Tips for Busy Gardeners

Who said great looking gardens can be maintenance free?  Here are a few tips for busy gardeners today on Southern Gardening. 

No matter the hype, a great looking garden is a lot of work.  And with our busy lives knowing a few short cuts can help you work more efficiently in the landscape. 

Be prepared for the season.  You know the items you are going to need in the garden this year.  Buy them early; don’t wait to make garden center runs every time you have to have that garden twine, slow release fertilizer, stakes and the like.  Look at the end of the year for end of season clearance sales.  You will be prepared for next year and save some money. 

Learn how to play in the rain.  Go to your favorite garden center when it is raining.  Don’t waste good garden time in the checkout line.  There will be fewer people, shorter lines, and staff will have more time to answer questions.  After the rain stops, weeds are much easier to pull. 

Pay attention when driving around town.  This tip will help you to visualize plant combinations.  Observe how other gardeners have used plant combinations, there will be quite a variety once you start looking.  If you see ones you like, make a note of it and take to the garden center. 

Talk to your gardening neighbors.  Everyone has time saving tips they use to keep the garden more enjoyable.  That is the goal of gardening, to be able to enjoy the sweat equity you have invested.