1. When designing a garden, consider garden usage, year-round qualities and maintenance.
2. Plant specimen plants in places where they’ll be noticed most.
3. Apply compost to your garden about two to four weeks before you plant.
4. In gardens with limited space, consider the use of planters and containers.
5. Add soil conditioners such as compost and double dig when creating new garden beds.
6. Juxtapose colors, shapes and sizes to create interest in your planting plan.
7. Plants which are borderline hardy will do better in a sunny, sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
8. During dry spells, deep watering your trees and shrubs with help them remain healthy.
9. Adding too much organic matter when planting discourage roots growing outside the original hole.
10. Shrubs that produce berries, such as viburnum, add color and attract birds to the winter garden.
11. A plant’s silhouette becomes a prominent garden feature in winter and provides visual interest during the off season.
12. Evergreens are wonderful for year-round interest in the garden.
13. Shrubs, such as hydrangea, add variety and long lasting flowers to the perennial garden.
14. Ornamental grass planted in the perennial border acts as a wonderful backdrop and provide colorful seed heads in fall and winter.
15. Prune those plants which bloom in the spring immediately prior to blooming.
16. Native plants are low maintenance as they’ve adapted to even the most harsh conditions.
17. Deadhead spend rhododendron blooms to encourage more flowers for the following spring.
18. Check moisture of container plants often in the summer as potting soil can dry out quickly.
19. A tree’s bark, which is often over looked, can be a colorful of textural asset during the winter.
20. Watering is crucial to the success of transplanted trees and shrubs.
21. Water your gardens and plants in the early morning or at dusk to save water.
22. Deadheading spent blooms encourages annuals to flower all season long.
23. Hydangeas, rose-of-Sharon and summersweet are wonderful summer blooming shrubs.
24. Whenever possible use natural and organic fertilizers such as compost.
25. Aerating a well used, compacted lawn will allow water, air and nutrients to reach the lawn’s roots.
26. Some perennials, such as black eyed Susan, form wonderful seed heads which can provide your garden with winter interest.
27. Morning sun is more beneficial than afternoon sun.
28. Fertilize your gardens and lawn before a rainfall whenever possible.
29. Hydrangeas are a wonderful addition to your garden for dramatic summer flowers.
30. Because of its less than ideal texture and the potential for weed seeds and insects, avoid using garden soil in containers.
31. Base your plant selection on an initial site analysis. Become familiar with your garden’s sun/shade conditions, soil quality, etc.
32. Don’t deadhead your hydrangeas; the fading blooms are attractive all winter.
33. Native plants are often suited to areas with poor soils.
34. Water well before and after applying mulch to give your plants a healthy start.
35. Asters, chrysanthemums and sedum ”autumn joy” add fall color to a perennial garden.
36. Bare rooted plants should be soaked in water for several hours to prepare them for planting.
37. Prepare flower beds by tilling in plenty of organic material.
38. A hydrangea’s color can be manipulated with the soil pH. Acid soils result in blue and purple while alkaline soils result in shades of pink.
39. Top dress your gardens with compost and gently work it into the soil in the spring to keep your soil rich.
40. Groundcovers, such as vinca or ivy, will often grow where other plants won‘t.
41. Avoid fertilizing during the fall or the winter.
42. Wildflower meadows are low maintenance, colorful and environmentally friendly.
43. Tall perennials with large flowers tend to fall over after rain showers and should be staked.
44. Annual are generally more maintenance than perennials but will bloom all season long.
45. Perennials are considered either early, mid or late season bloomers and return year after year.
46. Sandy soils often lack nutrients and can dry out quickly and will benefit from the addition of compost and peat moss.
47. Clay soils are easily compacted and are poorly drained and will benefit from the addition of compost and sand.
48. Create a compost pile where you can toss your garden clippings, mowed grass and weeds.
49. Compost is a great soil additive as it help builds up organic matter and nutrients.
50. Plant fragrant shrubs, such “Korean spice” viburnum, along walkways and adjacent to patios.
51. Herb gardens are best located close to the kitchen; particularly if the herbs are used for cooking.
52. A sloping part of your yard may be the ideal location for a rock garden.
53. When cutting flowers, do so during the early morning for best results.
54. Native plants grow naturally in your climate and are less susceptible to insects and disease that occur in your area.
