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Tips for Customizing a Garden to Fit Your Style

Pennington Vertical Gardening

Post and giveaway sponsored by Pennington Vertical Gardens, but all opinions are my own. More details are below.

For me, gardening is very much about convenience. Although I really enjoy plants and flowers, I have an insanely busy life right now with three children in various activities and running my own business.

But I really love plants, flowers and more. I love to see them in my house, they make me happy and they make the place look amazing. They add color, brightness, greenery and they enhance the look of the room that they are in.

I am excited to once again work with Penninington on their new products for Vertical Gardening. Pennington gave me some great tips that I wanted to share with you along how I followed the tip and made it work for me when it came to customizing my garden to fit my style.

TIPS FOR CUSTOMIZING A GARDEN TO FIT YOUR STYLE

1. Pick the right space

For me, the right space was the most convenient spaces that I could find in my house with enough room to plant everything that I wanted to plant. I wanted a few shelves to add more plants as I needed them and then I wanted to be able to easily expand into other places in my house if those first plants were successful.

We picked the shelves behind the sink in the kitchen and the foyer area of our house to add plants.

2. Plan ahead

I wanted the containers to coordinate and be large enough to fit the plant as it grew. So planning ahead meant that I needed to buy a few extra containers in various sizes to accommodate our indoor garden as it got a little bigger.

3. Give yourself room to grow

I didn't do this at first so I had to go back and rethink some of what I had planted. Thankfully, I could move the plants that were getting too big on my shelves to my front porch containers and also into the foyer area of our house.

ABOUT PENNINGTON VERTICAL GARDENING SYSTEMS

Pennington Vertical Gardening Systems are completely customizable with each component sold separately to adapt to your ever-evolving style.  Whether you chose a color-coded theme or an eclectic collage that represents your style, your imagination is the only thing between you and creating the garden oasis of your dreams. Your Vertical Gardening System is exactly that – yours!

Structural pieces have been tested for weather and weight durability. The core foundational pieces work together and stay consistent from year to year. Sized to fit differing spaces, Pennington Vertical Gardening accessories are refreshed yearly to offer consumers on-going style at an affordable price.

 

Pennington Vertical Gardens partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about their Pennington Vertical Gardening System products. As part of this program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Pennington Vertical Gardens believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Pennington Vertical Garden’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

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210 Comments Leave a Comment »

  1. Mary Happymommy

    Get your kids involved in picking weeds. They’ll think it’s a game and you’ll get a lot of de-weeding done.

  2. Mary Happymommy

    To prevent accumulating dirt under your fingernails while you work in the garden, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap and you’ll effectively seal the undersides of your nails so dirt can’t collect beneath them. Then, after you’ve finished in the garden, use a nailbrush to remove the soap and your nails will be sparkling clean.

  3. Allyson Bossie

    My tip for a great garden is to compost compost compost, don’t use pesticides, and only use Heirloom seeds. (We keep our seeds, so using Heirloom is only necessary the first year). It took three years of composting my garden to have a successful year, but so worth it to know everything in it is healthy!

  4. Allyson Bossie

    I make a homemade hot pepper sauce with my hot peppers out of the garden, blended with water, and you spray it on plants being pestered by bugs. They will stear clear naturally!

  5. Beth Hill

    Chose plants based on the amount of sun they get. Study the tags and know if it will be full sun or partial or full shade. Makes a huge difference on if the plant will survive or even bloom. Use a root starter fertilizer in the empty hole before you put in the plant.

  6. Kelly D

    I like the tip in this post to pick the right space, because a couple of times I had trees grow and shade out my garden. I also think it’s important to pay attention to the soil and make sure you are watering the plants enough, and composting helps.

  7. Stephanie Phelps

    My tip is to weed at least once a week to keep your garden nice without being over whelming!

  8. Stephanie Phelps

    Make sure you know the height of the plants you are growing so you don’t cover up ones that maybe smaller and plant bulbs in the fall for the spring!

  9. Lisa Brown

    to conserve on water and protect ground cover, use mulch.

