I just moved into my first house this fall, so this spring will be my first try at my own garden.. and I have no idea where to start.. Can I just plant a few of the flowers I like with no ground covering plants at all? Or would that look just too strage.. because the plants I want are all tall-growing flowers.. and I think it would leave the ground looking odd?
If you have no ground cover I would get some bark, because if not grass is gonna take over. Rocks suck cause if you wanna move your bed u gotta worry about those, but if you got bark it rots eventually. ANd make sure you put the taller plants in the back ground, and the shorter in the front. And make sure you get plants that will grow in your region.
Hey with having no ground cover now would be a great time to make that soil rich with organic matter. For myself I wouldn't go w/ anything really tall unless I had something to make it flow with the landscape a little better. Might be a good idea to go through some garden catalogs and check out whats out there that you like. Maybe check out some online gardens to get ideas and then alter them some to make them your own. Hope you have success. Hugs.
it might have a cool effect if you have all of these tall flowers with a bare ground. just ry your luck and hope the weather is right
You living in Canada constrains you to what will grow in your zone. Then your shadiness, or lack thereof. Then the type of soil you have. The soil you can change. Compost, humus, organic material, peat moss. These all change the soil. The acidity matters to certain plants, so check the soil and then the plants you are thinking of using. It then comes down to how much you can afford. Some plants are pricy. Some you can get for cheap, and you can do mass plantings with them for a good show. Perennials, I think, are your best value - they come back year after year. Just make sure to check the hardiness of the plants against your zone. Some perennials require being dug up and stored indoors over the winter in certain zones. Some perennials require a season to really come into they full glory. Be on the watch for that. I suggest you figure out your zone, your soil composition and acidity, the area you have planned for planting (and therefore knowing the shade aspect), and then go online to horticulture sites and start researching. Those sites will have the plants hardiness zones, the soil requirements, shade requirements, moisture requirements, height, bloom time, planting depth, all the info you need. They will tell you how much effort a plant will require (with some, you just find a hole in the ground and put them in it - others, you almost have to baby them). They will also show, in most cases, what the flower and foliage look like, so you can start to get an image of the display of your plantings. Some people develop a diagram of an area they intend to plant. The nice aspect of this method is that you know what plants to buy, what soil additives you need, and how you are going to arrange the plants to produce the best show during the growing season. And some people just put plants wherever the spirit moves them. Good growing.
The library is full of information on gardening. Also go to a good nursery in your area and they can give you good ideas on what to plant in your situation. I agree with LUV about the perennials, a good foundation for any garden also some smaller shrubs if you have the room to ground everything. Then after you get these in, fill in the bare spots with annuals, there are many that will reseed themselves. Most perennials only bloom a few weeks so get a variety, some early some late bloomers, Bee Balm has gone nutty in my yard this year,all from one plant last year...I'm in zone 6a. Hippietoad has good advice about enriching the soil, turn in some peat, compost, hummus, manure, don't know how your soil is but you can get inexpensive soil tests at the garden center. I would suggest talking to neighbors too. Any gardener loves to share knowledge and alot of times they will give you plants or seeds to start you off. Just catch them when they are outside and give them a compliment on something you like in the yard then ask a question and your off to probably a good friendship. I have traded tons of things this way. Good luck and loads of blooms to you,' teepi
