5 Steps to Fall Gardening

I love gardening! I love nature! I love the idea of being involved in the beauty of God's creation. Planting things is one of those ways. Digging in the dirt, tending and planting a living thing and seeing how well it does makes me excited on the most primitive of levels.

I think the most favorite part though is digging in the dirt. Breaking up the soil, pulling up rocks, weeds and the grass if the spot is not bare, and transforming a space excites me.

Then to see the space organized and completed gives me such a sense of accomplishment that soothes my soul that it drives me to getting back into the yard / garden every chance i get. Don't confuse the issue, i love gardening but i don't enjoy some of the backbreaking work that it takes to keep it at it's best.

For instance i prefer not to cut the grass more than maybe twice a month. It is hard work for me. Gardening is different. I love well mown grass and level hedges but for me it is work where gardening tending the blooming flowers is a pleasure.

I know a few people that feel the same so they avoid it all together, other than sitting and enjoying the display of colors when the flowers are in bloom or the leaves are changing colors.

For me there is so much more. Listening to the wind in the trees rattling the leaves, seeing the trees move with the winds coaxing, all of this inspires me to live a life free from stress and toil. The calming effect cannot be duplicated more is the pity, no matter what we try.

It is all the elements of nature and the natural habits which are inclusive of gardening that make it such a restful endeavor!

Picking the spot

Where you decide to put your new garden all depends on you, your house, your space and what plants you may already have in mind. There are questions you need to consider when you make a choice.

1. How much sun does the area get
2. How long is the area sunny
3. How much water will the soil get
4. Does the area have good drainage

Ground preparation

There are a few options when preparing the ground in the area you have selected, it typically starts with whether you decide to pull up the grass or not.

1. Turning the grass and using it as a filler
2. digging up the grass completely and using it some where else or just discarding it
3. Determine how dip you want to go when breaking up the soil
4. Build up the spot with soil, peat, and other soil enhancers, like compost
5. Whether you want something organic or as is

Picking plants

I prefer to look at and live with perennials. There are a vast selection that vary from plants that love shade to those that love the sun. Some that are some that grow close to the ground, shrubs that vary in heights and flowering plants that contribute all assortments of colors and appearance.

So, it all naturally comes down to your preferences and what type of look you may want. If you have an affinity for blooming plants, like roses, azaleas, and peonies are great starters, especially if you are interested in plants that can take up a large amount of space.

Remember, before taking the plant out of the pot, tap the container, size the hole where it is to be planted, place loose soil, newspaper, press the roots to loosen then add to the prepared hole.

Mulching elements

There are lots of options for mulching your garden. There are a lot of organic options, that can be renewable or not, but there is several options. You will have to ask yourselves questions, like what color will go well with the house or if stones with be an added feature.

1. Pine straw, bark
2. Stones or gravel
3. Large nuggets or small nuggets
4. Newspaper is great as well, but only the pages without colored ink, Black & White only!

Watering and feeding

How much water or lack of moisture affects the plants and the look of your gardening spot. So setting it up so that drainage is not a problem makes it a much more self efficient space. That is one of the reasons i love perennials, they are self sustaining and once all the prep is completed with little effort they will still thrive well.

It is always good to find and maintain a feeding schedule for the plants if they are bloomers. They should also be protected from bugs and pests of a varied species so that they continue to stay healthy.

Flowering or blooming plants

1. Rose bushes
2. Peony plants
3. Day lilies
4. Gardenias
5. Cannas
6. Hydrangea
7. Gladiolas
8. Azalea
9. Whatever you love or can afford, like climbing vines, example Clematis

Shrubs

1. Sedum
2. Fire Nandinia
3. Boxwood
4. Juniper
5. Holly

Trees

1. Japanese myrtle
2. Cypress
3. Camellia
4. Purple Wisteria
5. Magnolia
6. Juniper

Grasses are also a popular addition to any garden, as well as Hostas.