Common Mistakes

I was at the garden center a few days ago. It was easy to see who the pros were and who were new to yard and gardening. The real gardeners were buying soil, grass seed, and looking over the seeds.

The amateurs were buying poke-a-dot wirlygigs and glass globe watering tubes. Homeowners are hungry for color and beauty in the spring. Everything is dark and dull. They expect the decorations, grand fountains, and over-sized container pots to look just as beautiful in their yard as they do in the garden center.

The new ornaments are rarely in the yard more than a few days before the homeowner regrets their purchases. Gardens go through several phases in the summer. Each few weeks the garden will change. The balance of flowers in bloom alters.

Instead of buying bright colors to draw attention to certain areas of the garden, try arranging the garden to look nice month-by-month.