Gardening is a great hobby. It is relaxing, helps pass the time, gets you in touch with nature and even helps develop several skills.

Making a perfect garden is, however, something that takes luck, knowledge and even a degree of experience to achieve. Long-time gardeners will have learned and picked up several tricks and tips over the months and years they’ve been growing their plants. As dedicated as they may be though, new gardeners haven’t had that chance yet, so they might need a little push in the beginning.

If you’re a new gardener who still has a lot to learn, then this article is definitely something you will want to read, as we have compiled tons of tips and ideas that will take your little plots to the next level.

Eco-Friendly Ways To Keep Weeds Out Of Your Garden

If you’re going to plant something, then mulching is definitely something to get familiar with, as it will protect the soil, improve the look of your plot and keep weeds away. Getting mulch is obviously essential, but using newspapers instead of fabric is cheaper, more effective and better for the environment, as the paper will dissolve by itself eventually. source

Tree Stump Removal

Do you have many unsightly tree stumps occupying space and blocking your way? You can get rid of them by drilling holes and then filling them with 100% Epsom salt. Follow with water, and wait. Live stumps may take as long as a month to decay, and start to decompose all by themselves. source

Improve Your Garden Soil Without A Compost Heap

Decomposing food may not be great for humans, but it still has a lot of good to offer. You can easily use kitchen waste to improve the quality of your soil by mixing it in as it decomposes, so that the dirt absorbs the nutrients the food still holds. source

Raised Bed Garden Made Out Of Cinder Blocks

This is quite a cool idea, because forming a small plot with cinder blocks will allow you to grow a small garden without affecting the rest of your backyard. The idea is to surround your chosen area with cinder blocks whose holes are up and then fill the area first with newspaper or cardboard and then soil. You can also use the blocks to plant smaller plots with flowers so you have a decorated border to your small garden. source

Add Some Simple Edging To Your Flower Beds To Protect Them From The Mower

Keeping your flower beds separated from your lawn is very easy if you build a simple yet attractive border like this one using concrete pavers. It is not too hard to install and allows for a good degree of customization too. source

Start A Seedling In A Lemon Peel And Then Transplant The Whole Thing Into The Garden

Don’t have small seeding pots to handle? Thick citrus fruit peels can work just as well. You can fill them with dirt to start growing the plants and then transfer to the garden directly as the peel will decompose and nourish the growing plant there. source

Soda Bottle Drip Feeder for Garden Plants

This drip feeder helps direct water to where plants really like and need it. Making and using it will also save you money and protect the environment, as you’re using a recycled bottle instead of buying something from the store. source

Use Epsom Salt at the Planting Stage to Aid Seed Germination

Epsom salt is a great asset in gardening. There should be no doubt about that. At the planting stage it helps the germinating process by boosting the soil and contributing for healthier plants. source

Use The Pot To Water The Roots Easily

Here’s a different way to use a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. You should place it among your plants and then feed your water through so that it comes out of the holes and reaches the roots easily and more directly. source

Use A Large Rock To Prevent Erosion From The Outdoor Spigot

In this beautiful garden project, a large rock was placed among the smaller pebbles and plants to help prevent erosion from the outdoor water supply. source

Use A Rake With Tubing Attached To Mark Rows For Planting

This is quite the cool gardening hack. When raking the soil, attach some tubing to the rake’s teeth in order to better mark your plots for planting, as you have more control over your marks and they are easier to differentiate. source

Overwintering Geraniums

Geraniums are notoriously summer plants, but you don’t need to let them die in the winter. Plant them in a box upside down, cover and keep them indoors, in a relatively warm place all winter long. If you do it right, you will still have beautiful geraniums when spring rolls around. source

Use This DIY Planting Board To Create Perfect Rows In Your Garden

Do you want to have little perfectly aligned rows in your garden? Then you need to make this DIY planting board using plywood, screws and corks. It is a really simple and affordable garden project that makes all the difference. source

Use An Old Hose To Keep Plastic On A Raised Bed Garden

Some people use plastic covers to protect some plants from the harsher weather. You can buy tubing specifically to help secure the plastic, if you’re making this structure yourself, but if you have any unused hoses they can also serve this purpose and help you save some money. source

Self-Watering Barrel Garden In A 55 Gallon Drum

Planting several plants in a barrel like this is a trendy idea, but it is also quite efficient. This allows you to plant several plants – including fruit and vegetables – in one go, and they will always have water. source

Use This Convertible Greenhouse To Control How Long Your Plants Need To Stay Outside

This convertible, tent-like plastic green house is great because you have complete control over how long your plants are exposed without having to move them in and out constantly. This is particularly great for climates that change quickly and frequently.

Plastic Bottle Mini Greenhouse

Growing a small plant inside of a bottle is a great way to protect it from frost, wind, and strong rain. What a creative gardening project using recycled materials!

Sprinkle Crushed Eggshells Around Your Plants To Protect Them

This is yet another recycling garden project that makes use of kitchen waste. You can create a barrier against snails by crushing egg shells and then placing them around your planter. Egg shells are great because they are sharp, so they deter the snails, but they are also biodegradable, which means they will dissolve and affect the soil positively.

The Easiest Way to Grow Tomato Seedlings

Do you have some over ripe tomatoes that you can’t eat anymore? You can use those to plant some tomatoes of your own, by putting them in a pot with soil, as the seeds will grow and the rotting tomatoes will nourish the soil to help the process. source

Isolate The Blossoms So That The Seeds Stay True When You Save Them

You can use any little tulle bags like those that come with jewelry purchases to create a seed bank by covering your blossom so that they are isolated from each other and there is no cross-contamination of pollens and seeds. source

Use An Aspirin Foliar Spray To Combat Black Spot, Powdery Mildew, And Rust

Aspirin combats fungus headaches, so it is perfectly logic that it will also combat fungus infestations in your garden. Use an aspirin spray on your plants to keep healthy and fungus-free. source

Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet

Want to have an endless supply of potatoes but don’t have enough space to grow them? Then you need a potato box. They are easy to build with plywood and they only need 4 square feet, so you should absolutely fit one somewhere in your house or yard. source

Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

Coffee grounds may seem like waste to you, but they are actually quite useful in the garden. They have several nutrients that boost the soil and help your plants grow faster, so you should remember to use them in your garden. source

Upcycle Your Vegetable Scraps And Regrow Them Easily

Like the over ripe tomatoes, many vegetable’s scraps can be planted and grown into a new vegetable. It is much easier than you think! source

Use Empty Soda Cans At The Bottom Of A Plater To Make It Lighter

If you have a large planter and you don’t want to fill it all the way with dirt because of the cost or weight, then you can fill the lower layers with cans to occupy space before you start adding the planting soil. source

Grow Mushrooms In A Laundry Basket

Different mushroom species have different needs, but oyster mushrooms are so low maintenance you can grow them in a laundry basket. Simply add straw and water and these edible fungi will start popping up in no time. source