Enjoy Your Garden with Outdoor Blinds
By Smith, Leanne Rita
One of the main gardening tips I have for people - especially in summer, is to install patio blinds on your patio so that you can be protected from the sun. Most outdoor blinds now allow you to look out and see the garden in all it's glory, while having the shade and protection from the sun.
Here are some more summer gardening tips:
Save money by drying the seeds from your annuals to plant next year. Petunias, zinnias and impatiens are just a few of the flowers from which it is easy to extract and save seeds. You will have to extract the seed pod from some flowers, and wait for it to split open. With others, such as marigolds, you will have to open the flower and extract the seeds yourself. After extracting the seeds, let them dry for at least a week. Place them in a jar with a rubber seal, and add silica gel pouches to keep them from absorbing moisture. Store them in a cool, dry location until you're ready to plant them next year.
If your cat likes to nibble on your outdoor plants, there are a couple of steps you can take to prevent your pet's in-between meal snacking. Try growing some cat grass or wheat grass in the vicinity of the plants that your cat likes to eat. You can also put something on top of the soil around the plants that has an offensive smell to cats, such as mothballs or citrus peel.
Turn your tool handles into convenient rulers. Large handled tools such as shovels, rakes, and hoes can be used as measuring sticks. Simply lay the handles out on the floor and run a measuring tape next to them. Use a permanent marker to label distances. Next time you are working in the garden you will have a large ruler at your fingertips!
When planting next season's vegetable garden, it is important to rotate some of the crops. For example, potatoes and tomatoes should be planted in a different spot because they are both prone to the same diseases. Keep your vegetable garden healthy and thriving by learning which crops need rotating and why.
To maximize the benefits of compost, put it in your garden about two weeks before you plant. Compost actually needs time to integrate with soil and once you combine the two they need time to stabilize. Plan to gather enough compost to fertilize your garden a couple of weeks ahead of planting to produce healthier and stronger plants.
A great gardening tip is to do all your gardening work minus the watering early in the morning. Sometimes working in the garden can take several hours and it behooves one to not do this at the hottest time of the day. This will help prevent heat related illness like heat stroke.
Know what grows in your region. When you see the wide variety of seed packets offered online, it is easy to get sucked into the idea of growing everything and anything! In reality, though, only some of them may flourish in your regional environment. Study up on your region and what crops can survive.
Keep interested in gardening by trying something new each year. While tried and true favorites will always be a part of the garden, reserve a part for something new and exciting to keep interest. Keep in mind that some trial and error will be required because one crop that will be a flop in the fall, might be an excellent crop in the spring.
Don't forget to fertilize your garden! Water isn't enough when it comes to growing delicious, healthy vegetables. Choose the fertilizer that you best like. Some people prefer manure, while others can't get around the thought of it. There are many fertilizer options available at your local gardening store, so there is certainly, a right one for you.
Plants are generally best grown in their native environments. Grapes for example, require a dry, hot environment to maximize their growth while minimizing the amount of microbes that are dangerous to them. When growing plants it's important to realize their region of origin; generally it's best to identify the local varieties of horticultural species.
This post was written and supplied by SEO specialist Leanne Rita Smith.