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Were
is your Garden? |
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Before you start buying or planting you
must first you need to get to know a few
things about your garden. First you must
consider what sort of region your garden
is in. Do you live next to the sea? Do you
live on the side of a mountain 2000 feet
above sea-level or maybe in the heart of
a major City? Were you live more or less
dictates what kind of plants you are able
to grow in your garden. Living next to the
sea for example were you have salty sea
breezes maritime plants and some leathery
leaved plants will feel at home and grow.
The best way to find out what sort of plants
do well in your region is to be nosey and
look at all the gardens down your street
and pay a visit to the local garden centre
or nursery, remember to take a pen and note
pad with you to jot details. |
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Your
Garden against the elements |
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Another thing we need to look at is, how
exposed is your garden? If your garden has
no surrounding fence or hedging (open-plan)
then its likely that putting new plants
in your garden will get damaged, killed
or blown away by any strong winds. There
are lots of plants that cannot withstand
blustery conditions so you need some kind
of sheltered protection for them. Think
about erecting a panelled fence or Hedging
before you start planting. |
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Which
direction does your garden face? |
If your garden faces the sun, then your
going to get very little shade, but best
of all you will be able to grow a vast amount
of plants. You can however if you like shade
loving plants such as hostas, create a
shady area by putting up a arbour or pergola.
There maybe a tree in next doors garden
that over hangs into your garden and gives
some dappled shade which would provide a
home for some shade loving plants.
A north facing garden does not mean its
going to be a shaded and damp area all the
time. Most north facing gardens still receive
sun light and warmth through the day. It
maybe at one end of the garden that there
is sunshine most of the day, and another
corner of the garden may see a few hours
of sun, and there is usually always a spot
which receives no sun at all. It's a good
idea to make a note of these shaded and
sunny areas, jot them down on your note
pad. |
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Frost
looks nice but its a killer |
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Frosts can destroy plants in no time at
all. Frost forms were very cold air gathers
and lingers in a dip or hollow. Gardens
that have hollows , dips and tend to slope
away tend to suffer some frost. Cold air
flows down the slope or hollow of your garden
and if blocked by a wall or fence it flows
back on its self and forms frost in the
depression. Make a note of these frost prone
areas in your note pad. You will need to
plant frost-hardy plants within these areas
of the garden. |
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Soil Types / Taking A Sample
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Tools Required
Find a Garden Designer in your County
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Landscape Gardeners
/ Tree Surgeon
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