Gardening not only benefits you physically and emotionally, it can also feed your family and drive a business. Determine what you need so you don’t spend money on equipment you do not need, or on seeds that don’t work in your area.

Transform your horticulture tool handles into clever measurement rulers. You can use larger tools, like rakes, as measuring sticks. Lay the handles of said tools on the ground where it is flat and there is no interference, such as gravel, and stretch a measuring tape along one side. Label the distances on the handle with a marker pen that will not smear or fade away. This will allow you to have a ruler at your fingertips when you are working out in the garden.

Bring some plants into your home to protect them against winter weather. You may be able to save your most resistant or expensive plants. Remember to be gentle when digging up your plants; carefully dig away from the roots and gently place the plant into a container.

Try dividing the irises. To increase the number that you have, you need to take all your overgrown clumps and split them up. Lift bulbous irises when the foliage is dead. The iris bulbs should easily split apart in your hand. Once you replant them, they will have a good flower show the following year. Rhizomes should be divided using a knife. Throw away the center after carefully cutting new sprouts from the exterior. Make sure that every cutting contains a viable offshoot. Replant right away.

Remember to place a layer of mulch over the soil around your vegetables, approximately 2 inches deep. The mulch help keeps the soil that is around the plants much more moist for much longer. This is also efficient in preventing weeds from growing. Your plants will receive extra water and nutrients, and you’ll spend less time dealing with weeds.

You should get a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool for garden work. Horticulture can be very tough on the knees as you spend much time leaning near the ground, so a portable stool can make all the difference to your comfort. Gardening also typically involves transporting bags of topsoil, fertilizer and other heavy items, so using a wheelbarrow to make these tasks easier is a sound investment for your garden, and your back.

Identify a plant that will be the most prominent object of the landscape. Gardens are like art; you need to give the piece (or garden) an initial focal point. It can be anything, but oftentimes a plant that stands out from its neighbors will do the trick.

You must do a bit of research, enjoy working outside a good deal of the time, and have lots of patience. This work will ultimately pay off for you once you figure out how to make an item grow.