Articles on Home Gardening and Landscaping

Navigation

Featured Article

Gardening & Landscaping Articles

Organic Secrets
Gardeners, Discover The Easy Way To Save Money and Eat Healthy For Life With Organic Secrets.

Home Vegetable Gardening
A complete and practical guide to the planting and care of vegetables, fruits and berries.

Your Garden
Be The Envy Of Your Friends And Neighbours, Save Time, Effort & Money When You Discover How To Create The Ultimate Garden.

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.

Written by: Kevin Sinclair

Recent Articles

Caring For Tropicals And Exotic Flowers
Tropical flowers make an exciting change from the more traditional floral gifts such as roses and gerberas, assuming that they're available in your area. Their stark and colorful beauty makes them an impressive gift for special occasions like...

Flower Bulb Catalogs -
Because of their relative ease of planting and growing, bulbs of all kinds are a popular flower choice. A wide variety of flower bulbs are available today. Tulips, lilacs, daffodils, crocuses, irises, dahlias, and gladiolus are just a few of the...

Online Gardening Catalogues At Your Disposal
Are you searching for gardening catalogues? What kind of gardening and plants do you prefer to read about? There is a wide selection available online. Here are a few websites that offer gardening catalogues. Check out the URL to see if they are free...

American Gardener
The American Gardener provides over 150 pages of helpful gardening how to information, and tips that will help you grow plants with ease without them dying like they did on me!

Homeowners Guide To Landscaping
You can discover the joy and beauty of having a wonderfully landscaped yard with the help of Homeowners Guide To Landscaping.

gardening.ksinclair.com | Main Website | Gardening and Landscaping Books