How to Garden | Flower Garden | Plants and Flowers and Hints and Tips
The Pleasure of a Flower Garden
What pleasure the flower garden can provide.
No matter what size of garden we have it is possible to provide a bit of colour in our lives. The magnificence of a large herbaceous border, a small front garden, a patio garden and even a flat with a balcony and window boxes, all provide the gardener that sense of achievement and enjoyment.
What is more we can create a garden that needs a lot of maintenance or for busy people there are low maintenance gardens. Some wish for no maintenance gardens but to me that is not a garden.
Seasons in the Sun? No, the Whole Year Round
There is something for all seasons, perennial flowers that flower during winter, winter bedding such as violas, spring displays from bulbs and spring annuals and perennials, the magnificent displays of bloom in high summer and the more subdued but still beautiful autumn flowerers.
Foliage, Form and Growing Conditions
Then there is foliage and form.
Tall plant varieties, short and intermediate varieties, green foliage, yellow foliage, variegated foliage, broad leaves, strappy leaves, lax foliage and upright foliage, the list just goes on.
Add those plants for full sun, partial shade, deep shade, damp conditions, dry flower beds, wind tolerant plants, acid lovers, lime tolerant etc.
Sometimes we gardeners are like fishermen and their tales of the one that got away, “If only I had acid soil so that I could grow Rhododendrons”. Well yes, that would be nice but we have so much choice for our gardens and we all have to learn to work with Mother Nature and not against her, it makes our gardening life so much easier.
Creation and Maintenance
Creating and maintaining a flower garden can be hard work, nothing is for ever; plants will die because they are short lived or because they are damaged by slugs and snails. Others will be in the wrong place or cannot compete with a vigorous neighbour, there is always something to think about and more importantly learn abut plants and gardening. But this is part of the enjoyment and sometimes frustration of gardening.
Start with small ambition and grow with your knowledge and garden.
Do not be afraid of failure, gardening reflects life, some things work and go well and others horribly wrong. It happens to us all but when it works well the results of all that work, for me not work but pleasure and relaxation, provides so much pleasure and satisfaction.
To help, we provide you with a few hints and tips for the year in the flower garden.
