Choosing The Best Plants For Your Garden
Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept.
You’ll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.
But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.
Now you are ready to plant. Well – almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organised, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.
Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the centre if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.
The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.
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What Is Organic Gardening
Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.
Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?
- One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.
- Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.
On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.
Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose – to kill living things.
- Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.
- Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion. The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 – 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.
- Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.
Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.
- A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.
- Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.
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How To Build And Maintain A Garden With Little Money
With prices at an all time high, and jobs decreasing steadily, it seems that planting a garden is out of the question for some. Don’t be discouraged at this point, since where there is a will there is a way. You can easily skip out on the costs of an initial gardening cost, so long as you are creative and willing to make it work.
Designing a garden is always the most thought provoking. Being new to the gardening scene will put you at a disadvantage from the start. Shave costs of buying books by simply going to the library or just using the Internet to find the information you need. It’s nice to have magazines and books of your own, but when on a budget these types of luxuries will just have to go.
If you don’t mind starting your garden a year late, go to a nursery with the intention of finding a discounted plant that is out of season. Nurseries, while usually expensive, will let these discounts go as the plants will be in less demand. The laws of supply and demand dictate that when demand is low, and supply is high, prices will have to be cut to make a sale.
Shops along the road that sell plants randomly throughout the year are really the best bet at finding a good deal. Being privately owned, they don’t mind selling flowers and plants for large discounts. The only concern is that they are hard to find, and setting out to look for one specifically will probably not turn up any good results- it’s sometimes just luck.
Despite what some think, gardening can be a social sport. Perhaps not while you are alone and doing the gardening yourself, but certainly while you are at the store and talking among groups about your experiences in gardening. Take advantage of the situation and ask other gardeners if they have any spare plants they would like to give or trade for something you have.
If you are in true financial need, check with the free organizations in your area. There are green initiatives that will come and plant gardens for the needy. Others may even go further, providing you with food to help you in the hard times. That way you have food for now, and can work for a great garden in the future with some hard work and luck.
Closing Comments
Creativity is the key to all problems. When you are looking for money to go towards a garden, just think of how you can approach the situation with a frugal sense of mind. You will either come out ahead, and build the garden, or just keep trying harder and make progress.
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