Whether you are planting your backyard or decking your porch and deck with greenery, there are easy spring landscaping solutions that will make your garden more beautiful and easy to maintain. Discover how to tame a wild garden, water on the cheap, and decorate with self-sufficient planters.
Reservoir Planters
If you live in an arid, warm climate, save yourself the constant need to water your garden with reservoir planters. Fitted with a special water compartment at their base, such planters prevent the roots from soaking in water and rotting; yet at the same times give the roots access to a large amount of water.
For easy spring landscaping around your trees, simply place a rubber ring around the base of your tree. Rubber mulch looks like the real thing, though unlike bark and mulch the rings will not add acid to the soil. And to edge your flower beds, consider using rubber mulch edger, which you roll out and spread along your garden.
Save on Watering
Make every drop of rain count when it comes to watering your garden. A rain barrel is ideal for storing rain. Barrels come with a faucet, which you simply hook a hose to. If you wish to place your barrel beneath a porch cover, consider diverting water to it from your water spout. A downspout diverter fits between two sections of your water spout, diverting rainfall into your barrel.
Deck Planters
Instead of installing brackets on your deck rail for hanging flower boxes, consider using special planters. Saddle planters come with a deep notch in their base, which allows them to straddle the deck rail. It’s easy to spread planters over the rail in this way, and there’s no need for a permanent attachment to the spot as the weight of the planters hold them in place.
Tarp & Mulch
If you have a large, wild garden to tame, consider using mulch and tarp. Many wholesale grocery stores carry garden tarp in spring, at cheaper prices than home improvement stores. Simply spread the tarp over your garden. Use scissors to trim the tarp as needed.
Next, order mulch in bulk from a local landscaping company (listed online or through the Yellow Pages). Buying in bulk not only saves you money but delivers the heavy mulch straight to your driveway. You’ll need a wheelbarrow and a shovel to spread the mulch through your garden.
Vegetable Patch
You don’t have to tear up your lawn to plant a vegetable patch. Look for raised beds, which you can rest on top of your lawn. Sophisticated versions create a water reservoir at the base of the raised planter and heat the roots to encourage growth. Use biodegradable seed tape to plant your vegetable patch with minimal work. And spread a soaker hose through the patch for easy watering.
Back Door Screen
To keep bugs out of your home as the warm days come, hang a bug screen in the doorway. Screens attach to your door jamb the way a shower curtain poll attaches between two walls. Simply hang the curtain in spring, then take it down again in winter.
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