10 Garden Tips For Beginners

If you are a new home owner with no gardening experience, caring for your yard and taking care of a garden can be a bit intimidating.  Lawn care professionals at Gecko Green can assist you in general maintenance and care of your yard.  You should also do some research to help yourself become a good do-it-yourselfer.  Today I am sharing a few tips and things you should consider to get your garden started.

PLAN AHEAD

Whether you are building a new flower bed or growing a vegetable garden you will want to plan ahead.

1. Consider Annuals vs Perennials.  When starting a flower garden, the biggest decision you can make is whether to plant annuals (plants that will die after the first year) or perennials (plants that come back year after year).  If you are looking for a perennial that requires very little maintenance, I recommend azaleas.  We have encore azaleas in our yard; they bloom three times a year, and they only require a little trimming a couple of times a year.
2. Plants vs. Bulbs and Seeds. Next you should consider whether you want to start from scratch with seeds or bulbs or whether you just want to purchase some plants at the home improvement store and simply transplant them.  Plants will require less work, and they may be your only option if you are getting started late in the growing season.  But seeds and bulbs cost less, so if you are on a budget, they may be the better option.
3. Consider Your Location.  You should also do research to find out what plants work best in your geographical area.  Consider the growing seasons.  Lilies generally bloom in the early to late spring, whiles daisies and sunflowers bloom in the late summer to early fall.
4. Consider the sun.  Some plants work better in partial sun and some do better in full sun.  If you place a plant that requires full sun in a shady area the plant will die or, at the very least, not grow very well.  So you should always take note of how much sun the various areas of your yard get, and plant flowers that will grow well in those areas.
5. Consider the geography / layout of your yard. To get your garden to grow properly and look great, you also need to have certain types of plants in certain places.  Some plants work better in pots or boxes up on your porch,  while other plants work well on the borders of a flower bed.  As you consider this, you’ll also want to think about how tall the plants will get, as that can make a big difference in how your flower garden looks.
6. Consider spacing. You should take note of how much space a plant will require to grow.  Most seed/bulb packages should tell you how far apart to plant your seeds, so they can grow properly.  If you’re growing a vegetable garden you should also make sure that you plant straight rows.  Garden stakes and a roll of twine can help you to create straight rows.

MAINTENANCE

7. Deal with Weeds. Whether your dealing with an existing flower bed, planting a vegetable garden, or beautifying your lawn with new flowerbeds and landscaping, it is important to perform yard maintenance in late winter or early spring.  There are a few ways to control weeds in your flower bed.  You can pull the weeds, use weed killer from the store, or hire a specialist in flower bed weed control services.  They can come out and give your flower beds and yard spray treatment to kill and prevent weeds.

8. Aerate the soil.  Before attempting to plant anything, you should aerate the soil.  You made need to purchase or rent a tiller, but in some cases you could just use a rake.  If you’re building a flower bed, you may be able to skip this step and just purchase bags of good top soil and go from there.

9. Fertilize.  After planting, you should fertilize your garden.  As you’re shopping for fertilizers be sure to read the labels so that you can get the right fertilizers for your plants.  Then read the labels and use as directed so that you do not over-fertilize. You should also consider plant food for your flowers.

10.  Prune and Transplant.  After you get a flower garden started, you will need to perform routine maintenance once or twice a year.  Start with pruning your trees and shrubs.  And you will want to separate out and transplant some of your flowers as they multiply.

There’s a lot to consider when growing a garden, but with a little research and consideration, you can have a great garden growing in no time!  I hope the tips and ideas I’ve laid out here will help you as you start your gardening journey!