A garden filled with Roses, Chrysanthemums and Zinnias is a beautiful sight. The gentle breeze that carries the sweet smell of those flowers will lift your spirits for sure. But lurking among those sweet flowers and the beauty of the garden are some hazards if one is not careful.  Some simple tips on Garden Safety will ensure that you can continue to enjoy those lilies and tulips for a long time to come.

Tools: Gardening requires some tools like the trowel, pruning scissors and shears. They have to be handled very carefully so that you are not injured while using them. If you are new to gardening, talk with somebody who has some experience to guide you on how to use those tools. Be aware that not all tools come with instructions so learn how to use them first. Once you have finished work for the day, the tools should be cleaned and kept in a safe place like a shed or a box and locked away in the corner of the garden so that an inquisitive toddler can’t get to them.

Manure & Pesticides: While your plants in the garden require them, the chemicals in the manures and the pesticides are harmful to humans when inhaled. Take sufficient precaution by covering your mouth and always use gloves when you handle these types of materials.  Keeping safe any leftover material under lock and key is a must.

Lay Out:  When planning a garden or adding a plant to the garden, keep the thorny plants to a secluded area within the garden. By doing this it just protects you from thorns while working in other parts of the garden.

Allergy: Some are allergic to pollens from flowers or the saps of certain plants. If somebody in your family is prone to this, restrain them, particularly kids, from entering the garden.

Watch your Health: Gardening is a very good hobby but before venturing out take your doctor’s advice about straining your back. Avoid lifting large flower pots by bending which may be harmful to your back. Similarly avoid long hours of work and get plenty of fluids, especially if it is hot.

With some care you can make your garden safer and continue to enjoy the sight of those beautiful flowers.

Now that the balance of summer is almost over in most of the country, it can be sad to see the last of the warm weather crops awaiting the killing frost. But, you don’t have to stop enjoying the pleasures of eating fresh vegetables from the garden! Planting a fall garden extends the growing season by a couple of months, and even more so if your garden is in a cold frame. As the tomatoes, peppers and squash plants stop producing, remove them from the garden, add them to the compost pile and use the space for planting a fall garden.

Take note that the position of the sun in the sky changes as the seasons progress, so pick a spot in the garden that will continue to get maximum sunshine. You may consider expanding an existing garden or starting a new one that is positioned to get the most late fall sunshine. This is also a wonderful time to build a cold frame for the garden. Even in northern climates, greens grow almost all winter long in a cold frame.

Think back to early spring and the cold-hardy vegetables that you planted then. Most were probably pulled out to make room for warm weather crops, but all of these can be replanted in a fall garden. Fresh leafy greens from spinach to lettuce resist the cool nights of autumn and provide the delicious fixing for late fall salads. Snow peas get their name because they are capable of handling very chilly temperatures. They add delightful variety to stir fry dishes and salads. Cabbage also grows well in cool weather, along with kale and chard. Other crops that tolerate the chilly nights are carrots, radishes, beets and onions.

Fall is also the appropriate time to plant vegetables for next year. Garlic is best when planted in the fall. Some fruit trees, vines and berries can also be planted in the fall for harvesting next summer.

The importance of good garden design cannot be overstated. A good design will maximize the enjoyment and use you get out of your garden. Good design can also minimize all sorts of garden problems. For example, careful selection and positioning of plants can make a small garden seem much larger. A shrub lined pathway can draw the eye away from unsightly features and towards a pretty focal point in the garden such as beautiful statue or plant. Still, perhaps most importantly, good garden design will enable the whole family to get the best use of whatever outdoor space you have available.

Not surprisingly then, the first step in designing your garden is to decide exactly what you want to use it for. Often a garden will have many different functions -you may need a place for the children to play safely, but also want an area to relax or entertain your guests in. You may even want somewhere to grow fruits, vegetables or flowers. Whatever your wish list contains, it is important to identify these at the very beginning and ensure that your final garden design incorporates them all.

The challenge then is in trying to ensure that all the different areas and functions of your garden blend together as one seamless whole. Otherwise, you can end up with a patchwork of unconnected spaces which simply do not work together visually. This is where good garden design comes into its own. Having an overall style or theme for your garden is one of the ways you can link all of its separate spaces together. This is where you can have some fun and allow your creative side to come to the fore! From tropical paradise to country whimsy, you can have whatever your heart desires…within the limits set by the local climate of course.

Traveling is one of the best and most fun activities in life; especially during the holiday seasons, including the extended summer months for those in school. However, there is a real issue when all the family members are gone and the house is empty for a few days or weeks. This means it is imperative to make your home look lived in and your yard maintained during any period of time your entire family is gone. You don’t want to make it easy for a thief to find your home.

This will include the lawn being taken care of and cut while you are away. One of the first things burglars look for are yards that are over grown. If those yards also have newspapers left about in the yard it is another clue that “no one is home”. One of the best ways to make sure his doesn’t happen is to hire a local teen to pick up any papers or distributed materials out of the yard, mailbox or left on your doors. Placing outdoor lighting on a timer switch will also let a thief know that there might be someone home after all! Since you don’t have an alarm system on the outside of your home, lighting is a great way to deter anyone that’s thinking of robbing you BEFORE they even try.

You still will need to stop the mail and have the post office hold it until you return as well as stop any deliveries that come to your home. This could include FedEx or UPS, newspapers, newsletters or any type of specialty services like diaper services, dairy, etc. if you are able to get those in your neighborhood.

Last but not least, notify your local police or sheriff’s department and let them know the days the house will not be occupied. They will send a patrol car by to check on the place while you are away.