[Singel]

We are novice in gardening and right now, our back garden has nothing but the lawn. The only thing I know is to put a plant down, pray and hope that it will survive...... really pathetic :no My hubby said that if the plant survive, means that I have green-fingers ;) :laugh

How do we start?
What should we do?
Is this the right time (spring) to do the garden?
Any tips?
:roll

[Timbo]

I cant help you I`m afraid Singel. I went to same gardening school as you by the sound of things.
Given the climate and rainfall there, I would have thought anything would grow.

[jubjub]

Spring is generally the time to be planting things, so you are probably OK there, things I have learnt from wathing many hours of garden desigh programs....

1, think about what you will use garden for. Do you need a seating/entertaining area? Decking, slabs. space for BBQ. look where the sun goes in your garden and put it in sunniest spot.

2. with the hot weather coming it may be an idea to try and introduce a bit of shade, but you have got awnings now, yes?

3. You need to have a bit of height in a garden, to draw your eye upwards,whether it be a tree, or a arch with some climbing plants on it. You can get arbours with seats in, that look quite nice, if the climbing plants are fragrant it makes a nice place to sit.

4, Water Feature? do you want one, think they are best put in shade as you dont want any fish to get boiled in the sun ;) , if you have fish, and the water will stay clearer too.

5. do you want to replant each year, or do you want to just put the plants in and leave them alone? You get a more colourful garden with replanting things like bedding plants (pansys etc), but you get a nice garden with just shrubs too, many of them do flower, and at different times of year, so if you get the right ones you have greenery all year, and a bit of colour too.

If you go to a garden centre such as Palmers, they should be able to advise you as well.

Enough ramblings, hope this helps a bit.

[selchie]

I'd say that your soil's condition and health are the most important things for your garden's success. Do you have an inkling of what kind of soil you have (e.g. sandy, silty, clay, rocky)? A mix of sand, silt and clay, called loam, is the best.

Here's a quick and dirty (no pun intended) test to determine your soil type: Take a cup or so of the soil (from about 6 inches down), and crumble it up. Put it in a quart jar, add about a tablespoon of laundry or dish detergent, cover generously with water, cap it, give it a really thorough shaking to mix everything up. Then let it sit for a few days, until the water is fairly clear. The clay particles will take the longest, and this is wahat will cloud the water. When it's settled, look at the different layers in the jar. Sand will settle first, then silt and lastly (you guessed it) the clay. Measure each layer (millimeters are most accurate), doublecheck the total, and calculate the percentage of each. If they're roughly even, it's loam. I'll be happy to check my handy-dandy soil composition sheet and tell you what you have. If you're not sure about the math, just give me the raw data. If the soil falls to one extreme or another, there are things that can be done to help.

You can also look around for some sort of agricultural office which could give you information on local soils.

Microbes (the good ones) are extremely important for soil and plant health. If the microbes are healthy, the soil is healthy, and your plants will be too (barring above-ground problems). As with any (non-extremophile) living creatures, they need water, oxygen and nutrients.

Organic material (OM) is important for soil. You may even have some now, but it rarely hurts to add more. When it is broken down, OM helps hold the soil together, holds pore space for water and oxygen and acts as a sponge for moisture and nutrients. Generously add compost, whether it's homemade or purchased. Considering NZ is a timber-processing kind of place, the nurseries may stock composted wood shavings/chips. They should be dark brown. If you acquire raw, uncomposted wood shavings, you should probably compost them first. This can be as simple as mixing them with lawn clippings, wetting the heap and letting it go for a few weeks. Tossing it a couple of times can help get oxygen in there for the microbes.

Water should drain well, but not completely run through. Too much clay can result in soggy soil, and too much sand can cause too-dry soil. Adding OM to either problem can help tremendously, and other things can be done, too.

Nutrients are also important. If possible, find out what deficiencies your local soil might have. Soil pH (acid/alkaline) influences nutrient retention and availability. Desert-like climates tend to have alkaline and often "salty" soils. Rainy climes tend to have acidic soils where most nutrients get leached away. The addition of OM will help both situations. Although nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K on fertilizer containers) are the "primary" nutrients, others are just as important. Your plants and microbes also need sulfur, magnesium, iron, and a host of other secondary and trace elements. I prefer to make my own standard fertilizer from blood meal, bone meal and greensand. It may take longer than "chemical" fertilizers to be available to the plant, but they last longer. "Chemical" fertilizers are already mineralized and ready for use by the microbes and plants. Be careful to not over-apply them, or you could chemically burn your plants. I do use a bit of liquid plant food when something needs a boost, and I also use it in my potted garden plants throughout the year in addition to an annual application of the "organic" stuff. In the end, all fertilizers become much the same thing, so use what you're comfortable with.

Now, about those plants... Keep in mind that this info comes from a Californian, who is accustomed to wet, mild winters and dry summers. I am assuming that your NZ climate is similar, e.g. no heavy, killing frosts or blankets of snow on the ground. Spring is a good time for annuals, like many veggies and common bedding plants. Planting perennials (trees, shrubs) is best done in autumn, so that they can establish a good root system during the rainy season. If you do wish to plant some lavender (or some such perennial) now, be attentive to it's water needs, especially if the weather gets warm and dry.

