Advantages of Small Gardening: Cultivate Your Own Oasis

As an avid gardener, I would like to share periodic tips and techniques of gardening to encourage everyone to get into the dirt to get your hands dirty! I believe I picked up gardening when I was six years old. There was a twelve inch strip of dirt next to the picket fence along the back of our house and the rest of that level was a concrete patio. I happened to find a spent Easter Lily and I decided to plant it there along with other plants and seeds that I found and my garden started to thrive to my amazement.

Gardening may just be the thing for you to learn to appreciate nature and to de-stress. I would recommend starting small and focusing on one small area at a time.

Switching a piece of your lawn to a garden may be just what the good doctor ordered for you if you are tired of the grass allergies and high usage and waste of water that are needed for an expensive, healthy, well maintained lawn. We will not even address the mole or vol problem since they are also issues. And how do you deal with the crab grass and all the other weeds or medicinal grasses?

Some of the benefits of turning your lawn into a garden will include less mowing and other lawn specific chores. You can decide to grow flowers or plant and harvest edible produce.

I love the enclosed garden with raised beds that I have noticed sprouting up all over town on front lawns. I am considering doing something similar. Driving through Ansonia at the intersection towards Stop and Shop, a resident planted squash plants on the embankment with the beautiful, huge leaves and vines and big yellow flowers attracting all our apian friends. It simply looks amazing! I would rather have squash plants rather than invasive plant species any day!

So, I hope you catch the gardening bug and start gardening small soon as I did when I was a child.

Below are some suggestions:

1. Create shapes with topiaries.
2. Add interest and color with window boxes or with hanging baskets.
3. Include a structure like a trellis or a gazebo to create a sensory space with vines.
4. Install a pond for the sound and to create a perfect eco system.
5. Lay gravel, mulch or wood chips for a walking path.
6. Add height with trees that bloom at different times and name them in honor of a love one.
7. Set up a beautiful boundary with colorful perennials to attract birds and bees.
8. Line a path with flower beds or containers.
9. Plant and name each garden to distinguish them and in honor of a love one.
10. Set a seat or bench by the door to meditate or pray and enjoy the sounds and watch the birds, bees and all the other wildlife.
11. Create your very own piece of heaven here on earth!

Stay tuned for more tips!!