Not in any particular order, here are some of my thoughts about gardening. The Dirt has grown from more than 30 years of gardening experience and lots of advice from others. New ideas sprout all the time!
Foliage. Flowers are fleeting...when it comes to garden design you should think about foliage. Leaves add texture, color and contrast long after blooms fade.
Compost. There is nothing better to add to the soil. Make your own or get it from a local source.
Experiment. If you don't know how a plant is going to behave in your garden don't buy several of them. Experiment with a new plant by buying one small pot. If it does well you can add more or divide the original.
Share. Every garden needs to be thinned out eventually. What better way to beautify the neighborhod than by sharing plants with friends and neighbors.
Seeds. So many plants are easily started from seed. What a great way to aquire plants not always available at local nurseries. Cost saving and rewarding, every gardener should give this a try.
Tools. Don't go overboard with tons of garden tools but do make sure you have the right tools for the job. My must haves include Felco handheld pruners, a quality spade, Fiskars telescoping loppers, leaf funnel and an assortment of handheld tools including a rake, shovel and fork.
Protect. After all your hard work in the garden the last thing you want is for some critter to come along and make a snack of it. Use deer/rabbit repellent spray liberally in the Spring when your plants are the tastiest. (See the Garden Tools page for a recipe.) I also use motion detector sprinklers to keep deer out of the garden. Expensive but worth the investment.