  10. Lisa Brown

    To remove the salt deposits that form on clay pots, combine equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle.

  11. Sara Floyd

    My tip is to make sure you keep up with the weeding!

  12. Keep up with the weeding so it doesn’t become overwhelming. It is also great to get kids involved with it!

  13. Jessie C.

    Start small and grow weed-less.

  14. Jessie C.

    Start with lower maintenance perennials.

  15. Seyma Shabbir

    Mow the grass often, weed often. If you let the garden or lawn out of control it will take more time and money to fix it!

  16. kristin h

    Always water twice a day –

  17. kristin h

    Second tip: Never pick up a seedling by the stem—it is the plant’s lifeline

  18. Rosie

    Buy your soil and plants from Whole Foods! I have found they have the best quality around!

  19. Candice

    I will put extra seed down in the more trouble spots before it starts to snow. In the Spring I have a ton of new grass. It’s great.

  20. Wild Orchid

    My tip is to aerate your lawn annually!

    Entered the rafflecopter as “Wild orchid”

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  21. steve weber

    put down grass seed a few days before it’s going to rain.

  22. steve weber

    Don’t buy cheap feed… get high quality stuff for better grass results.

  23. Samantha C.

    Seed in the fall!

  24. Heather Hayes Panjon

    My Favorite Tip Is To Plan Ahead, Pick A Gardening Space, Make A Plan On The Right Plants To Grow In That Space For A Beautiful Garden!

  25. Sheila Hall

    We bought a new construction home and planted directly into the soil. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that a lot of the gravel/rock from the house mixed in the soil making it difficult for the flowers we planted to grow. Be aware that this could happen.

  26. Sheila Hall

    We bought a new construction home and planted directly into the soil. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that a lot of the gravel/rock from the house mixed in the soil making it difficult for the flowers we planted to grow. Be aware that this could happen.

  27. Mary Somerville

    Remove spent flowers, to keep them blooming longer, instead of going to seed.

  28. Mary Somerville

    To keep slugs away from plants, spread salt around them.

  29. Alyshia

    I like to include my kids in gardening.

  30. Courtnie

    Water your lawn early in the morning, or at night, when it is not as hot.

  31. Kristen

    The best thing is to have an automatic drip system on sensitive plants if possible in case you forget to water!

  32. Ashley C

    We use herbs as ground cover because they smell so amazing and then I always have fresh herbs (rosemary and chives are my favorite!)

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

  33. Ashley C

    Another gardening tip is to not let herbs go to flower or they will be done for the season 🙁 My basil did this this year and I was so sad!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

  34. Amanda Sakovitz

    My tip is to water your lawn daily if you can during the hot months

  35. Thomas Murphy

    Get automatic sprinkler’s so you don’t forget to water your lawn.

  36. Jennifer T.

    My garden tip is to use space where you have it. There’s no reason rosemary or basil can’t grow in your mailbox bed or tomatoes in with your marigolds.
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

  37. Jennifer T.

    My favorite tip from above is to Plan Ahead.
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

  38. My favorite tip is to plant a couple of different plants in one pot so they can nourish each other and create a beautiful peace of decoration as well!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

  39. Adriane

    Put some fall or winter blooming bulbs in pots with plants that look a little skimpy that time of year so you have flowers year round.

  40. Ann

    Take an hour or two each weekend to keep your yard in shape – you’d be surprised how much you can do in an hour. Make a list – have a goal for each hour.

  41. Cynthia R

    my favorite tip is to pay someone else $30 biweekly to take care of it, probably not the tip you were expecting but that’s what we do, we are so busy, and save money elsewhere, we need our weekend hours for other stuff.

  42. Cynthia R

    my second gardening tip is to have a layer of wet newspaper on the ground before laying the mulch, prevents weeds from poking through

  43. Christy Maurer

    We’ve got awful soil, but my dad still garden’s at their house. He always is weeding and fertilizing!

  44. Peter G

    Cover plants when there is a frost coming.

