I am probably the world’s worst gardener, but every spring I just can’t resist those cute little seed packets and seedlings. I spend too much money and have a great time tilling up the garden (okay, my husband does that), planting the little sprigs, and thinking about what a wonderful garden I’m going to have this year. Really. I swear. I’m going to get out there and weed it every single day.
Then June rolls in with its 95-degree days and suddenly the idea of “working” in some “garden” is so not appealing. I’m getting a little smarter about it. If you plan and prep a bit, you can have a nice garden without a lot of fuss. Even if you’re in the midst of one already, you can use these ideas to keep it natural and easier on your back.
- Use straw to keep weeds down. I think this is the best gardening idea I’ve ever heard. It’s multi-beneficial: a thick layer of straw around your plants and over all open areas in your garden will keep weeds down, help your soil retain moisture, give your growing produce a soft spot as it ripens, make it easier to see your produce, give you a better surface to walk on (it’s not nearly as muddy as, say, mud), and the straw will decompose over time, adding a no-work compost to your garden soil. Brilliant.
- Compost. Another great idea that, once set up, requires just a little maintenance on your part. You can get an actual “composting bin,” and if you live in an urban area you will need something enclosed so you don’t attract bothersome critters like the neighbor’s kids. Check out Organic Gardening’s lovely resources on composting for lots of information.
- Use plant supports. This seems so basic that I almost hesitate to add it here, but it’s easy to overlook supports until your plants are sprawling all over each other and you can’t even get in there to pick your first ripe tomato. You can barely see your first ripe tomato. Check out the basics here.
- Plant close together. This may or may not be standard good gardening practice, but I like it. And I am a lazy natural gardener (or is that a naturally lazy gardener? hmmm). Planting close together 1) discourages weeds, 2) allows you to get more plants in a smaller space, and 3) helps retain moisture because the ground beneath the plants stays shaded.
- Annie | My Bio & Articles
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Image Credits:gregor_Y.
I love bare feet, Dr. Bronner's, cotton skirts, summer rain, winter snow, new places, open-minded people, deep conversations.
I had a (short-lived) natural products company while I was in college: The Full Nelson Natural Products...
