Is the grass always greener over there? You might think that your neighbor has a secret formula to a lovely garden. Creating and maintaining a quality garden doesn't require secret knowledge. All you need is the proper information on how to correctly care for your plants. Start learning new tips and read this article to gain gardening knowledge.

Some houseplants may need humidity. Humidity can be created in any environment. One approach is to place a variety of plants together into one individual pot. An alternative is to put a plant in a bigger pot and fill in the gap with compost or stones. A daily mist with water can be another great way to give your plants the humidity they need.

Gardening can actually increase the value of your property! Improving your landscape is one of the best ways to get a high return from your house. You can raise your home value up to 20 percent! Select plants that will adapt well to your regional area and require minimum maintenance.

Using pest-resistant plants or natural materials in your garden is a good way to keep pests away. Planting marigolds or onions around the border of your garden will repel slugs. Insect pests will stay away from seedlings and trees if you use wood ash around the base as a mulch. These methods are environmentally-friendly and mean you do not have to resort to harsh chemicals.

Before you even place the first plant in your garden, you need to check the composition of your soil. Pay a small fee to have your soil analyzed, and you'll be glad that you did when you understand what nutrients your soil is lacking. You can often find Cooperative Extension offices that provide this service, which can help to make your garden flourish.

Take the proper approach to laying sod. Be sure to get your soil prepared before you start laying the new sod. Remove the weeds, then break up the soil into fine tilth. Compact the soil gently but firmly to be certain that it is indeed flat. Water the soil until it is saturated. Then lay the sod in staggered rows so the joints are offset. Firm sod until there is an even, flat surface; fill in gaps with soil. You will have to water the sod every day for 2 weeks, and then it should be firmly rooted to the ground, and able to be walked on.

Two items you need to invest in when working in a garden are a wheelbarrow, and a kneeling stool. It's rough on your knees to spend lots of time on the ground kneeling or squatting. That's why it's a good idea to have a portable, lightweight garden stool on hand. You often need to move large objects from place to place, so it's a good idea to have a sturdy, well-balanced wheelbarrow.

Now that you've reached the end of this article, you realize that the advice is not difficult to follow at all. You just need some basic education on gardening techniques, then you can put that education to good use. Focus on the reaction of the plants to your methods. If one method of care is not working well with your plants, abandon it and try a different one. A garden that is the pride of the neighborhood will be well worth the time it takes.