Katiequiggle wrote:
I'm going to do my garden this year, I've been here 5 years and this is
going to be the year of the garden.
Any one got any good tips. The soil is chalk. I'm a total non
gardener, well I say that but to be honest I love gardening I just
don't know how to do it. Would love a garden that was all done and I
just had to keep up with. Our garden is 25' wide and 170' long and so
far I've divided it into 3 sections with room for a couple more. The
kids garden with swings and trampoline is at the bottom.
Are you in the SE of England? Not many of us Yanks have to deal with
chalky soils. Or those long, narrow gardens ;-)
- Think big but start small. Gardening can be a LOT of work and it's easy
for a beginning gardener to get totally overwhelmed. Gardening is a
lifelong avocation, so relax and enjoy the journey. A modest and
manageable success will be more fun than a huge, ambitious project that
leaves you no time to sit back and enjoy it. Or worse, guilty because
it's gotten away from you. Gardens will do that.
- Chalky soils are alkaline and tend to be shallow and dry. You'll do
best going with nature and selecting plants that will thrive under such
conditions.
- Rely on local resources - garden centers, nurseries, libraries, garden
clubs, public gardens in your area [
http://www.gardenarena.co.uk/].
- Books and more books. Ask for recommendations from local gardeners.
- When you go online, rely on UK gardening information on working with
chalk soils, for instance:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...yoursoil.shtml
- If you start with trees and shrubs, they'll be growing all the while
your are learning more about growing ornamentals and vegetables.
Enjoy!
-- Karen
The Garden Gate
http://garden-gate.prairienet.org
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"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."
^and cats -- Cicero
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