How Do I Start Landscaping From Scratch?
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We just moved to a house that has nothing but grass. I what to plant bushes and flowers and 2 or 3 trees but I have no clue where to start! What are the easiest but stongest plants, flowers and trees for a beginner like me? Is there a certain time of season to plant? How do I know where to plant so they don’t get too much sun? How do I know how much water to give and what time of day to give it… Please help, your advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Take a garden hose and edge out where and what you want your beds to look like ( i made mine a free flowing curve). Then dig the bed out and turn the soil over, rake it out. I put some compost and peat moss and raked that in as well. Plant your trees, flowers etc (grill the guy at homedepot) They also have a one year guarantee on trees and plants (save your reciepts). lay out the flowers and trees while they are still in buckets (this will help you see what the bed is going to look like. once you like the arrangement. start planting. After, cover around the plants with landscape fabric, to prevent weeds from popping up and mulch it over! Easy and fairly cost effective, compared to professional help that is!
The best advice I can give you is to take a good size piece of paper and make a scale plan of the area marking in as much info as possible,include buildings ,even large items that might shade your garden like trees on the neighbours land.Once you have done this go to your local garden supply and ask them for ideas..be aware that trees are small to start with but mature into large things that may give more shade than you want..don’t overdo it!!!The best time to plant is either spring or fall…..most info you require is specific to your area so get local advice…the worst time to water is mid day as you can burn the foliage and the water evaporates more than it penetrates the soil and gets to the root system..early morning is best.
Everyone says to draw a plan and go from there but I didn’t. I started at one section and worked as I have the time and the money. Depending on which state you live in…..type in ___(you state) Cooperative Extension Service. You usually will click the main site. A choice will be given to you for different areas of information that they offer. I am sure they will have something on Landscape, Flowers, Shrubs or something of that sort for you to chose from. This way you can tell what is right to plant in your area, what will do best where and when to plant it. They are a host of information for everyone.
nfd♥
I’d suggest drawing a layout of the space you have to work with, indicating what the shade/sun is like in each section. And then either hire a landscaper to offer his/her design (you will have to pay for that but you dn’t have to hire him to actually put it in, you can put it in yourself) with the types of plants to use. Or you can take your sketch to a good local plant nursury and talk to one of the people there. They should be familiar with your area to know what the rainfall pattern is like, can suggest which plants will both suit the space you have and your care abilities. And just grill them until you feel sure you know enough to get started. You can go back for more advice as you need it. Just remember that all they have to go on is what you tell them so if it turns out something they suggest died on you, it may be because there’s grubs in the soil or some other problem they (and maybe you) didn’t know about. Don’t be afraid to admit you’re a novice, and don’t be agraid to take notes. If you’ve can afford it, you can probably hire a part-time gardener who can teach you how to care for your garden, what is the best plants for which areas, etc. (make sure to get and check on references).