How does your Garden Grow?

Are you one of those people who just visits the garden centre when the sun comes out, spends loads of money on plants that looked good when you were there and then wonders why the plants don’t last and your garden just doesn’t look like you want it to? Knowing how you want your garden and knowing how to achieve it are two very different things.

Planning

Gardeners need to understand which plants work best in light and shade, how to maintain them, different types of soil and how to manage pests. Many of us have the basic knowledge to plant an attractive garden, but do you sometimes wish you could go one stage further and have a more beautiful garden full of vibrant colour and fragrance that is a pleasure to senses?

Planning is the key to gardening success. You don’t need to spend hours pouring over gardening magazines and watching TV programmes. Although the fact you’re reading this article means it’s likely you do this when you can! Just an hour or so a week spent planning means you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the months to come.

Considerations

Every keen gardener wants to change something. If we just left things as they were and only did the weeding and pruning we’d never see things develop. The points below may well be far too basic for all you seasoned gardeners, but spare a thought for those of us who need some prompting with our ideas!
When planning, as well as doing the simple tasks like maintaining borders, consider the following:

Paths, patios and decking – are you happy with what you’ve got or would you like to move or add a path?
Climbers – do you need to hide an unsightly wall or obstacle?
Herbs, fruit and vegetables – have you always wanted them but never bothered? Now’s the time to plan to grow your own!