Don't overwater - this is as bad as underwatering, and the symptoms are similar. Check the soil. If it's drier than a well wrung-out sponge, then water. If it's wetter than a lightly squeezed sponge, don't water. When you water, water well, not just a quick splash that barely wets the top centimeter.

When planning your garden, think about what you want it to look like in about 5 or 10 years. Pick some good "structure" plants - perennials that will be there through thick and thin. Find out how big they'll get, and space them appropriately. I still get in trouble when I plant a one-gallon plant near the house or fence, and wind up with a 10-foot tall, 6-foot diameter beast. Don't be afraid to move things if they don't fit the spot, or you don't like them.

If you see a nice garden in your neighborhood, note what you like about it. Maybe you can meet the gardener and perhaps learn from them. They might tell you what grows well, what's difficult, what's a pest, etc. They may even provide you with thinnings, cuttings, bulbs or seeds. I have many plants that need to be periodically thinned out, and I hate to let them go to waste. I also have plants I wish I'd never introduced, because they try to take over the world.

Although I've been playing in one garden or another since I was young, taking some agriculture classes at the community college really made a difference in my approach to the garden. And has made me rather long-winded on the subject of soil science.

This is probably more than enough info for now. But if you have further questions, I'll try to answer them. Maybe someone already in NZ can better help with plant selection.

Enjoy! http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/natur/nature-smiley-004.gif

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Singel,

My advice would be don’t do it!

The best thing I did with my back garden was flatten the lot and lawn it. (except for the trees). If you want some colour in the garden get some pots.

An hour a week running a mower around lets you enjoy kicking around the garden rather than trying to sort out the flower beds.

Having said that I think the place to start is to go to the gardening shop, get a soil test kit, you just mix some soil from your garden with a little water (distilled I think) and test the acidity. Note how dry/wet the garden stays and head off to a shop that sells plants.

I’ve found the people who work in these shops (in the UK) to be really freaky in two ways.

1/ really knowledgeable
2/ ever so friendly and willing to help
(not something I’ve found when buying many many other things).

In my experience if you can tell them about the drainage, the acidity level and how you want the garden to look, the plants you take home are almost guaranteed to de well, and look great too.

One other thing when you get to the shop look for the oldest person there, you end up in a bit of a daze but if you remember half of the advice you’ll be doing well. :laugh

Bob

[bob_the_engineer]

Selchie is a gardener! :yes

Hi Selchie, I read your post after I posted.

Is it a global thing? people who know what they are doing in the garden are so enthusiastic and helpful.

You see, its people like Selchie that I’ve met in the gardening shops in the UK, they ask you to do a few tests, interpret the results for you, then sort your garden out.

I don’t know what they are doing, but I do know that it makes a huge difference. :nice1

Bob

[Avalon]

Wow Selchie-

I feel totally insignificant now! I was gonna go with the "Plant it - it has 2 chioces - it can live or it can die" scheme of things!

Mind you - I have to plant a herb garden - so im actullay going to take notes - maybe more of the hrbs will survive that way.

[jubjub]

Forgot to say, if you are lazy and want someone to do it for you, I know a landscape gardener.... ;)

[Singel]

Thanks for those great info and ideas :nice1

Selchie, you are a guru on gardening, I'm impressed :yes

Forgot to say, if you are lazy and want someone to do it for you, I know a landscape gardener.... ;)
Sal, this idea sound very tempting.............hmmmmm :roll

[baboonworld]

I'd buy or look online for a landscaping programme and have a play with that!

[sweetpea]

Wow. You've gotten a ton of great advice so far.

Another thing you might want to do in the pre-preparation phase is to look at your yard during various times of day to see which areas are in sun and which are in shade. This will help when you're going to pick out plants.

I'll second the usefulness of looking at your neighbors' gardens to see which plants thrive in your particular microclimate. Notice too the placement of the plants -- plants that thrive on the north side of the house may wilt when placed on the south side (it's the sun/shade thing again). Gardening is a great way to make friends with your neighbors -- people generally love to talk about their gardens.

And lastly, you might visit http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/. I'm always blown away by just how much information is contained there. It's a US-based message board, but a lot of the advice is universal.

Your local library might have a good selection of gardening books you can look through for ideas.

Best of luck!

[selchie]

Yes, I'm a gardener, and am fanatical on occasion. For a while I thought I'd go into landscape design or "truck farming", but didn't want it to devour my entire life.

Personally, I'm not keen on the cheapie pH tests one can get at the nursery. They're not terribly accurate. You can probably get a general idea from the local agriculture office, if there is one. Otherwise, just add compost and don't worry.

Drainage is important, too - hopefully you don't get long-term standing water during the winter. That's one thing that compost probably can't cure. (Compost is kind of like chicken soup for your soil).

Most herbs can thrive in "poor" dryish soil. Examples are thyme, rosemary, savory and lavender. They also tend to look good throughout the year.