Starting a garden is a great way to bring nature into your home. Not only can you enjoy the beauty of budding flowers and lush green foliage, but you can also reap the many health benefits that come with having a garden. Here are some of the ways in which starting a garden can improve your overall well-being.

1. Increased Physical Activity

Caring for a garden requires tending to it on a regular basis, which means that you will have to engage in physical activity such as digging, planting, harvesting, and weeding. This can help keep you active and fit even when you don’t have time for a traditional exercise routine.

In addition, gardening can be a great way to enjoy outdoor activities with friends and family. Whether it’s planting new flowers or harvesting fresh produce, you can get the whole family involved in your garden endeavors. Getting a healthy dose of sunlight can also help boost your mood and reduce stress levels. Gardening gives you the perfect opportunity to get some quality time in the sun, as long as you remember to use sunscreen!

2. Stress Relief

Gardening can help reduce stress levels as it is an activity that encourages mindfulness and being in the present moment. According to a study done by the National Council for Biotechnology Information, 60% of people said they would enjoy partaking in group art therapies. Like art therapy, gardening is a creative activity that can help you feel calm and relaxed.

In addition to physical and stress-relieving benefits, gardening also provides mental health benefits. Working in the garden can have a calming effect. It’s an opportunity for you to escape from your day-to-day worries and just focus on your beautiful garden.

3. Help Promote Better Mobility

Only 4% to 5% of personal injury cases go to trial, with 95% of personal injury claims settled pre-trial in the United States. If you’ve recently suffered an injury, gardening can help you regain your mobility and strength. Simple activities like pruning, weeding, and harvesting can improve your balance, range of motion, muscle strength, and flexibility.

If you’re having trouble getting strength for mobility, gardening can help you get your strength back. It also encourages physical activity, which is great for those who have been inactive due to injury or illness.

4. Increase Home Value

According to HomeLight, properties sold by owners sell for roughly 6% less than homes sold by agents. However, if you have a lush garden in your backyard, it can boost the value of your home significantly. A well-maintained garden adds curb appeal to any property and can help make your house more attractive to potential buyers.

Furthermore, if you’re able to grow some of your own food, it adds even more appeal for buyers seeking a sustainable lifestyle. A garden can be an asset to any homeowner and is an excellent way to increase the value of your home. However, achieving a beautiful and aesthetic garden requires consistent effort in maintenance and upkeep.

You can find tree specialists on websites like https://www.mmtreecutting.com/, or choose to do it yourself if you have the time and expertise. Remember, maintaining a beautiful garden involves regular care, including watering, pruning, weeding, and fertilizing. Investing time and effort into your garden’s upkeep can pay off in the long run by enhancing the overall appeal and value of your home.

5. Improve Your Diet

Having a garden allows you to grow your own nutritious vegetables and herbs. This means that you can enjoy fresh produce right from your backyard, without relying on store-bought items that may not be as healthy or organic. By growing your own food, you can also save money on grocery bills since homegrown vegetables are generally cheaper than store-bought produce. In addition, you might be encouraged to cook more from scratch, which can be a great way to improve your overall diet.

Overall, having a garden is a great way to improve your health and well-being. Not only does it provide physical benefits such as increased physical activity, stress relief, and better mobility, but it can also provide mental health benefits. Additionally, having a garden can help increase the value of your home, making it an even more attractive asset for potential buyers. So don’t hesitate to start your own garden, you won’t regret it!

There are a couple of reasons you need to keep your new pup out of your garden. A garden can be a dangerous place for a young dog. Of course, you work hard to keep your garden just so, and you do not want all that hard work to be for nothing. These tips will help keep your fur baby safe and out of the garden.

Start With Training

You can have a beautiful garden and a well-behaved pup by teaching your pup boundaries. Show your pup where they can and cannot go in the yard. Reward good behavior when your pup steers clear of the areas you don’t want them in. It can take a little time to train your pup to avoid your gardens fully, but it will be well worth it in the end.

If you are like 32% of Americans, you work in your gardens several times a week. Whenever you head out to do some work in the garden, it is a great opportunity for a training session. Take the pup with you and work on training them to understand boundaries.

