When you move into a new house, all your focus is on the interiors and making sure that it’s homey as possible. What you might have forgotten is the garden or the yard. It’s equally important, too. If you spent tens of thousands of dollars renovating the house’s interior, why couldn’t you spare a couple of thousands for the garden? It’s also one of the most telling and vital features of a property. It deserves the same attention as your living room.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways that you can start a home garden without needing to spend the same amount of money you spent on your interiors. But, you do have to spend on a mini digger hire to excavate the soil and prepare your garden for the work you’re going to put into it. The digger can save lots of time that you can spend on other more important things, such as choosing the seeds and plants to grow, as well as understanding the different varieties that you can or cannot plant in your area.
Choosing the Right Spot
One of the first things you have to do is assess the right spot where to grow the plants. Make sure the plants will have access to the sun and water. It’s also essential to draw up a plan so that you know where to put the plants that need more sunlight and the ones that need more shade. This will help to maintain them.
You also have to determine the type of soil you have in the garden. You need to “feed the soil.” Get it tested by a local garden nursery, so you can amend the soil with fertilizers and other additives if required.
Plant Swapping
If you buy seeds and plants from a local garden store, you’ll have to spend hundreds of dollars to fill up a small patch of garden. You can use that money for other things such as a gazebo or a deck if you plan to use the garden for entertainment. Spending hundreds of dollars on plants is a no-no. You can ask neighbors for plant trimmings. If you have existing plants in the property, you can swap those for other varieties. A look into the internet will also yield plant-swapping opportunities with gardeners close to where you live.
Decide What the Garden Is For
Are you going to use the garden to entertain guests? Do you like it to be a personal space? Before starting to plant, decide on the role of the garden. If it is for entertainment, you need to leave more space for your guests. You cannot plant on every available space in your yard. Take that into account.
Pick the Garden Design
While there are no exact design rules in a garden, picking a theme will help you conceptualize the whole picture better. You can plant a mix of everything—shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals, herbs, and succulents. When it comes to plants, there can be no wrong design. Plants naturally look better. They make any property prettier. So don’t pressure yourself into going for another design because it has more value. Choose a design that you feel comfortable with. You can always mix, edit, move, and expand.
Don’t Splurge on Garden Tools
You don’t have to spend on luxury garden tools. As you grow your garden, you’ll find yourself reaching for your favorite garden tools. Once you know what you want, you can then invest in better-quality tools that will last for a long time. For starters, you need pruners, hand trowel, spade, shears, and cultivator. You can grow your garden tools from these basic items.
Plant the Seeds
Once you visualized how you like the garden to look, you can begin planting the seeds or plant trimmings. It’s easier than you thought. You don’t need to be a green thumb to grow plants. Spread the seeds in the bed you made and then cover them with a thin layer of garden soil. Make sure to read up about when these seeds need water, so you don’t unnecessarily drown them.
Maintain It Well
Spend a few minutes each day going around your garden. You can remove the ends of dried leaves. You should water those that need watering, as well as move the potted plants around to get shade or sunlight. Maintaining a garden involves doing your part every day. You can’t let a day or two pass without checking what the plants need. Besides, it is therapeutic to spend time in the garden.
A garden ups the value of your property. Whether you plan to sell it in the future or not, it will help to keep your garden as well-maintained as possible. Remember that you don’t have to spend so much on your garden. With resourcefulness and creativity, you’ll find that gardening is the cheapest therapy there is.
