Thanks to all of you who submitted your yards for the Busch Gardens Landscape Giveaway presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Our landscape team is on the road to revamp the winning yard on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For those of you who didn't win, l have some advice to help improve their own gardening projects.
Right now, my husband and I are reworking our own front yard. We’ve lived in this house a lot longer than I’ve worked in landscaping, so I’ve learned a few things along the way. So many of the ideas I’m giving you come from trying to correct things in my own yard, some from before we moved in, and some of them of my own doing.
At first glance, this looks full and lush, but this photo is 5 years old. Now, it's just taking over.
Now that the weather is improving, it’s a good time to head out into the neighborhood to see what other folks are growing. Gardeners generally like to talk about what they’re planting, so when you see a yard you like, try to stop by when they’re working outside and ask about the things they like in their garden. Maybe a better question would be “what would you never plant again?” Both of these are important for your plan.
Here in Virginia, Historic Garden Week is April 26 to May 3. This is another great opportunity to see what different gardeners have used, and enjoy the cut flower displays inside the homes as well. Local gardeners are on-site to direct you and answer questions. There’s a small fee for each day and location that allows Virginia’s garden clubs to help restore historic gardens throughout the state. I try to find at least one day each year to visit some houses on the tour.
In my next post, I’ll talk about some other ways to help your garden plan move forward.
