Seven Gardening By The Yard Tips
By Nicky Pilkington, Tue Jan 10th

If you have a tiny yard and would like a simple butwell-maintained garden, you only need two things - determinationand know-how. Here are some tips on how to keep your garden bythe yard looking spruced up and glamorous.

1. Deadheading Keep your border free from wilted flowers anddried leaves. Deadheading or removing dead flower heads willencourage the plants to produce more blooms for longer. Manyperennials such as geraniums and dahlias, and some annualsbenefit from having spent blooms removed

3. Pinch out tops. Certain plants - especially foliage plantslike Coleus - respond with a spurt of growth when their tops arepinched out. Pinching out makes the plant much bushier and somore blooms are produced. Fuchsias are prone to becoming leggyunless they are pinched out.

4. Fertilize lightly. A minimal amount of fertilizer willfurther boost the growth of your vegetation. If you water youryard frequently, you have to fertilize it more regularly becauseof nutrient depletion. A fortnightly application of liquidfertilizer is sometimes more beneficial than granules as it ismore readily absorbed by the leaves. Container plants will beconsiderably healthier with a half-strength solution of liquidfertilizer

applied regularly.

5. Weed out. This is one of the best ways to preserve the beautyof your garden by the yard. Remember, weeds compete with yourplants for both nutrients and moisture. If the weeds are notclose to seeding, leave them on the bed to rot down for mulch.If you must use a weedicide, try and get a wick applicator,rather than a spray. This will protect you plants fromspray-drift.

6. Water them well One good tip when it comes to watering yourgarden by the yard is to give it a thorough soaking once a week,making sure there is no run-off to cause erosion. Deep wateringwill encourage the growth of deeper roots that will be able towithstand dry spells weatherwise

7. Say no to chemicals Chemicals are dangerous to humans andoften kill the natural predators of the pest in your garden, soavoid them if possible. There are many organic alternatives thatwork almost as well.

With these simple tips, your garden by the yard will soon be theenvy of your neighbors.

About the author:Find more about gardeningand some useful gardeningtips at AboutGardening