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As you travel, you may see homes with beautiful gardens, especially in older neighborhoods that stand out because of the thought-out landscape. You may wonder to yourself how did the gardener visualize the result? This article will give you some excellent advice on how to plant a garden that you will enjoy for years to come. Remember to aerate your soil. If you loosen or puncture the soil, it will increase air permeability and water penetration. Aerating can be as simple as turning the soil over with a trowel, or in the case of lawns, making small holes in the grass. This can be done with an aerating machine, a garden fork, or even by walking on the grass wearing a pair of spiked golf shoes. This brings oxygen into the roots and promotes healthy new growth. A trick to help measure in the garden is to take one of the long handled garden tools like a shovel and mark on its handle using a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, mark out the feet and inches on its handle and when specific distance is required in planing, have a handy measuring device is close at hand. Having healthy soil in your garden will help your plants avoid insect pests. If you are producing healthy plants, they will be stronger and better able to resist bugs and diseases. So if you want your garden to provide plants that are as healthy as possible, you need a good quality soil that contains few chemicals and that can accumulate salts over time. Before planting anything, clean up as much as possible the area where you plan on having flowers or any other delicate plants. Remove all the weeds and the grass if you think it is necessary. Your flowers should not have any competitors for the nutrients they need while they grow. Avoid rose mildew. This fungus affects many types of roses, especially in wet weather, when days are warm and nights are cold. Small gray or white spots will appear on the plant, forming a felt-like down. Shoot tips are killed and buds fail to open. Don't plant roses close together - they need good air circulation to avoid mildew. Spray any affected plants with fungicidal soap. A great way to keep insects and pests at bay in your garden is to spray your plants with a dish soap and water mixture. A mixture of one quart water and one half teaspoon dish detergent will kill off those pesky parasites. Be sure to respray every fourteen days. Water your potted herbs! Keep potted herbs well watered, but don't over-water, which is a common mistake. Sage, thyme, rosemary and tarragon aren't that bothered by a somewhat dry environment. On the other hand, mint, chives and parsley require constant moisture. Make sure that the container has adequate drainage holes, and place a layer of gravel in the base of the pot as a drainage layer. This ensures that the water doesn't flow straight out. Do not give your garden too much fertilizer. Providing fertilizer to your plants allows them to better make food from sunlight. Too much fertilizer, however, can cause your plant to grow too fast, which prevents it from fruiting or flowering. The excess chemicals left in your soil can wash away and pollute the local ground water. Let's face it. You know that there is always going to be a difficult spot or an area that needs improving in your yard or garden. That is what gardening is all about. You may think that you have done everything you can for your garden and return the very next day and visualize new plans. So don't fret, and just get out there and garden to your heart's content!View more gardening products: phoenix home and garden
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