Our enthusiast reader ask a question about What are the basics of gardening?. I have been engaged for a year now (one more to go) and have just purchased my first home with my fiance. Obviously this is a very joyous but overwhelming endeavor for us. We’ve spent the last few months creating the perfect inside to our home and have finally come to realize our outside has a lot of potential but also needs a lot of work. However neither of us have ever really dealt with plants and gardening except for watering the occasional house plant.
We have two long box areas under our windowsill for flowers as well as a nice define space around our house for landscaping and a wonderful little area for an herb garden in our back yard.
We live as far north as you can go and still consider yourself in the south so we have very distinct winters, summers, springs and falls.
What is the best way to go about creating a beautiful lawn and garden for our new home?
How do I go about choosing the right flowers for our area (preferably something beautiful and low/moderate maintenance)
How hard is to to maintain an herb garden? What are the best herbs to use?
I’ve done a little research but it’s all greek to me. However I believe we are in zone 6a according the the National Gardening Association.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Hi Mommy to Caroline and Nathaniel, In my humble opinion, with my experiences in garden do it yourself… here is my best answer.
You should really go through this site it helps a lot in term of gardening
just try this
http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/Getting_Started_in_the_Garden_Techniques_and_Terms.htmhttp://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/Getting_Started_in_the_Garden_Techniques_and_Terms.htm
Bey and all the best
Give your answer to this question below!
As it is your first time, go to a gardening center and see the plants they sell for your area. You can buy bags of soil to go into the area under your window sills depending if things have been growing there before, or you want to be sure of starting with fertized soil.
The main problem with being near to the house and under a sill is that the flowers there won’t be getting enough water.
You’re going to have to keep an eye on them and if they show signs of wilting, give them extra water. Annual plants like geraniums are good as they need less water and they come in dozens of varieties! They also look good in hanging baskets if you want to coordinate the color you choose somewhere else.
Petunias and begonias look good too.
Then, if you prefer Perennials, why not go for roses that bloom most of the summer? Either “tea roses” that have a single flower on its stem of “floribunda” which have multiple flowers on the stem but aren’t as perfect as the single rose.
If you want to put a shrub type plant there, “hypericum” has a lot of varieties and doesn’t need a lot of care.
Herb gardens depend on what you like. Some herbs like mint do spread. Rosemary, thyme, sage are the classics but plant what you plan to use.
I have found that lawns that are cut regularly do look pretty good. Watering it is again part of your problem or solution depending on watering restrictions or the cost of water.
You’re best digging individual weeds in it with a trowel, out by hand (after a rain or a water).
Hope that gives a bit of help. I’d love to get my hands on your garden!
This question is like, What is the meaning of life?! But here’s a few hints.
Good soil is the foundation. Adding organic matter to any soil, whether dug in just mulched, will always improve it. So learn to compost now.
Select plants that are native to your area. They are more likely to thrive and will require less care. Ask your garden center or co-op extension office for help, and look around the neighborhood to see what thrives.
Even drought-tolerant plants need watering until they are established. Trees and shrubs need about an inch a week the first year. Smaller plants may need daily watering for a couple weeks before they can make it on their own.
Unless you’re sure you never, ever want to plant anything else there, avoid ground covers. Wish I’d known that starting out.
Perennials are lower maintenance than annuals, and plants in the ground generally lower maintenance than in containers.
I went to my local library and checked out a few books on gardening one of which was ‘Gardening for Dummies’….lol!
Also, http://www.idigmygarden.com is a great forum, and they are always willing to answer a newbies’s questions. There is a specific there for herbs and flowers on there also.
How exciting to be purchasing your first home!!! I wish you both the best!
Congratulations, a new home and a new life! Gardening for many folks is a lifelong pursuit and one we continue to learn about through out life. I like to learn many ways, so I read visit and talk with other folks to see what they are up to. A new garden can be lots of fun as well as daunting so I generally like to break the task into pieces.
Knowing what you site is all about makes selecting and placing plants easier. Start with a piece of paper and make notes on what you have. Simply sketch out the lot and put in existing plants and structures. Mark the directions north, south, east and west and mark any areas with differencing soil such as wet or very dry spots. Also mark on your plan the prevailing winds. Include notations on your hardiness and heat zones. These are indications of climate, cold and hot and help you select the right plants for your area.
Now that you know what’s there, draw some big circles to indicate the functions that go on in what part of the yard. Where do the kids play? Where is the dog’s area? Afternoon toddies are enjoyed on the deck? Once this is done, plants can be selected to accent the function, direct traffic and screen or enhance views.
Choosing plants now becomes easy. Select those which will grow in your region, then consider your site characteristics. Will it grow in the amount of light and type of soil? Is there enough space for the plant’s mature size? Is there enough water or can your supplement until the plant is established? Plants whose growth requirements match the site characteristics don’t just grow, they thrive.
There are many places on and off the web you can go for more detailed information. The Cooperative Extension Service in your State, part of the Land-Grant University System, can help with the specifics for your location. Find the Extension Service in your area at http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html
Also, check out Learn2Grow.com. There are many pages there to help new gardeners such as:
Info on hardiness zones- http://www.learn2grow.com/problemsolvers/climateconditions/seasonalissues/rockandhardiness.aspx?page=1
Design By Function area for landscape and garden ideas and planning – http://www.learn2grow.com/projects/landscaping/DesignByFunction.aspx
A plant database with thousands of plant profiles – http://www.learn2grow.com/PlantDatabase/Plants/PlantSearch.aspx