Building a New Garden

Building a new garden is an exciting and rewarding experience. The success of your new garden is greatly increased by following a few guidelines and basic principals. Plants you choose play a key role in determining how full your garden will appear right now and what it may look like in the near future. Below are a few suggestions to help you along the way.

In selecting a site for your new garden, consider the amount of sun or shade exposure your plants will get. Observe the new site by watching the morning, mid-day and evening light. In Colorado, five to six hours of sun is considered full sun, two to five hours is thought of as sun to partial shade and less than two hours, more shade. Most shade-loving plants desire less than one hour of our hot, dry climate. Use plants that thrive in proper light conditions to ensure success.

The single, most important thing you can give your new garden is good soil to grow plants in. Plants live in various soil types but will thrive if you amend your soil with a composted material. The type of soil you have will determine which compost you will use. Clay soils need to be broken up to provide more air to the plant roots, sandy and rocky soils need to retain more moisture in the root zone. Consult with your local garden center for information on the many types of soil amendments and which ones are best suited for your location.

Consider height and color of flowers or foliage when selecting plants for your new site. Set taller plants towards the rear or off to the sides of the garden if it backs up to a fence or structure. Place tall plants in the center of the garden if the site can be viewed from all directions. Use raised beds to achieve an even greater height or select plants that grow tall such as vines and ornamental grasses. Variegated foliage mixed in with flowering perennials offers a unique look. Mix wide leaf and slim, narrow leaf plants to achieve texture and depth. Pick colors that compliment one another as you would if decorating in your home. A splash of purple or blue next to yellows and oranges make beautiful combinations.

Choose plants that use the same water consumption to help make watering easy. Most succulents and sedums are drought tolerant plants that require little water and should be planted in the same areas. Provide drip lines or efficient sprinklers on timers to avoid over watering and wasting our precious water resources. Simple, battery-operated timers and drip irrigation supplies are available at most garden centers to help you convert sprinkler lines to drip irrigation easily.

Use natural bark mulches to help keep moisture levels up and weeds in control. By adding three or four inches of fine forest mulch, you will save on the amount of watering needed to maintain plants at the root zone. Use small, medium or larger cedar bark mulches around perennials, shrubs and trees to help control unwanted garden weeds and to make pulling weeds easy.

Add flare to your new garden by using a piece of statuary, birdbath, unusual rock or other natural products as a focal point to compliment plants. A small fountain is easy to maintain - the running water is soothing to the ears and it will attract birds and wildlife to your garden. Too many rocks will add more heat to your garden, so be aware of increased evaporation rates.

Be sure to think of the future and know how large your plants will grow as they become mature. If you over plant, you can always move those that are crowding others to a new garden and start again.

High Country Home & Garden - www.highcountryhg.com