55. Rotate your vegetable crops each season to help reduce pest and disease problems.
56 Divide plants in the cool of the evening to avoid dehydration and replant them as soon as possible.
57. Generally, full sun means sunlight for at least 8 hours a day, part sun means between 4 and 6 hours and shade means less than 4 hours.
58. Coffee grounds make excellent mulch around acid-loving plants.
59. Improper plant placement often results in plants which won‘t flower, awkwardly shaped plants and frequent pruning.
60. Monochromatic gardens often make the most harmonious gardens.
61. Witch-hazel, one of the earliest blooming shrubs, provides welcome color to the landscape as early as march.
62. Plan for the future; know the mature size of trees and shrubs before you plant them.
63. Avoid piling back mulch against tree trunks as it may spread diseases and pests.
64. A lighter mulch, such as buckwheat hulls, is more suitable than back mulch for the perennial garden.
65. Use contrasting heights textures and color to draw the eye to a particular part of your garden.
66. Container gardens need plenty of fertilizer and frequent watering, especially during warm weather.
67. For ease of maintenance, flower beds should be about 5 feet wide.
68. The longer the growing season, the more compost is needed in the soil.
69. When watering, water deeply and thoroughly as frequent, shallow watering will discourage deep root growth.
70. Apply a slow release fertilizer to your perennial beds in the spring for a prolonged feeding.
71. Plant something new in your garden each season.
72. Mulch prevents weeds and helps soil retain moisture.
73. When planting a new tree, be sure that the top of the root ball is level with finish grade of the garden.
74. A bulb’s spent blooms may be cut, but not the foliage. It provides food for the bulb for next year.
75. Fertilize bulbs again as they bloom. They are heavy feeders and another application will ensure beautiful blooms the following spring.
76. Upright evergreens are ideal for screens, windbreaks and sound barriers.
77. Some easy care perennials include, coreopsis, daylily, iris, sedum and daisy.
78. Some easy care shrubs include forsythia, spirea, rhododendron, privet and hydrangea.
79. Conserve water by collecting rain water in a barrel to use for watering your potted plants.
80. Deciduous trees offer welcome shade in the summer and allow the sun to shine through during the winter.
81. Earthworms are extremely beneficial to the soil and plants. Adding compost will encourage earthworms.
82. Healthy soil doesn’t require chemical fertilizers.
83. Plant a fruit tree. What could be better than fresh fruit from your own garden?
84. Climbing flowers such as morning glories or clematis are great for screening unsightly walls or fences.
85. Plant varieties of shrubs and trees that produce seeds, berries and nuts to attract wildlife to your garden year-round.
86. Container gardens can accentuate interesting architectural details. For example, large planters with tall evergreens are great for framing an entry way.
87. Plant fast-growing evergreens for a quick screen.
88. If you have steps leading up to your front door, the use of planters will charm your visitors.
89. Stone found locally can tie your garden to the surrounding landscape.
90. When transplanting perennials be sure to be plant them at there original depth.
91. Many perennials, annuals and even flowering shrubs not only make great garden plants but wonderful cut flowers as well.
92. To give your patio the feeling of an outdoor room, consider the use of walls, arbors and trellises.
93. Pull weeds after a rain or watering as you are more likely to pull the entire root.
94. Pine needles make an excellent mulch for acid-loving plants.
95. Be sure to wash your pruners and saws after cutting diseased tree or shrub limbs.
96. Keep your tools sharp; well maintained tools help make gardening tasks easier.
97. Divide overgrown perennials in fall, while the weather is cooler.
98. Lavender flowers can be taken indoors and dried for their fragrance.
99. Avoid planting invasive species. They are very difficult to control and will spread through your garden.
100. Invest in a quality pair of garden gloves for pruning roses, raspberries and other thorny shrubs.
101. Redtwig dogwoods and other shrubs with colorful bark make an excellent addition to the winter garden.
102. Avoid allowing ivy to grow up into the limbs of your trees.
103. Healthy soil reduces the risk of pests and disease, thus reducing the need for harmful pesticides.
104. Compost improves soil texture, aeration, and increases the soil’s ability to hold moisture.
105. Mulch protects a tree’s or shrub’s roots from the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter.
106. Be sure to keep vegetables and herbs away from chemical fertilizers
107. Utilize local stone to give your garden a sense of place.
108. Occasionally cultivating you garden flower gardens will keep the soil aerated.
109. Pick and handle your vegetables carefully as nicks, cuts, or bruises result in a shorter shelf life.
110. Cultivating compacted garden soil allows water and nutrients to reach a plant‘s deep roots.
111. When starting seed in flats, keep the soil moist, not too wet, not too dry. Setting the tray on a water-filled bed of pebbles is effective.
