Many people love gardening; however, keeping gardens takes a good amount of time, especially during the summer. Between work, family things, and other duties, sometimes it’s hard to find extra hours to focus on plant care. Because of this, some home gardens don’t look as nice as they could since they don’t get enough attention. This is unfortunate since flower beds can really improve how outside spaces look. The good news is easy tricks and simple methods allow people to reduce time on chores while still getting pleasing results.
1. Mulch your garden
Applying a layer of mulch to the soil surface is one of the most effective ways to conserve water and reduce weed growth. Mulch acts as a protective barrier and holds in moisture so you won’t need to water your flowers as frequently. It also prevents weed seeds from sprouting. Some good mulching materials include wood chips, shredded leaves, pine straw, or bark. This simple task of mulching your garden beds will save you watering time throughout the week.
2. Plant flowers in bulk
Rather than planting a few flowers each time, you get a chance, plan your garden by grouping the same flowers together in masses. This way, when watering or performing other garden chores, you can tackle an entire area at once instead of going plant by plant. Bulk planting will save you lots of time in the long run versus planting sporadically. It will also make your garden look more appealing visually since flowers bloom better in groups.
3. Use soaker hoses for watering
Instead of carrying a hose or watering can around the garden daily, install soaker hoses beneath the mulch layer before planting. Soaker hoses allow water to seep out very slowly through tiny pores along their length. This means water will reach the roots directly without wasting any to runoff. You can set these flexible hoses on a timer to water your entire flower bed automatically with minimum supervision. The passive watering method requires little maintenance from your side.
4. Consider low-maintenance perennials
Not all flowers need daily care. Opt for low-maintenance perennial plants that will bloom year after year with minimal effort. Some good options include lavender, daisies, coneflowers, and hostas from a local nursery that offers Toronto ON Flower delivery. Their established root systems are hardy and require less frequent watering compared to annuals. Perennials also do not need replacement planting every spring. Spend your time on low-fuss flowers that will brighten up your space reliably.
5. Employ groundcover plants
Another excellent way to minimize weeding is by using hardy groundcover plants on your flower beds. Good groundcover candidates are liriope, vinca, pachysandra, and ajuga which form dense mats suppressing weed growth. They are mostly available for plant and flower delivery in Oakville ON. Once established, they require very little upkeep besides an occasional trim. Groundcovers serve as living mulch saving you hours of pulling pesky weeds every week.
6. Propagate from cuttings
Instead of buying new flowers from nurseries each time, learn how to propagate existing plants from stem or leaf cuttings. Many herbaceous plants like fuchsia, coleus, begonia, impatiens, and geranium roots easily form clippings. By rooting cuttings from your or friend’s gardens, you can increase your plant stock without any cost. This thrifty method of cloning plants will expand your garden size without major financial investment.
7. Grow annual flowers from seed
Buying started seedlings can burn a hole in your pocket. Buy flower seeds instead and directly sow them into your garden beds after the last frost date. Many annuals like marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers actually prefer growing directly from seed. They do not require transplanting tender seedlings. Let nature take its course and your favorite annuals will bloom brightly within months. Starting from seed saves shopping trips and money that you can utilize smarter.
But if you don’t have enough time on your hands, King West Flowers offers a variety of freshly cut bouquets and designs perfect for patios, porches, or indoor displays. Simply visit www.kingwestflowers.com to order a flower bouquet delivery to Toronto ON, add items to your cart, and check out safely.