The Gardening Expert’s Guide to Planting
Gardening is a great hobby (and we’re not just saying that because we’re biased). In fact, growing a garden isn’t just a budget-friendly way to enhance your overall curb appeal—it also comes with a variety of physical and mental health benefits.
From aesthetically appealing flowers and greenery to edible vegetables and herbs, successful softscape requires sufficient planning and research.
The first rule of (green) thumb: remember to enjoy it! Gardening can consist of lots of trial and error as you figure out what works with your landscape, and that’s okay. In this blog, we’re sharing some expert guidelines so you can grow your own garden with ease.
Plant Planning
Before you start planting, you’ll have to do some planning. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What are your gardening goals? Do you want to grow some tasty kitchen ingredients, or do you want to give your yard a makeover with flowers and shrubs?
- How much space and sunlight do you have for gardening? Do you plan to grow your plants directly in the ground, or do you prefer the thought of a container garden?
- Which types of plants do well in your climate and environment? Would your garden do better indoors, or outdoors?
- How much time can you dedicate to gardening? Plants require consistent care; if you’re just getting started with gardening, we recommend starting small before potentially overcommitting, getting overwhelmed, and giving up on the garden altogether!
Choose veggies and herbs that you actually want to eat, and flowers that complement your garden’s color scheme. Know your plants’ growing seasons, too (check out this helpful guide).
You can choose to grow your plants from seeds, or perhaps you prefer to purchase already-grown plants to transplant into your soil. Either way, you’ll need to make sure the plants are compatible with your garden’s size, soil conditions, sunlight exposure, and with each other.
For example: if one perennial requires lots of sun and another does better in shade, you won’t be able to plant them in the same spot; if some of you’ve got a combination of “cool-season” and “warm-season” veggies, they shouldn’t be planted at the same time.
Essential Gardening Tools
In addition to picking out your plants and selecting your seeds, you’ll need to have some essential gardening tools on hand.
If you’re growing a container garden, you’ll need the following:
- Plenty of containers (make sure they’re big enough to allow your plants to grow to their full potential)
- Potting soil
- Watering can
- Small trowel, or something sturdy for digging
For garden beds, you’ll need:
- Trowel
- Hoe
- Rake
- Hose or sprinkler
- Fertilizer
- Stakes and string to mark your rows
As your garden becomes more complex, you’ll likely need more tools. That said, we recommend starting with the basics and adding equipment as needed.
Designing Your Garden
Once you’ve got the seeds/plants and tools, it’s time to start bringing your gardening vision to life.
Most importantly, decide on the appropriate location. Assuming you already know how much sun exposure your plants need, you’ve got a good starting point. Choose a spot that meets your plants’ needs including sunlight, good soil, and water, as even the highest-quality seeds will have trouble thriving in poor conditions.
You can even get creative by implementing strategic draining solutions to help direct water that would otherwise flood your yard into your garden.
In order to keep your plants from competing for adequate water and nutrients, you’ll need to plan the proper layout. Parallel rows are the most common garden layout, but a block layout can come in handy for making the most out of limited space.
While the best spacing for your specific garden depends on its plants and size, it’s typical to reserve at least 18-36 inches of space between each row. If you don’t have a lot of room to work with, consider planting some small perennials that only need 6-12 inches of space.
The more space you have, though, the more comfortable your working area will be. Plus, it’ll increase the likelihood of larger, healthier plants!
Our creative landscaping professionals can help you grow the garden of your dreams. Every comprehensive planting project includes an on-site consultation plus soil analysis, custom project design, design review and analysis, all-inclusive installation, and spotless cleanup. Learn more at https://garrettchurchill.com/planting
