It’s time to apply some easy improvements for your garden. Winter is one of my favorite times of the year for the garden because it provides time for spring planning. Spring, summer, and fall are the perfect times to work in your yard, and winter is time to work on the garden. You don’t need to be a famous garden designer to make changes and improvements. You already know what you like. Take time this winter to plan a few improvements for your garden, and you will enjoy the planning for years to come.
Below are a few of my favorite low cost easy improvements for your garden.
1. Grow More Vegetables
Like many of you, I spent a good portion of my younger years mowing lawns in the neighborhood for money, not for enjoyment. In contrast, as soon as I started to grow food in a garden, the real joy of gardening hit me. Americans cover millions of acres of valuable agricultural land around their homes with lawns, shrubs, annual flowers, and a tree mixed in here and there.
What if we started to plant more edibles in our landscapes? Edible plants are beautiful, provide food for you and your family, and provide a great sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. Let’s minimize how much lawn we plant and instead plant borders of herbs or swiss chard. The opportunities are endless, and you will end up saving money on food, eating a more healthy diet, and enjoying your food more.
It’s also fun to plant vegetables within your ornamentals plants. Here is an excellent example of zucchini, cilantro, and Swiss chard growing along with lavender and some annual flowers.
2. Espalier A Tree
Another improvement for your garden is in the spirit of growing more food in our gardens, espalier trees work well. They provide a great visual experience and can provide excellent fruit too. Training trees to grow in a pattern does take some work, but it is well worth the effort. Here is an excellent detailed how-to article on how to espalier a tree. There are many good reasons to espalier your trees from a visual design perspective. You will also get more fruit, and it will taste better.
3. Stone Walls
Stone walls make a dramatic improvement for your garden. Often you can purchase the leftovers from your local rock, sand and gravel company. You can get a reasonable price and reduce waste from another job. This option is particularly useful for smaller areas. Think borders, edges, or a few steps. Often just a dry stack will complete your job, and the outcome is practical and beautiful.
Much of the enjoyment of a garden comes from the creative side of planning a garden. Now is the time to take advantage of your garden’s requirement for less maintenance and spend that time doing something creative. These ideas are just a few of many and hopefully jump start your creativity. Please be sure to share any additional ideas you may have in the comments area, and we look forward to hearing about your progress. If you liked this guide, here is another guide from Miracle Gro.