6 SOLUTIONS EVERY GARDENER NEEDS

Taking care of a garden requires many skills, and you might be a master of the basic ones. But for every gardener there are days when you pull on your boots, walk outside and find your regular rhythm of prune, weed, water and feed interrupted by an unexpected need - one that can't be solved by rereading the seed packet or sprinkling a little extra compost. If you're feeling stumped, we have an inkling that one or more of these six tricky situations are the culprit - or they might be someday. Take a look at our solutions, prepare yourself with the know-how to tackle any of these tasks and be ready to keep yourself and your garden in tip-top shape.

PROBLEM #1

Your garden has no edge Crisp edges can elevate the garden bed from just-flower-filled to floriferous and refined. Plus, proper edging keeps weeds and lawn from sneaking into the bed and makes mowing the lawn easier. If your garden beds are high-maintenance or a little untidy, get edgy with any of these three simple edging ideas you can do yourself.

TRENCHED EDGING Use a shovel or a half-moon edging tool to dig straight down 4 to 5 inches. Redistribute the soil toward the center of the bed, creating a slope. Add a couple inches of mulch to keep soil in place. You can easily expand or change the shape of your bed, but you’ll need to routinely recut the edge to keep it functioning.

BRICK OR STONE EDGING Dig out a shallow trench that’s as wide as the brick or stone and 2 inches deeper. Fill the trench with 2 to 3 inches of sand, tamp it down, and place your bricks or stone on top so that they’re 1 inch above the soil line. Tap them in with a rubber mallet and backfill the cracks with sand to prevent weeds.

METAL EDGING Purchase steel or aluminum sections of edging and flat stakes (aluminum won’t rust but might heave with frost and need to be pounded back in). Pound the edging into the ground with a rubber mallet and secure it with the stakes. How much metal edging is visible above ground is up to you.

PROBLEM #2

A disorganized garden shed is slowing you down

Clear and easy access to your tools and supplies can make gardening much easier, and it helps you take better care of your gear. Pull your garden shed into shape with these tips.