112. When using cut flowers in your house, be sure strip the foliage. Leaves in the water will create bacteria and shorten the life of the arrangement.
113. Add a mix of green (grass clippings) and brown materials (dried leaves) to make a well balanced compost.
114. Try to buy plants that were grown in a zone similar to your own. They’ll be more hardy in your area.
115. A five percent increase in organic material quadruples the soil’s ability to store water.
116. Groundcovers, such as ivy or sweet woodruff, are incredibly low maintenance.
117. Test any old seed you have stored by germinating it between moist paper towels.
118. Deadhead rose flowers as they go by to encourage more blooms.
119. In colder climates, cover the base of roses with mulch during the winter.
120. Dry your herbs at the end of the summer by tying small bunches together and hanging them tips down in a dry place out of the sun.
121. If you have tomatoes still ripening on the vine and frost is forecast, pull the plants and bring them inside. The tomatoes will ripen on the vine.
122. Freezing is an great way to store herbs.
123. When planting clematis, remember their roots like shade but their foliage likes sun.
124. An old overgrown privet or forsythia hedge may be rejuvenated though cutting back to only a few inches.
125. Stake newly planted trees to protect them from wind; especially in open areas.
126. Separate your compost into two piles. One for twigs and one for more herbaceous materials, such as flower clippings.
127. For late season color consider planting hydrangea, summersweet and autumn blooming clematis.
128. Many evergreens, such as weeping hemlock, make great accent plants.
129. Over watering can be as harmful under watering.
130. Butterfly bush, as the name suggests, is a great way to attract butterflies to your garden. They’re also quite fragrant.
131. Dividing perennials is the best way to increase your plant stock and share your flowers with friends.
132. Daffodils, tulips and hyacinth are wonderful spring blooming additions to the perennial garden.
133. Plants with variegated foliage will help brighten up a garden space.
134. Attract ladybugs, which eat harmful insects, to your garden with nectar-producing plants such as dill, parsley, and fennel.
135. Know your insects; while some are harmful to your plants, most are actually beneficial to the garden.
136. Control powdery mildew with milk. Dilute 1 part milk in 9 parts water and spray on the plants.
137. Cleanliness is essential in gardens and greenhouses, especially when starting seeds.
139. Create vertical interest with tall evergreens, raised beds and containers.
140. Before using pesticides try pruning branches which exhibit symptoms of insects or disease.
141. Line your hanging pots with moss to preserve water.
142. Heat is required for compost piles to decompose. Putting a tarp over a compost pile will help raise the temperature and speed up decomposition.
143. For spring color, fall fruit and graceful form consider a crab apple.
144. Limb up trees with interesting bark to reveal more of their trunks.
145. Annual seeds are easy to save, simply allow the blossoms to dry on the plant, cut them off, store them over the winter and plant them in the spring.
146. Compost is a great soil additive but too much will make it difficult for roots to grow.
147. Add year-round variety to your garden with ornamental grasses, evergreens and berry producing shrubs.
148. If you have the space create a few compost piles. Each could be at a different stage of decomposition.
149. Ivy is a great addition to any container planting.
150. Ivy and vines can soften the hard lines of an ugly wall and add vertical color to the garden.
151. Pruning deciduous shrubs in winter allows you to have clear view of the overall structure of the plant.
152. A planting design should be compatible with existing environmental conditions.
153. Plant lavender, basil, and heliotrope in pots on your patio where their fragrance can be enjoyed.
154. Keep track of which plants bloom when to plan for the following year.
155. A variety of greens has more visual appeal than a uniform shade of green.
156. A common gardening mistake using too many different colors. Try to stick with a small color pallet and an overall theme.
157. Companion planting is an excellent way to improve your garden. Some plants will replenish nutrients needed by another one while some plant combinations effectively keep pests away.