Switch Up Your Garden

If training takes longer than you thought, you can consider switching up where your garden grows. About 90% of Americans prefer to have homes that are surrounded by lawns. If you’re part of this population, you have plenty of areas to plant a new garden. Planting a garden out of where your dog hangs out in the yard can help keep them out of your plants.

Make Your Gardens an Unwelcome Place

Dogs are susceptible to smells. Mixing up the right spices batch can help persuade your puppy to keep out. Try dry mustard mixed with some pepper flakes and spread that around generously. Some gardening sites recommend using orange rinds as well. Experiment with different scents to see if it works. You will undoubtedly find something that will keep your pup out of the garden.

Put Up a Barrier

A small garden fence encircling your gardens may be the solution to keep little paws out. Dogs do not like to squeeze into tight spaces. A small fence with little wiggle room to walk through can be an easy way to keep your pup away. It does not have to be an elaborate fence. It just needs to be a fence that will create a barrier your pup will respect. These can be installed yourself. If you have a pool, however, it’s best to get a fence professionally fitted. Many dogs are water-lovers, but if your puppy were to accidentally fall into your pool, they’d be unlikely to be able to get themselves out again. Once your fence is installed, look for pool fence inspectors melbourne, or similar inspectors near you, to ensure everything is as safe as it can be.

Dogs will follow a path if one is available. Create a path to space that is all their own. A play space for your pup that has interesting things to play with, like sticks, dog toys, and other things to keep them busy, will entertain them. Of course, having a space in the yard where they can run around will also help to keep them healthy. An alarming number of dogs are overweight from lack of exercise.

Keeping an eye on your dog’s weight is important. According to the National Veterinarians Association, a body condition score chart can be used to determine if your dog is overweight. The scale on a BCS chart runs from 1-5. A score of 1 means your dog is too skinny, and a score of 5 means that your dog is overweight. Ideally, your dog’s BCS score should be a 3. A place in the yard all their own will help to keep the pounds off.

You and your pup can live in harmony. You do not have to sacrifice having a dog to share your life with to keep your garden in good shape. You do not have to give up gardening to have a dog. You can have them both. Follow these tips to find a peaceful compromise. If these tips do not help, consider professional training.

With more people seeing the benefits of having a garden at home, the demand for professional services for gardening and landscaping grows. This is why you’ll be making a good call by starting a garden and landscaping company. If you’d like to know how you can do this with a good chance of success, read on for five great tips.

1. Consider Financing

Financing plays a major role in any business, so you need to secure financing for your company from the start. Look into different options to find out where you can get this to keep your company running. While at it, you should think about enlisting the help of an expert to make sure that you’re aware of all your financial obligations from a legal point. You should also learn about things like invoice factoring. This is a type of accounts receivable financing that converts all outstanding invoices that are due in 90 days into immediate cash that you can use in your small business. When you use such a service, you can focus on other aspects of your garden business!

2. Think About the Services You’ll Offer

You also need to know the specific services that your garden and landscaping company will offer. This will enable you to plan for the future and you can understand the risks and other details that you need to plan for. At the start, you can offer minimal services, which you’ll be able to comfortably and efficiently work on with the best outcome. Don’t be tempted to bite off more than you can chew because you may end up ruining your reputation when you fail at a task that you have on your list of services. Clients are not likely to give you a second chance if you disappoint them the first time, so make sure to only provide services you’re capable of offering well and profitably.

3. Build a Great Website

Every single company in this digital age needs to have a solid online presence. This is because many people head online to find products and services that they need, so not having a website is leaving money on the table. You’ll miss out on potential clients if you don’t have a digital presence, so invest in one and ensure that it’s of good quality. Note that 50% of consumers believe that the design of a website is crucial to the overall brand of a business. This means that you should hire a professional marketing agency to create and optimize a website for your business.

4. Research the Equipment You’ll Need

It’s important for you to also start with a good idea of the equipment that you’ll need to keep your business running. This will be dictated by the services that you intend to offer so you can see the importance of planning such details from the start. When you know the equipment you need to get, it’ll also be possible to come up with a reasonable budget and seek financing the right way.

