Can you give me some tips on how to keep a small garden neat, tidy and presentable?

I'm hoping to get the garden in order as we come into spring, anything you can share? I'd like to have a small vegetable plot or some flower beds but any advice would be very helpful.



Thanks a lot.

Can you give me some tips on how to keep a small garden neat, tidy and presentable?
You are gonna love gardening, don't try to do it all in one year. Get to know where the sun shines the most, and where the shaded areas are. Because you will need flowers for the sun areas, and flowers for the shaded areas.





Since you are a beginner, this year start your garden with plants that you get from a garden center or nursery. They are called bedding plants and come in a six pack. Look for a little tag sticking in the six pact showing directions on how to grow the plants. If the tag is not there, ask for one or buy something else. Directions are VERY important.





Seeds are not always easy to grow. And wildflowers are the hardest so don't be disappointed if they don't show up.





Two good things to do for yourself is to call your local County Extension Service and ask for all the information that they have about gardening in your area. They usually have a packet/kit of things for the home gardener.





And number two would be to pick up a couple of beginner books. You really do need to know about soil, compost, mulch and etc.





To keep from over watering or not watering enough, buy a water analyzer from a nursery or garden center. Be sure to read the directions. This will be one of your best tools.





Send for some free gardening catalogs and get use to the different types of plants, colors, and when to plant. They are filled with good informtion and pictures. And they will keep you company during the long winter months. Here is a list of just a very few. There are hundreds more:





http://www.waysidegardens.com

http://www.dutchbulbs.com

http://www.jacksonandperkins.com (Roses)

http://www.parkseed.com

http://www.burpee.com



Other catalogs:

http://www.leevalley.com

http://www.gardeners.com

http://www.GardensAlive.com

http://www.deerbusters.com (all types of animal control)

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Container/pots/window boxes needs:





All need holes in the bottem for water drainage,

Potting soil that comes in bags,

Slow release fertilizer for flowers (not for green plants), OR liquid fertilizer that will need to be used more often-read directions,

Water crystals to be mixed into the soil for holding water,

Bedding plants or full grown plants.





Here is an excellent link to check out for color combinations and plants that look good together:





http://www.fernlea.com/awesomeaccents/re...
Reply:I made my own raised garden beds. I got some old railway sleepers, put them down where i wanted the beds to be, in the shape i wanted, lined them with weed matting, and got a trailer load of soil, plus some mulch, filled 'em up and away i went. I have an odd shaped yard, so 3 are triangular, and one is square. I companion plant, so my beds are a mixed bag, chilli plants go in all, as do the herbs. Im a 'whack it in the ground and see what happens' kind of girl, so if my seedlings die, which occassionally they do, i get some nice flowering annuals to replace them with. I have one bed with eggplant, chillis, basil, asters and marigolds in. Another with bush squash, garlic chives, mizuna greens, chillis, dahlias and lettuce. It looks great, because the veges give the foliage effect, plus the edible stuff, and of course, flowers do the color. The beds make it easy to keep everything weed free, plus no major digging, its just place, fill, plant and water. It looks rather nice being so haphazard, instead of having strict rows or patches, mix short and broad with tall and thin, and really crowd them in a bit.
Reply:I love being in my small garden and I stoop down and view it from a small pets point of view. I pick off all the yellow and dead leaves and anything thats blown in. I try to use nice stakes when I can afford it. Gardening mags have some pretty ones. I also plant a marigold plant on each corner.Not only do they add color but release a chemical to deter some underground pests! I planted pansys and violas this fall around my purple cabbage. It was beautiful!
Reply:Agree with brilliant beautiful Spt. An easy way to keep weeds to a minimum is to lay down 7-9 layers of newspaper, then mulch over it. (hint: wet them, easier to handle)
Reply:Well keep your garden clear of all rubbish, weeds and dead material.

Now is the best time to dig a vegetable plot and add lots of manure and compost to make all your plants grow well and strong.

Once you have begun to get your garden established then keep everything tidy on a day to day basis, ie dead heading, weeding, watering, feeding, etc

I hope you enjoy your new garden and that all the hard work pays off. There is nothing like eating fresh vegetables that you have grown yourself and so much better for you and your family.
Reply:tiller the ground real good to start, add fertilzier,lay down a weed barrier , then add cedar mulch or cyprus mulch ,you can punch small holes in the barrier to plant seed or plants, keep vegatables picked as they ripen, remove flowers that have died, so new ones can grow back sooner,
Reply:Take advantage of dry evenings, or, if you are a dole dosser, dry days.
Reply:After you choose some plants to use, you can start the seeds early in the house. If you decide to buy plants that have already got some growth to them, use a reputable dealer so your plants will endure. Happy Gardening!
Reply:Make sure you trim your bushes and keep them neat!
Reply:Learn to enjoy weeding. There is nothing that makes a garden bed untidy than weeds. I look at it as a chance to meditate. It's easiest if you do a little weeding every day.

My favorite tool: A nice sharp hand hoe

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