I think I am a fairly savy flower gardener (until I meet others with way more knowledge, which immediately humbles me). I also think I am pretty good at finding my way around the computer until I discover something new and then think, wow, what else can I learn? So this is what I have learned.
native plants: incorporate them into my garden because 1. They are lower maintenance ( less watering, less fertilizing ) 2. They promote a healthier environment for wildlife who depend on them. It's an interesting read if you click on the link. And I am in camp "conventional-appearance", which means I still want a landscaped look to my garden but am trying to use native plants instead of mass produced industrial plants that are pushed by nurseries or contractors.
Things every gardener may want to know:
plant zones - The most basic of helpful things to learn is your "zone". Especially if you order plants online. My zone is 7a, you can even discover your ecoregion if you want to get fancy. I am in Ecoregion 66j - Broad Basins...something I can throw out there when talking to plant enthusiasts, lol
soil types - Again, very basic information here which makes a huge difference in whether or not a plant does well. I am not a big "amender", I prefer to go with what is there and work in that direction. ( another reason to use native plants ) My soil type is not listed here, it's just a basic guideline, so you may have to research yours further. ( I'm lucky to have a loamy soil )
Soil Moisture - Want to get serious? Look into your soil moisture, mine is Mesic, mainly cause I grow in a shaded wooded area alongside a creek.
sunlight definitions - This can be a tricky one and you may need to study the area to determine what your sunlight is. For my woodland garden I am "partial shade, dappled shade to full shade".
Micro climates - Now take everything you learned from above and adjust it, or throw it out the window if you have micro climates, because you can grow plants not in your zone etc. It may be warmer or colder, wetter or drier, or more or less prone to frosts...so yeah, it's a game changer.
Lots more to talk about, tools, pesticides, insects, identifying poisonous plants....but this gets you started in the right direction.
5 comments:
I am soooo not a gardener!!! But I admire anyone who can create one and look after it. Not one of my strong points at all. lol
:::huh:::
I'm glad that this is a hobby you like and makes you happy.. I like the pictures.. lol.. I periodically look up the info.. just so I know a few things about my area thanks to you.. not because I plan on planting flowers.. LOLOL
I sooooo love planting but when I plant things and my dog is watching, next think I know is "Look Ma, I can dig too" So right now, I don't dare plant anything new. Everything has to be grown in post for the time being at least until he quits digging LOL
Thank you for post this very valuable information, I can really use it! I have a little deck garden growing with various kinds of tomatoes, bell peppers (green and yellow), green onions, radishes and several different flowers. I'm going to add container cucumbers.
Pam
scrap-n-sewgranny.blogspot.com
This is really interesting how you have so many different zones.. We really only have 6 here in Australia. I am in a temperate zone.. I love growing my vegetables and I can have something in all year round. I worked out in our drought what worked well in our area and what did not.. So what grew well I just grew more of those.. It was hard to watch everything just die but I was not allowed to water anything outside for years.. We saved a few things with bucketing our grey water from the washing.. It was so hard to see all my hard work in my garden just die.
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