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Tips for Customizing a Garden to Fit Your Style
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.
Get your kids involved in picking weeds. They’ll think it’s a game and you’ll get a lot of de-weeding done.
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.
What an awesome idea! I have long nails and HATE when dirt gets under them.
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!
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!
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.
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.
My tip is to weed at least once a week to keep your garden nice without being over whelming!
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!
to conserve on water and protect ground cover, use mulch.
To remove the salt deposits that form on clay pots, combine equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle.
My tip is to make sure you keep up with the weeding!
Keep up with the weeding so it doesn’t become overwhelming. It is also great to get kids involved with it!
Start small and grow weed-less.
Start with lower maintenance perennials.
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!
Always water twice a day –
Second tip: Never pick up a seedling by the stem—it is the plant’s lifeline
Buy your soil and plants from Whole Foods! I have found they have the best quality around!
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.
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
put down grass seed a few days before it’s going to rain.
Don’t buy cheap feed… get high quality stuff for better grass results.
Seed in the fall!
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!
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.
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.
Remove spent flowers, to keep them blooming longer, instead of going to seed.
To keep slugs away from plants, spread salt around them.
I like to include my kids in gardening.
Water your lawn early in the morning, or at night, when it is not as hot.
The best thing is to have an automatic drip system on sensitive plants if possible in case you forget to water!
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
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
My tip is to water your lawn daily if you can during the hot months
Get automatic sprinkler’s so you don’t forget to water your lawn.
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
My favorite tip from above is to Plan Ahead.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
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
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.
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.
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.
my second gardening tip is to have a layer of wet newspaper on the ground before laying the mulch, prevents weeds from poking through
We’ve got awful soil, but my dad still garden’s at their house. He always is weeding and fertilizing!
Cover plants when there is a frost coming.
Get your children to help. Teach them how to pull weeds and teach them when to pick the vegetables. My children love this.
Collect rain water when possible to use for watering.
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.
Water your plants either in early morning or late afternoon, to avoid the sun burning them.
My best tip is to start early in the Spring to keep ahead of the weeds and have a beautiful flower garden.
Water very regularly. That is always my own misstep.
Do not overplant quantity of herbs. They will just start losing taste in the pot.
keep plants well watered
We always used Miracle Grow on our plants kept them healthy!
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.
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.
Make your own compost unit and turn it weekly. Free mulch and better for the planet.
do maintenance in the fall to get ready for spring
Keep up with the weeding and don’t let it get out of hand.
Sprinkle used coffee grounds on the flower beds.
My gardening tip is to use a drip hose to water your plants to conserve water and reduce plant disease.
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.
Use a rain barrel to collect water for your garden
get the kids to help with weeding etc
kport207 at gmail dot com
hose reels help keep the hose neater
put a tuna can out by your sprinklers, when its filled you’ve watered long enough
Cinch bugs thrive in a dry climate so keep your lawn well-watered.
lay down a weed blocker beneath some mulch in your beds to reduce the amount of weed-pulling you will have to do
don’t leave piles of leaves on your lawn too long or it could kill your grass
grow your own herbs to use in cooking
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!
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.
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
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]
Put down old newspaper to keep weeds from sprouting up!
Pull weeds as soon as you see them so they don’t get overwhelming.
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!
plant more flowers and bushes to cover the ground and block sunlight – it will help keep the weeds down and look great
Use vinegar to kill weeds naturally
Pull weeds up as soon as you see them! That will keep them from spreading and taking over your grass!
Don’t cut your grass too short because that will end up damaging the grass blades and will die.
I like using grass clippings in my garden to keep weeds down.
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.
Get your kids involved in planting.
Remember to add nutrients to your soil each year – thank you.
Gardening tip – trim your tomatoes from the bottom of the plant to help prevent blight.
don’t under-water but don’t over-water your plants either!
My tip is to keep up with the weeding.
I use egg shells on the soil for fertilizer .
My garden tip is remove the weeks by the root so it doesn’t grow back.
2nd tip water in the morning before the sun comes out.
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.
Water your plants in the early morning or in the evening when the sun is down.
Egg shells make great fertilizers
use dietomacious earth to rid you garden of pests. alll natural,last until it gets wet.good stuff.
put your leaves in your garden
Fertilize often for bigger and better blooms
Install a drip system for flowers and trees- it saves money and is much more effective.
Fertilize often
Water often
The most successful seeding time is right around Labor Day.
Don’t set the mower too low to cut the grass too short.
invest in some reliable tools…the dollar store stuff that is cheap & flimsy will cost you more in the end.
I water my yard early in the morning or late at night to help keep it green.
use epsom salts to fertilize azalia plants
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
Keep the dog away from your garden.
To get the best looking lawn keep mower blades sharp. On average the mower blades should be sharpened every 10 hours of use.
