heads like it's supposed to, well, that's my fault, too.

Mommy cannot follow directions to save her life. So I told the girls their men would be growing beards instead of hair. Close enough, right?


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Plant Killer

I am a plant killer. I cannot keep potted plants. It's beyond a black thumb; it's ridiculous. I mean, how hard can this be? Aren't plants at the bottom of the responsibility totem pole? Like, you tell your kids they can't get a pet hamster until they prove they can care for a plant?

No one should give me a hamster...nevermind the twins I have. I simply cannot keep a plant alive. It should be simple, right? Water it. Put it in a well-lighted area. Yeah, no. I'm clearly missing some important steps in plant maintenance. So, my solution, instead of bettering myself, or trying different things, is to not buy any plants.

Still, this sometimes backfires. For example, for my birthday this year, a mere month and a half ago, my friends bought me a beautiful, yellow-flowering potted plant. This plant, I resolved, would make it. I was older now, more experienced. I was taking care of young children. I could certainly handle a plant.

My regiment, of course, included placing the flowers in a well-seen area and looking at them every once in a while, admiring their beauty. That worked for almost three days.

Then I noticed that they were not looking so good. Shoot! Water them. I watered them. By the next day, they hadn't perked up. Water them some more! Maybe that first time didn't take. The next day they were looking even worse.  Hmm, maybe plant food or something. I mixed up some delicious blue-looking food.  No dice.

Move them. Put them in the sunlight. Water them more. Come on, flowers, come back to healthy life!

Alas, there was nothing I could do to save the poor things from their fate as having me as their owner. They perished despite the water and the food and the sunlight. Maybe I should have started right away instead of waiting like a jerk for the three days where they seemed to be self-sufficient. Or perhaps I shouldn't have drowned them with water to overcompensate. We'll never know.

To Yasmin and Osvaldo...I'm sorry I killed your plant.

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