The Basics of Gardening Explained
Gone are the days when people had to plant their own food in order to survive. Be that as it may, gardening never seems to go out of fashion. This is because there are numerous benefits that come with it. The most obvious benefit of gardening is that you will be able to eat healthier and whole foods, thus boosting your well-being significantly.
Secondly, gardening is a relaxing activity that can work wonders for your mental health. It is also considered moderate exercise which means it will help you maintain a healthy weight. Finally, gardening is a fun and enjoyable activity to introduce your kids to. It sparks their curiosity which opens the door to numerous learning opportunities. Here is how to go about gardening:
Create a Portfolio
The best way to keep track of your garden is to create a portfolio. You can use a photo album for this purpose. Keep a record of the plants you’ve planted, where you’ve planted them and where you got the seeds from. This will help you monitor their growth with greater ease.
Protect Your Plants
If you want to get a good harvest, then you must take steps to protect your bulbs. The easiest way to go about this is to use poultry netting around your garden to guard your plants. You can remove it in early spring, or let the plants grow through its holes.
Use a Non- stick Shovel
A clever way to avoid dealing with mud and muck on your shovel is to spray some silicon spray on it. It will make the mud slide right out of your shovel, which makes your work a lot easier.
Lighten your Load
Big plant pots can get really heavy. The best way to lighten the load is to fill the pot about halfway with packaging peanuts and then put landscape fabric on top of the peanuts. The advantage in this is twofold; you will have a much lighter load and there will be better drainage.
Make a Shelf on Your Wheelbarrow
Want to make transportation much easier? Why not make a shelf on your wheelbarrow made of plywood? You can place the soil beneath the shelf and the potted plants and tools on top. Clever, isn’t it?
Apartment Gardening
Think you can’t start gardening because you have no space in your backyard or because you live in an apartment? Actually, you still can. Why not try apartment gardening? It requires very little space and can be carried out in even the smallest of spaces. Try converting your wooden wine box into a mini- garden or even planting some herbs on a hanging shoe organizer. If you can’t get enough sunlight into the room, then make use of LED lights.
Lasagna Gardening
This is an organic gardening method that is hustle free. All you need to do is layer the soil in a way that encourages decomposition, and you will never need to dig out weeds or till your garden.
Guerilla Gardening
This generally involves farming where you technically shouldn’t be, but for a good cause. This could be on vacant public or private land. You can do this either as a form of protest or even to hide an eyesore. The produce you get through guerilla farming can be sent to a local Food Bank or you can even keep it yourself.
Conclusion
Gardening is a lot of fun and a very productive activity. The best part of it is that you don’t require a lot of land to do it; you can do it even in your own apartment. Just make sure you have the right soil, enough water and light, and your plants will flourish. It is rewarding in every sense of the word.