Do you lack a green thumb?

With the right advice, anyone can create a beautiful garden bursting with colour. If you think you lack a green thumb, here are seven tricks to help you grow stunning, healthy plants that will make you proud to say, “I planted those.”

1. Use gardening soil specifically intended for planting purposes and add compost to enrich the earth. Avoid buying regular black earth, which is poor in essential minerals. 2. Choose plants that are easy to grow. You can find out which plants are best suited to your region and require little maintenance by speaking to a specialist at your local garden centre. 3. Make sure you plant everything in the right place. Always follow the sunshine recommendations on the label, or else your plants will remain frail and flowerless. 4. To reduce the risk of disease, add a good layer of mulch to keep weeds from invading your flowerbeds, and be careful not to overwater. 5.Water your flowerbeds with lukewarm or cool water either early in the morning or late at night. Do this once or twice every week; it’s better to water less often but in greater quantity. Avoid watering the leaves and flowers directly. Instead, aim the water

stream at the base of each plant. 6. Get rid of weeds and wilted flowers regularly. 7.Add fertilizer to your flowers and shrubs every 15 days, or according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Successfully creating a beautiful garden is often a question of trial and error, so don’t get discouraged! All it takes is a little confidence.