5. Consider the Team You’ll Hire

Finally, you should know the positions for which you’ll need to hire so that you can start searching for the best employees for your company. This will entail determining the skills and qualifications they need and putting up advertisements to find them. You could also network and rely on word of mouth to help you get good candidates for your open positions. Note that employees who are engaged are about 87% less likely to quit, so be sure you keep this in mind as you onboard and start taking on clients.

With these five tips, you can start a successful landscaping company and scale up over time. Make consistent efforts so that you can get a better outcome in good time.

This is the time of year when people start to think about the number of ways that they can ‘autumn-ify’ their garden to make it look precisely the way that they want it to look. It can be a challenge to change things up every season, but it may make sense to do so in order to get the best possible experience from your garden. Today, we will look at a few ways that you can autumn-ify your garden on a budget.

1. Reuse Old Fall Decor as Planters

It isn’t necessary to start from scratch with every single project that you get to work on. Instead, you can look at reusing some of the materials that are already in your possession to make life a bit easier on yourself. When looking at budget-friendly ways to handle your gardening projects, it’s probably best to start by reusing some of the old decor that you already have around the house in the first place.

The fall decor that you have already purchased may be repurposed as planters for your future garden projects. Don’t think that you need to begin everything from the start every time.

2. Save Seeds From Fall Foods

If you have grown fall foods in your garden in the past, you can save seeds from those foods to use again the next year. You’ll want to check out the relevant information you need about when and how to plant them. However, you can easily see how doing so can make it a bit easier for you to get the kind of results that you require from the seeds that you have planted in your garden.

Saving seeds is useful because you are likely to use the same types of fall foods year after year. If you save the seeds from one harvest to another, then you will save money over buying the same foods.

3. Look Into Local Perennials

At this very moment, there are 1.8 billion websites operating at the same time all over the world. If you start poking around, you’re sure to find some way to find the local perennials to plant in your garden for each year. Purchasing these plants from someone locally can save you money on travel or shipping expenses, and you can potentially obtain the plants that you require at a price that you can reasonably afford. Check with local dealers to see which plants you can get in your area.

4. Discover Free Plants

There are certainly times and places when it’s possible to obtain free plants that you can put into your garden. If you’re strategic about the way that you search for free plants that are available, then you may not have to put out any money at all in order to grow the garden that you want. Instead, just make sure you are keeping an eye out for every opportunity that you can take advantage of. Check out Facebook Marketplace for plant swaps or for free cuttings. You’ll be surprised by what you can find.

Now that fall is officially here, you can start getting your garden ready for the chillier seasons. Try out some of our tips above to help autumn-ify your space.

Growing your own food can be incredibly beneficial for you and your family. The food supply chain can be complex and easily disrupted. When you grow your own, you get some peace of mind about it. But getting to that point can be difficult. Here are some tips on how to create a life growing your own food.

Move Somewhere With Plenty of Room

While this is not necessary to grow some of your food, growing all of your own food requires a lot of space. If you are moving to a new home in the near future, look for a property that provides the space you need to have a large garden. You might move for a number of reasons. For example, 40% of moves are due to work while 42% are for personal reasons. Meanwhile, 18% of moves are for military or government relocation. If you’re going to be moving anyway, you might as well get yourself into a space where growing your own food will be much more practical.

Be Thoughtful In Your Planning

Having a successful garden depends on a large number of factors. You need to have the right climate for many plants. If it is too hot or cold, they won’t be successful no matter how hard you try. So you have to be thoughtful about what you’re growing. Native plants are always a good option. About 92% of homeowners who add plants to their yards are choosing native plants. Since they have specifically evolved to thrive in your climate, they are most likely to be successful. Look for native edibles and make them part of your garden plan.

You should also make sure you’re growing things you and your family will actually eat. If you choose things that are easy but unappetizing, you’ll have a hard time motivating everyone to eat food from the garden.

Know Your Limitations

Gardening is a great activity, but it needs to be adapted to fit your specific lifestyle. If you have disabilities, lack time, or lack space, you will have to figure out how to garden in the situation you have. Don’t try to push yourself too far, it could result in injury. Up to 22% of slips and falls result in more than 31 days away from work. So if you’re injured as you start your garden, it’ll postpone your life of growing your own food as you recover.

