If you want your garden full of flowers spring through summer, plant bulbs. Bulbs will grow every year and are easier to take care of than seeds. The types of bulbs you use will determine the time of year your flowers will bloom, giving you the pleasure of blooms from spring to summer, if you plant them right.

You can test the viability of your seeds by soaking them overnight. Drop them into a container of water and keep them in a dark place for a day. Check the location of the seeds. If they sank to the bottom watering planters, they are usable. If they float the the top, they may be dead.

To ensure the vitality of your garden, research what plants are native to your area. While imported plants may look lovely, they may have health difficulties growing in your climate. Native plants and produce will easily be able to adapt to changes in the weather, and will keep your garden healthy and strong.

When you are transplanting a plant, do not pile the soil higher than the top of the root. A root crown that is always wet will eventually rot. Plant it in a way, where the water will drain away from the stem. If the water runs toward the plant, it will wash more soil onto the top of the root, causing root rot.

If you do not like chemical insect repellants you should consider using herbs instead. Herbs like chives can be used in place of the chemical insect repellants to keep bugs from eating your flowers and produce. You can grow chives yourself or buy them at your local grocery store.

Pay attention to the time of year that your plants bloom before you start pruning them. If you prune your flowering shrubs and trees while they have buds on them, that plant won't flower that year. The best time to prune is just after the last season's blooms have faded.

Taking a step into the wondrous and green land of organic gardening for the very first time might feel a tad bit intimidating, bottom watering planters but by keeping the helpful tips listed below in mind, you will soon find yourself growing organic plants on par with some of the best organic gardeners in the field.

Use climbing vines or plants to cover fences and walls. Plants that climb are extraordinarily versatile, and can help hide an unsightly wall or fence, usually within one season. You can also use them in your landscape to cover an existing arbor, or allow them to climb up trees, or through shrubs. Some types of climbers support themselves naturally through twining stems or tendrils, but others will have to be attached to something. There are many varieties you can choose from. Honeysuckle, climbing roses and jasmine are among the best.

Be sure to water a tomato patch no more than once every five to seven days. However, when you do water, be sure to give the ground a thorough soaking. Tomatoes do best if the soil is wet deeply, unlike many plants which prefer a light misting more often. Also, be sure to water the ground, not the plants.

When and why should shrubs be pruned? Most shrubs need pruning to increase flowering. Deciduous spring and self watering planters early flowering shrubs should be pruned immediately after flowering. Cut back old wood to encourage new growth. The buds for next year's flowers will appear on this new wood. Late summer flowering shrubs should be pruned in spring. They will produce flowers on the shoots that grow immediately after pruning. Winter flowering shrubs simply need pruning in early spring to clean up any dead or diseased branches.

So, whether you are a new or experienced gardener, you've now got some ideas that you can implement in your garden. Few things in life are more satisfying than working the soil; and it's even more satisfying when you can do it nature's way.

Don't try to remove low lying weeds by hand. Instead get a small shovel and flip them over so their leaves are under the dirt. You will kill the weed and the leaves will rot creating a fresh mulch like material for you to use. It is green and nourishing for the other plants.

Collecting and preserving autumn leaves is a fun gardening project, especially for the kids. Generations of kids have used the "wax paper method" to preserve fall leaves at peak color - with a little help from Mom. Just select colorful thin leaves that don't have a high water content and place them between two sheets of wax paper. Place a cloth - like an old tea towel - on top of the waxed paper "sandwich" and have Mom slowly run a hot iron (no steam) across the cloth. Peek underneath to see if the wax paper is melting and bear down hard to get a good seal. The wax paper may seem cloudy while it is warm, but it should dry clear as it cools. Enjoy your pretty display of colorful leaves!

You need to prune your rose bushes on a regular basis. Pruning a bush helps to increase its circulation, which will help it to be healthier. You should use pruners when pruning a rose bush as they are quick, easy and do not cause damage to the bush when they are used. They are typically cheap and affordable.

A trick to help measure in the garden is to take one of the long handled garden tools like a shovel and mark on its handle using a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, mark out the feet and inches on its handle and when specific distance is required in planing, have a handy measuring device is close at hand.