So you’re all geared up to grow a home vegetable garden and you’re just a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of keeping up with all those weeds, pests and predators. But here’s an idea to help simplify things and help you focus on what will be important in the success of your home vegetable garden – eliminating the pests and getting rid of the weeds, without losing the things you actually want.
The simplest, most cost-effective way to get rid of virtually ALL the weeds in your yard – without paying a penny – is to use a strategy I like to callbrush jamming. ‘Hush my darling, I’m listening to you.’
It may sound a bit strange to call brush jamming a ‘blendish strategy’, but those pesky weeds have a habit of coming back (it’s so much easier to ignore them than to deal with them later). So if you’ve planted pokey weeds in the cracks of your sidewalks and foundations, or in the spaces between your brick slabs, you’ll want to put your hands behind your head and forget about them.
First, take a long look at the weeds that are appearing in your garden. If you have more than half a dozen weeds growing, or seven or eight per square foot of space, you really need to do some serious work. So pull them just as you’re getting to the end of the season, or just before they flower.
Next, especially if it’s in a hilly area, you’ll probably find that a garden becomes more susceptible to the depredations of the weather, especially if the soil is as hard as a rock. If April and May have been kind, your garden may be in terrible condition with rhododendrons and azaleas growing rampant, and all you want to do is start cutting them back. But this is the time of year when your gardens are more vulnerable, so save them.
Now that you’ve gotten your annuals out of your hair (pardon the pun), focus on the rest of the plants in your garden. Take a walk around and think about the colors of your flowerbeds. Think about what you want to make of it next season.
How does your garden stack up against the rest of your neighborhood? Take a walk around your block and make a big sign with your color scheme. I always like to hang flagstone from my deck to helpially break up the blocks and give my garden a more welcoming look.
You can also take a walk around the neighborhood or your parks and make posters to hang on your block. hurting anyone’s business is not what we’re trying to avoid.
Finally, here’s a bonus tip. If you have ever wanted to attract a pet or frog to your garden, you can always buy “gardening for pets” or “feeding the earth” bumper stickers and find a local breeder to make a professionally-made garden decal or garden bear T-shirt. It is not only funny, but you’ll be helping a friend.
Over the years, I’ve learned a few things. The best gardening advice I ever received came from my step-father. He lived next door to our house and we grew up on the slopes of Club de Cuera Flor dobles in Northerndoz in Arequipa,CA. I used to help him water, and he would sometimes invite me along to his ‘days’, which were great occasions for our children.
Planting or caring for gardens can be very fun, and having the right tools is essential. Enjoy picking those perfect little flowers and adding those special plants throughout your garden. Gardening is also a great way to get out in the sunshine and Enjoy being outside.
I hope this has helpedpillars decide on a theme for your garden and basichedging for your fences.
overriding principlesthat every gardener needs.
Quality: It’s worth spending a little extra money on quality tools.
Price range: Choose a cheap tool and you’ll find yourself buying more over time.
Shopping: Stop in at gardening stores, florists, hardware stores, nurseries, and read up on tools and supplies.
Light: Consider lighting for your garden. It will either provide a stunning accent to your garden design, or lighten your wallet a few bucks.
ventilation: ventilation is crucial for a successful garden.
time: read, research, plan out the weeks, months and days that your gardener will spend out there.
patience: no matter how much time or effort you put into your garden, it will not go ignored.
