April showers bring May flowers
As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers! During the rainy month, spend time indoors planning and preparing for the gardening season. Create a dream sketch of your favorite wildflower garden. Think of the colors you would like to fill your home with, and find the right wildflower seeds to grow them. Learn about the various kinds of wild flower seeds available in the market and pick up the ones you wish to grow in your back yard. To prepare the garden, you must, first of all, remove weeds and unwanted gravel that are lying loose all around. This will enable the seeds to grow.
Once that is done, you also need to till the soil and mix soil nutrients, which will help the growth of wildflowers. You may also spray insecticides and pesticides well before planting the wildflower seeds so that they stay in the soil and do not let the weeds grow again.
Before planting the wildflower seeds, choose the flowers accordingly. Sun loving wild flowers need ample sunlight throughout the day, and thus need to be planted in sunny spots of the backyard.
The shade loving wildflowers will not survive the high temperatures and thus need to be planted in between trees or shady corners. Once the soil is ready, you may also mark designs and patterns in which you want the wildflower seeds to grow in. A few stones, marbles and even tiles at a few places will add to the design of the backyard.
Now that you have prepared the backyard for the ‘great plantation drive’, you may sit back and enjoy for a while. But, do not forget to make a list of the tilling equipments that you may require for planting the wildflowers. For once May hits, you will have all of the tools you need to start planting!
Simple Steps to Prepare for a Green Lawn and Beautiful Garden for St. Patrick’s Day
Spring is around the corner, and you can hardly wait for the sight of flowers in your garden and a green lawn to spend time in. Why not get started now and have the most beautiful garden and lawn in the neighborhood by St. Patrick’s Day. It takes only a few simple steps to ensure your garden and lawn get a healthy start this spring.
- Decide what type of flowers and grass seeds you will need. Do you want a mixture of colors or a monotone palette? What type of soil do you have and what zone are you in? Both will affect the types of plants and grass you can grow in your area.
- Once you have decided on the type of plants you need, map out your garden and lawn. Make a sketch of your yard to get the best design you can. Play with lines and colors to make it attractive.
- Do you want lawn accessories? Things like fountains, rock formations and even a simple bird bath can add interest and form to your garden.
- Clear the land. Remove any dead growth and debris from your garden and lawn. This will help give your new plants a clean start. By removing any debris you will also lessen the chances of any pathogens in the soil and deter pests.
- Inspect your garden tools. To have a beautiful garden and lawn you must have the right tools. Discard any that has been damaged with new tools.
- Decide if you will use fertilizer or compost. You can build a simple compost container in a weekend and have fresh “black gold” all summer long from kitchen and yard scraps.
- Install soaker hoses or sprinklers to keep your new garden and lawn well irrigated. There are many products on the market that are easy to install and maintain.
After you have done these simple preliminary steps, you are ready to purchase your new plants and grass seed. Consult with a garden center, or go online to find the right plants and seeds for your area. With just a bit of planning and elbow grease, you can have a spectacular garden and lawn by St. Patrick’s Day and be the envy of the neighborhood.