Maintaining the perfect garden year round might seem like a huge task, but it’s pretty doable for any homeowner. Of course, the finished result can depend on your skill, how much time you have to dedicate to your garden, and what ‘perfect’ means to you. However, here we have put together 15 ways to maintain the perfect garden year round, so you can pick and choose which tips are right for you and your garden. Take a look!
- Download Apps For Help
You might not have any gardening skills, and that’s fine – because there are so many apps that can help you out by being a mini gardener in your pocket! These virtual tools can help you to plan your garden, identify plants, and remind you when you need to do what in your garden. It can even be worth spending a little money on them, because they will more than pay for themselves when you see the impact they have on your garden.
- Avoid Flooding And Water Damage
Flooding and water damage can ruin your garden, and even make its way to your home to ruin that too. Take a look at appropriate drainage solutions to ensure you don’t need to worry about that. If you’re overhauling your garden, incorporating drainage solutions could be one of the best things you do.
3. Know Your Soil Type
When you know your soil type, you can pick your plants and flowers strategically. Certain plants and flowers won’t thrive in certain types of soil, so knowing your type can put you leaps and bounds ahead of other beginner gardeners!
- Figure Out How Much Time You Want To Dedicate To Your Garden
Knowing how much time you actually want to dedicate to maintaining your garden can help you to decide what to incorporate. Having lots of flowers and plants can be great, but you’re going to need to spend a lot of time maintaining them, as well as figuring out a schedule you can stick to to ensure you don’t miss out on any waterings, prunings, and other essential practices.
- Hire Some Help
Hiring help isn’t something only rich people do. Having somebody come to water your garden and take care of other tasks can help you to keep your garden healthy and looking great even when you’re short on time. You could hire them as a one off or have them come once a month, depending on what you can afford and how much time you’d like to save.
- Don’t Cut Your Grass Too Short
Cutting your grass too short can damage it and stop it from looking its best. Many experts agree that when the temperature goes up, your grass should, too. Around 2 to 2 1/2 inches is a reasonable goal. Every time you mow your grass too low, you’re opening up the canopy. This can encourage more weeds to grow, as they are able to access more light. You need to think of your garden in a holistic sense so you can make the right decision on how much to mow and the length of your grass.
- Invest In Good Tools
While your skills and dedication matter, so do your tools. Consider investing in quality tools that will last you a lifetime and help you to keep your garden in great condition. Here’s an idea of some of the tools you should be looking at buying.
- Consider Your Garden Lay Out
Before you begin working on your lawn, you need to consider your garden lay out. This way, you can decipher what is practical for you. Look at the size and shape of your garden, and then consider which areas you use the most. Which areas get the most sun? You’ll also want to think about who uses your garden, and what it is mainly used for. If you have pets, for example, you’ll need to ensure there’s still plenty of room for exercise and playing. If you like to have your friends over for regular barbecues, then you’ll need to make sure you have a patio area and lawn combination, with lots of room to entertain.
- Aerate Your Lawn
Aerate your lawn to ensure your soil is not too compacted. Soil that is too compacted will not absorb water, and this could stop oxygen from reaching the seeds and roots of plants. To aerate your lawn, you’ll want to use a garden fork to create holes in your soil. These holes will loosen things up and allow oxygen and moisture to penetrate the surface. When you’ve done this, you’ll need to commit to watering more often, but ensure you’re using less water. This way, moisture will reach the roots and you won’t have to worry about flooding.
- Be Vigilant About Protecting Your Lawn
If you’re going to maintain the perfect garden year round, you need to get serious and protect your lawn. Protect your lawn from things like dog urine and over usage from other animals, as well as pests. If you have dogs, then you’re going to struggle a little to ensure your garden stays healthy. These pointers can help you:
- Make sure you clean the area as soon as you can. You want to keep an eye on your dog and ensure you use a bucket of water to prevent grass burn ASAP.
- Try spot training your dog. This can be tough depending on how easy your dog is to train. If you can train your dog to use one specific area of your garden, cleaning and maintenance should become more manageable.
- Take the time to water, weed, mow, and feed your grass to keep it healthy. This will ensure strong grass that can work to protect itself against damage.
In winter, remember that your routine will be a little different. You will want to:
- Get rid of leaves, debris, and rubbish from your garden as soon as you can.
- Control weeds that appear.
- Mow and water as you feel you need to.
- Don’t overuse your garden in poor conditions, such as when it is frosty.
- Protect Your Garden Furniture
Maintaining the perfect garden means maintaining your garden furniture, too. You can make this easy by investing in high quality furniture to begin with, but you may need to take further steps. For example, protecting it with a sealant or special coating, and buying covers so that your furniture does not become damaged in poor conditions. If you have the option of putting your furniture away during winter months, this could be a better way to ensure it stands the test of time.
- Keep an Eye on Your Bugs
When insects damage your plants, it’s often more than cosmetic damage that you need to worry about. Viruses and bacteria can enter your plant when bug damage is present, and the bugs themselves may even transport the viruses. Aphids are particularly bad for this, and viruses can spread much faster. Keep an eye on any bugs spending time near your plants and work out how you can keep them at bay.
- Prune Damaged Limbs When The Time Is Right
You need to be prepared to prune damaged limbs when the time is right. Making sure you make a note to trim your trees and shrubs in late winter is much better than waiting until spring time to do it. Wounded limbs are more susceptible to disease and infection in winter, which means the disease can establish itself while the plant is in a dormant growing stage. Late-winter pruning prevents disease from spreading to new growth. Trimming back a broken limb as soon as you can is better than ignoring it until spring is here. Sharp tools will ensure you can make clean, accurate cuts that heal quickly. Always cut back to the healthy living tissue for the best results.
- Make Your Lawn Smaller
If you want to make caring for your garden easier, you could consider making your lawn smaller. Certain landscapers will be able to take care of this for you. You’ll reduce the amount of time you need to spend on garden maintenance, and you can use things like trees, shrubs, and decorative mulches to keep things looking attractive.
- Grow A Container Garden
A container garden can look extremely attractive and is easier to care for than many other kinds of garden. If you struggle to get anything to grow beneath your trees or along your fence, a container garden in a shady location could be just what you need. Compact shrubs and shade loving perennials are perfect for this, as long as you use the right sized containers. You can make it look even more interesting by using containers on stands at various heights. If you want to add even more interest, you could use different styles, colors, and patterns to make your plants stand out. Alternatively, green pots will ensure they blend in and don’t take the focus off anything you have managed to grow.
How are you going to maintain your garden year round? Leave a comment!