As spring continues on into summer, the number one thought on everyone’s mind is the outdoors. A nice garden can be the perfect way to spruce up your yard and make your house a little happier. Below are some tips and tricks for the budding gardener.

1. If you do not have adequate space in your yard for a garden, try gardening in a container instead. Not only will you save space, but you will also ensure your soil is fertile and prevent weeds. Make sure to have holes in the bottom of your container, so water can drain.

2. Compost! Compost is an excellent fertilizer, and it is so simple to do.

3. Make sure your garden plot is receiving the correct amount of sunlight for your selected plants. Check the labels for full sun, half sun, or partial sun; it is important to give your plants proper sunlight to thrive.

4. Make sure the seeds you choose grow in your area at the time of year you are planting them. The USDA provides a plant hardiness zone map that is an excellent resource for this.

5. Choose easy to grow, hardy plants for a beginning garden. Hometalk’s gardening experts recommend tomatoes, peppers, onions, chard, basil, and bush beans for vegetable and herb gardens and clematis, sunflowers, dahlias, foxglove, roses, petunias, and black eyed susans for flower gardens.

6. Watering your plants is very important but make sure not to overwater. The general rule is to give your plants one inch of water per week; however, if you see the leaves turning yellow, that means you are overwatering your plants. Also, avoid wetting your plant’s leaves because they could mold, wilt, and sicken your plant.

7. Trim and prune your plants to allow for increased air circulation.

8. Grind eggshells into powder to sprinkle on your garden for a calcium boost.

9. Use diapers to help retain moisture in potted plants.

10. Mix a couple tablespoons of epsom salt into your plants’ water every month for a boost of sulfate and magnesium.

11. Spray your shovel with a silicone or Teflon lubricant and soil will slide right off.

12. Prevent invasive plants from overtaking your garden by planting them in plastic pots with the bottoms cut off. This will prevent the root system from expanding outwards and damaging other plants.

Take pictures of your gardens and send them to us! Make sure to check us out on Facebook and Instagram!