Do you want a lovely garden but it never quite
happens? Then read on for some tips of
how to make that garden dream a reality in 2019. Learn about how to envision your goals, get
stuck-in and grow the plants that thrive in your garden.
Envision
your garden. In your
heart, you know what you want from your garden.
Is it the sun-filled patio, the rows of crispy veg, the bees buzzing
amid the wildflowers, the chirping of birds or the flow of water? Put your ideas on paper, invite a garden
friend round and talk them through it. It helps to share your ideas and cement your enthusiasm for the work ahead. An experienced friend will give you some
helpful feedback.
Then,
get stuck in. Now, in
winter! Unless you pay a landscaper and
professional gardener to do the work, it will be done by you and anyone else
who can be persuaded to help. Although
you have some goals in mind, the process of doing the work is very
rewarding. A garden is made by the time
spent throughout the year. Your garden will benefit from a little every day
rather than a marathon in the spring.
Learn
how to grow your plants.
If you are the type that buys that expensive plant in flower on an
impulse and then ‘finds’ a place in the garden, then consider a change! Grow your plants from seeds and
cuttings. Then you will know them well,
know their pests and diseases and understand how to coax them into flower year
after year. Friends will share seeds and
cuttings. Ditch the plants that do not
thrive in your garden or just need more attention that you think is worth it. Consider growing much more in summer and
autumn and the small plants that you nurture at this time become a glorious
display the following summer.
Look
around your local gardens and markets. This will tell you what plants grow well in
your area and connect you to local growers.
Local growers often supply plants that are adapted to your conditions
and they have knowledge you can benefit from.
For example, in Cornwall, attend the Cornwall Garden Society Spring
Flower Show in early April, the Hardy Plant Society Plant Fair in May in Truro
and the Tregrehan Garden Rare Plant Fair in June. There are often plant sellers at your local
markets.
Don’t
be put off by the cost.
Yes, a large patio of Portland stone will set off the plants beautifully
but other materials, such as gravel, are just are effective. Be inventive and try new things. If you can learn the skill of growing your
own plants, this will also help contain the costs.
And
finally, there is no perfection. There is no perfect garden and most of us get
the enjoyment from the doing as much as from the admiring. Set new goals each year to keep your garden
evolving.
