Wednesday 11 May 2011

Share Your Garden


Many people just love to share
their garden experience of what they have tried and grown. The best way to learn some insider tips is to talk to other gardeners. They have many opinions about various subjects in gardening and we try to find some of the more significant topics and experiences so it will save you a step. Maybe you were afraid to try a certain plant from negative info you received, or maybe you found something that is very pretty but can be an invasive nightmare for you, like hummingbird vine. Are all morning glories bad or just bindweed?
(Photo: Buttercups allowed to grow)

A garden can be a big investment in plants, so planting flowers that can be reseeded or volunteer help as well as planting perennials that come up reliably each year and just fill in with some annuals can really help with the gardening budget. No matter what size your garden is, most gardeners love to try something new each season. This entails thinking about how your landscape can be used or if you made it somewhat permanent. (ex: potted mums plugged into holes in mulch)

Learn about your Zone, soil conditions and how your yard may need certain types of plants. Do you have damp soil, sandy soil, mostly clay and rocky soil, or a combination, getting to know your spot could save you a lot of time and money.
Have you ever tried an active Gardening Group?
Fun ways to enjoy the experience of gardening is to trade plant divisions with plant swaps or do seed trading via the regular mail.

< Gardeners love to share photos of their garden.



What Questions do Gardener's Ask..
When first planning I found it great to make a design on paper even if its only for a single bed at first. Make a list of questions:
1. How do I keep the plants healthy without a ton of maintenance?
(Raised beds, mulch, soil amendments, water capacity, shade, mulch)
2. Do some plants like or hate each other? Are some more aggressive?
3. I like perennials but don't like those spots empty with flowers till they bloom.
(Plant colored leafy greens, some daffodil bulbs, or other color combo with varied bloom dates)
4. Are all wild plants weeds, and how do I know if a pretty wild plant won't turn into a weed?
(Cone flowers are essentially wild flowers but do will in a tame garden)
5. What is truely invasive? Can I plant a garden if I want to keep my shade trees?
6. What is an ornimental edible?
7. Are leaves from my trees safe for my compost pile?
8. How do I save seeds and share with others?
9. Do I have to divide my perennials or can I just dig them out when they get too big?
10 If I want to grow more fruit in my yard, how can I do this without poisons?

What if I live in zones 6 - 10?

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