The benefits of gardening...Flowers and Veggies

Spring has finally sprung.  It's time to get out and freshen up the yard.  If you don't have a flower bed or vegetable garden, you may want to consider adding some.  

During these current financially tough times it may seem that landscaping is an unnecessary expense.  I beg to differ.  We all need God's beauty to bring us some happiness when we are down.  Furthermore, getting out in the fresh air and playing in the dirt is a great way to get exercise and build up that immune system while beautifying our surroundings.

Something to consider while planning your planting is to add some vegetables to your flower beds.  Not everyone has the space for a vegetable garden, but a tomato plant here, a pepper plant there, some onions and some lettuce scattered here and there throughout your flower beds can go a long way.  Have you seen the price of groceries lately?  Every penny saved is a good thing!

Although master gardeners can tell you all about this plant and that and the ph and such of the soil, I am far from a master gardener and cannot advise on that; but I have had some pretty good success by putting plants, bulbs and seeds in the ground and letting God take care of the rest.  (I do try to follow planting instructions and water as needed, especially since we tend to have very hot, dry summers here.)  I say this because you do not have to build a raised bed or buy dirt (I'll write about composting another time), just dig up a space, pull out all the weeds and grass, this will turn the dirt quite well, and plant.  If you have access to a tiller, yes, tilling the space is much better, but we are talking on a budget here.  

Adding color to your yard does not have to be expensive.  Plant bulbs!  Not only do they flower in a few months, they come back every year and are fairly cheap!  Cluster them when planting, according to instructions, as most grow to a good height and clustering will help support each other.  Plant these near the back of your flower bed.

Next you can add a few vegetable plants.  In this area, I would choose vegetables that have a bit of height, like tomatoes and peppers.  I would not recommend vining plants, as they may attach to your flowers and suffocate them.  Although, caging plants, such as cucumbers and beans, can help, but you will still have to keep a close eye on them.

Next, add some hostas. These can be super cheap, as I am quite sure you know someone who has hostas growing in their flower beds and would be willing to divide theirs to get you started.  Again, these come back every year and will self-propagate. Hostas come in many different varieties and are nice because they add green and sometimes some white early in the growing season and bloom with shoots in mid late summer.

Next plant your underground and lower vegetables...  onions, carrots, lettuce and spices.  Several spices will also help control mosquitoes in your yard.

Finally, along the edge of your space, add some ground cover.  Phlox are not real expensive, have pretty bloom and spread like wildfire!  Or maybe some red thyme, will flower and is very fragrant.  

If you already have flowerbeds, just add a veggie her and there in the beds you already have.  I will bet that you pay more attention to your flowers when you are going out to pick some veggies for a fresh salad or salsa to go with dinner.

Happy planting!