Planting your Garden...

What to plant?

Some plants thrive better in some parts of the garden than in others. How do you know what to plant where?

Scented Gardens are beautiful. There are so many different scented flowers to choose from. Some have delicate fragrances, such as Lily of the Valley, Night Scented Stock and Cosmos to the more overpowering smell of the Hyacinth, Lilac and Roses. Many herbs, such as Mint, Sage and Thyme have scented leaves, which need to be crushed slighly to enhance the aroma.

Eco-Friendly Gardens encourage wildlife. In this day and age we must all be concerned about global warming and the effects it has on future generations.  We are trying our best to be as eco-friendly as possible in our garden project.  Most of the materials we have used have been reclaimed, either by begging or borrowing!!   I must admit that I am a bit of a magpie, and I can find uses for many items that other people throw away on a day-to-day basis. In our bid to be eco-friendly we hope to entice many species of wildlife such as frogs, birds and butterflies. Eco-friendly plants include Buddleia, Lavender and Honeysuckle. Harnessing alternative energy is the number one priority. Solar energy is free, after the inital cost of the purchase, pumps, lights and fountains can all be ran free of charge by using the sun's rays, which are converted into electricity through a special solar panel.

Child Friendly Gardens are the safest bet if you have youngsters. A play area is a must! Water features must be kept to a minimum, sorry no over-sized pools until the toddlers are teenagers. A sand pit is a good idea, dig it deep enough and once its emptied, you can transform it into your much loved pond! Some plants are poisonous such as Foxgloves,Lupins and Delphiniums. We all know that kids love to touch, so plant hairy-leaved plants such as Lamb's Ear. Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums, pansies and violets are good.

Shadey Gardens are usually North facing and do not recieve much sun. Bedding plants do not thrive well in a shadey garden. You need to plant shade-loving plants such as Ferns or Hostas. Foxgloves, Primroses and Bluebells are all shade loving plants.

Dry Gardens usually have either sandy, chalky or gravelly soil. Soil that does not contain water. Because of the poor water retention you should buy drought proof plants such as Agapanthus, Buddleia or Hebe.

Windy Gardens need sturdy plants. Its no use planting a delicate Day Lily in a garden where hurricanes happen! Ideally a planted windbreak, made out of either trees or bushes should be the first thing to plant. Windy gardens often have poor soil, so it is wise to improve the soil with nutrient rich compost. The most common shrubs for a windy garden are Dogwood, Juniper and Gorse.