158. When designing your garden, plan for the width of your lawn mower.
159. Scatter crocuses throughout your lawn to add early color to your landscape.
160. Check the soil of a wilting plant before watering it; plants wilt for all sorts of reasons.
161. Water in the morning to help avoid powdery mildew and other fungal diseases that are often spread by high humidity.
162. Avoid using railroad ties in or around your vegetable garden as they’re filled with chemicals.
163. Coffee grounds make a great soil additive.
164. Raised beds are often the perfect solution for areas with extremely poor soil.
165. Many seeds will last 3-4 years when stored in a cool dry place.
166. Placing stepping stone in the perennial garden can make maintaining your flowers easier.
167. Label your seeds as you plant them so you’ll be able to identify them when they begin to sprout.
168. Viburnums are a beautiful year-round shrub with spring flowers, lush summer foliage, colorful fall leaves and winter berries.
169. Birds are generally attracted to bright colored berries first. If you don’t want them eaten early planted near the house where there’s lots of activity.
170. For spectacular fall foliage consider sugar maples, red maples and tulip trees.
171. Keep flower beds well edged as grass will try to encroach on the garden and compete for nutrients.
172. Moss is an indicator of acidic soil and can be discouraged with the addition of lime.
173. Be sure to use a strong garden structure for vigorous growers such as wisteria and trumpet vine.
174. Use tall evergreens planted in containers to create privacy on a deck or patio.
175. Use trailing plants in a pot to shade the sides of the container and keep the roots cooler.
176. Have a friend assist with the transplanting of larger shrubs and trees.
177. Avoid cutting your lawn short during hot or dry weather.
178. Sharp mower blades help prevent diseases in turf grass.
179. Always test your soil when planning a new garden or lawn.
180. In addition to berry producing shrubs, place a few bird feeders throughout your yard to attract all kinds of birds.
181. Store your bulbs in a dry and cool place until they’re ready to be planted.
182. Prune your hedges so they are slightly wider at the bottom than at the top. This allows sunlight to reach the bottom leaves.
183. Limb up low branching trees to allow more light to reach the ground and create favorable conditions for planting.
184. When transplanting trees and shrubs be sure to dig out as much of the root system as possible.
185. Knowing your plants before you plant them will prevent unnecessary transplants.
186. There’s a tool for every garden project and using the right tool will make your job much easier.
187. Maintaining your plants by pinching and carefully cutting back will result in healthy, and full growth.
188. Garden walls provide privacy and can help create outdoor rooms by defining the edges of a space.
189. Large trees can be used frame the “borrowed landscape” of a distant meadow or mountain.
190. A well planned flower garden can provide color from spring through the fall.
191. Native ferns are excellent ground covers for shady areas.
192. Warm colors help create a more intimate feeling in the garden.
193. Cool colors tend to recede and make a space feel larger than it is.
194. Juxtaposition creates visual interest and is most often achieved with plant form, texture or color.
195. If you live in a dry climate, look for drought-resistant plants.
196. Garden composition includes planning for seasonal changes so incorporate plants with year-round appeal.
197. Avoid planting new trees and shrubs during periods of drought. If you must be sure to water well.
198. Plant bulbs in the fall for early spring color.
199. Less than 2 percent of the insects in the world are harmful. Most are beneficial.
200. Plant interesting varieties of both native and exotic herbs for cooking.
201. Consider planting some cutting flowers, such as zinnia and snapdragons, in your vegetable garden.
202. Thatch your lawn every few years to prevent the build up of dead grass. Thatching allows the grass to more easily root in soil.
203. No more than one-third of the leaf blade should be removed with any mowing.
204. Fast release fertilizers dissolve in water quickly and can be immediately used by plants. Since they dissolve quickly, they can burn the turf.
205. Slow release fertilizers are those which exhibit “slow” chemical reactions in the soil and make nutrients available over a longer period of time.
206. Branches which criss-cross or grow inward toward the trunk of a plant should be pruned.
207. White flowers planted in the shade can light up a garden.
208. Add lime to a compost pile to help speed up the decomposition.
209. When trying attract hummingbirds, remember they’re not attracted to fragrance, but rather color and nectar. Flowers they’re attracted to include evening primrose, morning glory, nasturtium and clematis.
210. Its often difficult to grow grass beneath large shade trees. Groundcovers are a colorful alternative.
211. Massings of ornamental grass looks wonderful in the winter landscape.
212. Avoid dividing perennials during hot weather or dry spells.
213. Add a slow release fertilizer to the soil as you plant your annuals
214. Trees with attractive seed pods, such as catalpa trees and golden rain trees, provide a garden with winter interest.
