A wooden ladder is a space-friendly and pretty way of growing and showcasing plants as a tiered, vertical display. Or if you’re a bit more handy, build a vertical planter wall using a wooden pallet.
Saving time and money while giving your garden the best chance to flourish is not impossible. An easy solution is also a natural one and the best way to feed your plants. It’s mulch! Nothing says Spring is near quite like a freshly mulched yard. Mulch isn’t just for aesthetics; it’s beneficial to your plants and soils. Here are just 6 of the top reasons you should mulch this Spring:
Be mindful of how much you mulch as it can create a layer that doesn’t decompose or allow for root growth. The soil can actually become so compacted water and nutrients can’t get down to the roots. You can avoid this by stripping off as much of the old mulch and adding a fresh layer every year. Keep your mulch around 3 inches deep, and keep it away from the trunk of trees or shrubs.
Vertical gardening allows you to use more surfaces to grow, from walls, fences, and exterior barriers. There is no limit to what you can grow, from vegetables, berries, perennials and more.
Not only are vertical gardens budget-friendly, they can get your creative juices flowing. You can decorate whatever outdoor space you have, from backyard to balcony.
Even if you are just foraying into the fabulous world of vertical gardening, there are plenty of easy projects to get you started.
Whether you are an urban-dweller living in a smaller space or you’re just plant-head with plenty of pots, vertical gardening is an appealing choice for a number of reasons:
• Don’t use up much space nor do they require it
• They are fairly low-maintenance
• Improve health and wellness
• May act as a living wall or natural
• They are attractive and affordable
climbing vines
Greens that climb and sprawl like ivy are great for covering less attractive walls or can also increase privacy. Other popular and pretty climbers are clematis, honeysuckle, and jasmine (not to mention pleasingly fragrant, too.)
hanging or wall planters
Using hooks, a pergola or a ceiling of terrace, hanging planters will allow plants to grow and sprawl vertically. Other ideas include wall planters or the ever-popular hanging baskets. For an eco- and budget-conscious vertical garden idea, use plastic bottles filled with flora and hung. Or DIY a trellis with cut wire.
Design websites and magazines make dreamy backyards look easy, but tackling them on their own can be a different story. We want your green lawn to be the envy of others, proving isn’t always greener in someone else’s yard (unless of course, they garden with Scotts.)
Regardless of your backyard size, you CAN create your own peaceful and beautiful garden oasis, and we are here to help. If you are already happy with your outdoor area but wish to spruce it up, we have ideas for that, too.
Here are some tips to create your garden oasis that we give two green thumbs up!
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Both anecdotal and scientific evidence proves being outside in garden-fresh air has an enormously positive effect on our overall wellness. During the pandemic, being stuck at home impacted many people’s physical and mental health. Gardening saw a surge in popularity, with people who’d never picked up a spade getting outside to plant their own vegetable gardens and growing flowers.
statement pieces
A wooden ladder is a space-friendly and pretty way of growing and showcasing plants as a tiered, vertical display. Or if you’re a bit more handy, build a vertical planter wall using a wooden pallet.
Gardening & Body Chemistry
The sunshine vitamin, D, as well as the higher oxygen levels in green spaces also has many science-backed wellness benefits, including elevating self-esteem and mood and lowering stress and irritability. Getting outside gardening is an optimal way to get Vitamin D which synthesizes serotonin, our body’s happy chemical.
Healthy Diet
When homegrown garden vegetables and fruit are at your fingertips, it is easy to eat well. Apart from the endless wellness benefits of fresh food, pulled fresh from your garden saves more nutrients and the produce tastes better, too.
Green for Your Grey Matter
While stepping into sunshine and inhaling the fresh scent of cut grass makes us feel better immediately, what may not be so obvious is that plant-filled spaces improve your focus and boost memory. Gardening is a restorative act that can heal the mind and activate areas of the brain that can be dormant otherwise.
Physical Wellness
Getting out and moving is necessary for our physical health as well as mental. From lifting planters to digging and bending, gardening is a fun and rewarding physical activity. Even if it doesn’t raise your heartbeat like more conventional workouts, you’re still burning far more calories that sitting indoors or in front of a screen.
