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New to gardening? Here are 3 things to know when planting

Chris Lambton shares three gardening tips to help you boost your home's curb appeal and plant the perfect garden for summer and beyond.
/ Source: TODAY

The temperatures are (finally) warming up and that means your garden is ready for you. But if your thumb isn't exactly green, Chris Lambton is here to help.

The host of "Controlled Chaos" stopped by TODAY Tuesday to share his top tips for sprucing up your home's curb appeal and getting ready growing season.

1. Plan, plan, plan

Before you start digging any dirt, figure out what areas of the yard get full sun, part sun and no sun. Use that information to figure out where you want to plant new shrubs, bushes, perennial flowers and annuals. If you aren't sure what plants will thrive in certain lighting conditions, your local gardening store has employees who are ready to help.

"When I do my planting plans, I don't want to do something that's only in July,"Chris said. "You want to plan for color all year round. Even for the six to eight months of flowers, you want something in every area of your yard."

2. Thriller, filler and spiller

When designing the pot, consider using the "thriller, filler and spiller" technique on each pot. Apply one of the following:

  • Thriller: a beautiful, larger plant
  • Filler: grass to fill the space-give height
  • Spiller: vines hanging over the pot

RELATED: DIY ways to fight weeds and more answers to your gardening questions

3. Use egg cartons

Growing vegetable and herbs from seeds may seem intimidating, but Chris can walk you throw it. He uses old egg cartons as inexpensive starters and keeps them indoors until they are ready to be transferred outdoors.

"I have a plastic egg carton and I use that for growing," Chris said. "I put 12 tomato seeds and I cover it. like a green house. Leave the container closed near windows but open the container every few days. If soil is dry, water down middle of the egg carton and close it back up."

RELATED: Gardening 101: Everything you need to know to plant a thriving garden

Don't move the seeds outside until they get 3-to 4-inches tall. Once they are big enough (and after the last frost), put them in a pot outside on a patio or plant in a larger yard.