215. Firm the ground around plants lifted by frost.
216. Always mix compost and other soil additives with the existing soil to promote healthy growth.
217. Add some compost as you transplant flowers or vegetables.
218. Plants tolerant of acidic soils include azaleas, rhododendron, blueberry, juniper and holly.
219. Multi-stemmed trees can give the illusion of many trees in a small garden.
220. Avoid wetting a rose’s foliage when watering.
221. Planting a shade tree provides a respite from the summer sun for you and your plants.
222. Avoid transplanting trees and shrubs during droughts or hot weather. If you do, be sure to water thoroughly
223. Many plants, even those for the full sun garden, prefer a bit of shade in the afternoon.
224. Late season bloomers can be pruned in spring.
225. Plant your annuals after the last possible frost date for your area..
226. Variety and balance are important too garden design. Color, texture, size, shape should all be considered.
227. For dappled shade, plant trees with fine, small leaves such as the thornless honey locust and birch.
228. Liquid fertilizer can be absorbed be a plant’s leaves and is very effective in the flower garden.
229. River birch, willow, redtwig dogwood, arrow wood viburnum and high bush blueberry are suitable for wet areas.
230. Garden accents, such as sundials and weathervanes are attractive conversation pieces.
231. Buy tools which are comfortable for you to use. Heavy tools can be difficult to lift while lighter tools require more effort on your part. Find a happy medium.
232. Build a mulch saucer around the base of newly planted trees and shrubs to prevent water run-off.
233. Sharpen your tools and tune up your mower in winter to be prepared for spring.
234. Climbing roses should be tied to a garden structure such as a trellis or arbor.
235. Use a color wheel when designing your garden to avoid throwing colors together.
236. Prune long rose branches which have grown into paths or patio spaces as the their thorns can be painful.
237. When designing your garden consider each plant layer; the canopy, understory, shrub layer and ground layer.
238. Don’t cut back your ornamental grass in the fall, allow them to stand through the winter for visual interest and cut them back in the spring.
239. Use wilt-proof spray on newly planted evergreens to prevent them from drying out in winter winds.
240. Sharp tool give a cleaner cut reducing the potential for disease..
241. Plant sod during cooler weather in the spring or fall.
242. Plant trees and shrubs with interesting bark in front of contrasting colors or textures so they become more visible.
243. To keep a tree’s bark healthy, use string trimmers carefully.
244. Low growing evergreen hedges give a garden structure after the leaves fall from the trees and perennials die back to the ground.
245. Perennials are very easy to grow, low maintenance, available in endless varieties and reliably flower year after year.
246. Forsythia, with its abundant yellow flowers, make wonderful cut flowers for indoor use.
247. Don’t forget to provide birds water during the winter. They’ll be more apt to stop by your garden if you do.
248. Cinnamon makes an excellent natural fungicide.
249. Water retaining gels mixed with potting soil work well in planters and window boxes.
250. Planters are effective when dividing large terraces into smaller spaces.
252. Dead wood is generally lighter in color than living wood. Follow a dead branch to where it intersects with living wood and make your cut.
253. Loosen the roots of root bound plants before planting them. Root bound plants are generally sold in pots and have a very dense and tangled root ball.
254. Plots which slope slightly to the south or east are ideal locations for vegetable gardens as they catch sunshine early and hold it late and are somewhat protected from northern winds.
255. When planning a vegetable garden find a sunny spot which gets at least 6-8 hours of sun each day.
256. Plan your vegetable garden so there’s always something ready to harvest. Its best to have at least some variety throughout the season rather than too much at any one time.
257. Raised beds are a great solution for gardens with poorly drained soil.
258. A garden with north to south rows will receive morning sun on one end and afternoon sun on the other and is suited to low growing vegetables. East to west rows favor taller plants.
259. Flowers that are cut in full bloom tend last the longest.
260. Rich, well drained soil is essential for a successful flower garden.
261. Placing stepping stone in the flower garden will help prevent soil compaction around your plants.
262. The best time to rejuvenate a thinning lawn is in the fall, while the weather is cooler.
263. Newly seeded lawn should not be allowed to dry out completely.
264. Bulbs such as crocus and scilla are wonderful for naturalizing your landscape.
265. When planting your flowers be sure not to plant too deep or too shallow. The top of the existing root ball should be level with the garden.