  45. Ronda

    Get your children to help. Teach them how to pull weeds and teach them when to pick the vegetables. My children love this.

  46. Ronda

    Collect rain water when possible to use for watering.

  47. Margaret Smith

    We start in the very early spring with planting seeds in tiny crates. Each day, we put them outside for the sunlight and bring them in at night. By late spring, we’re ready to start planting our flowers and veggies.

  48. Margaret Smith

    Water your plants either in early morning or late afternoon, to avoid the sun burning them.

  49. Michele Behlen

    My best tip is to start early in the Spring to keep ahead of the weeds and have a beautiful flower garden.

  50. tallcapp

    Water very regularly. That is always my own misstep.

  51. tallcapp

    Do not overplant quantity of herbs. They will just start losing taste in the pot.

  52. Kyl Neusch

    keep plants well watered

  53. MIchelle Fosnaugh

    We always used Miracle Grow on our plants kept them healthy!

  54. Wendy R.

    Favorite lawn and garden tip? Uhhhh…. have your husband take care of it? Does that qualify? 🙂 Really, I would say aerate your lawn! It does wonders.

  55. ky2here

    Make your own eco friendly rose fungicide from clove, rosemary and thyme oils in a water base. Spray it on and protect your roses and our planet.

  56. ky2here

    Make your own compost unit and turn it weekly. Free mulch and better for the planet.

  57. Adrienne Gordon

    do maintenance in the fall to get ready for spring

  58. Cynthia C

    Keep up with the weeding and don’t let it get out of hand.

  59. Cynthia C

    Sprinkle used coffee grounds on the flower beds.

  60. Ann Fantom

    My gardening tip is to use a drip hose to water your plants to conserve water and reduce plant disease.

  61. Pauline Milner

    On the last time that you mow in the fall before the snow arrives, mulch the grass. It leaves a nice protective coating on the grass for the winter. Thanks for the great giveaway opportunity. Keep up the exceptional blogging.

  62. Use a rain barrel to collect water for your garden

  63. Kathleen

    get the kids to help with weeding etc

    kport207 at gmail dot com

  64. sandra

    hose reels help keep the hose neater

  65. April Brenay

    put a tuna can out by your sprinklers, when its filled you’ve watered long enough

  66. Tom Bellamy

    Cinch bugs thrive in a dry climate so keep your lawn well-watered.

  67. sarah hirsch

    lay down a weed blocker beneath some mulch in your beds to reduce the amount of weed-pulling you will have to do

  68. sarah hirsch

    don’t leave piles of leaves on your lawn too long or it could kill your grass

  69. alicia k (Petite Pilates Pixie)

    grow your own herbs to use in cooking

  70. Jessica M.

    My lawn and garden tip is if you are planning to plant bushes in your yard, plan quite a bit as to where. My neighbors has to dig up their bushes by their house (all of them) after they planted them because the didn’t like where they were originally. That can’t be good, that’s alot of time spent for more than 6 bushes outdoors!

  71. Jessica M.

    A second gardening tip is to look for free plant seeds on the Internet. Sometimes you can find freebies! Although, yes, seeds are cheap lol!… Also, plants need less water than you think. I have over watered 2 plants and they didn’t live.

  72. Jill Myrick

    I spray vinegar around the edges of our flower beds, walkways and the border of our yard. It keeps the weeds from growing and eliminates the need for a weedeater.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

  73. Jill Myrick

    For less planting and more enjoying consider planting more perennials and less annuals.
    Perennials come back year after year and most will multiple every year.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]

  74. Julie Hutson

    Put down old newspaper to keep weeds from sprouting up!

  75. Colleen Boudreau

    Pull weeds as soon as you see them so they don’t get overwhelming.

  76. Suzanne K

    take cuttings from your tomato and basil plants and put them in water to sprout new roots. Then, plant them for more plants! voila, free plants!

  77. Suzanne K

    plant more flowers and bushes to cover the ground and block sunlight – it will help keep the weeds down and look great

  78. Carolyn G

    Use vinegar to kill weeds naturally

  79. Janet W.

    Pull weeds up as soon as you see them! That will keep them from spreading and taking over your grass!

