subject: Gardening Basics [print this page] Growing the successful garden is a rewarding experience and knowing all of the gardening basics is essential to the neophyte gardener if they indeed, desire a successful garden. Whether one is growing a fruit and vegetable garden, an herbal garden, or a beautiful flower garden, they will need to know how to properly seed, feed, and nurture the garden they choose to tend. Ultimately, every garden is much like a child, one that requires a great deal of attention, love, and care.
Before a gardener can even begin thinking about planting, they will need to first test the quality of the soil they intend to use. The type of soil will determine what kinds of fruits, vegetables, or flowers will thrive in the garden. Different regions of the world often have different types of soil. Clay, chalk-like soil, loamy soil, peat soil, sand-like soil, and silt-like soil diverge in terms of the types of minerals and nutrients they possess. Finally, it is an excellent idea to have the ph level of the soil tested as well, and successful gardeners find that the majority of the time, soil that tests neutral for alkalinity and acid is the best soil for planting.
After the soil has been tested, it comes time for the gardener to do their homework. Research is required to see what plants will grow in the soil and the gardener, if growing a bed of flowers, will need to determine if they want annual blooms, perennial blooms or both. For the gardener looking to plant flowers with the least amount of maintenance, perennial blooms are best; perennial blooms reappear each year, while annual blooms require replanting every season.
