6/10

Improve Your Soil

No matter what kind of soil you have, you can improve it. That’s one of the most important gardening tips you’ll ever learn. A good soil is the foundation for a good garden. The easiest time to improve the soil is before planting. You can add wholesale amounts of compost (available in bags from the garden center or in truckloads from many municipalities) to boost nutrients and beneficial microbes. Compost helps heavy clay soils drain better and light sandy soils hold more moisture. It’s the perfect soil conditioner! Learn more about improving your soil.

7/10

Mix Annuals and Perennials

Annuals are plants that bloom for long periods, then die. Perennials bloom for shorter periods but come back year after year if planted in a suitable climate. Get the best of both worlds by mixing the two types of plants together. That way, your garden has a longer season of interest. When these perennial coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are finished blooming, the annual spiderflowers (Cleome spp.) will be there to pick up the slack.

Meet 10 inexpensive plants to make your garden pop.

8/10

Embrace Mulch

Mulch has many benefits, not the least of which is that it ties a garden together. With its uniform color and texture, that underlying ribbon of mulch stitches a garden vignette together for a more cohesive look. Additionally, mulch discourages weeds, conserves soil moisture, and moderates soil temperature. It also keeps a bare soil from baking and cracking in the sun, which hinders water absorption when you irrigate. Here’s another gardening tip: use organic mulches in most situations, but stick with pebbles or stones around succulents and cactuses. Learn more in our mulch guide.