Help with planting basics!

I saw the other post about planting, and I remembered that I really want to plant a pretty garden this year. However, I'm completely clueless. When do I start planting things? Are there certain types of things that I can't plant together? I have never planted a thing in my life, so I could use some basic pointers. TIA!

Re: Help with planting basics!

general rule of thumb... you can start planting monthers day.


Now as far as what to plant and where...

it can be either very simple or VERY complicated... your choice.

if you have a flower bed... you need to know if its full shade? part shade? full sun? that will let you know what types of plants/flowers to look for.

once you figure that out... go pick out flowers.

Things to keep in mind...
Flowers:
1. perennial vs annual ? do you want to have to plant new flowers every year? or do you want them to just show up on their own?

2. blooming periods... when do they bloom? how often do they bloom? some flowers bloom early and that's it, they are done. some bloom very late... some bloom a few times during a single season. Some people like to have their blooming periods "timed" so that when one type of flower is dying off the next one is blooming.. so there is a constant change of color and never any down time.

shrubs:
1. mature size - you want to make sure you are leaving enough room for them to grow and now get choked out by other things.
2. evergreen? do you want a shrub that will remain green even in winter?


thats all i can think of off the top of my head...

Re: Help with planting basics!

What's your soil like ?
Is it clay ?
Is it loamy ?
Is it just dirt ?
Does it drain well or does water just sit ?

Take the time and money to prepare a good planting bed BEFORE you start planting anything.

This is a Good garden guide to help you get started on soil prep.

Start a compost bin - that's the best thing you can do for your garden and the stuff comes right out of your kitchen.

Happy planting.