Your First Home! Wow! Congratulations! Awesome feeling, home ownership.
Are you excited about having a yard? Are you planning your flower beds, maybe some decorative pots on the porch? Did you remember to buy a lawn mower (a push one if you have a small lawn)?
It's exciting to get your hands dirty in the garden for the first time. It's also a big responsibility. I've got some information you need, things to think about, some tips and links for you to get you started, including a list of essential garden tools.
There's the property standards thing: There are bylaws about fences and hedges, and garbage, and more. "Private Property and Boulevard Enforcement involves by-laws primarily associated with land use (zoning), lot maintenance, property standards, boulevards, signs and noise. The enforcement of these by-laws supports orderly development, community standards and community image." (Town of Newmarket)
And the environmental thing: Newmarket has a bylaw limiting pesticides, and water restrictions. There is a green bin compost program and the town encourages you to purchase a garden composter (Town of Newmarket) and York Region has tips for yard care and gardening that save water and we got our rain barrel cheap through the region (Water For Tomorrow). "The average suburban lawn uses six times the hazardous chemicals per acre as conventional farming. Per hour of operation, a gas mower emits 10 times as much hydrocarbon as a car. Then, of course, there are the sprinkler systems that go off like clockwork, even when it’s raining." (Canadian Living)
Remember, you're taking care of living things. You'll love watching your baby plants grow into flowers and vegetables. If you don't have children, having a garden gives you a great outlet for your nurturing instincts. If you have children, there are a million lessons that gardens teach.
Don't worry. There's lots of help out there: websites and blogs online, books, and staff at gardening centres, even gardening centres in department stores and at Canadian Tire can help. And, talking about yard work is a great way to meet your neighbours! They'll know best about what works in your neighbourhood.
For information on plants and planting and everything gardening, follow local garden people, like Mark Cullen. on blogs and Facebook posts to get timely advice. You'll know when it's time to plant tulips and the best way to do it, for example.
Don't go crazy buying all the fancy gardening tools. You might not need them all, and you might be able to borrow some. Here's a list of essentials:
Are you excited about having a yard? Are you planning your flower beds, maybe some decorative pots on the porch? Did you remember to buy a lawn mower (a push one if you have a small lawn)?
It's exciting to get your hands dirty in the garden for the first time. It's also a big responsibility. I've got some information you need, things to think about, some tips and links for you to get you started, including a list of essential garden tools.
There's the property standards thing: There are bylaws about fences and hedges, and garbage, and more. "Private Property and Boulevard Enforcement involves by-laws primarily associated with land use (zoning), lot maintenance, property standards, boulevards, signs and noise. The enforcement of these by-laws supports orderly development, community standards and community image." (Town of Newmarket)
And the environmental thing: Newmarket has a bylaw limiting pesticides, and water restrictions. There is a green bin compost program and the town encourages you to purchase a garden composter (Town of Newmarket) and York Region has tips for yard care and gardening that save water and we got our rain barrel cheap through the region (Water For Tomorrow). "The average suburban lawn uses six times the hazardous chemicals per acre as conventional farming. Per hour of operation, a gas mower emits 10 times as much hydrocarbon as a car. Then, of course, there are the sprinkler systems that go off like clockwork, even when it’s raining." (Canadian Living)
Remember, you're taking care of living things. You'll love watching your baby plants grow into flowers and vegetables. If you don't have children, having a garden gives you a great outlet for your nurturing instincts. If you have children, there are a million lessons that gardens teach.
Don't worry. There's lots of help out there: websites and blogs online, books, and staff at gardening centres, even gardening centres in department stores and at Canadian Tire can help. And, talking about yard work is a great way to meet your neighbours! They'll know best about what works in your neighbourhood.
For information on plants and planting and everything gardening, follow local garden people, like Mark Cullen. on blogs and Facebook posts to get timely advice. You'll know when it's time to plant tulips and the best way to do it, for example.
Don't go crazy buying all the fancy gardening tools. You might not need them all, and you might be able to borrow some. Here's a list of essentials:
- Gloves (can be old leather gloves)
- Wheelbarrow (kids' wagon works in a pinch)
- Rake (for leaves, and a straight rake if you have flower and vegetable beds)
- Hand pruners (scissors, saws, and loppers and other cutting things are good too)
- Watering Can (and a good hose attachment is nice)
- Trowel (for planting smaller things)
- Spade (for planting bigger things- watch where you're digging. Here's the number to call to locate underground stuff.)
Creepy Garden Gnomes Optional
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