A well kept garden, with well manicured lawns and trimmed hedges, looks pleasing to the eye, but it’s the flowers that really take one’s heart away. And why not, the myriad hues and tints scattered on a green canvas is truly a thing of beauty beyond compare. Any person with a green thumb or even a passing familiarity with gardening knows how difficult it is to plan a garden, so that it has flowers all round the year. So, it’s important to choose the best flowers for your garden.
Choosing the Best Flower for Your Garden
Choosing the right flowers is critical for a garden. It not only requires a thorough knowledge of the seasonal flowers, but also of the best color combinations for the garden to appear aesthetic. Although there are a variety of flowers to choose from, depending upon their shades and textures, you need to consider their lifespan and hardiness too, before planning your garden. The best way to get an idea is to visit a nursery, where you’ll find them growing. This is far better than browsing the books on gardening. Once you start your search, don’t limit it only to the flowers alone, and evaluate the leaves and other parts too.
Preparing the Garden for the Flower
There are some important steps in preparing your garden. Let’s see what they are:
Soil Analysis: For any plant to grow, more so, the ones you want, it’s a good idea to get the soil analyzed, before buying your first plants. A soil analysis tells whether it’s acidic or alkaline or whether it contains the nutrients your plants will need. If the soil doesn’t measure up, don’t worry, there are ways to fix the problem.
Choosing Seeds and Seedlings: When choosing seeds or seedlings for transplantation, it’s important to choose only the healthiest and best looking seedlings, and reject those that show any signs of disease or insect infestation. This’ll ensure your new garden gets off to a right start.
Nurturing the Seedlings: From the time you sow the seed or plant the seedling, you’ll have to nurture your ‘babies’ till they’ve grown into ‘adults’. And the job doesn’t end there. At every moment you’ve to be alert about their health. Although, it’s easy to see things like spots or holes on the leaves or wounds on the stems, some problems can be more subtle, and may be missed by a beginner. So, the advice for beginners is to take the help of experienced gardeners or the nursery staff in choosing the seeds and seedlings of the desired flowering plants.
Tending the Plants: Once the plants have grown, it’s important to keep an eye out their health. Things like wilted leaves and waterlogged roots can have an adverse effect. Plants with cut stems or other types of wounds should be weaned out. Once the plants have started flowering, ensure the flowers remain healthy. For this, look for white and black spots on the flowers, leaves and foliage, as these spots are often signs of a bacterial or fungal infection. Use recommended pesticide and in the desired quantity.
If you’re dedicated enough, you’re certain to gain enough knowledge to choose the best flowers for your garden, not only for the flowering season, but all the year round.
A well kept garden, with well manicured lawns and trimmed hedges, looks pleasing to the eye, but it's the flowers that really take one's heart away. And why not, the myriad hues and tints scattered on a green canvas is truly a thing of beauty.
