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As a general rule, the more time you spend planning your garden (plant selection, design, preparation, etc.) the easier it will be to maintain. Here are some tips to get started:
Learn about the plants you wish to include in your garden. Talking to other gardeners is a great way to learn about different plants.
Plant close together to keep weeds from taking over. Most weed seeds already exist in your soil just waiting for the right conditions in which to grow.
Slowly wean your plants off additional water as they start to grow and become established.
For boulevard plants, fertilizers will only cause excessive, leggy growth at the expense of hardiness and drought- resistance. Do not help these plants along! If a plant isn't doing well on your boulevard, consider moving it to another location.
You may wish to prune or cut back some plants to control their growth or tidy them up (some groundcovers, such as snow-in-summer, respond very well to pruning after they flower).
Fall is an excellent time of year to sheet mulch because it allows several months for the grass to break down so you can begin planting in the spring. But many people dig right through the mulch/newspaper layer and plant right away.
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Planting some annuals in with your perennials the first year can also help crowd out weeds however, keep in mind that annuals may need more water.
Mulch is a layer of organic matter that helps conserve moisture and control weeds. Mulch may be made up of leaves, wood chips, straw, compost or a combination of the above.
Using the sheet mulch method means the newspaper layer blocks out light to allow the grass to break down and the mulch layer hinders further weed growth. A thick layer of mulch (four to six inches or 16 cm) helps keep weeds from sprouting while your new plants take hold.
You will still need to do some weeding (we like to call it editing), pruning and regular tidy-up, depending on how you want your garden to look. Starting out with the sheet mulch method makes the ongoing tasks much easier.
Tree service companies are a good source of wood chips, but you may have to buy way more than you need. If you are planning to prune or cut trees and/or shrubs on your own property, have them chipped up to use as mulch.
You can also buy mulch in bags (usually cedar) at hardware and garden stores. This costs more, but many people feel cedar mulch looks nicer on a boulevard.
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