I am the garden assistant you can trust in your garden.
I don't know what part of the country you live in but will try and answer your questions regarding design. You may start right now by planting fall bulbs--there are many different kinds and they bloom anywhere from December thru July. Plant in groups of 5-8. Be sure when you plant you make notes on paper as to what is planted and when they bloom and how tall etc... Keep in mind that if you live in an area that gets hard winters and the leaves fall off of the trees--that you may plant bulbs that take full sun and bloom in the spring--under the trees as the leaves will not be shading them. You may also plant perennials and this takes a lot of planning--as it is best to know where the sun hits--how long it stays in certain spots as well as the big picture of the yard. Full sun plants take at least 6 hours of sun a day--while part shade plants will take 4 - 6 hours with part of the day in the shade and part the day in the sun----and of course full shade is less than 4 hours. First do your research on the area you are planting how much sun, what kind of soil, do you have critters such as deer--are there places where you get a lot of water log---what type of soil do you have--because you need to take this into consideration to plan for and purchase plants that will do well in your environment. Plants come in many many different sizes, shapes, varieties, species--it would be impossible to tell you exactly what to plant--where to plant--and how to plant without knowing more about your environment. Most perennials bloom for at least 2 months out of the growing season--some 3 to 4 months. It will take you going to your local garden centers and maybe to the library and getting a book--published specifically for your locale on growing native plants, their blooming periods etc...there are many resources for you to find plants you like that will do well in your environment. Visit your county's local extension agency--you can usually google it by putting in your county name, state and "extension service agency"--this will lead you to a Master Gardener program in your area. They can answer all of your questions pertaining to your area's growing patterns and how best to deal with them. You might also try to join Home Depot or Lowe's garden clubs--as they have many resources available for gardening also. Have fun and remember planning well is most of the work--and it is okay to take the winter months to do just that and plant in the spring with a mixture of shrubs, perennials, annuals and summer blooming bulbs. Although to give you a little inspiration to do this you may want to plant some fall bulbs--so you have blooming flowers to bring in the spring. Good luck! Have Fun! And know you can not make mistakes in gardening--it is all good experience.
Posted 2008-09-23T02:51:18Z
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Hi Kathy, I really appreciate the detailed answer you provided. I live in upstate New York,and I am working on creating a front yard and backyard oasis within the city. I have tilled, seeded, fed and peat mossed my front lawn. I also carved out a 1/2 circle flower bed of about 18 feet by 5 ft from my front lawn. I have also tilled, fed and added peat moss to the flower bed. I planted bulbs this morning. Orange Emperor Tulips, Allium 'Gladiator', Daffadil 'Jetfire', White Grape Hyacinth, Bi-Color Blue Grape Hyacinth, Fritillaria Fox's Grape and a mix of Giant Crocus. All of these will bllom in the Spring. What perrenials or small shrubs would you suggest I plant in this same bed to have blooms/interest for the summer? I left lots of empty space for an 'evolving' flower bed as I am sure to make loads of mistakes. I have gone numerous times to the Cornell University website for horticulturists and I have read several gardening books. But in the end I am just an enthusiatic amateur without a clue. Help!
Posted 2008-09-24T00:54:31Z
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I am the garden assistant you can trust in your garden.
I would be glad to further help you..although you need to visit me at
http://thegardenassistant.com and include the county of New York you are in and the average lowest temperature for your area in 2007 in an email to me..and we will go from there. Kathy
Posted 2008-09-24T11:06:21Z
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Hi Lynette,
My husband and I live in Baldwinsville, NY! Small world!
A suggestion (though the above answers are great)....we wanted to do the same thing about 5-6 years ago in order to create a professional and beautiful church garden, and weren't good with the planning aspect either. So we visited Bluestone Perennials (on the web) because they have a wonderful reputation for the nursery stock and prices. They have different sizes and kinds (sunny, shade, butterfly). Anyway, the only thing we did was add a few extra spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils. The garden still looks gorgeous...we get many compliments every Sunday!
:0) Phyl
Posted 2008-09-28T11:06:16Z
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Oops, Lynette. I realize I didn't explain fully in my above post. We ordered a PRE-PLANNED GARDEN from Bluestone. They have several pre-planned gardens on their site. It took away the headache of trying to figure it out ourselves. We just followed the instructions and added a few groups of spring bulbs.
Phyl
Posted 2008-09-28T11:09:16Z
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Hi Phyl,
I went to the Bluestone site and it's exactly what I need to get started! I am reviewing the pre-planned gardens and I know I will order one before the day is done. I truly appreciate your help. And it's good to hear the experience of a fellow Western New Yorker.
Posted 2008-09-28T17:48:15Z
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Glad I could help you, Lynette! Phyl
Posted 2008-09-28T19:44:39Z
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