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.
My tip is to weed at least once a month to keep the weeds down as much as you can.
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.
use diatamacoues earth to kill insects
water your garden in the evening after the sun has gone down to prevent scorching from the heat.
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.
Weed often to give your plants room to grow.
I share a garden with four of my neighbors. It allows us all to share in the work and the harvest!
Plan carefully so that your plants grow in a pleasing pattern.
My second gardening tip is to get the family involved. Quality time plus the work goes faster.
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.
Hire someone else do it all for you haha;)
IFall is good time to tile up your garden
Make sure you are using the right type of soil.
Mulch the lawn clippings instead of bagging.
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.
Make sure you keep up with weeding.The weeds can get out of control fast and choke yourgarden.
Make sure animals are kept out of your garden.
It’s a great time of year for mums.
Use nets around new trees to keep birds (or chickens, in our case) from eating the new buds.
When you plant tomato plants, fertilize lightly because too much fertilizer can burn the new plants.
Second tip – Do not over-water your plants, because giving them too much water kills them faster than giving them not enough water!
I am terrible at gardening. I do not have a green thumb. I learned not to over water my plants. It will kill them.
We do yard work late in day after the temperatures start to drop.
We always buy our plants at the end of the season. They needs some TLC but are half price.
water at night
My best garden tip is to compost. You will have fantastic fertilizer for your plants and lessen your carbon footprint.
Use time release plant food so you don’t forget to feed your plants!
I put a few onion plants among the other plants to keep insects away.
Weed and water regularly
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.
Use coffee grounds as fertilizer!
Tie up your raspberry bushes to a post to grow better.
Read plant labels in order to figure out how much sun needed
I plant perennials whenever possible that way they come back year after year!
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.
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. 🙂
plants need food regularly so don’t forget to feed them.
Aerate your yard in the fall before seeding.
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 🙂
Get automatic irrigation.
I cover my flower beds with the leaves in the fall so that over the winter they decompose and replenish the soil.
Keep up with the weeds or they will quickly take over.
do a little yard work every weekend to keep maintained
The only tip I know is to use mulch and keep it weeded. Water before or after the sun is out.
Give yourself room to grow
H
my favorite lawn and garden tip is to keep the weeds out of the garden or they will take over
Water early in the morning, and involve the kids they are great for pulling weeds!
My tip is to make sure the garden gets plenty of water!
I love the 3rd tip to always leave room to grow. I have run into this problem many times with my planting.
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
Do not forget to water!
Make your spouse do all of it
Pick weeds at least once every 2 weeks
always plant new things
neem oil is excellent for treating fungus in the soil
Be sure to use plants that work in your zone and always follow sunlight and watering guidelines.
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.
Use drought resistant plants.
I like grass that does not grow fast it saves on maintenance
I’ve always had good luck using vinegar for controlling weeds and giving plants added nutrients – it’s an inexpensive but effective technique!
If you place enough Mulch down, then you get less weeds!
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 :+)
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!
I like spraying sugar water on certain flowers to attract more ants which help make the blooms bud.
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.
For a natural weed killer, use boiling water.
make sure to water daily
Don’t forget to water your plants. It sounds easy enough but its always forgotten.
I weed and plant new flowers often. I care for the lawn and get the entire family involved.
Lawn aeration and vinegar in the garden, it keeps weeds and some bugs away.
An in-ground sprinkler system is very helpful.
Water, Water, Weed and Water!
Always pull up the weeds immediately
Try to use soil that already has food in it like miracle gro
My favorite tip I ever got was to water early in the morning
My tip…hire someone else to do it 🙂 Seriously, I believe it vinegar to kill weeds. It’s natural & does the trick!
Compost…it works really well for my garden.
label the herbs
knycks1(at)aol(dot)com
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!
I use the water from my fish tank water changes to water my plants. Natural fertilizer!
To make sure you plant in a spot where there is plenty of sun
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!
Don’t cheap out on soil. If you get better soil, everything will grow better!
You can use scrap produce as a nice fertilizer! Less waste in the garbage!
Don’t mow too often or cut to short.
fertilizer your plants every 3 months
Don’t use pesticides!!
I’m an amateur so my tip would be to weed regularly
Use gloves and always wear sunscreen and protective clothing when working out in the sun.
my 2nd tip is to water as much as the plant needs
Pull weeds before you mulch
Put calcium in the soil with your tomatoes, tums work. It keeps them from splitting.
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
Another tip is to make sure you clean your gutters free of dead leaves
brich22 at earthlink dot net
i’m a horrible gardener-so I guess I’m here to read the tips not give them!!!
Be sure you pick the green beans before they get too big!
I prepare my spring garden beds in the winter when the grass has dies.It is easier to till up the ground I find.
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 🙂
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.
don’t forget to water!
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