If you are a condo or apartment dweller who wishes for a backyard garden, we have good news. With some creativity and clever choices, you can transform your balcony into a verdant oasis.
Barren balcony walls can be spruced up with the right kind of plants. Due to limited balcony space, you’ll want to opt for greens, florals, vegetables and herbs that flourish in smaller pots. Here are our top tips for the best balcony plant choices and making the most of your limited space.
Top Tips for a Balcony Oasis
Assess Conditions
Determine what sunshine conditions your balcony gets. Many plants can get sunburnt in direct sunlight, while others wilt in shade, so research and choose accordingly.
Flourishing Florals
A surefire way to brighten a balcony is with colourful blooms. The trick is knowing which flowers thrive well in balcony pots. Begonias, petunias, and chrysanthemums are all hearty and attractive choices. Low-maintenance flowers, from the humble and beautiful columbine varietals to dramatic canna lilies in full bloom, are also great potted picks. If you have tropical indoor plants, move them outdoors in summer.
Make the most of vertical space
Source some suspended planters so you don’t consume too much precious balcony floor space. We have a separate section devoted to creating a vertical garden. Hang containers or shelving from your walls or get creative by repurposing ladders and pallets to layer your pots upwards. A trellis covered in climbing plants can also make a beautiful and attractive statement as well as offer privacy.
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What better way to be welcomed home than with a plant-filled entranceway? Not only do greens create peace and serenity, they personalize your patio or porch entryway as a segue into your home.
In fact, more interior designers are paying attention to porches, extending the design of the home past the interior walls. Even rugs and tsoshkes are being brough out as design elements to porches.
how do you achieve this on-trend patio look? Here are 5 insider tips to get you started.
With some online research, leafing through home and garden magazines or visiting your local garden shop, you’ll have plenty of inspiration to make your patio pop with life. Whatever you choose, it’s great to have an entranceway that’s deserving of two green thumbs-up.
From reduced pandemic life activities to increased grocery prices, more and more people are embracing the art of growing your own vegetables.
Whether you’re totally green or a seasoned sprouter, here are our tips for starting and growing your own vegetable garden.
vegetable gardening 101
Decide how much time you wish to put into your garden and the types of veggies you wish to sow and grow. Aim for a minimum of 6 hours of daily sunlight. Choose which veggies need to be grown in the ground, raised garden beds, or containers (and which ones are ok with a combination of those).
dishing out the dirt
Good soil is crucial for healthy vegetables to grow and flourish. You may procure a soil testing kit from your home improvement store or if the service is offered, they can do a test with a soil sample you provide. Compost or gardening soil like Miracle-Gro® Organics Garden Mix For Vegetables & Herbs will give that added boost of nutrients for a robust harvest. Layer your soil as per your veggie type and use a hoe or a tiller to get rid of rocks and weeds. Another secret soil tip: you can assess how good your soil drainage is by looking at what happens after it rains. If puddles appear, raised garden beds are a more viable option.
timing is everything
Vegetable harvests vary so that means your gardening timing will too. Some veggies prefer cooler weather, like carrots, peas, broccoli, lettuce, and spinach, so springtime is good for planting, before the last frost. They can often be re-planted for a later harvest that same year.
Once the frost is over and the soil has warmed, get ready to plant vegetables like corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, who like sun-kissed warmth.
feed the seeds
Now that you’ve planted your veggie garden, you can water it, preferably in the morning. This prevents disease, as the plants will be drier by nightfall. The amount of food and water a vegetable needs depends on its type (for instance, eggplants require more than lettuce.) A month after planting, you may introduce water-soluble plant food, like Miracle-Gro®Organics Plant Food for Vegetables and Herbs , adding it every week.
weeds be gone with mulch
Mulch is an effective and attractive way to prevent destructive weeds from growing by blocking their sunlight. Simply apply about an 8cm / 3-inch blanket of mulch like Scotts® Nature Scapes® Mulch around your veggie planter or garden. Mulch also keeps the soil moist and cool.
