Mom’s Garden Tour and Tips

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I have been working hard all Spring and Summer to improve our backyard. Fortunately, I have the best garden mentor in the world – hi Mom! My mom is an avid flower gardener and her garden gets more beautiful every year. It is particularly lovely now that she has retired and has more time to baby her flowers. Whether you came here for the eye candy or you’d like some beginner gardening advice, read on for Mom’s garden tour and tips.

Before we get into mom’s garden tour and tips, it is important to note that my mom has been working on her yard for almost 30 years. Our house was part of a new development and the yard was pretty barren when we first moved in. I have many memories of waking up on weekend mornings to the sound of my dad trimming bushes and taking care of the lawn while my mom planted flower beds and destroyed every weed in sight. Seriously, there isn’t a single weed in the whole garden. So keep that in mind as you look through these photos. Don’t judge your beginner garden on her years of hard work 🙂 Also note that these tips are in reference to flowers only!

Tip 1: Don’t plant flowers too close together

Guilty! When you are starting a garden it is tempting to plant your new flowers close together so it looks full. I personally had no idea how quickly my flowers would grow in just the first year. Avoid the need to transplant by giving each plant a good 1-2 feet of space. Bushes need more like 3 feet of space. It may look empty at first, but plants grow fast and soon you will have a lush garden bed!

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Tip 2: Compost your garden liberally

Unless you inherited a gardener’s yard, it is likely that your soil is not ideal for gardening. Flowers like nutrient-rich soil that drains well. The way to achieve this is by mixing compost into your soil. Whether you use homemade compost or buy it at a garden center, don’t skip this step. It is a lot of work to mix in compost, but your plants will thank you! Future you will thank you as well because compost helps to break up dense soil, making it easier to dig!

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Tip 3: Plant babies need food!

Be sure to pick up plant food when you are at the garden center! All plants need food, but it is especially important when they are first planted. It is recommended to feed plants every 1-2 weeks after putting them in the ground. After a month, you can switch to a once a month schedule. Plants that are fed will be bigger, stronger, and more likely to come back in following years!

Tip 4: Weed your garden as you go

This is probably my mom’s #1 tip and I personally believe it stems from her being a clean freak 😉 Growing up, she was always telling us to pick up the house as we go rather than letting things accumulate. Now take this advice and apply it to the garden! I don’t know about you, but I walk around my yard at least once a day. The main reason for this is to play with Rigby, but I also like to watch my garden transform. As I walk around, I’ll pick weeds here and there. This little routine helps me keep ahead of the weeds so I never have to spend hours cleaning up the garden. Five minutes a day feels far less overwhelming than spending my precious weekend weeding.

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Tip 5: Consider texture when picking plants

It is easy to go to the store, pick the plants you like, and put them in the ground. You garden will still be pretty using this method because flowers are always pretty. But if you want to achieve a well balanced garden, it is important to consider the texture and color of the plants you pick. So rather than having a field full of green stems, maybe you add in a flower with variegated leaves or a plant with colorful foliage. The textures and colors help break up the garden bed and make it more visually appealing. In addition to texture and color, it is also recommended to plant in 3’s and 5’s. So as tempting as it might be, don’t go to the store and buy 1 of each type of plant.

I hope my Mom’s garden tour and tips were helpful to all you newbie gardeners like me! Gardening is hard work, but so incredibly fulfilling. In an age when we are all spending more time at home than ever, having a hobby like gardening has been a game-changer for my mental and physical health. Thinking about picking up gardening? Fall is actually a great time to start a garden for next year. Bushes and shrubs, as well as spring bulbs can be planted in Fall. You can also divide and transplant perennials. So this is a perfect opportunity ask friends and neighbors if they plan to split perennials. Good luck with your gardens, everyone!