  80. Janet W.

    Don’t cut your grass too short because that will end up damaging the grass blades and will die.

  81. cassandra martz

    I like using grass clippings in my garden to keep weeds down.

  82. Wehaf

    My tip is to choose plants which work well in your climate, so you don’t have to put extra care into keeping them healthy.

  83. Heather K

    Get your kids involved in planting.

  84. Barbara Montag

    Remember to add nutrients to your soil each year – thank you.

  85. Barbara Montag

    Gardening tip – trim your tomatoes from the bottom of the plant to help prevent blight.

  86. alicia k (Petite Pilates Pixie)

    don’t under-water but don’t over-water your plants either!

  87. Kiara

    My tip is to keep up with the weeding.

  88. Claudia

    I use egg shells on the soil for fertilizer .

  89. Susan Smith

    My garden tip is remove the weeks by the root so it doesn’t grow back.

  90. Susan Smith

    2nd tip water in the morning before the sun comes out.

  91. Stephanie Galbraith

    3. Give yourself room to grow
    I always try to fill all my space without thinking about how big the plants are going to get and overpower each other.

  92. Anna

    Water your plants in the early morning or in the evening when the sun is down.
    Egg shells make great fertilizers

  93. christina givens

    use dietomacious earth to rid you garden of pests. alll natural,last until it gets wet.good stuff.

  94. angela cunningham

    put your leaves in your garden

  95. Amy Orvin

    Fertilize often for bigger and better blooms

  96. Rebecca Lock

    Install a drip system for flowers and trees- it saves money and is much more effective.

  97. Stephanie Larison

    The most successful seeding time is right around Labor Day.

  98. Stephanie Larison

    Don’t set the mower too low to cut the grass too short.

  99. margaret peg m

    invest in some reliable tools…the dollar store stuff that is cheap & flimsy will cost you more in the end.

  100. april j.

    I water my yard early in the morning or late at night to help keep it green.

  101. judy gardner

    use epsom salts to fertilize azalia plants

  102. judy gardner

    you can plant tomatoes in a bale of hay. just make a hole in the center, place plant in and fill with potting soil. this allows for great drainage

  103. DJ

    Keep the dog away from your garden.

  104. Jennifer Reed

    To get the best looking lawn keep mower blades sharp. On average the mower blades should be sharpened every 10 hours of use.

  105. Jennifer Reed

    Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. In fact trees planted in the fall can gain an entire year of growth over trees planted in the spring.

  106. Tanya White

    My tip is to weed at least once a month to keep the weeds down as much as you can.

  107. Deb C

    Use old carpeting as a weed preventer in flower beds. Just lay it flat, cut to fit, cut small holes and plant flowers in them. Cover with mulch. You won’t need nearly as much. It holds in moisture and keeps out weeds and lasts several seasons.

  108. joseph gersch

    use diatamacoues earth to kill insects

  109. angela cisco

    water your garden in the evening after the sun has gone down to prevent scorching from the heat.

  110. Melody C

    My tip is to make sure that plants in your garden are spaced accurately so that they grow properly and thrive on the sun and shade that they get.

  111. Melody C

    Weed often to give your plants room to grow.

  112. Emily Morelli

    I share a garden with four of my neighbors. It allows us all to share in the work and the harvest!

  113. Cathy Shaw

    Plan carefully so that your plants grow in a pleasing pattern.

  114. Catherine Shaw

    My second gardening tip is to get the family involved. Quality time plus the work goes faster.

  115. Cathy Shaw

    My second gardening tip is to get the family involved. Quality time plus the work goes faster. Please delete the comment that went under colum_55@yahoo.com — not my preferred default.

  116. Alyson from Starting Over @ The Dirty 30

    Hire someone else do it all for you haha;)

  117. Robin

    IFall is good time to tile up your garden

  118. Jennifer Speed

    Make sure you are using the right type of soil.

