Gardening Ideas - Add Flair to Your Landscaping With Edging

Gardening is a wonderful method to teach children about the natural world. It is a great way to spend time with your family.

Children love to plant seeds and observe them grow. Gardening with vegetables is easy to maintain and provide many educational opportunities for homeschoolers. They can be cultivated in containers on patios, porches and balconies, or in the ground.

Companion Planting

Planting plants together to boost their productivity and growth is as old as gardening. Certain companion plants offer obvious benefits, for example, repelling pests and increasing the flavor of vegetables, whereas others help improve soil fertility and overall health of plants. Companion plantings have numerous advantages, such as helping manage pest insects, increasing nutrient absorption, providing natural trellising and shading, and suppressing the growth of weeds.

Ideally, every vegetable should be planted in a garden bed with other flowers and vegetables which will help the crop. A squash plant or a melon will thrive with tomatoes, since they both require the same amount of water and sunlight. Many herbs, like dill, ideas cilantro and basil are beneficial to tomatoes because they can help keep insects at bay. Planting marigolds and nasturtiums as well as Zinnias, and other brightly colored flowers in the garden adds color for the landscape and attracts pollinators and beneficial insects. Cover crops are another option to plant in the garden to control the growth of weeds, as well as increase the amount of nutrients in soil.

Native American "Three Sister Planting" is a good example of a companion plant. This ancient practice involves growing beans, squash and corn together. The corn is used to support the beans, which draw nitrogen from the air to help the roots of the corn. The beans also aid to control the weeds and keep soil cooler, which helps conserve water.

Using the principles of companion planting in the vegetable garden can help you use space more efficiently, decreases labor and is good for the environment. It can increase the harvest of your garden and ensure that your crops thrive. However, it is essential to follow a rotation plan so that the same vegetable isn't planted in the same place for several years. This will prevent pests and diseases from spreading to other crops. This is especially crucial for high yielding plants such as tomatoes, as they are more susceptible to pathogens.

Garden Edging

Edging is a finishing element to a flower garden or garden bed. It provides a sense of distinction between the various areas of your garden. There are numerous creative and affordable options available for garden edging. These can add flair to landscaping ideas and make your garden more appealing to visitors. Choose a gardening edging idea that complements your taste and style, complements the style you want to create in your backyard or garden and is within your budget.

One of the most sought-after garden edging ideas is to use small garden stones or pebbles. They can be found in any gardening tips for beginners store. They are simple to maintain and can be laid out. They can also add a bit of texture to your landscaping design. You can also mix different sizes and colors of rocks to create a more natural-looking edge.

Another alternative for garden edging is woven wood, especially if the garden has a cottage-style or country-style. The woven willow, also known as wattle, is perfect for this kind of garden because it appears like it has grown with the flowers garden and plants for many years. This kind of edging also a wind barrier, and is perfect for areas where you need extra protection against harsh winds.

Utilize natural logs that are split and buried in the soil to add texture to your edging. This is a cheap and natural way to create a rustic border between the lawn and the garden.

Utilizing a mix of rounded and flat rocks for your edging is another way to add a variety to your landscaping design. These rocks can come in different sizes and colors and can be mixed with concrete to make more of a statement.

If you have an old copper lawn or patio decoration, you could consider using it as a garden edging. This is an original and inexpensive idea that can really make your garden stand out from the rest. It's an excellent way to add some color and draw attention to your most loved plants and flowers.

Harvesting

It's an amazing feeling to harvest your own produce, especially in the case that you have nurtured it yourself. It is satisfying to pluck the sweet red tomato off the vine or pull a crunchy fresh carrot from your own soil.

Vegetable gardens are often planted in raised beds, containers constructed of plastic or wood or galvanized troughs. Be aware that vegetables require lots of water. Be sure to choose an area that gets plenty of sunlight, is easy access to a water source and does not have large trees or shrubs that will hinder it for a portion of the day.

While traditional vegetable gardening methods separate the veggie and floral areas, integrating flowers between crops can enhance the appearance of your garden and promote pollination (a benefit for your vegetables). Planting clumps of flowers that attract insects such as sweet alyssums, zinnias, and sunflowers will also increase the yield of your crop.

Enjoying

There's nothing like harvesting fresh vegetables from your garden. It's not only healthy, but also fun! Watching the smile on your child's face when she picks a juicy tomato off of the vine or sifts the bright orange carrot from the earth is among the most rewarding gardening experiences.

To inspire a love of growing veggies, create an area that can be used by children and ensure that they can find what they need easily when they head out to the garden. This will keep them engaged in tending to the crops and will ensure they aren't overwhelmed by tasks.

Try adding some ornamental choices to your garden such as frilly lettuces, architectural cardoons runners beans scurrying up trellises, or clouds of fennel and asparagus that are feathery. You can also plant plants to appeal to children's taste as well as smell and the touch, like edible cherry tomatoes and flowers.