Helpful Gardening Tips

  Below are tips which I hope you will find helpful. If you have one that you would like to share with us email it to us thru the contact us page and and we will try to add it.

  Use a 3" mulch of organic material in flower beds and around trees, it discourages weeds, conserves water and adds humus and nutrients to the soil.

  When laying out the edges of a new flower bed that you want curves in, try using a garden hose to make the curves untill it is like you want it. Then mark the edge with chalk powder or sand.

  Prune azaleas just after blooming. Doing it any later will damage the bud formation that produces next spring's flowers.

  Clean and sharpen lawn and garden tools, and store them in a dry storage area. A light coating of oil on exposed metal surfaces will prevent rusting

   A good, salt substitute for anyone who wants to restrict sodium intake is a blend of equal parts dried basil, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme and a few dashes of Hungarian paprika. The mixture will keep indefinitely in a dark glass or ceramic container.

  Parsley is very good for removing odours. A sprig eaten after a meal  will help alleviate bad breath. Rub it on your hands to stop them from smelling.

If you are planting plants, grown in plastic containers? Carefully remove the plant and tear the outside roots if they have grown solidly against the container.

Tarragon has an aniseed flavour. Always taste some before you use it in cooking, the strength varies dramatically
between plants.