A garden is a great way to enjoy your yard and give your property a burst of color. Even if you’ve never planted a garden before, with a bit of time and patience, you can have a beautiful garden in no time. So, what do Southern Marylanders need to do to grow their perfect gardens? Here are a few favorite tips:

Start with the Sun

When you’re planning out where you’ll plant, you’ll really want to pay attention to the sun pattern in your yard, especially how it shifts in the summer. This will not only guide where you plant but what you plant. Think about what types of plants you want to grow, and determine what kind of light they need. Do you have spots of full sun in your yard? What about partial shade? Surveying your yard in terms of sunlight is a great place to start.

Water Access

Especially if you’re newer to gardening, setting your garden up by a water source like a hose can make caring for it much easier. If you have a smaller garden, a watering can might do the trick, but you’ll likely still be making several refills to adequately hydrate your plants. If you’re planting your garden across the yard, is your hose long enough to reach? These are important things to consider so that you can set yourself up for success.

Pick Your Plants

As I mentioned above, you want to pick your plants based on the conditions in your yard. Heading to your local plant nursery can give you great options as well as some helpful insights from employees there. Again, if you’re newer to gardening, this is a perfect place to pick up some knowledge.

Include Some Veggies

While many homeowners focus on flowering plants for their color and beauty, including vegetables in your gardening plans can also make for a fun summer garden. Vegetable gardens often require a bit more set-up work, as you’ll likely want some kind of fencing to keep little critters out.

Get Creative

Maybe you don’t have a lot of space or the idea of digging in the dirt for hours simply isn’t your thing. This doesn’t mean you need to rule out a garden completely. Grabbing some larger pots and planting in these is a good alternative to planting directly in the ground. If you’re low on space, these can help create a beautiful garden right on your porch or patio.

 

Will you have a garden this summer? What kind of plant do you grow? Do you have any gardening tips to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts!