Late Summer Garden: Easy and Cheap Gardening Tips

Has your late summer garden seen better days? If your outdoor
paradise is getting a little ragged, and you would like some
easy and cheap gardening tips to get it back into shape in time
for fall, keep reading!

Most gardens, no matter how well they are designed will have
periods without a lot of bloom. But a late summer garden is more
than just lack of bloom; it's overgrown plants, ratty leaves,
spindly annuals and brown spots in the lawn. Here's how to fix
these garden problems.

Cut back your blooming perennials by half. This will stimulate
new growth, and create need for another flush of flowers in the
fall for many varieties. It will also clean up the overgrown
look of your flower beds.

If you still have brown foliage from spring bulbs showing, it
is safe to cut them to the ground now. They have already stored
all the energy they need for spring bloom, and the dead plant
matter isn't doing anything for the look of your garden.

If you have a pest problem, you should be addressing it. You
can use commercially available Sevin dust for many of the most
common predators, or seek out an organic alternative. One good
way to identify what is eating your plants is place a piece of
white paper under the leaves of the plant being attached and
give the plant a good tap or shake. Whatever pest is the culprit
should fall onto the paper for easy identification. If you're
stumped, pop it in a jar and take it to your local nursery for
identification and advice on how to eradicate it while doing the
least damage to beneficial bugs. Remember, we need those bees!
Don't' poison them.

If you have annuals planted in containers or beds that have
seen better days, cut them back hard. Apply a good dose of water
soluble fertilizer and they will bounce back and start
re-blooming for you. Petunias, alyssum and geraniums all need a
good rejuvenation this time of year, but will bloom well into
fall if you try this trick.

If your lawn has developed some dry spots, try raking in an
organic compost or fine bark to protect the soil and hold in
moisture. Water frequently during the day for a week or two
until you start to see new green growth. Cut back on the
watering gradually, but be consistent until the lawn is once
again green in the spot.

A late summer garden may seem to have gone to sleep, but its
pretty easy to throw a big basket of water on it and wake it
back up. (Both literally, and figuratively!) Use these easy and
cheap gardening tips to renew your garden, and have a beautiful
spot to spend those quiet autumn afternoons.

Want free gardening tips and ideas? Kathy Wilson is a home and
garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating
expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden
ideas at http://www.TheGardenGlove.com and
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com . Also visit her at
http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn to
make money on the internet!

About The Author: Want free gardening tips and ideas? Kathy
Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is
the home decorating expert for http://LifetimeTV.com. Visit her
for more home and garden ideas at http://www.TheGardenGlove.com
and http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com .

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