Software
Houzz Logo Print
maram_smida

What advice would you give to someone who is new to flower gardening?

8 months ago

What specific advice would you give to someone who is new to flower gardening? For example, would you recommend starting with easy-to-grow flower varieties, understanding the importance of soil quality and sunlight, learning about proper watering techniques, or using mulch to retain moisture? Additionally, do you suggest keeping a gardening journal to track plant growth and care routines, joining local gardening clubs for support, or using online resources for guidance?

Comments (6)

  • 8 months ago

    Hi Maram,

    I'd hang out here on these forums, paying special attention to people who live in the same zone you're in. I'd look at lots of pictures, learn about good sources for plants, and learn from others' mistakes. A lot of mistakes are not permanent but some can be worse than others such as doing drastic things to your soil or introducing a plant you didn't realize was invasive.


    Do some research on plants you might want to plant before you plant them. For example, don't plant houyttunia, aka Chameleon plant. Not being overly cautious to the point of being intimidated is good too...have fun and learn from experience.

    Be observant while you garden so you don't trip on rocks or roots or dig into an underground yellow jacket nest. Know what poison ivy or oak looks like. Sounds like you already have some sense about what plants need such as light and moisture. I think some gardeners enjoy keeping extensive records .

    I never was drawn to join a garden club but someone invited me to a meeting and I enjoyed it very much for years. We got involved in various community planting projects , had parties, lunches every month, and learned a lot from each other. Mostly it was very positive.

    Yes, it makes some sense to start with easy to grow , non fussy varieties that are apt to do well in your area. If you try something new such as a new food or chemical, I'd do it on a small scale first , then wait and observe.

    Maram Smida thanked erasmus_gw
  • 8 months ago

    If I could go back in time and give my younger self advice based on my own experience it would be the following:

    1. Start small. Find a small area that you are likely to pass by whenever you go outside and start with a few plants. If things go well and you enjoy it, maybe add a few more the following year.

    2. Improve your soil every chance you get with whatever you have on hand.

    3. Take a walk through your neighborhood at different times of the year and learn to be observant. If something does very well for almost all of your neighbors, it will probably do well for you too. If there is evidence of the same disease in their gardens, you will probably fight it too.

    4. Gardening takes patience. You need to develop a long game. The first year won't tell you everything you need to know. It won't even tell you what you like.

  • 8 months ago

    Let's hear some thoughts about gardening from you, Maram. Have you started a garden yet? What plants appeal to you? What zone and/or state are you in?

  • 8 months ago

    Proper watering will make or break your garden.

  • 7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    I picked your post up in the rose forum. This advice is about roses.

    1. Pick the location of your rose bed(s) carefully. You want them bathed in full sun.
    2. Clean dead leaves under your bushes, especially coming out of winter, if you are not in a dessert environment. This helps prevent rose diseases.
    3. Mulch with cedar mulch, cypress shreddings, or other high quality mulch.
    4. Spraying Daconil when it is cool prevents botrytis in the spring and fall (I am in the Midwest). Daconil cannot be sprayed above 78F, so spray other fungicides as it warms.
    5. Water, water, water, at the base of the plant, especially in aggregate soils. However, on hot sunny days, overhead watering is welcomed by roses. Do not overhead water if the leaves will not dry in 2-hours.
    6. If planting grafted roses, you need to know whether to bury the graft in your climate or have it above ground. I am in Iowa. I bury the graft approximately 4" below the surface as the rose is much more likely to survive our winters. In warmer climates the graft can be above the surface.