266. When designing your garden, consider a plant’s bark, silhouette, seed pods or berries for winter interest.
267. Consider introducing native shrubs into your landscape to give your garden a sense of place. They’re also quite low maintenance.
268. The greater the diversity of plants in your garden, the greater then potential of attracting birds and other wildlife.
269. Birds use trees and shrubs as nesting sites and protection from predators.
270. Plants such as garlic, onions, chives planted in the garden help repel insects.
271. Consider reducing the size of your lawn to make room for more shrubs and flowers. You’ll be adding color to your garden and reducing the need for maintenance.
272. When dividing perennials be sure to replant them as soon as possible; never let them dry out.
273. Perennials you should avoid dividing include butterfly weed, euphorbia, oriental poppy, baby’s breath, false indigo and columbine.
274. Pay attention to recommended spacing, planting vegetables too close together can cause rot.
275. Stake tall evergreen shrubs in the fall to protect their limbs from winter snow.
276. Shake snow off of tall evergreens, such as arborvitae, after snow storms.
277. Start a new garden journal.
278. Buy yourself a new, high quality garden tool.
279. Stones are a great way to add a natural sculptural element to your garden.
280. By locating water gardens away from deciduous trees you’ll avoid the build up of leaves in the fall.
281 When transplanting trees be sure to replant them at the same depth they were originally.
282. Plant slow growing evergreen for a low maintenance garden.
283. Turn over a compost pile with a pitch fork every few weeks to allow air to circulate within the pile.
284. Seaweed is remarkably nutrient rich and makes a great addition to your compost pile.
285. To keep your lawn healthy, remember to sharpen your mower blades periodically.
286. If you want to collect a flower’s seeds, stop deadheading at the end of the season. Once the flowers are dead, cut them and allow them to dry.
287. Occasionally lubricate tools with moving parts, such as pruning shears, with light machine oil.
288. An area of your lawn with high traffic may benefit from the installation of stepping stones. Grass doesn’t grow well in compacted soil.
289. Most established lawns require one inch of water per week from rain or sprinkling.
290. Fall is a great time plant new shrubs in the garden.
291. Keeping your gardens weed free reduces the competition between flowers for water and nutrients.
292. Container gardens and hanging baskets require more water and fertilizer than other plants.
293. Dried hydrangea flowers look wonderful in the garden and also make great cut flowers.
294. Avoid pruning spring blooming bushes such as azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs after mid-summer so that they can begin developing buds for next spring.
295. Drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses water directly to the root zone and as result use far less water than sprinklers.
296. To add color to shady places in your garden, choose annuals such as fuchsia, impatiens, begonias, and caladiums.
297. Cut back your perennials in the fall to save time in the spring.
298. Vegetables such as kale, cabbage, parsnips and carrots actually become sweeter after a frost.
299. When lighting a patio, place bright lights carefully as they will attract flying insects.
300. Up lighting trees with interesting shapes, such as beech or river birch, is a great way to add character to the evening landscape.
301. Consider using spotlights to draw attention to attractive specimen plants, garden structures, sculptures or fountains.
302. Large specimen plants, such as the weeping beech or the larch, are most effective when planted on their own.
303. Weeping varieties of cherry, beech and birch make very dramatic specimen plants.
304. A sunny location will bring out colors of the wet stones and pebbles in your water garden.
305. Climbing plants, such as clematis, ivy, climbing hydrangea and Virginia creeper, add a colorful vertical dimension to your garden.
306. Landscape lighting makes your garden more attractive during summer evenings and gives it a beautiful look during the winter. Lit-up snow scenes are wonderful.
307. Containers and planters are not just for flowers, they’re also suitable for specimen trees and shrubs.
308. A compost pile may be too hot if it turns grey and smokes. Turn and spread it out to cool the compost down.
309. Deadheading, the pruning off of spent blooms, is essential to the continuous flowering of annuals.
310. Spend a winter’s day leafing through garden catalogs to get ideas for the upcoming season
311. Plan new garden project and design new gardens during the winter so you’ll be prepared in the spring.
312. It is best to plant your roses between spring and early summer so that they have time to establish themselves before winter.
