DIY Spring Garden Projects You’ll Love

Just as that spring sprung. Buds are sprouting on the trees, flowers are starting to bloom, and the list of projects for the yard is growing by the day. So if you’re spending a lot of time at home right now, set your garden goals high. Even if your thumb hasn’t been particularly green in the past, this is the year to give it your all!

Here are some fun and creative garden projects to dig into this spring season.

Create your own raised beds

A raised garden bed is a great way to set yourself up for success, especially if you are a beginner gardener.

1. They are easier to prepare year after year. At the start of the new season, you simply add topsoil and compost of your choice to top off the bed and water it before planting.
2. Weeds have a hard time penetrating a raised garden bed and so do animals! You can add a weed barrier to the bottom of the garden box to help slow weed growth. As for animals, raised beds prevent most critters from waltzing leisurely through the fruit and vegetable lanes. And, if you notice intruders breaking in, you can easily build a small fence around the box to keep them out.
3. Raised beds have better drainage which is always good news for the health of your plants.
4. Raised garden beds are not permanent structures! Sure, it’s not always easy to move them, but it’s possible when necessary. If you move to a new house, you can take the materials with you. Or if you become such an avid gardener that you’d like to expand, the modular nature of raised beds makes this entirely possible, space permitting.

So, how do you get started?

First, decide how big you want your garden bed to be. Most experienced raised bed gardeners recommend a height of about 12-18 inches. As for length and width, that really depends on how much you want to plant and how much room your plants need to grow. For example, squash takes up a lot of space in a raised bed, but a bunch of romaine lettuce takes up much less space.

Here are some recommendations in lumber sizes.

You’ll start by screwing the pieces of lumber together, 2×6 or 2×8 are good sizes to go around. You can decide if you want to stack two or three high and how long you want the bed to be. Here is step by step instructions from Lowe’s on how to assemble the frame.

Place the box in an area that gets as much sunlight as possible (this will also depend on how many hours of sunlight your plants need). Fill the box with some small rocks to help with drainage. Then add a mixture of topsoil and compost. Be sure to break up any large clumps of dirt and fill the bed evenly a few inches from the top. Moisten the soil and you are ready to start planting! Strawberries are the the most popular fruit for a home garden and is also one of the easiest and most cash crops. It’s our favorite and we love the fresh, juicy taste of sunny strawberries picked straight from the garden.

At the end of the day, you’ll end up with dirty, dry hands and possibly a few broken nails. What can you do to protect your hands and nails?

First, be sure to use a nail strengthener year-round to protect your natural nails. With Nail Magic’s Herbal Nail Strengthener, you can maintain healthy, natural nails that can take a lot of the punishment that comes with gardening. Add extra protection with Vanilla Almond Skin Oiland you will have strong nails and healthy cuticles.

Then buy a pair of gardening gloves! You can find a large selection in the gardening section of stores such as Home goods store. Gloves will help protect your hands from splinters in mulch and punctures in weeds, and will prevent dirt from finding its way under your fingernails.

Finally, there are some essential tools to help make gardening a little easier on your hands and nails. Check this out list from Garden Design to create your own basic gardening tool kit.

Start an herb garden

Herb gardening is a great spring gardening that you can start indoors and, once the herbs grow, move outdoors.

Many herbs—mint, rosemary, sage, and chives, for example—are relatively easy to grow and are perennial. Perennials are great because the time and effort you put into your green, leafy babies this year will pay off next year. It’s one thing to enjoy the fruits of your labor in your first season, but it’s totally rewarding to see all that work pay off year after year with much less effort.

To begin, you need to decide which herbs are most important to you. There are herbs you can cook with, herbs that help other plants in the garden grow, and even some with medicinal benefits. Here are some perennial herbs you may want to consider.

1. Parsley – a classic herb that is sometimes slow to start but is great for harvesting and then drying.
2. Basil – growing basil near your tomato plants helps prevent common bugs that can be harmful to the plants.
3. Chives – there are many varieties and they all grow quite quickly and even flower.
4. Peppermint – be careful. Mint can grow quite quickly and crowd out other herbs, but mint can also keep mosquitoes away.
5. coriander – this herb germinates well, grows and produces a very delicious taste.
6. Rosemary – this flavorful herb is perfect for seasoning sauces and roasts.
7. Oregano – the perfect addition to any pizza or pasta sauce, this herb is very easy to grow.
8. Thyme – a great choice if you have enough space. Thyme grows as a ground cover and sprouts small flowers.
9. Lavender – this popular herb can be used in cooking or dried for decoration.

Find more herbs here from Residence. Harvesting your herbs will take time, some work and a lot of patience. Make sure you find the best ways to handle each plant for optimal results.

After a good day of herb gardening, you’ll definitely want to moisturize and condition your hands and nails. A bottle Thai Essence Hand & Cuticle Oil will do just the trick. You only need to massage one drop into each skin before bed. You’ll wake up with softer hands and rehydrated cuticles that are ready to get back to your plants!

Make your own compost

Complement your gardening adventures by making your own compost. Not only is composting part of sustainable living, but composted soil is great for your garden beds. Plus, if you have a spare, you can donate some to local community gardens!

Starting a compost pile is pretty easy and something you definitely want to do outdoors. Designate a corner of your yard for your stand-alone compost pile or bin and you’re ready to go.

Compost is organic material that can be added to the soil to help plants grow and thrive. Think of it as plant food. Organic materials include everything from eggshells and coffee grounds to fruit and vegetable scraps and moldy bread. These are rich sources of nitrogen necessary to facilitate the composting process, and there are many others. Here is a list of items that can and cannot be composted. Start with a thick layer of dirt, leaves and twigs. Then start adding compostable material. Keep it covered and moist and schedule time to turn the compost with a shovel or fork. Turning the compost materials helps aerate the pile which is part of the process.

Composting is a great way to help the environment, reduce landfill waste and give you great soil for your garden. Composting means getting your hands dirty. It doesn’t matter, as long as you take care of your nails and cuticles. Nail Magic products make it easy to maintain strong, natural nails that can handle all the creative and rewarding work needed to maintain a healthy garden. Keep stock Herbal Nail Strengthener with Horsetail in hand and you’ll be good to go. It is easy to apply, provides immediate support and is toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free.

What gardening projects are you working on?

Now is the perfect time to start your spring and summer gardening projects. Whether you’re building raised beds, starting an herb garden, or starting a compost pile, you’ll be reaping the rewards of your labor in no time!