Home Gardening 101
Bushes, flowers, plants, herbs. Are you making the most out of nature’s decorations? Turn your home into a vibrant paradise, inside and out, with these home gardening ideas.
SUCCULENTS
If you’re a novice gardener, or just don’t have time to follow a meticulous landscaping schedule, succulents are for you. These little plants have seen quite a bloom in popularity recently, and for good reason. They’re low-maintenance, colorful, and fairly inexpensive. Plus, they thrive indoors and outdoors . So whether you’re looking to reinvigorate your planter beds, or just in need of an exotic centerpiece, go with succulents.
And remember, though succulents are drought-tolerant plants, they should still be lightly watered weekly in the summer. This, plus an occasional deep watering will keep soil healthy. Even our fine flora friends can catch too much sun, so transition nursery grown succulents into outdoor spaces carefully, making sure they don’t get sunburnt.
POTS & PLANTERS
Want to breathe new life into a boring garden space? Refurbish the pots and planters your plants live in. Scratch your creative itch by painting your own containers. Both terra cotta pots and wooden planter boxes are easily painted, and the improvement will be immediate and immense. Match color schemes around your patio or porch to indoor palettes, to create a more seamless indoor/outdoor connection, and make your outdoor areas feel more like extensions of your home.
If planter boxes and pots are too traditional, maybe it’s time to get a little weird. Old rain boots? Tin cans? Cowboy hats? Half a soccer ball? If you can drill drain holes in it, you can plant in it. Ask your local nursery about soils to use, watering schedules, and any other tips to customize your DIY containers to the needs of whatever you want to plant.
HERBS
Looking for a garden that does more than look good? One word: herbs. Basil, chives, mint and parsley are just the beginning. There’s nothing better than a homemade pesto, or stepping outside with a pair of scissors to garnish a craft mojito.
Most herbs need around 4 hours of full sunlight a day, but watering schedules can differ. (Basil, for instance, can be kept a lot more moist than other herbs.) A quick google and you’ll find everything you need to know. And soon you’ll have fresh flavor mere steps away.
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