New yard - starting at zero
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Anonymous
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We are longtime apartment dwellers moving to a house with a yard. The back lot is level and he front one is very small and sloping with steps cut out in it leading up to the front door.
We want to eventually use some grass-free alternatives in the backyard with raised beds. We want low maintenance native plants in the front. I am hoping to start planting next spring. Meanwhile, what are things we can do this summer and fall. What are some good resources to learn more? |
Anonymous
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First measure your yard.
Second, note which areas are full sun, partial, or shade. Third, test your soil. Google "Master Gardner" and/or "native plant" society for where you live. They often give free lectures on different aspects gardening. There are also plant clinics for advice and fact sheets. |
Anonymous
| Look at books in the library, for inspiration. There are several books targeted to the Mid-Atlantic region by Adrian Higgins, Andre Viette and Sherry Mitchell. |
Anonymous
Make sure you do this for all seasons, not just now. Also, think about plants that will create interest for the full year so you won't have a desolate yard from November to march. I snap pictures on my phone when I see a plant I like in someone's yard and show it to a garden center worker to see what it is and if it will work in my yard. I do this all years. Start looking at people's yards and examine how the lay things out, organize plants/bushes, specific plants that interest you. |
Anonymous
| Ask your neighbors what has worked for them. Don't buy too much the first year and consider hiring a landscaper to start you off - if you want to plant larger bushes and trees, they guarantee the plants for at least a year. |
Anonymous
| Look around at your neighbors (Not the ones with the perfect yard!) to get an idea of what does well in your location and what the style is. Plants that love sun will NOT grown in the shade and vice versa. |
Anonymous
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Annuals or perennials?
Do you have pets or young kids? Try "edible" plants or at least nontoxic ones. Try to find ones that don't require much fertilizer, either. Do you want a flower, vegetable or herb garden? Do you want window boxes or hanging plants Do you want raised boxes in case you have contaminated soil? Have you tested it for lead and other toxins, especially if you live in DC? Do you want a water feature? Do you want plants that repel mosquitos? How will you repel other flying insects? Just a few questions but there are dozens of others, particularly how much are you planning to spend? |
Anonymous
Benhke's nursery and other nurseries guarantee plants for a year. No need to hire a landscaper just to get the year guarantee. Make a master plan in the beginning, but slowly add gardens--they're more work than a lawn. Don't dig up half your lawn and plant gardens only to realize that you don't have time to maintain it (or money to hire someone else to maintain it). Fall is actually the best time to plant trees, shurbs, and perennials here. The University of Maryland Extension Service has a great website for home gardeners. You can take soil samples and mail them off to be tested for nutrients, Ph, and lead all at once. |
Anonymous
| Look up Stepables. They sell them at Sam's nursery. They are groundcovers. You could try Corsican Mint. |
Anonymous
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Keep your eyes open for plants/varieties that you like throughout the next several months.
Also, if you have friends with yards/gardens, they might have extras [in established gardens, many plants multiply and have to be thinned anyway]. If you have a sunny yard and are already moved in, some fun annuals are zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers... |
Anonymous
| Oh and also you could try pumpkins if you have a vast unoccupied expanse-they grow easily and ramble and will be very entertaining by fall. |