Expect Setbacks

Gardening is unpredictable. You could do everything right and still not get a successful crop. A drought could destroy your garden or unusually cold weather could prevent it from starting at all. As you experiment with different crops, you need to expect that many of them will fail to thrive. If you expect to eat solely from your garden the first year you plant it, you’re likely to get discouraged when you realize how few plants actually survive until they’re fully grown.

Take Small Steps

If you’ve never gardened before, you shouldn’t dive into growing all of your food. Instead, take small steps toward your goal. Start with something small and simple. An herb garden can be easy to plant and care for, while also providing essential ingredients. Or you could try growing a small vegetable garden. As you gain more skills and experience, you can branch out into growing more and more of your own food. Eventually, you might be able to grow all of it yourself.

Growing a garden is a great way to care for your family and relieve some of your anxiety over food. However, it is important that you go into it with realistic expectations. If you celebrate small victories and take small steps toward your goal, you’re much more likely to be successful.

Gardening is one of the best hobbies that you can take part in. This is because of the different benefits that it can help you and your family to enjoy. Apart from the obvious ones such as helping make the environment a bit greener and enjoying more fresh food, there are other benefits of gardening that you may not have thought about. Here are a few of them that could help you make the decision to start a garden at home a lot sooner.

You Can Bond With Your Community Better

You Improve Your Health

You Can Enjoy a Cooler House

You Live More Sustainably

As the weather gets warmer, many of us start to dream of hosting outdoor parties in our gardens. Whether you’re planning a casual get-together with friends or a more formal gathering, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your party is a success. Here are five things to consider as you plan to host a party in your garden.

1. The Size of Your Garden

When deciding whether or not to host a party in your garden, one of the first things you’ll need to consider is the size of your space. If you have a small garden, you may need to limit the number of guests you invite to avoid feeling cramped. On the other hand, if you have a large garden, you may be able to accommodate a bigger group. You can consider having your graduation party in your garden as you only need to rent some chairs, tables, and canopies for extra shade.

If you’re not sure how many people your garden can comfortably accommodate, err on the side of caution and invite fewer guests than you think you can fit. It’s always better to have too much space than too little.

2. The Layout of Your Garden

Another important factor to consider is the layout of your garden. Take a look at your space and decide where you want guests to congregate. You’ll need to make sure there’s enough room for people to move around comfortably and that there aren’t any obstacles in the way (e.g., large tree roots, stepping stones, etc.). If you have a patio or deck in your garden, this is usually the best spot to set up tables and chairs for your guests.

Another thing to remember is that you’ll need to create a path for guests to follow when they arrive. This can be as simple as putting out a few lawn chairs or setting up a rope light along the edge of your garden.

3. The Weather

Of course, the weather is one of the most important things to consider when planning an outdoor party. You’ll need to keep an eye on the forecast in the days leading up to your event and be prepared for any potential weather changes. If there’s a chance of rain, you may consider renting a tent or setting up a tarp to provide shelter for your guests.

For hot weather, be sure to have plenty of cold drinks on hand and consider setting up a fan or two to keep guests cool. You may also want to provide sunscreen and bug spray for guests to use as needed.

4. Deep Cleaning the Exterior of Your Home

If you’re going to be inviting people over, you’ll want to make sure your home is presentable. This means giving the exterior of your house a good cleaning. Wash any dirt and grime off of windows, doors, and siding. Power wash your deck or patio if necessary. While at it, do not forget to visually inspect your siding and foundation. It helps you catch problems such as cracks before they become bigger issues. If you find any issues be sure to have them fixed right away. Research shows you will pay around $4,640 to repair foundation issues.

You should also take a look at your landscaping and make sure everything is trimmed and looking neat. Mow your lawn, pull weeds, and trim any overgrown bushes or trees. If you have flower beds, be sure to rake up any dead leaves or debris.

Last but not least, clear any clutter from your porch or patio. This includes things like bikes, lawn chairs, and garden tools. You want your guests to have plenty of space to move around without tripping over anything.

5. Your Budget

The typical American has about $38,000 in debt, excluding mortgages. So, one of the first things you need to do when planning a party is to figure out how much money you can realistically spend. Make a list of all the potential expenses for your party and give each item a realistic price tag. This will help you stay on track as you start making decisions about food, drinks, decorations, etc.

