Want To Know About Gardening? Read On When done well, gardening can be a very rewarding activity. Nothing beats the flavor of a tomato you've grown yourself, or the scent of your own flowers. Whether you're just starting out as a gardener or you've been growing things your whole life, there's always something new to learn. Here are a few tips any gardener can use. Gardening can be a very rewarding practice. Not only can you improve the look of the outside of your home, but you can be proud of it as well. There are plenty of tools and things to use in gardening and this can be a very rewarding activity. You can improve not only your home but your neighborhood and quite possibly start saving on groceries by growing your own food! Plant crops compatible with each other in order to add even more efficiency to your garden. Plant crops that take longer to mature next to faster growing varieties. You can also get ahead of the season by planting cooler climate crops in the shade of larger summer crops. Greens such as lettuce do great in the shade of a large tomato plant. Do not allow the garden to go without water. Many people have unrealistic expectations of watering the garden after work everyday, but life gets in the way and that is the end of the garden. Install a sprinkler system to ensure the garden gets enough water. Although this does add expense to the garden, the convenience of it is well worth the money. Save money by drying the seeds from your annuals to plant next year. Petunias, zinnias and impatiens are just a few of the flowers from which it is easy to extract and save seeds. You will have to extract the seed pod from some flowers, and wait for it to split open. With others, such as marigolds, you will have to open the flower and extract the seeds yourself. After extracting the seeds, let them dry for at least a week. Place them in a jar with a rubber seal, and add silica gel pouches to keep them from absorbing moisture. Store them in a cool, dry location until you're ready to plant them next year. Try using latex or plastic gloves instead of cloth gardening gloves. Cloth gardening gloves do not block moisture well - a problem when working with moist soil, and they often get stiff, crinkly, and uncomfortable after a few uses. A sturdy pair of plastic or latex gloves, like those used for cleaning, are a much better choice. They protect against moisture, and cleaning is as simple as rinsing them off under a hose and hanging to dry. If you spend a lot of time taking care of your garden, get yourself a gardening wheelbarrow. You can put all the gardening supplies that you need on the wheelbarrow and easily push it around to various parts of your garden. This will save you time from looking for various supplies every time you need to tend to your garden. If you are gardening in containers, be sure each container has a drainage system to prevent water from pooling. Lining the bottom of a container with small rocks or pebbles can also help with water drainage for container gardening. Allowing water to sit for extended periods can rot the root system of your plants. To create nutrient rich soil for your garden in advance, gather unused fish parts and bury them in the soil. Leave the fish parts untouched in the soil for as long as you can before planting over it. For best results, be sure to bury the fish parts at least 8 inches in the ground. If you need to do some gardening around your home, it is important that you wear insect repellent. Mosquitoes can carry diseases that can make you very sick. By simply spraying on some insect repellent, you are protecting your self from the possibility of contracting a dangerous disease like West Nile virus. Repel leaf-eating insects with chili pepper. If your plants' foliage is being ravaged by hungry insects, add one tablespoon of red chili pepper or hot mustard to one quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray the foliage evenly, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves too. One taste of this spicy spray will send bugs on their way. It is important to wear gardening gloves when you are working in your garden. Gardening gloves will give your hands protection from possible cuts, scratches and even splinters. It is important to remember that you may not know what is in the ground that could be potentially dangerous to your hands. If your yard's soil isn't as healthy as you want, or has been contaminated in some way, you can still grow organic produce using raised beds. You can use wood, brick or stone for the border. Make sure that it is at least 16 inches high so that there is room for the roots. Fill it with organic soil and compost. If your garden includes plants that prefer acidic soil, such as begonias, roses, and strawberries, you should mulch with a generous layer (two to three inches) of discarded pine needles at the beginning of the autumnal season. As the pine needles slowly decompose, they will release trace amounts of acid into the soil. Know how to make beds the correct way, if you want to make an organic garden. One way to achieve this is to use a garden tool to carve out a small slice of earth. Next, turn the earth upside-down and evenly cover the area with up to four inches of mulch. Leave it for a few weeks and work it up so you can plant. As with any pastime, your gardening will benefit if you continually educate yourself. No matter what your skill level is, you can always learn something new that will make you a better gardener. Put some of these ideas to work, and soon your garden will flourish more than it ever has.