So here's my list of common gardening basics and mistakes that I hope you can avoid. If you pay attention to these 5 important items, then maybe then all my blunders will not have been in vain!
1. Sunlight - Pay attention to your landscape beds and how much sunlight they get. Remember that morning sun is different from afternoon sun. Some plants thrive on morning sun and some need to bake in the hot afternoon summer sun. It's well worth the time to take notes on your landscape areas and their sunlit hours. Match your plants with the kind of sunlight you get.
*I've dug up and moved many plants in my yard to make sure they get the right kind of light!
2. Blooming Time - Read, read, read plant labels! Pay attention to the blooming season.
If you want spring flowers, bulbs are a good choice. These are done blooming early, usually by the end of April or beginning of May.
*I have tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinth in my yard.
If you want multitudes of summer blooms, buy plants that are going to deliver flowers during those months.
*I prefer lots of summer flowers because that's when I spend most of my time outside.
3. Growing Habits - Read plant labels carefully to make sure you get the right kind of plant for your space.
If you need a ground cover to spread and fill in an area, then look for label words like "ground cover, vigorous spreader, sends out tuberous roots, fast growing."
If you want a plant that stays in one spot and doesn't spread out too far, then look for label words like "clumping, compact."
If you want a vine or climbing rose, read the label carefully. It should say "climbing." Vines need to attach themselves to some kind of trellis or fence.
4. Soil - If you've never gardened before, look at the condition of the ground where you want to plant. If it's not rich and brown looking, you need to amend it with some kind of topsoil or compost. It's easy to buy a couple of bags of good garden soil and add them to your dirt. Just work in the new soil with a garden rake or shovel.
5. Mulch - All dirt has weed seeds in it, and weed seeds need sunlight to grow. Your best defense against excessive weed growth is a thick layer of mulch on top of your dirt. "Thick" means 2 to 3 inches, not a sprinkling. As a bonus, mulch provides a nice backdrop for your plants. If you mulch around all your plants you will have very few weeds to pull during the growing season.
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