Chasing Lockdown Blues Away With Greens
How to Transform Your Garden in 5 Simple Steps
Keeping ourselves cheery and happy through the recent COVID-19 lockdown is certainly a challenge. The frightening news reports along with the expected cabin fever can be enough to drive anyone crazy!
These days, we all need a reminder of how delightful life can be. And there's no better way to do that than rediscovering our passion for growing and gardening!
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You might think, "That's a good idea, but my busy schedule before has left my yard looking brown and lifeless." Don't worry; your garden can be revived with a little effort and a lot of TLC! You can make the most of your time in quarantine to bring your garden back to its lush, vigorous look.
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To guide you along, we've come up with 5 easy steps you can take to give your garden a complete transformation. The best part is that you won't have to buy new tools or supplies; you'll have all you need for your garden makeover at home!
If you are interested in a formal course or want to get certified as an expert on all things about gardening, we recommend looking into professional bodies and colleges in gardening and floristry such as the American Institute of Floral Designers of the AIFD (www.aifd.org), the National Gardening Organization (www.garden.org), the American Floral Endowment (www.endowment.org), the American Horticultural Society (www.ahsgardening.org) and other similar organizations offering programs specializing in floristry and horticulture.
Prune and weed
Nothing says "forgotten garden" more than unpruned bushes and weeds sprouting everywhere. So the very first step to revamping your garden is giving it much-needed caring which requires a lot of painstaking pruning and weeding.
Start with pruning dead or diseased leaves and branches to help prevent infection and rot. Gardening pros recommend using bypass secateurs for cleaner cuts, pruning at a 45 ° angle to guarantee you cut away from the bud, and making sure you don't clip more than half of your plant so you leave behind enough foliage for photosynthesis.
The next step is to remove weeds by hand. Dig deep to be sure you pull out the roots and remove the buds of the weeds to prevent further growth. A good tip is to moisten your soil before weeding, as damp soil makes weeds a lot easier to remove.
You'll be surprised at what a huge difference these simple tasks make! These are crucial methods to revitalizing your lifeless plants and flowers. Keeping a healthy, beautiful garden can be tiring, but you'll surely enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Create a landscape
Landscaping isn't as difficult as it seems! There are lots of ways to create a pleasing landscape without spending very much or exerting a lot of effort.
The fundamentals of landscaping comes down to visual appeal and functionality. Lay out your landscaping plans first based on the amount of space, the type of plants, and the look your garden has. For instance, if you have a modest garden, visualize how you can maximize your space. If you want a playing spot for kids or a dining space for outdoor meals, find a suitable space to leave empty.
You can start executing your landscape plans by grouping plants with the same light, moisture, and soil needs together. Then, you can place them in new beds or islands and arrange them artistically. For example, you can organize them from shortest to tallest, biggest to smallest leaves, or brightest to darkest colors for a harmonious effect.
Creating clean lines is your next step to landscaping. The best way to achieve this is by revamping your boundaries and installing edges.
Start with repairing your fences and panels to their tiptop condition. This is a great project that will get you working with your hands. You can renew old, faded, or rotting wood fences by washing, repainting, and applying oil stains.
Afterwards, you can install edging for your garden beds and even your potted plants. Don't be hesitant to get inventive with this! Use decorative or composite stones and old bricks, line up chipped plates, or-- if you're feeling especially inspired-- pour concrete into beautiful curves. This will produce a clean, well-maintained, and gorgeous look for your garden!
Enrich soil
It might not be at the top of everybody's list when it comes to refurbishing gardens, but enriching soil is critical to creating and keeping a stunning garden. Plants and flowers get nearly all their essential nutrients from soil, meaning how well they thrive is very much based on soil health.
One of the most effective ways to refine your soil is by building compost. Dried leaves, branches, stems, peels, coffee grounds, and shredded brown paper bags are carbon-rich items (" brown" items) that make top-quality compost. Manure, green leaves, and leftovers are nitrogen-rich items (" green" items) that can be put in your compost. Keep in mind that there should be 2/3 of carbon items and 1/3 of nitrogen items.
For optimum results, water your compost pile from time to time to keep it damp. Turn it every few weeks to let enough oxygen in. Make sure you cover your compost pile with plastic or wood sheets to lock in moisture and heat. Check the quality of your compost: good compost typically smells earthy, has a lightweight and crumbly texture, can absorb water easily, and attracts worms, insects, and microorganisms.
Grow and regrow
Once your garden is all fixed up, you can start growing new plants and filling in empty patches in your garden. Fresh seeds may be hard to find during the lockdown, but the good news is, there are a great deal of plants you can regrow from scraps! Before you throw away your leftovers, consider these options for regrowing:
Stem plants - Celery, leeks, green onions, bok choy, cabbage, and lettuce are a few plants that can grow back from stems! Simply cut 1-2 inches off the base (make sure the bottom is intact), set in a bowl of water, expose to ample sunlight, and move to a pot with soil once the roots grow.
Herbs - Basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, thyme and oregano not only add flavor and zest to your recipes, they can also be regrown! Some herbs should be placed in water to let their roots grow before putting them in soil, while others can be immediately transplanted into the soil. You can also put more than one cutting in a pot; just keep the soil damp and place it in a warm area.
Seeds - Tomatoes, avocados, peppers, cucumbers, and pumpkins can regrow from seeds. There are also various regrowing strategies for seed plants, so try to search for their individual needs. For example, tomatoes can be planted into soil directly and placed near moderate light, while avocados can be half-submerged in a jar of water with toothpicks.
Other plant and flower seeds may still be available in some grocery stores, so you can take a look around if you 'd prefer other plants. Nonetheless, growing your own food is surely a smart decision during these times. Not only can you minimize waste, you can also guarantee your family eats plenty and healthy even with reduced supplies outside!
Add fun decorations
Your garden makeover won't be perfect without a little more style! Charming decorations add life and color to your garden. You don't even need to get new decor; you just need to be resourceful!
For instance, old bathtubs, buckets, chairs, watering cans, baskets, painted tires, bikes, and even a wheelbarrow can make lovely garden containers. If you prefer a more natural look, go with wooden ladders as a multi-level planter or use a log of wood for your flower beds.
Repurposing old home furniture to make garden organizers is also an unique and practical way to keep your garden neat. Old dressers or potting benches can make one-of-a-kind storage for garden essentials or outdoor dining needs.
You can also try DIY decoration projects for the whole family! Kids would love painting rocks with ladybug designs or family names, while you and your special someone can work on repainting your old furniture or your tool shed.
With all the anxiety and grief surrounding us these days, it can be difficult to find hope within ourselves. But sometimes the answer to our troubles is in nature! So take in some fresh air, get your hands dirty, and find that new burst of peace and comfort by bringing life back to your garden!
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