Ahh yes…Spring! Finally, it has arrived. The sun’s out a little longer, the days are a little warmer and your step is just a little lighter. Yep, just around the corner are the days of bright, warm sunshine, picnics and gardening. But, for those of us who have not been blessed with a green thumb, gardening is a sad, terrible word.

Every year I try my best to make my home a lovely garden oasis and every year I fail miserably. So, this year I’m taking a new approach to gardening- gone are the days that I plant flower upon flower in an effort to make my home beautiful. This year my garden will be green (and yellow and white and pink… you get my drift). It will be useful and, most importantly, it will be sustainable, in more ways than one.

Make Sure Your Plants and Veggies Are Natural

I know what you’re thinking, gardens and plants are natural. True, but many of the plants and vegetables we plant in our gardens aren’t indigenous to our area. By using native plants, you are giving your garden the best chance of survival; after all, they have spent many generations learning how to adapt, survive and thrive in their natural environment. Plants like Wild Mint, Columbine, Wild Blue Phlox and Coreopsis are all great, colorful choices for a New Jersey garden.

(Bonus: Indigenous plants often survive without the need for too much additional water. That means they are accustomed to the natural amounts of rainfall in their natural habitat, so there is little need to waste extra water watering them!)

Gardener’s Gold

Take advantage of your old veggie scraps- compost, compost and compost some more. Composting creates a natural and healthy fertilizer for your plants. It contains nutrients that your garden needs to flourish, plus, it improves soil texture, aeration, and helps retain water. If you want to speed up the process a bit, add some earthworms! Save some green and don’t purchase fertilizers this year- compost!

I hope these tips help you, and your garden, flourish this Spring! Stay tuned for part two of my Green Thumb Gardening post…. coming soon!