These tips should help you plan the perfect party in your garden. Just remember to start planning early, so you have plenty of time to prepare everything. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself. After all, it’s your party.

August is officially here, which means autumn is right around the corner. While the idea of getting your garden ready for the cooler season might seem overwhelming, you don’t need to worry! Here’s how you can revamp your garden for fall without breaking your budget.

1. Compare Prices of Tools Online

If you’ve been using your tools throughout the spring and summer, you probably know if they need to be replaced by now. Prepare for the fall by deciding which tools you need to buy. Once you know what you need, compare the prices online so that you can buy it at the best rate. However, when you shop online, it is important to know what you are doing. Server attacks can leave you vulnerable to identity and credit card theft. Even Amazon recently had to guard itself against a massive DDoS attack on its server, with a peak volume of 2.3 Tbsp, which is the largest ever recorded. However, if you are careful with your information as you shop online, you can get some really great deals on necessary garden tools.

2. Buy Perennials When They’re On Sale

Unlike annuals, perennial plants will grow back on their own in the spring. This means that if you buy it once, you don’t need to keep buying the same plant in order to enjoy its presence in your garden. Perennials can be expensive when the season is just beginning. However, as fall arrives, garden centers will want to get rid of the perennials they have in stock. This means you’re likely to find some great sale prices for these plants. While this might not serve you so well this year, it will allow you to have the beautiful plants you want next year without paying full price for them.

3. Recycle Old Fall Decor

If you’ve lived in your home for a while, you likely have some fall decor already. However, it can get worn out over the years. This is especially true when you’re using it outside in your garden. Look at your existing fall decors and see how you can recycle them. Some of it might not be salvageable and you’ll need to dispose of it. Others, however, could be upcycled into something new and fun. This will take a little extra work, but result in an exciting new addition to your fall garden that doesn’t require you to spend a lot of money on it.

4. Consider Planting a Fall Garden

Did you know that some plants thrive in cool fall weather? A fall garden can be a great way to keep getting fresh produce well into the autumn, saving you money on your grocery bills. It can also add some color and decor to your yard as you plan for the fall. Look into what you need to grow things like kale and cabbage. If you plan it during the summer, you’ll be all set for a successful fall garden.

5. Clean Your Tools

Before you put your gardening tools away for the winter, make sure that they are clean. The last thing you want to do in the spring is to pull out your tools to find them rusted or caked with dirt. If you’re unsure of the best way to clean and store your tools, look for a website or server that can help you. If you take the time to do this now, you’ll be in better shape for spring.

Getting your garden ready for fall does not need to be expensive. Whether you’re planning another round of gardening or putting things to bed for the winter, you can do so cheaply. Then, you’ll be ready to start it all over again in the spring.

Gardening is an amazing hobby to take up thanks to all the benefits that it has to offer. It may be a bit of a learning curve to know how to do it well, however, because of the sheer volume of information surrounding gardening. Here are four helpful tips to make it easier for you to garden that you’ve probably never thought of to give you some ideas on how to improve your gardening efforts.

1. Remove All Jewelry

First off, it’s a good idea to remove any jewelry that you may be wearing before you go to your garden. This includes dandling earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The main reason to do this is that while gardening, a piece of jewelry may get stuck on a gardening tool and get destroyed or even hurt you. Sensitive jewelry will also likely tarnish under the effects of earth, gardening tools, and any cleaning solutions and more that may come into contact with them. Since the fingers may expand when exerted during gardening, a ring you put on with no issue may become stuck after a serious gardening session. In this case, you should not pull it hard or panic. Instead, submerge your hand in ice-cold water for 10 to 20 seconds then remove it from the water. After this, try to wiggle the ring up and down to get it off and it may come off easily.

2. Make Use of Leftover Coffee Grinds

If you enjoy a regular cup of coffee every morning, consider collecting any leftover coffee or coffee grinds to use in your garden. Sprinkling these around your plants will do a great job deterring snails, slugs, and fungal growth in general. As a plus, they will add magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, copper, and phosphorus to the soil and help your plants thrive. These can be especially beneficial for different herbs and vegetables that you may grow, and they are a natural alternative to chemicals that you may purchase. Additionally, this is great for the environment! Consider starting a compost with other leftover food if you haven’t already.

