Make Gardening A
Family Affair
As adults, we often assume
that gardening is designed exclusively for us.
Believe it or not, children also love to garden making this popular past
time a wonderful family-oriented activity.
If you are interested in making gardening a family affair, consider the
following ideas to help make your goal a successful one.
Why Children Love To Garden
Children love to create and
there's no better way to do so than by sharing in the fun of planting a
garden. Because little ones also love
color, they are naturally drawn to the landscape of a garden. In addition to that, they also can enjoy the
pleasure of watching something grow that they had a hand in preparing.
What To Plant
If you want to enjoy
gardening as a family affair, try planting something that the entire family
will enjoy. Everyone loves strawberries;
they are pretty and they taste great on a hot summer day. Planting strawberries is a terrific way to
get your children to join in on the fun of gardening. In addition, watermelon, apples, pears,
oranges and other colorful foods will entice your family into the project. Don't forget to plant pumpkins for
Halloween! Not only will your children
love to watch them grow, but they will also enjoy carving them for decoration.
How Your Child Can Benefit From Gardening
Gardening is a fun way to
enjoy an activity with family, but it also teaches your child
responsibility. If he/she is responsible
for planting something, it will provide a lesson in patience as the seed turns
into a mature plant. As they water the
garden, they will also learn responsibility in that taking care of something is
necessary for its health and survival.
Make Gardening Fun For Everyone
If you want to make any
family activity fun, everyone in the family must have a specific interest in
the project. In other words, just
because you want to plant roses doesn't mean that your child will share in your
enthusiasm. As a family, go out to the
store and choose something specific for each individual to plant. By allowing everyone the freedom of choosing
their own project, they will be more likely to enjoy watching it grow and be
proud of their achievement.
The Importance Of Sharing A Family Activity
One of the greatest things
that a family can do together is to spend quality time enjoying a common
interest. Instead of getting lost in a
television program or a video game, your family can benefit from gardening by
learning one of life's most important lessons - sowing seeds is required to reap
a bountiful harvest.
Landscaping Design Tips
As a homeowner, you can use
a number of landscaping design tips to make your house look just as polished on
the outside as it does on the inside.
Create A Path
One of the first things that
a guest will notice as they walk up to your home is whether or not there is a
defined path. Instead of simply allowing
the lawn to be trampled down and act as a pathway to your front door, consider
installing a stone walk. Not only will
this be more visually appealing, but it will also keep both you and your guests
from walking through the mud on a rainy day.
Make Your Mailbox Marvelous
The way that you maintain your
mailbox says a lot about how you feel about little details. An appealing design might include the
family's last name, the street number or address and a colorful display of
flowers surrounding the base or possibly even a decorative flag or covering.
Add A Touch Of Color
No landscape would be
complete without the addition of a little color in the way of flowers and
plants. Make sure to choose plants that
will thrive in your particular region, making sure to keep in mind their tolerance
to various temperatures and moisture levels.
Before planting, check the soil to make sure that ample sunlight is
available to promote a healthy life for your flowers and plants.
Curb Appeal
Nothing says curb appeal more than an attractive water feature. Whether you choose a do-it-yourself kit,
which is available at most home improvement stores, or you hire a professional
landscaper, a pond or waterfall is sure to be an asset to your landscape. If you really want to be the envy of your
neighbors, consider adding a goldfish pond to your yard and building a
decorative arched bridge for added accent above the feature.
Start A Kitchen Herb Garden
There is nothing like fresh
fruits and vegetables from your own garden to give your health and taste buds a
treat. Starting a kitchen herb garden is
a great and easy way to give your food the fresh taste of summer all year
round, and it is easy and inexpensive, too!
Pick A Spot That Gets Good Light
Most herbs require a good
amount of sunlight to grow, so choosing a spot where they get direct light is
important to making sure your herbs flourish.
If your kitchen doesn't get sufficient light, consider moving your herbs
to a room that gets better light or purchasing an indoor herb garden kit that
has a grow lamp.
Choose A Good Selection Of Herbs
While there are great herb
garden starter kits that offer a useful selection of herbs, if they are not
herbs you use often in cooking they are probably not the best choice. Also be sure you choose herbs that are
compatible with the kind of light available in your space.
Know The Right Conditions For Growth
As mentioned, herbs need a
considerable amount of sunlight, but they also require rich moist soil to grow
to their full potential. Having your
indoor herb garden by the kitchen sink is ideal. Also, making sure the soil gets proper
drainage by planting herbs in pots with draining holes and adding stones to the
bottom can make a big difference.
To Fertilize Or Not
There are a number of
resources on indoor herb gardens that recommend you use fertilizers to give
your herbs the maximum growth potential. However, there are many great natural
choices that will not affect the taste or nutritional value of your herbs, and
are better for the environment.
A kitchen herb garden is a great way to boost the nutritional value
and taste of your food, and will bring some of summer's taste and feel into
your home all year!
How To Care For Your Lawn
If you love your lawn, it's
only natural that you would want to give it the proper care to help give it a
healthy appearance. After all, your
landscape is one of the first things that people will notice when they arrive
at your home. Your lawn can either make
or break your curb appeal.
Grooming
If you have weeds, remove
them with the proper tools or by pulling them out of the ground manually. An important part of grooming your lawn is
mowing it regularly to give it a manicured appearance.
Feed Your Lawn
Yes, even your yard gets
hungry and what it craves more than anything is water. Most experts recommend that one thorough
watering each week is preferable over a light misting every other day. When it comes to feeding your lawn, the best
time of year to fertilize is during the spring.
This is when your lawn begins to grow and its beautiful shade of green
begins to come alive, which is why it's important to make sure that it has all
of the nutrients that it needs to enjoy the warm months ahead.
Treating Bald Or Bare Spots
What happens when your lawn
begins to dry out or shows signs of brown spots? It could mean a number of things, but
treating it properly will help to get your yard sparkling again. One way of doing this is by planting seeds so
that new grass can grow. Before doing
this, make sure to loosen the soil so that the seeds will have a healthy
start. Your other option is to bring in
sod, which is commonly used for larger areas that are in need of a quick
fix. Just as you would loosen the soil
for seeding, it's important to do the same for sod so that it can properly
attach to the surface of the lawn.
Pest Control
Your lawn is a reflection of
your home, but it's also a potential haven for pests. It's important to pay close attention to the
plants and/or flowers that you choose for your landscape as certain types can
deter pests, while others may actually attract them. If in doubt, ask a local gardening expert or
a representative at your local home improvement store for more information on
this topic. If you develop a pest
problem, there are products designed to protect your landscape and permanently
rid the pests of your space.
Next month: Outdoor patios, lighting, decks and grilling
Valerie
McKean GRI, ABR
Owner/Broker
Century 21 Sterling Real Estate
Century 21 Sterling Real Estate
REALTOR®
Tel:
910-430-9494
February 24th 2018
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