Your garden may be a big part of why you bought a house. It’s hard to garden in an apartment, because you really don’t have the space you’d like. While it’s possible to grow some things in a hanging garden or containers, it isn’t the same as having an actual plot of soil where you can create something from bulbs and seeds. One thing you want from your garden area is results, but you probably also want to have it landscaped so it looks great, too. With some garden landscaping ideas you can make your space into everything you want it to be, and the results will be amazing. You can even have a great garden and landscaping during the rainy El Nino winter season, so your outdoor space always looks beautiful.
1). What does your garden grow?
Your home is your castle, and you want to make the outside of it look great, too. Once you’ve purchased a home, you can get to work on the garden landscaping. Whether there was a garden on the property before or you’re creating something new, you’ll want to decide exactly where your garden space will be and what you’re going to grow in it. The kind of soil you have and the climate you live in both play very big roles in the options you have available to you in your garden. Still, there are choices to make. One of them is what you’ll grow, but the other is how you’re going to landscape and decorate your garden and the surrounding area. By using options that are native to your local area you’ll keep the look and feel of the landscape around you and help protect plants and soil when it’s rainy.
2). Should you choose hardy flowers?
Gardens can be used to grow wonderful flowers, including those that grow in winter in some climates. When you select flowers that are very hardy, you’ll have the opportunity to grow them nearly all year round. By coupling them with plants that love the rain and don’t mind the cold, you can have some color in your garden even throughout the winter months. To landscape your garden during an El Nino winter, choose hardy flowers and plants that like the rain. Find those that are cold resistant, and that are designed for wet soil and your region of the country. Flowers and plants that don’t typically grow in your area may have a very hard time surviving because they are not used to what you’re offering them.
3). Would it be better to plant veggies?
If you’re planting vegetables, it’s best to choose the ones that are designed to grow in your location. You can grow veggies from other areas with some success, but only if you’re very lucky and diligent about taking care of your garden and landscape. That can all be destroyed by an El Nino winter, when you have very little control over how much water your vegetables are getting. If they consistently get too much water, a lot of them just won’t grow and develop the way you want to. However, there are winter vegetables that can handle wet soil and rainy climates. If you’re going to landscape your garden area with vegetables, those would be the ones to choose. That way you’ll have the highest chance of seeing some success with them.
4). How much does the soil matter?
After you buy a home, you can have the soil tested to see what kinds of things will grow best in it. Some climates have very sandy soil, which is good for drainage. If you’re facing an El Nino winter in a place with sandy soil you’re in luck, and may have an easier time landscaping your garden area. For other people who live in different climates, though, getting the water to drain out of the soil and away from the garden plants can be a problem. You may want to till up the soil to create a looser mixture, and you can also bring in sand or other options to mix in with the soil you already have. That way you have a better chance of growing things successfully, and of landscaping your garden the way you really want to. While not a guarantee, it can certainly help your odds.
5). How can you provide good drainage?
A garden that doesn’t drain isn’t going to grow much of anything in a rainy climate, so it’s important that drainage is provided and still looks like good landscaping. There are ways to get more drainage for your garden, such as finding a decorative way to divert water away from the area. You can also consider digging up the area and putting in a good layer of rock and loose gravel under the soil where everything will be growing. By having that underneath your plants, you provide a natural drain field so the water doesn’t get trapped as close to the surface. The only downside is that it may be harder to give your plants enough moisture once the El Nino winter rains have ended. Still, it can definitely be worth doing, and can help you have a successful garden landscape that won’t drown in all the El Nino rains. Whether it’s plants and flowers or veggies and fruits, you have options for a beautiful garden, even in the rainy season.
2 Point Highlight
If you’re planting vegetables, it’s best to choose the ones that are designed to grow in your location.
A garden that doesn’t drain isn’t going to grow much of anything in a rainy climate, so it’s important that drainage is provided and still looks like good landscaping.