313. Roses don’t like to be crowded, so give them adequate space to grow.
314. Biennial plants complete their life cycle in two growing seasons. The first season they’ll grow roots and leaves. During the second year they’ll produce flowers which then turn to seed.
315. Learn to identify a bulb’s noses from their basal plates, and plant them heads up.
316. Double-digging is the process of removing the top layer of garden soil, loosening the layer beneath, and then returning the top layer.
317. Salad greens which are heat tolerant include lettuces, chervil, mustard and orache.
318. Salad greens which are tolerant of the cold include arugula, curly endive, mustard, spinach, escarole and chervil.
319. Salad greens which are fast growing include arugula, cress, lettuces, mustard and curly endive.
320. Salad greens which have a long season include beets, chard and sorrel.
321. Add some bone meal fertilizer as you plant your bulbs.
322. If you plant a large number of bulbs dig up the entire area rather than individual holes.
323. Late winter is the ideal time to prune fruit trees.
324. While pruning, avoid twisting your shears as you cut because you will injure the plant as well as your shears.
325. A hedge should be clipped while the new growth is still light green.
326. Plant salad greens as soon as you can work the ground.
327. To create a living screen, plant your shrubs 2 feet apart.
328. A south facing patio which receives sun all day may benefit from a trellis or small tree which could provide shade to a portion of the space.
329. Prune back autumn blooming clematis as the new buds begin to form in the spring.
330. Formal pavers or bluestone are recommended for patios which are used to entertain often.
331. When digging out lawn to make way for a new garden, don‘t throw away the sod. It contains all kinds of nutrients and makes a great addition to the compost pile.
332. Its always best to plan a garden on paper before planting.
333. Steer clear of exceedingly symmetrical designs since they can end up looking quite boring.
334. Simple designs often create the most successful gardens so try to limit the number of plant species and paving material used in garden.
335. Avoid over planting in your garden; though it may look a bit sparse early on, you’ll avoid overcrowding in the future.
336. Shrubs in an entrance garden should be placed where they won’t interfere views or touch the house when they mature.
337. Roses are heavy feeders and require several fertilizer applications over the course of the season.
338. Mint, though very easy to grow, can be invasive and can take over a garden. Surrounding the mint with a barrier 6 – 12 inches deep in the ground will help prevent this.
339. Prior to planting roses, remove any dead leaves and prune off any unhealthy looking or decaying stems.
340. When planting trees or shrubs, dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball.
341. Use specimen shrubs sparingly in your garden in order to avoid the “one of everything“ look.
342. Locate your vegetable garden where there is easy access to water.
343. Avoid planting fast growing evergreens in front of windows as they’ll need constant pruning or will quickly block out the sun.
344. Rejuvenation pruning is ideally done just before the onset of new growth in spring.
345. Avoid pruning newly planted trees.
346. Do not paint cuts or wounds of any size.
347. Maintain a plant’s natural shape when pruning.
348. Compost steeped in water creates a compost “tea”, a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for watering containerized plants or plants in the garden.
349. Fast growing deciduous shrubs, such as forsythia, lilacs, honeysuckle and privet, should be pruned annually.
350. Do not mow turf that is under stress and avoid mowing in the mid-day sun.
351. Numerous native trees and shrubs have outstanding ornamental value and versatility in virtually all landscape designs.
352. Most natives are very durable, adaptable to varied growing conditions, and require minimal care if properly sited and maintained.
353. Don’t bag your grass clippings. They contain lots of nitrogen as well as other necessary nutrients.
354. Add lime to your compost pile to reduce is acidity.
355. Reserve a pot in your container garden for herbs, such as mint or basil, for use in cooking and teas.
356. Container gardens can be rearranged over the course of a season giving your garden a fresh look.
357. Topiary plants are a great way to provide a patio with unique character.
358. Don’t allow your window boxes to dry out, check them often during hot weather.
359. Deadhead potted annuals just as you annuals in the garden. This will encourage season long blooming.
360. Tread gently through the garden in spring to avoid crushing newly emerging plants
361. Hanging pots with trailing ivy or flowers is a terrific way to add color to a porch or deck.
362. Be sure to rinse off your tools after each use to avoid corrosion.
363. Tomato cages are an effective tool for propping up your plants. Place them in the garden as you plant them; the tomatoes will grow through the cage.
364. Potted herbs, such as lavender or basil, can provide a sitting area with pleasant aromas.
365. Have fun!
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