3. Consider Purchasing Flood Insurance

If you live in an area that has some risk for floods, you will do well to get flood insurance. If you have invested a lot of time and money into your garden, you would not like to see it all get washed away unexpectedly. Check to see if your home is in a flood zone if you aren’t sure. Remember that flood zones are always being updated, with around 25% of flood damage occurring in areas that are not considered to be high-risk flood zones. Purchasing flood insurance is a great way to secure your garden and your home as you cover the gaps that your homeowner’s insurance may have left.

4. Try a Mobile Garden

If you are not too sure if you will stay in your current home for a long time, there’s no reason why this should stop you from the joys that come with having a garden. Try planting a mobile garden and you can move with it if you do move. Since the average American moves around 12 times in their lifetime, this may be the best idea depending on your home situation. When you plant a mobile garden, you no longer have to worry about toiling with the soil only to leave all that you had planted behind. Look online for some images of ideas that you can use to plant a mobile garden and try them out for a chance to get some amazing results.

With these gardening tips, you have hopefully learned something that you didn’t know before. Put this new knowledge to good use and you may get amazing results from your productive and green hobby! Don’t wait until you lose jewelry or your garden floods. Get started today!

Have you ever looked at your tiny outdoor area and thought there’s no way you could ever grow anything in there? Well, think again. With a little creativity, even the smallest outdoor space can be transformed into a productive garden. Whether you’re thinking of growing your favorite herbs or veggies, there are many ways to get the most out of your limited space. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Plan for a Garden From the Design Stage

When you’re planning to build a new home, take the time to consider how you can incorporate a garden into your design. You can do this by working with a design-build firm. Design-build companies have a team of experts who handle everything from start to finish on a house project. This means they can work with you to come up with a plan that will include a garden area that makes the most of your space.

For example, if you have a small plot of land, the experts at a design-build company can work with you to create an L-shaped garden that will give you plenty of room to grow your favorite plants.

2. Consider Vertical Gardening

Another option is to create a vertical garden. This type of garden is perfect for small spaces because it takes up very little ground space. There are many different ways to create a vertical garden, such as installing trellises, hanging up baskets, or even stacking pots on top of each other. Not only does this save space, but it also makes your garden more eye-catching and unique.

If you’re interested in vertical gardening, then be sure to do some research on the best plants for this type of gardening. Some plants, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans, are well-suited for vertical growth. Others, such as lettuce and spinach, may not do as well.

3. Work to Minimize Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is a common problem in small gardens. It takes away valuable nutrients from the soil and can make it difficult for plants to grow. The two major factors that determine the rate of erosion are the amount of bare ground and the length of time the soil is exposed. There are several ways to reduce erosion in your garden, such as adding mulch or using ground cover plants. Mulch is any material, such as wood chips, that you place on top of the soil to protect it from erosion. Ground cover plants spread out and cover the ground, which also helps to reduce erosion.

If you have a sloped garden, then erosion will be a bigger problem. In this case, you’ll need to take extra measures to prevent it. One option is to try and reduce the slope of your garden. This can be done by terracing or using retaining walls.

4. Use Companion Planting

Companion planting is a gardening technique that involves planting two or more different plants close together. This can have several benefits, such as deterring pests, improving the health of the plants, and even increasing yields. When companion planting, it’s important to choose plants that have complementary needs. For example, you wouldn’t want to plant a water-loving plant next to a drought-tolerant one.

There are many different combinations of plants that can be used for companion planting. Some popular combinations include tomatoes and basil, carrots and onions, and cabbage and celery.

5. Renovate Your Old Garden

According to iPropertyManagement, 28% of property owners believe renovating is a less expensive choice than purchasing a property that better meets their needs. Well, this rings true for gardens as well. If you have an existing garden that isn’t as productive as you’d like, then consider giving it a makeover.

Start by getting a soil test to see what nutrients your soil is lacking. Then, add some compost or other organic matter to the soil to improve its quality. Once you’ve done that, you can start planning what you’ll plant in your garden. Be sure to choose plants that are well-suited for your climate and soil type.

No matter what type of space you have to work with, there’s a way to turn it into a productive garden. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to growing your own herbs, veggies, or flowers in no time. So, get out there and start gardening.