Basics Of A Successful Garden

With a little bit of imagination and a whole lot of patience you can achieve the garden you desire. Gardeners who want to create a small, simple flower or vegetable garden will use the same basic steps as gardeners who want a larger, more elaborate garden.

The four steps to a successful garden are Planning, Preparation, Planting and Maintenance. These four steps can be as simple or as complicated as the gardener chooses to make them. Keeping these four basic steps in mind, a garden requires certain elements to thrive.

Seven Essential Elements of A Successful Garden

Space and Design - Knowing which type of garden you want, be it an indoor herb garden, flower, rock, water or vegetable garden or any other type, is the first decision you will need to make. The next thing to decide when planning your garden is it's location and the amount of space available. Space for plants means room for them to grow and expand. Some plants do well bunched closely together, while others, like large trees, may require several feet of room between them. Planting your garden will be easier if you take a little time to plan before you buy plants.

To use flower gardens as an example: Experienced designers advise planning and planting in the following order: First, the "specials", usually large deciduous trees that serve as focal points; next the "skeletons," evergreens or hedges for year-round structure. Then come the "decoratives", flowering shrubs or tall grasses. And, finally, you get to the "pretties" – spring and summer-blooming perennials and fillers such as flower bulbs, annuals or biennials. This makes preparation, purchasing and planting alot easier.

Soil, Nutrition and Supplements - Your soil is the foundation of your garden. Choose the right gardening tool to prepare the soil for planting. Plants get the nutrients they need mainly from the soil or other medium in which they are grown. There are many different mediums and methods of growing plants. A common method of gardening is soil-grown. Hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic gardening are three forms of soil-less gardening. Organic gardening is a method in which gardeners do not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants.

The main source of nutrition for soil-grown plants comes from soil rich with organic compounds. Get unlimited amounts of free organic fertilizer with the use of a compost bin and/or compost tumbler. A soil supplement such as commercial fertilizer can also be used in place of organic materials. Many commercial fertilizers contain nitrogen, potassium, and potash. Each component serves a purpose. Nitrogen promotes blade growth, forms proteins and chlorophyll (the green stuff). Phosphorus helps promote root, flower, and fruit development. Potassium helps stem and root growth and assists your plants in turning protein into nutrients (photosynthesis).

Climate / Temperature - Growing plants in appropriate temperatures is essential for successful gardening. Plant hardiness isn't determined solely on how cold it gets during winter months. The sum total of your region's weather patterns – precipitation, wind, sun, summer heat and humidity and winter snow cover - is taken into consideration. Topography also interacts with weather. For example, large bodies of water help to moderate temperatures.

Hardiness is genetic among plants, trees and shrubs. Some plants are naturally more tolerant of cold temperatures than others. Some cultivars of the same plant may even be hardier due to being bred or selected from plants that are tougher than their cousins. For help in determining which plants will grow best in your area, consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map if you are located in the United States. Canadian gardeners should consult the Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Sunlight and Shade - The light conditions of the planting area is the most important factor in successful plant growth. Planting shade-loving plants in hot spots or sun-lovers in the shade is a fundamental mistake that beginner gardeners often make. However, there are plants suitable for every situation. Gardeners should take the time to get to know their own garden before planting. Learn where the sun reaches at various times of the day and how it changes from season to season. Be prepared to adapt to changes in the conditions of your garden and it's surroundings. Plants have different light requirements so it is important to use that information accordingly.

• Full Sun / Sun: the plant needs direct sunlight for most of the day or around five hours or more during the warmest part of the day.
• Half-Sun; Semi-Shade; Part Shade; Part Sun: the plant can handle sun for half the day, or a few hours, and the rest in shade. Many plants can handle full sun as well as semi-shade.
• Morning Sun: the plant needs sun in the early part of the day and protection from the midday and afternoon sun.
• Full Shade / Shade: the plant has low light requirements and should be planted in complete shade such as that created by a building or a densely canopied tree.
• Light Shade: the plant requires the absence of direct sunlight but plenty of bright, reflected light.
• Filtered Sun / Dappled Shade: the plant needs the kind of patchy shade provided by an open canopied tree.
• Sun or Shade: the plant will grow in either a sunny or a shaded area.

Water and Frequency - Plants need moisture to grow and survive. In fact, a healthy plant is 75 to 90 percent water. Adequate water is especially critical during the first few weeks of growth while flower bulbs, vegetable and herb seeds and other plants are building their root systems and getting established. However, don't water if you don't have to. Too much water can be just as detrimental as too little. The best time for watering a garden is early in the morning or in the evening when the sun and wind are less likely to evaporate the water too quickly. Organic matter will improve the soil's ability to retain moisture, especially in sandy soil.

Also, consider the availability of water in your area when choosing the type of plants you want in your garden. Some herb and vegetable seeds, flower bulbs and plants are very thirsty and need regular watering. Others are more drought-resistant and will survive for longer periods of time without additional water. Your choice of plants should also realistically reflect how often you are likely to remember, or be available, to water the garden. An automatic sprinkler system is an excellent way to overcome watering problems if it is within your family budget. If you live in an area that experiences long dry periods it is probably best to choose drought-resistant plants.

Fresh, Clean Air - Plants breathe just like people do and like people, need fresh clean air. Plant leaves need to breathe air to help with photosynthesis. However, in addition to the air above ground, many plants "breathe" through the soil as well. Using sunlight and nutrients from the soil in a process called photosynthesis, the leaves of the plant change energy from the sun into food so it can grow. One advantage of a raised bed garden is greatly reduced soil compaction providing the plant roots with much needed air. Organic gardening with compost improves soil aeration, fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants.

Weed Control - Controlling weeds can be overwhelming for new gardeners. Weeds are tough and grow so fast that they can easily take over your flower or vegetable garden if you don't take charge. The first step to controlling weeds is figuring out which are the weeds and which are the garden plants. Weeds tend to grow and turn green before other plants get going. Weeds also tend to have somewhat of a "weedy odor". Breaking off a piece of the stem and sniffing it should help you determine if it is a weed. Spend time in your garden, getting to know what your plants look like, and then distinguishing them from weeds will become much easier.

• Thoroughly get rid of grasses and perennial weeds before you plant. Never use a garden tiller on an area and plant directly into it without removing the bits of root and stems left behind. Weeds can re-grow from these if left in the ground, as well as seeds. It's best to remove sod and then turn the soil over with a digging fork, breaking up the clods of soil and removing all the roots you find. A garden tractor may be more efficient for turning the soil in larger gardens.
• Herbicides such as Roundup can also be used for controlling garden weeds. Use these products carefully, following package directions and do not allow the spray to drift onto other plants.
• Another non-chemical way of controlling weeds and grass is by laying black plastic on the ground under the topsoil. This will kill the weeds but it can take up to a year to be effective if there are a lot of perennial weeds.
• Remove weeds as soon as they spring up, using appropriate gardening tools. It's much easier to pull or hoe smaller weeds than larger, deep rooted weeds. Weeds are easier to remove when the soil is moist.
• Be careful when mowing to prevent clippings from being thrown into your garden or flower beds. Lawn grass forms seeds that will take root over time.
• To control weeds over the long-term, layer 2 to 3 inches of mulch over bare soil between your plants. Mulches that are commonly available include pine straw, shredded cedar bark and cocoa bean hulls. Mulch keeps weeds down to a minimum by blocking out the light that their seeds need to germinate.