5 STEPS TO A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

I am going to begin with a list of Gardening 'chores' (most gardeners do not consider these chores, they call it "working in the garden') It is the best therapy ever invented. I find that when in the garden all of my problems disappear. 1. Cover all of the dirt around each flower with a thick layer of mulch. (Cedar mulch is my favorite) It serves several purposes: a. If you cover the entire garden bed, it almost eliminates the weeds. b. It is much more pleasing on the eye than dirt. c. I helps keep the soil moist. 2. To keep ANY flower blooming, you must'dead head'. That is a very important part of a Gardener's life. Dead heading simply means to cut off all the old blooms. Cut them off just above the top leaves on the stem. That process sends a message to the flower to make more blooms. In addition, it also keeps the plant looking neat. 3.Another important step,seems obvious,but important: Fertilizing. I keep it simple and spray Miracle grow from my hose attachment twice a month. There are many products on the market, so what ever you choose, don't forget to use it. 4. Water. General rule: If it doesn't rain, water...... all summer long. I don't use a sprinkler, I just stand there with my hose on a soft spray. It is a delightful task. 5. Pull weeds. If you pull them when you see them, it never turns into a big job. Just like anything else,if you put it off, then it turns into a big job. That is it for today. Tomorrow I will start to tell you about some of my favorite flowers.