Gardening For Health

Keeping a backyard garden can provide physical, mental and aesthetic rewards. Whether you grow a mix of annuals & perennials, vegetables & herbs, I’m sure you appreciate the love, dedication and hard work that goes into planting and maintaining your botanical beds. Gardening provides a form of exercise, can lead to improved mood and relief from stress, and hopefully yields plenty of cuttings to enjoy.

No Pain, No Gain

Along with the many rewards, gardening can include a mix of frustration with trial and error. Being a novice myself in the early years, I learned that reading a book or blog about gardening was very different than doing the actual work. There were times when I wished my mother were still alive, so I could ask, “what am I doing wrong in my garden?” and “why are all my plants dying?” As with most things, with a little persistence and a whole lot of patience, I started to see progress. Now, as I sit here years later, I hold on dearly to all that I have learned and the mistakes I made along the way. 

Here are a few suggestions:

Always, always use good soil. Loose organic garden soil will help plants to grow and prosper. Use a compost tea/brew like Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizer on your annuals and perennials weekly during the spring and summer months.Keep up with deadheading tired, old looking blooms and foliage. Pinch or cut off the stem below the spent flower and it will promote new growth.When planting, try not to overcrowd your flower beds. Most plants over the years will double or triple in size. Be sure to check the space requirements on your plant care card.

Flower Farming

Growing flowers at home can be a relaxing yet challenging hobby. I’ve worked hard to create my own petite flower farm in my backyard and I am thankful to my friend Liz for always being available to answer my gardening questions. She is patient when I ask for the umpteenth time, “why are my roses dropping leaves?” and “how do you get dahlias to be the size of dinner plates?” I am honored to have Liz as a flower farming resource. Thank you, Liz, for always sharing your knowledge!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post, Flower Farm to Table, featuring Liz and her locally-grown flower farm in Vermont. 
Check out our newest garden supplies, hand lotions and vases at the shop.

Merci,

Sandra