Whether you recently moved into a new home or you've just got the gardening itch, planning a new garden can be a great deal of fun. The opportunity to act as creator can be very appealing. But anyone who has gardened for long has learned the necessity of accommodating nature and has developed a sense of humility in the process.
{{B}}(41) Weather matters{{/B}}
The first thing to determine is what will grow in the spot available for your garden. This is where many gardeners make their first mistake. Too often plants are purchased before thought has been given to the conditions under which they will have to grow. One of chief factors determining what will grow in a particular spot is the weather conditions the plants will be subjected to.
{{B}}(42) Lay of the land{{/B}}
Next, you will need to determine what type of soil you'll be working with. The three main constituents of soil are sand, silt and clay, Silt particles are of intermediate size. An ideal garden soil, or loam, would be about 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay.
{{B}}(43) Amend your soil{{/B}}
The best way to amend a poor soil, whether sandy, clay or silty, is to add organic matter. Add a combination of topsoil and peat moss or compost will do a great help.
{{B}}(44) Keep a watch on moisture{{/B}}
Soil moisture is obviously tied to the climate of the area where you live, but even in a small yard there can be wide variations. If your garden is at the bottom of a hill, the soil may remain wet for long periods of time. In this situation, you can try creating a raised bed, but it is best to stick to plants that enjoy having their feet wet.
{{B}}(45) Don't fight mother nature{{/B}}
While some measures can be taken to make your garden a hospitable place for particular plants, your experience will be much more rewarding if you learn to work with nature. You will save yourself a lot of time, money and grief.
The hardest thing to convince new gardeners of is the need for patience. With the first warm day of spring they are eager to begin planting and nothing can stop them. Many of these bursts of enthusiasm yield ill-conceived gardens doomed to failure. The plants wither and the would-be gardeners become convinced that they lack some secret knowledge or inherent skill. In most of these cases, however, a few hours of planning and preparation would have made all the difference. It is quite easy to dig up a plot and throw some plants in the ground. It is another thing entirely to create a healthy, living garden.
[A] Azaleas in bloom might look great when the sun's out, but if they were planted beneath some protection from the glare, they might not be constantly infested with bugs. Of course, you can spray them regularly with insecticide, but now your garden is becoming about as environmentally friendly as an oil refinery.
[B] A colleague of mine had just bought a new house, and was brimming with excitement about his new garden. He planted a splendid garden, filled with plants unsuitable for our comparatively cold climate, and in a few months, most of his plants had either withered or become diseased. He thought he lacked some secret knowledge, but I knew why!
[C] My neighbor complained that the earth in his garden was poor and didn't drain easily. I advised him to do as I had done, and go down to the beach for his solution.
[D] The water table is very high in my area. At first I tried to fight this in my garden, but eventually I realized that I could use this to my advantage—now I have a beautiful pond full of lilies.
[E] Unfortunately, my own garden does not have the best of soil. My solution to this problem is to keep all the cuttings when I mow the lawn. Once these have rotted down, I dig them into the soil to make it richer and much better for growing.
[F] My friend's garden is very beautiful, but unfortunately, his house looks a little drab. My advice to him was to purchase some climbing plants that he could encourage to grow on trellises fixed to his wall—now his house looks very natural.