Having your own flower garden is great. It gives your lawn and house a ‘personality’ and it can be quite pleasing to look at, especially during the spring when everything looks very colourful. Gardening is also a great hobby to have. It can get you some exercise and it’ll be a reason to spend some time outdoors. Gardening can also be quite healthy, especially where mental health is concerned. In fact, a group of Dutch scientists have found that gardening activities can help lower ‘stress hormones’.
It can be pretty easy to see why garden is relaxing. Simple repetitive activities seem to have that effect on us.
If you’re a beginner and want to get started with your own garden, we recommend first learning about soil. It is the foundation of any flower garden and therefore it is very important that you know how to care for it properly. We’ve compiled these excellent garden soil tips to help you get started:
Picking the Best Soil for Your Garden
If this is your first garden, then it’s best to go with a safe choice. Soil that’s loamy that’s moist and well-drained at the same time is always a good choice. This means that the soil has the ability to hold on to the water without getting too damp. In contrast, soil that contains too much sand will let water seep through very quickly, which in turn causes the nutrients present to follow as well.
While clay soil is rich in nutrients that most plants require, they have a tendency to hold too much water. Hence, as you can see, loamy soil is the safer option out of the three.
If you’re still not certain which type of soil is right for your plants, you should consult with a local expert like Jims Mowing eastern suburbs, who can point you in the right direction.
Making a Flower Bed
There are two ways to create a home for your plants:
Digging Method
First of all you want to get rid of any grass or other plants that are growing in the designated spot. This way the ones you’re planting don’t have any competitors. Afterwards, take two to three inches of compost or other organic matter at spread it over the area. Finally, turn over the soil with a garden spade.
Non-Digging Method
Start off by mowing any grass present and then stifling the roots by spreading newspapers over them. Afterwards spread around twelve inches of organic matter over the area and wait for a few months. The disadvantage here is that this takes much more time than the digging method.
Making Compost
Good compost provides plants with nutrients and wards off pests and disease. Hence it is very important that you make it out of the right ingredients. Here are some of the best things to include:
- Scraps of vegetables
- Egg shells
- Coffee grounds
- Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Twigs
It’s always a great idea to have a garden. It helps makes your home more beautiful and gardening is a healthy hobby. The three tips discussed in this article focuses on soil – the foundation of any garden.
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