Gardening 101?

RebeccaFlower

H & I have two medium sized raised beds in front of our home and I have no idea where to start? There is only one weird looking thing growing now, so we're thinking we'll start fresh. I haven't found much starting from scratch since most of what pops up is how to construct a raised bed, not the planting. I have kept an indoor plant alive for a few months, but that's it so we're looking for the easiest things possible. Help, please?!

Maggie0829

What are you looking to grow?  Vegetables, fruits, or just flowers?

RebeccaFlower

See! I clearly don't know what I'm doing. Just flowers & greenery unless there was something super low maintenance that is edible. 

JennyColada

Well, first, we had to buy a whole pack of soil since our ground is mainly clay and terrible for planting anything.

After the soil was good for planting, we bought some baby plants from the nursery. Veggies of all sorts. We have: bell pepper, corn, pole beans, cucumber, three types of tomatoes, carrots (seeds), radish (seeds), some other seed that I cannot remember, various herbs (parsley, tarragon, chives), three types of lettuce, artichoke, asparagus, fennel, and one or two other things that I cannot remember.

emmaaa

It is important to make sure the flowers and greenery you plant together need similar sunlight exposure and watering needs. What type of sunlight does this area get?

Also, tomatoes are very low maintenance. 

Maggie0829

Where do you live?  Depending on where you live will really tell you when to plant flowers.  For me, living in MD, I really shouldn't plant anything until Memorial Day possibly even a week after because of the chance of frost at night.  You also want to determine how much sunlight you get in your front yard because that will help to cut down your choices with flowers (some like full sun, some like moderate, etc).

Do you have a local greenery near you?  If so, I would make a trip and speak with an employee there. They should be able to help you with gardening 101 and recommend plants that will work for you.

I know a smidge about gardening but when it comes to me and what I do I just kind of wing it LOL! I buy flowers that are pretty (I mean I do look at the tag and make sure whether they are perennials or annuals and the sun/water requirements) shove them in the ground and cross my fingers.

AprilH81

If the area gets full sun (or mostly full sun) Begonia's are great but you have to replant them every year.  If you want low(er) maintenance Day Lilies will come back every year and also do well in full sun.

If the area is mostly shaded then Impatiens are pretty, but they just about need full shade.  They can't tolerate the strength of full sun, so what sun the area gets should be early morning or late day.

When you go to get the plants they should have a tag that says full sun/partial sun/shade.  Trust those tags...

MairePoppy

First, figure out how many hours of sunlight you get in your garden. Then go to a plant nursery/garden center. If you get less than 6 hours of direct sun, you should be looking at shade/part shade plants. Gardeners love to talk plants. You could bring along a soil sample and ask what you should add to improve your soil. Try to find perennial plants with your light requirements that bloom during different parts of the season. Make sure you read the tags so you know how big those plants are going to be at maturity. Fill in with some colorful annuals so that you'll have color all season. 

Edible herbs are low maintenance. Some are very attractive, such as chives, lavender and basil. Just be careful not to pick herbs that are invasive, such as mint, if your space is limited. 

jdluvr06

Like PPs have said it depends on where you live and how much sun your yard gets. If you're looking for something that is low maintenance I recommend flocks. They spread like crazy though. I planted some in the front yard of our old house and they somehow spread to the back.

RebeccaFlower

Maggie0829 said:

Where do you live?  Depending on where you live will really tell you when to plant flowers. 

I know a smidge about gardening but when it comes to me and what I do I just kind of wing it LOL! I buy flowers that are pretty (I mean I do look at the tag and make sure whether they are perennials or annuals and the sun/water requirements) shove them in the ground and cross my fingers.

Thanks everyone! It is a mostly shaded area and I'm in the north east so I don't plan on getting moving for another month at least as it is still pretty cold. I will probably go to the greenhouse and chat with them first. I just feel bad walking in and not knowing anything haha

And Maggie, that sounds like a great plan and something I would totally do, too. 

MairePoppy

I live in New England. Here's a list from Yankee Magazine. Bleeding Hearts are favorites of mine. They are easy to grow, fill in spaces nicely without taking over, attract hummingbirds. Just make sure your pets don't snack on them.

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/gardening-advice-ideas/shade-loving-plants

Also hydrangea (perennials) will do well if they have morning sun.