6 Gardening Tips for Everyday Gardeners

Most gardening tips are made for green thumbs. You know – those people who sneeze and create landscapes beautiful enough to make the professionals jealous. For the rest of the population, though, these tips often seem somewhat out of reach. Luckily, there are dozens of ways to create a beautiful garden, even if you’re not a certified green thumb.

6 Smart Gardening Tips for Everyday People

Whether you’re growing an extensive outdoor herb garden or you just want to keep that potted plant healthy and happy, these smart and practical gardening tips can help.

1. When You Plant Outdoors, Make A Plan

If you’re planting seeds outdoors, make a map of where everything will go. This serves two purposes. One, it prevents you from forgetting whether that row of budding greenery is snap peas or carrots. Secondly, it allows you to use your space more efficiently. Draw yourself a map on a small piece of paper and keep it somewhere accessible, so you can refer to it throughout the season.

2. Consult With A Professional

Some plants are finickier than others, and it might take some work to keep them happy and healthy. If you have these in your home or garden, consult with a gardening professional for more information about keeping them looking and feeling their best.

3. Make Your Shovel No-Stick

Sick of tracking dirt back into the house every time you finish playing in the garden? Coat your shovels and gardening tools with a silicone lubricant to help them release dirt and keep it off your floors.

4. Use Packing Peanuts to Reduce the Weight of Large Post

Straining your back moving those large pots for watering and reorganizing? Before you plant the next one, fill the bottom half of the pot full of packing peanuts. In addition to decreasing the weight of the pot, packing peanuts will also help hold moisture and keep plants watered longer. Once you’ve added the peanuts, add a layer of landscaping fabric on top, and fill the rest of the pot with soil.

5. Choose Plants That Work Well Together

Some plants, like tomatoes and basil, complement one another when placed in pots. Get a few gardening books from your local library or consult with an expert to discover other ideal pairings.

6. Use Household Materials for Mulch

Did you know that newspaper is a fantastic material for mulch? Instead of spending hundreds on store-bought mulches, look around your home or property for materials like newspaper, old leaves, and wood chips to help your soil stay moist and weed-free.

Gardening Tips for Beautiful Blooms

If you’ve always thought a magazine-worthy garden is out of reach for you, think again. These simple gardening tips will make it easier to create and maintain a beautiful indoor or outdoor garden that thrives, no matter your level of landscaping skill.