Gardening Basics to Help Give You a Green Thumb!

With spring fast approaching it is beginning to be that time of year that everyone's thoughts turn to the outdoors, and gardening is right up there near the top of outdoor pleasures. It is an activity that people of all ages enjoy every year. However, you may be thinking that you just don't have the time or the knowledge to do any type of gardening yourself. Well, this does not have to be the case. Anyone can quickly learn basic gardening techniques that will not only be fun, but make your landscape look great!

Gardening need not be expensive either. Unlike spending money on expensive lawn decorations, the addition of some simple gardening items like flowers and bushes can save you a considerable amount of money and give you the satisfaction of creating your own landscaping designs.

Do you live in a confined, small area without much space? No problem. You can grow flowers and other outdoor plants in pots or boxes that take up very little space. You will just want to be sure you put a hole in the bottom of the pot so the water can drain out or you will have quite a mess on your hands.

What type of soil do you have in your yard? This is important to know as some plants grow well in certain types of soil while others do not.

Clay Soil - Soil that is full of clay will help to hold moisture for long periods of time, but it also becomes much too hard on the roots of plants. You can work around this problem by adding organic or potting soil to the mix.

Sandy Soil - This very loose soil is the hardest to keep moisture in. Water simply soaks through very quickly. Adding some peat to this type of ground will help it retain water much better. You may also want to add in some lime to help in neutralizing its acid content. Another benefit of adding lime is that it will also eliminate fungus growth as well as any bacteria.

Loamy Soil - This is your better soil for gardening as it holds water better than sandy soil and is not as hard as clay soil.

One other key is to use a good fertilizer. Personally, I use Miracle-Gro for all of my gardening. It is easy to work with and I love the results. Fertilizing is important to the healthy growth and development of all your plants. It will increase the nutrients in the soil and help feed your root systems. Regardless of what type of fertilizer you use, be sure you do not overdo it. Follow any directions and you will not have a problem.

Gardening can be a lot of fun as well as relaxing. I would encourage you to jump in this spring and get started. You will be happy you did!