Starting your very first garden can be as exciting as it is daunting, especially if you have no experience being a green thumb. There are a few things that will help you organize your time and your space so that you can bring your garden dreams to life! Here are the top 10 things that you need to do and consider when planting your first garden!
1) What Are You Going To Do With The Garden?
When you decide that you want to grow a garden you have to think about why you are going to be growing the garden. Is it going to be a space for entertaining? A space for play? Will you be growing food here or just enjoying flowers? These are important things to take into consideration, as they’ll change the way you interact with your garden and the plants you choose to grow. Establish this before you move forward.
2) What do you Envision?
Once you have an idea of the purpose that your garden is going to be serving then you have to look into your mind’s eye and try to imagine what you want to see. Is there shrubbery? What colours are you favouring? Are there any particular plants that you envision when you do this? These are going to be the foundation of your garden.
3) How Much Time Can You Devote To Gardening?
You may have lofty goals for your garden but something that you really do have to take into consideration is how much time you can dedicate to it. Are you away a lot? How many hours are you away at work during the week? Being reasonable and making a garden that is manageable means that you will enjoy it much more than you would if it was overwhelming you.
4) How Much Money Can You Devote To Gardening?
You also need to take cost into consideration. Some plants and seeds are very inexpensive, while others are quite pricey. For some, the cost isn’t an issue, but for a lot of people starting a garden needs to be a balancing act. You’ll need to purchase equipment, soil, and then plants. It is always a good idea to stick to less expensive options and then pick out a few more expensive ones that you’ve been eyeing.
5) Vegetables, Flowers, or Both?
Vegetable gardens and flower gardens are actually taken care of in very different fashions. Vegetable gardens require a lot more regular maintenance than flower gardens, and pest control is a much bigger issue as they’re not just eating leaves and blooms, but the food you want to harvest. Vegetable gardens also need a lot of sun, so if you have a shady backyard they may not be the best thing to plant.
6) Building Your Design
There are some basic rules of gardening design. The rule of odd numbers (always plant an odd number, not an even number, of the same plants) is one, as is to have a mix of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs so that there is always something blooming and your garden is ever-changing. At the end of the day though there are no hard rules with garden design. Do what feels right for you and know that you can make changes next year.
7) Choosing Plants
Choosing plants can actually be a little bit trickier than you’d think. You have to keep in mind how hardy certain plants are, what kind of soil you have, the pH levels, and how much sun you have. There are also a lot of plants that are more resistant to droughts if you want to save on your water bill, and easier to care for options that don’t need much babying.
8) Getting the Right Tools
It is best to invest in good quality gardening tools, even though they’re a higher upright cost. Pruners and shears need to be of good quality and kept sharp, or there may be an accident that could have otherwise been avoided. Don’t go overboard though, just stick to the basics and see how things go. You’ll learn what you need as your garden grows.
9) Planting
This is when your garden will really start to take shape! When planting, make sure that you know how deep everything should be planted and how far apart each flower or vegetable needs to be for its roots to have enough room to grow. Check to see if it is a partial shade or full sun plant, so you get everything in the right spot and always give a new plant or seed a sufficient amount of water. Lastly, when taking plants out of their planters make sure you shake out the roots to allow them to spread out.
10) Maintenance
Once everything is planted and growing you still need to do a lot of upkeep. Planting new plants, stalking, cutting back, dividing, weeding, and watching out for pests are just a few of the things you have to do, along with watering every day. With all this work though you will end up with a beautiful garden that you will enjoy for years to come.
When you are ready to create your new garden space, it can be a daunting task. You might feel as though you lack the skill to design or plant your new garden. In these situations, contacting the professional landscape design team at Schlager Inc. is a good decision. Our experts promise to deliver you amazing landscapes that you are sure to love.