  119. Tom

    Mulch the lawn clippings instead of bagging.

  120. My best tip is to teach your kids early on how to help out with lawn and yard chores. We have four kids, ages 13, 15, 17, and 20 who are a huge help when it comes to this.

  121. Roxann

    Make sure you keep up with weeding.The weeds can get out of control fast and choke yourgarden.

  122. Darlene Carbajal

    Make sure animals are kept out of your garden.

  123. Jennifer H.

    It’s a great time of year for mums.

  124. Jennifer Paige

    Use nets around new trees to keep birds (or chickens, in our case) from eating the new buds.

  125. Annemarie Z.

    When you plant tomato plants, fertilize lightly because too much fertilizer can burn the new plants.

  126. Annemarie Z.

    Second tip – Do not over-water your plants, because giving them too much water kills them faster than giving them not enough water!

  127. Jill Edwards

    I am terrible at gardening. I do not have a green thumb. I learned not to over water my plants. It will kill them.

  128. Diana Stanhope

    We do yard work late in day after the temperatures start to drop.

  129. Diana Stanhope

    We always buy our plants at the end of the season. They needs some TLC but are half price.

  130. Angela Cash

    My best garden tip is to compost. You will have fantastic fertilizer for your plants and lessen your carbon footprint.

  131. Adriane

    Use time release plant food so you don’t forget to feed your plants!

  132. Sue C.

    I put a few onion plants among the other plants to keep insects away.

  133. Terry Cross

    Weed and water regularly

  134. Sue C.

    After you cook vegetables (boil or steam) save the water and use it to water your plants – the nutrients from the cooked vegetables are like a natural fertilizer.

  135. Jessica S

    Use coffee grounds as fertilizer!

  136. Jessica S

    Tie up your raspberry bushes to a post to grow better.

  137. meredith

    Read plant labels in order to figure out how much sun needed

  138. Terri Herman

    I plant perennials whenever possible that way they come back year after year!

  139. Terri Herman

    For super large pots, to keep them from getting too heavy and using too much potting soil, I use plastic grocery bags filled with packing peanuts to take up some of the space without the weight.

  140. Betsy Barnes

    My gardening tip: keep the soil well-mulched all year, helps to minimise weed growth and this is important because weeds compete with plants for moisture and nutrients. 🙂

  141. Heather S

    plants need food regularly so don’t forget to feed them.

  142. ellen casper

    Aerate your yard in the fall before seeding.

  143. Betsy Barnes

    Another gardening tip: any time you’re out in your garden, use common sense and wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves or sunblock 🙂

  144. Joanna Allison

    Get automatic irrigation.

  145. Lisa F.

    I cover my flower beds with the leaves in the fall so that over the winter they decompose and replenish the soil.

  146. Denise S

    Keep up with the weeds or they will quickly take over.

  147. richelle bowers

    do a little yard work every weekend to keep maintained

  148. chris z

    Give yourself room to grow

  149. susan smoaks

    my favorite lawn and garden tip is to keep the weeds out of the garden or they will take over

  150. kim kihega

    Water early in the morning, and involve the kids they are great for pulling weeds!

  151. Ashley

    My tip is to make sure the garden gets plenty of water!

  152. I love the 3rd tip to always leave room to grow. I have run into this problem many times with my planting.

  153. Nicole Millheim

    My gardening tip is to start out small. Learn the different times of year what to plant and start your garden small at first and grow it with time and the season

  154. Natalie yeoman

    Pick weeds at least once every 2 weeks

  155. Danielle D

    always plant new things

  156. randi

    neem oil is excellent for treating fungus in the soil

  157. Katy M

    Be sure to use plants that work in your zone and always follow sunlight and watering guidelines.

  158. Sarah L

    Live in a townhouse and let the lawn service do all the work.
    Check with your local extension agent for advice.
    Thanks for the contest.

  159. Sarah L

    Use drought resistant plants.

  160. Donna Kellogg

    I like grass that does not grow fast it saves on maintenance

  161. Geoff K

    I’ve always had good luck using vinegar for controlling weeds and giving plants added nutrients – it’s an inexpensive but effective technique!

