Are you looking to start gardening in the DFW metroplex?
Spending time outdoors is incredibly beneficial for our overall health and can be a great way to connect with our loved ones. However, while many of us dream of the perfect home and garden, it can be tough to know where to start when creating the most picturesque landscape.
So, if you are dreaming of creating the perfect garden but are not sure where to begin, we thought we would take a closer look at some of the top tips to help you.
What Kind of Garden Do You Want?
Before looking at some of the top gardening tips to get your outdoor space started, it is first important to know which kind of garden you want.
Are you looking for an area in which you can entertain friends? Do you want to grow a beautiful flower garden? Thinking of planting vegetables and herbs?
Whatever it might be, this will depend on your personal preference, the time you have to dedicate to your garden, and the location. However, when you know this, you can begin planning the landscape of your home and garden.
Location, Location, Location
Now that you know what kind of plants you are going to be growing, the first thing you need to do is choose the location. This is one of the most important aspects of gardening and will decide how successfully your plants grow.
When deciding on the location of your garden, there are several things you will need to consider:
1) Convenience
Gardening is a fun activity for the whole family, so you want your plants to be in a convenient location where it is easy to look after them. Whether you are planting vegetables and fruits or simply want to add some beautiful flowers, the position should be as easy to access as possible.
If you have to walk ten minutes to the location of your vegetable garden, or it is not easy to access your plants, then you might be less inclined to tend for them as regularly. Your plants will regularly need watering, too, so you want to ensure that their location is close to a water source.
When gardening, you might need to bring in a wheelbarrow or bags of compost, so you also want to ensure that you are able to bring all of your equipment with ease.
2) Sunlight
Another major factor to consider when choosing the location of your gardening project is the sunlight your plants will receive. Sunlight is essential to ensuring that they can grow; however, it is important to know which type of plants you are going to be planting.
Certain plants will require eight hours or more of sunlight a day, while other plants prefer more shade. This is an important consideration and will determine the location of your plant beds. Make sure you chart how the sun moves around your home and garden and which areas receive the most sunlight and are in the most shade.
3) Ground-Level
The level of the ground is also an important factor to consider when choosing the location of your plants. While water is essential to the healthy growth of any plant, if the soil is not able to drain effectively, then it can become waterlogged, which can be very harmful.
Placing your plants at the bottom of a hill or in an indentation could result in your plants not growing as effectively or even dying.
4) Surroundings
The final major consideration is the surroundings of your home and garden. If parts of your garden regularly experience strong winds, then this could impact how your plants grow or even cause damage to them.
Equally, if they are near trees or bushes which are home to birds and other pests could see them start eating your plants. That is why you want to make sure that your plants are protected from wind and animals as best as possible.
Raised vs In-Ground Garden Beds
Once you have found the perfect location in your home and garden, then your next choice is whether you want a raised or in-ground garden bed. As the name suggests, a raised bed is a framed area that lifts your plants from the ground. On the other hand, in-ground is where you place the plants directly into the existing soil.
Pros & Cons of Raised Garden Beds
One of the biggest benefits of using a raised garden bed in Dallas is that it gives you complete control over the soil your plants are in. This means that you can ensure the quality and texture is always the best it can be, guaranteeing a healthy and successful garden.
Raised beds are also more accessible for those individuals who suffer from back issues other ailments. The added height and border also help to protect the plants from pests and rodents, blocking burrowing animals from accessing them.
However, they do also have some downsides. Typically, raised flower beds require more watering, particularly in hot and dry climates. Alongside the upfront costs in creating a raised bed, they are also more labor-intensive compared to using in-ground solutions.
Pros & Cons of In-Ground Garden Beds
In-ground garden beds are the fastest way to start your gardening journey. Planting flowers in the ground requires no additional labor or costs, ensuring you can get started almost immediately. In-ground options also require less watering, capable of getting the nutrients they need, even in hot and dry conditions.
It is also often easier to establish irrigation systems for in-ground garden beds in comparison to raised beds. However, having to bend down or spend long periods working on in-ground beds can cause discomfort in your back and knees over time. They are also more susceptible to damage from soil-borne disease and rodents.
Know Your Dirt
Finally, you need to ensure your plants are growing in the best type of soil. Gardens across Dallas will have different types of soil, so it is important to test your dirt before you start planting. A soil pH testing kit will be able to help you determine the quality of your existing garden soil.
Utilizing this information, you will then be able to take the steps to increase the overall quality and boost your plant health. For example, if your soil is too acidic, then adding aluminum sulfate or sulfur will help reduce it. Equally, if it is too alkaline, then ground lime can help to increase the acidity.
To ensure your plants are in the very best health, you should consider adding nutrients to the soil, helping to enhance its texture. If you have clay-rich ground, then aerating it regularly can enhance the health of your plants, but if it’s too chalky, then consider adding organic matter to improve the minerals in the soil.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to transform your home and landscape in Dallas, gardening might be a fun new hobby for you to try out. These tips can help you to get started, ensuring your plants and flowers are able to grow strong and healthy.
Come by Jacksons Home & Garden today to speak with one of our gardening experts to help get you started on your dream garden, we’ve got everything you need and more!