4 tips for keeping your garden in bloom

Whether you've had a green thumb for years, or are just starting out, this will provide you with some crucial tips that will keep your garden blooming all season. 

• Early fall is the best time to prepare a flower bed. Select the site, then lay out the desired shape with a garden hose. Add a generous amount of compost, peat moss, or mulched leaves, and mix it thoroughly. Use a spading fork to loosen the soil in the bed to a depth of 15 to 25 centimetres (six to ten inches); remove any large stones, weeds, or roots. Spread about eight centimetres (three inches) of compost over the soil, turn it over completely, and then shovel in the improved topsoil.
• An easy way to turn an overgrown patch of your yard into a flower bed is to cover the ground with a layer of eight to 12 sheets of newspaper (use only black-and-white pages) or a few pieces of cardboard. The paper layer will kill off everything growing beneath it and eventually break down into the soil.

• You can plant a flower bed for less than $20 if you start from seed. For the best results, germinate them indoors, using coffee filters.
• Check the seeds' moisture levels every two days. Lightly mist as needed with 95 parts water and five parts hydrogen peroxide, to prevent mould.
• Seedlings with at least two sets of mature leaves can be moved outdoors, but they must be "hardened off" before planting. After one week, remove the cover, and gradually increase the amount of sunlight the plants receive during the morning and afternoon hours, but avoid exposure to midday sun.

•  Most flowers require about 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water per week. Be careful not to overdo it; too much water can cause root rot and encourage the growth of moulds and fungi. Place a rain gauge in your garden to keep track of how much supplemental water is needed.
• Most plants will grow fuller and have more flowers if they're pinched back occasionally. Another way to get more blooms from established plants is to prevent them from setting seed by deadheading them. If new buds are forming, simply cut off the spent blooms just above the bud.
• Most established flowers don't require supplemental fertilizing if there's enough organic matter in the soil. Some perennials do enjoy a feeding in early spring. But don't go heavy on the nitrogen and use manure with caution.
• One of the most common alternatives to pesticides is companion planting. You can also make effective bug sprays from diluted solutions of alcohol, ammonia, liquid soap, vinegar, or vegetable oil.
• Mulch is good for your garden, and saves you time and trouble. Mulch breaks down over time, so replenish it at least once a year preferably in early spring, when most perennials are dormant.

• While you can keep a compost pile in your yard, most people prefer the convenience of bins, which can be bought or constructed from salvaged building materials, wooden pallets, or recycled plastic. Include slats or air holes to permit good ventilation, which is necessary for decomposition.
• The key to making compost is heat, which results from layering a good mix of "browns" (fall leaves, sawdust, shredded newspaper) and "greens" (grass clippings, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps).
• Don't add human and pet wastes, animal products, plastics and other petroleum products, barbecue ash, diseased plant parts, perennial weeds, seeds, and herbicides and pesticides.
• When it's ready, your compost should have a sweet, earthy smell. Spread it liberally around your garden and lawn, and let nature take its course.