  162. Stephen

    If you place enough Mulch down, then you get less weeds!

  163. mysweetiepiepie

    I keep a couple of large plastic buckets under the outdoor faucet and will rinse fruit and veg out there then use the water that collects to water my garden plants :+)

  164. Teresa D

    I keep an old broom handy to sweep down all the cobwebs that the spiders keep spinning on my mailbox and over my front door. Keeps the bugs down!

  165. Yona

    I like spraying sugar water on certain flowers to attract more ants which help make the blooms bud.

  166. Yona

    Another gardening tip is to try making a compost pile – seriously, its the best soil, and its free. My father and I did it once, and it was actually kinda fun.

  167. Lisa F.

    For a natural weed killer, use boiling water.

  168. Amanda Sakovitz

    make sure to water daily

  169. Brittney House

    Don’t forget to water your plants. It sounds easy enough but its always forgotten.

  170. Trisha McKee

    I weed and plant new flowers often. I care for the lawn and get the entire family involved.

  171. Karen M.

    Lawn aeration and vinegar in the garden, it keeps weeds and some bugs away.

  172. Karen M.

    An in-ground sprinkler system is very helpful.

  173. Ben G

    Water, Water, Weed and Water!

  174. Tabathia B

    Always pull up the weeds immediately

  175. Tabathia B

    Try to use soil that already has food in it like miracle gro

  176. Mihaela Day

    My favorite tip I ever got was to water early in the morning

  177. My tip…hire someone else to do it 🙂 Seriously, I believe it vinegar to kill weeds. It’s natural & does the trick!

  178. Compost…it works really well for my garden.

  179. Nycole

    label the herbs
    knycks1(at)aol(dot)com

  180. Janice Crespo

    I always had problems with either watering too much or not enough – I do container gardening and I got the self-watering containers – it’s made all the difference!

  181. Laura F.

    I use the water from my fish tank water changes to water my plants. Natural fertilizer!

  182. Michelle L

    To make sure you plant in a spot where there is plenty of sun

  183. Cassie Korando

    The best tip I have is to keep up with the weeding – doing it at least once per week. Otherwise it gets overwhelming and you just don’t want to deal with it!

  184. Samantha

    Don’t cheap out on soil. If you get better soil, everything will grow better!

  185. Samantha

    You can use scrap produce as a nice fertilizer! Less waste in the garbage!

  186. Ellie W

    Don’t mow too often or cut to short.

  187. laurie

    fertilizer your plants every 3 months

  188. Megaan Clark

    Don’t use pesticides!!

  189. pinky sade

    I’m an amateur so my tip would be to weed regularly

  190. Megaan Clark

    Use gloves and always wear sunscreen and protective clothing when working out in the sun.

  191. pinky sade

    my 2nd tip is to water as much as the plant needs

  192. Stephen

    Pull weeds before you mulch

  193. Jeanette H.

    Put calcium in the soil with your tomatoes, tums work. It keeps them from splitting.

  194. Richard Hicks

    For the Fall, I like to wait til later in the season to rake leaves. Sometimes they get blown away naturally

    brich22 at earthlink dot net

  195. Richard Hicks

    Another tip is to make sure you clean your gutters free of dead leaves

    brich22 at earthlink dot net

  196. darby

    i’m a horrible gardener-so I guess I’m here to read the tips not give them!!!

  197. Christy Maurer

    Be sure you pick the green beans before they get too big!

  198. Leslie L Stanziani

    I prepare my spring garden beds in the winter when the grass has dies.It is easier to till up the ground I find.

  199. Be patient. We tried to hard to grow stuff and we finally have things in our garden. We ate our first zucchini the other night 🙂

  200. Bryan E.

    Thanks for the giveaway…before wasting money on fertilizer, have your lawn & garden soil tested by your county extension agricultural agent; it is inexpensive, and more environmentally sound practice.

  201. Thomas Murphy

    don’t forget to water!

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