Steven A. Frowine - Gardening Basics For Dummies

Improving on what you already have in your yard is a quick and easy way to start enjoying a good garden. Timing is often key; that is, make your move at the right time and the project will be less work and will yield faster results. If the project seems overwhelming, by all means, find or hire help. Hiring someone to do a job that you aren’t up to is usually much cheaper than going to a chiropractor if you overdo it!

To improve a flowerbed, rake out all debris, remove all weeds, and add soil amendments in late fall or early spring. Plan what will go in, and remember to avoid overcrowding and to allow for each plant’s mature size. Last but not least, mulch the bed to retain moisture and thwart weeds so the bed will hopefully never get out of hand again.

You can reclaim a vegetable garden, even if it’s full of weeds — chances are that the garden still has fairly good soil. Get weeds and debris out of there in fall or early spring, repair or install edging and/or fencing, and then dig in some organic matter for good measure (this step’s easier now, before you add plants). Then cover the entire area with black plastic or a thick layer of mulch until you’re ready to plant to keep out digging critters and thwart a resurgence of weeds.

After you take inventory of your garden space and yard in general, consider what sort of garden you want. Before you get bogged down in choosing plants and deciding where to plant them, think in broad terms once again. How do you want to use your garden? What are your needs and expectations? Naming your goals can help you further clarify the details of your plans. Here I detail a few garden ideas that may interest you.

If you have young children of your own or if kids are always visiting, plan for them and their antics. A flower border of precious perennials, some of them delicately supported by stakes, are in constant danger of being trampled if kids ride bikes or play rousing games of soccer nearby. Although placing your raised-bed vegetable garden right in the center of a sunny lawn may be logical, figure out whether the kids’ fun and games work can around it or whether the kids will be running through it.

As parents everywhere know, the key to lowering your frustration level is being flexible. Site the perennials way at the back of the lawn area if you must; shield flowers with a fence or picnic table or living barrier, such as a line of shrubs or berry bushes; locate that vegetable garden more off to the side; and so on. You get the idea.

With kids’ short attention spans and wish for quick gratification, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get the children to help you dig up a new planting area, nor would it be safe or advisable to have them help with pruning projects. But you have plenty of other ways to build your kids’ interest in gardening:

Raise some easy-to-grow plants for kids. Favorites include radishes, green beans (pole beans, on a teepee, so kids can have a fort inside), nasturtiums, morning glories, mini pumpkins, and sunflowers.

Plant things kids love to harvest, whether vegetables or flowers for bouquets. Just make sure you supervise children, especially if they’re using clippers or scissors.

Create or help them create their own little area. Consider a small cutting garden or a fern bed in which to play with their toy dinosaur.

Encourage help by putting money in the till. Don’t forget the time-honored tradition of paying your budding entrepreneurs for pulling weeds and picking off bugs — though the going rate is probably no longer a penny a dandelion!

Flip to Chapter 22for some fun gardening projects for kids.

Contrary to popular belief, pets and gardens are compatible. All you need is some creativity to accommodate both of them. However, because the animal is part of your life, you have to consider meeting her needs a given when setting out to lay out your yard and garden.

Your biggest concern may be where your pets do their business. Dog and cat urine can create brown spots in lawns (mostly due to ammonia and uric acid in the urine), especially when the pet is a creature of habit and returns to the same spot over and over again. Just water the area to dilute, and the problem should go away. Dusting the area with gypsum can also help to neutralize the urine.

Either bury or scoop pet poop — your decision. Just never add this waste to a compost pile or spot where edible plants are growing, because cats and dogs aren’t vegetarians, and meat waste products don’t belong there. Pet feces can contain harmful bacteria, parasites, or other disease-causing organisms.

If you have pets, be careful about the gardening products you use and where you store them. Plan to keep the critters indoors after fertilizing or spraying until the packaging says it’s safe. You may also want to consider what you choose to grow and where you plant it: If animals eat a plant that doesn’t agree with them, up it comes — on your living room floor! In some cases, a trip to the vet may be in order. Visit the Animal Poison Control Center website at www.aspca.org/ for more information.

If you have a dog or dogs, design your garden with the following in mind:

Water to drink: Place a large bowl of fresh water in a spot where your dog can get direct access to it without trampling through valued plants and where no humans will step on it. Replenish the water often, because it may collect debris, dry up, or get too warm if in the sun.

Shade to rest in: Your dog may have her own ideas about which shrubs or trees to rest under, but you can influence your pooch’s decision by trimming away lower branches so scooting into the spot is easier. You can also create and fill in a sand beach area, which also allows unfettered and nondestructive digging, if your pooch is a digging sort.If you want to have a fenced-in dog run area, make sure it has sheltering shade throughout the day in some part and that the run is in a spot where you can see and/or hear your pet (so you don’t forget about your four-legged friend!). Dogs don’t like to do their business in the same place where they rest or play, so the run needs to big enough to allow for both activities.

Plants in tall containers: This puts the plants out of range of most dogs.

Grasses that are more urine tolerant: Bermuda grass holds up well.

Outdoor cats need clean, cool water, too, and they also like the sanctuary of a safe, shady spot where they can observe undetected or undisturbed. Watch where they go and improve it for them if you can with extra protection (like their own small, simple cat house) and more space. Note: A garden with sand isn’t a great idea if you have cats; they’ll think it’s an outdoor litter box!

Sometimes cats use tree trunks as scratching posts; little trees can’t tolerate this abuse of their outer bark, so rig a collar of tape, chicken wire, or hardware cloth to prevent the damage.

A popular trend these days is outdoor rooms or outdoor living, and it’s easy to see why. When good weather comes, who can resist hanging out or dining in the fresh air?