Adding a garden to your property can revitalize your lawn and increase your curbside appeal. Best of all, gardening can be a fun and enjoyable pastime. While building a garden is a multi-step project, it’s not difficult. Whether this is your first time gardening or you have years of experience, Progressive Lawn & Landscaping is here to guide you. Here’s how to start a garden step by step.
1. Selecting the Site
The first step in creating a garden is selecting the right site for it in your backyard. You’ll want to find an area that gets plenty of sunlight, as many plants require hours of sun every day. Taking care of your garden will be a daily task, so the site should be accessible and convenient. If you want to enhance your lawn’s appeal, choose a location that’s near the front of your lawn or facing a street. Sharing your beautiful plants with loved ones and guests can make the experience far more rewarding.
2. Choosing Your Plants
After you have selected a site for your garden, it’s time to choose what plants you want to grow. Popular flowers to grow in Florida’s climate include asters, begonias, pentas, coreopsis, and evolvulus. You can get as creative as you like, just be sure to select plants that will thrive in your yard’s conditions. It’s helpful to test your soil beforehand to see if you need to add any nutrients to it before planting.
3. Gather Materials and Supplies
Once you have chosen plants, you can now gather the materials and supplies you need to start your garden. Make sure you have the most common gardening tools such as a shovel, rake, and hoe. Gardening can be messy, so we recommend getting a pair of gloves as well. Beyond tools, you’ll need to purchase the plants you want to grow. You can buy seeds or get plants that are already growing. It’s totally up to you. If you choose to build a raised garden bed, you’ll need to decide what materials you want to use for its construction. Cedar wood is a popular option, but some prefer metal, such as steel or stone.
4. Preparing the Area
Before placing the plants in your garden, you need to prepare the area first. If you need to add compost or nutrients to your soil, do this now, and be sure to level the soil before planting. This will help ensure the plants are positioned correctly, helping them thrive. If your garden is in a raised bed, we recommend adding a weed barrier (usually cloth) at the bottom of the bed to prevent weed growth.
5. Planting
Planting is one of the most fun parts of the gardening experience. Depending on the plants you selected, it can be helpful to plant during certain seasons or months. Check online what time of year is best for your chosen plants. As you plant your flowers, make sure there’s ample space between them and they are planted at an appropriate depth and width. This will give them enough room to blossom. We recommend consulting with the seller who sold you the plants or a landscaping professional to learn more about ideal conditions for your flowers.
6. Adding Mulch
After planting your flowers, it’s a good idea to lay mulch around the garden. Mulch has key benefits, such as helping keep the soil moist. It can also be another layer of protection against weeds. You can determine how much mulch you need based on the size of your garden. Measure its dimensions and put the dimensions into an online mulch calculator.
7. Watering and Maintenance
As soon as you plant your new garden, you can start a maintenance routine. This starts with effective watering. Water your garden at least once a day in the beginning, and as your garden develops, you can water it a couple of times a week. As much as your garden needs water to grow, too much water can damage your plants. Look up your plant species’s needs or speak with a landscaper to develop the perfect watering schedule for your garden. Besides watering, be sure to look out for pests or any unusual changes in your garden. If you see anything weird, contact a professional as soon as you can. They will diagnose the issue and remove anything harmful before it causes permanent damage to your garden. Staying on top of your garden’s maintenance will keep your plants healthy for the long haul.
Want Help with Your Gardening Project?
Knowing how to start a garden can be easy! Progressive Lawn & Landscaping can help you create the garden of your dreams. We have an experienced team that can assist with selecting plants and finding the perfect location for them. Our landscapers will oversee the planting process from positioning your flowers to providing maintenance guidance. We want to give you an amazing experience and be a landscaping partner you can rely on. To learn more about our gardening services and how we can make a difference, contact us today.
