Starting a garden can feel like painting on a blank canvas. Every plant you choose, the soil you use, and the sunlight you provide are essential tools for creating a thriving, colourful landscape.
Whether you're working with a small balcony or a large backyard, understanding the basics of garden planning is key. This beginner's garden assessment guide will help you evaluate your space, understand soil acidity and light requirements, and choose the right plants to create a vibrant garden that blooms all year-round.
Learn how to maximise sunlight, prepare your soil, and select plants that thrive in your specific environment.
Consider the Space for Your Garden
For beginner gardeners, it's always best to start small. We recommend starting with a garden space around
If you're not sure which bulbs to start with, here are a couple that we recommend which are easy to grow:
- Crocuses: Small, vibrant flowers that grow up to 10cm, making them perfect for potted plants. With a bit of care, you can even grow them indoors.
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Tulips are slightly larger and will require fewer bulbs, but they are easy to care for and thrive outdoors where they can grow tall and healthy.
When space is limited, the size of your garden plays a big role in determining what plants will grow successfully. Even in a small or awkward space, you can grow beautiful plants by making strategic choices about what and where to plant. Planning for seasonality ensures your garden stays vibrant all year. By staggering planting times and selecting bulbs with different periods, you can enjoy a continuous display of colour throughout the seasons.
Whichever plants you decide to go for, remember that they need room to grow. Consider how big an adult Allium or any other plant will be before planting it. Don't hesitate to scale back to smaller plants if needed. Crowding your garden can stunt plant growth.
If you're growing flowers indoors, it's important to keep in mind that less is often more. A single, well-placed set of flowers can transform a room and bring it to life.
For those who want to try something different, layering bulbs of different species known as creating a. "bulb lasagne", is a great option. As one layer finishes blooming and dies back, another variety emerges, ensuring that something is always growing or in bloom.
If you're working with limited outdoor space, such as an apartment balcony, consider vertical gardening. Using hanging baskets or stacking planters can help you maximise your space while allowing you to grow a variety of flowers.
Finally, if you're short on space but want a range of flowers, try underplanting. This technique involves planting smaller, less competitive flowers underneath larger and more established plants. Not only does this make the most of your available space, but it also helps reduce weeds by crowding out unwanted plants without harming larger flowers.
Determine the Best Light Level
Sunlight is a key factor in planning your garden. Partial Shade or Partial Sun plants thrive with 5-6 hours of direct sunlight or an entire day of partial sunlight. This makes them ideal for areas in your garden that receive morning light, but might be shaded in the afternoon or spaces that are constantly blocked by trees or structures. Use these spots for shading-loving plants and reserve the sunniest areas for light intensive varieties. When buying your bulbs, we have handy filters that help you to determine which plants you can buy based on the light level in your garden.
Full shade plants need less than 5 hours of direct sunlight each day. These plants perform well in darker areas of your garden, but still need some morning or evening sunlight to thrive. Remember, even shade-loving plants require some light to grow.
Soil Acidity Test
Soil acidity is an often-overlooked factor but one of the most important aspects of gardening. Testing your soil can save you money by preventing unnecessary purchases of compost or additivies.
To test your soil quickly, dig a hole about 20cm deep and grab a handful of soil and try to roll it in a ball:
- If it crumbles into dust, your soil is sandy
- If it forms a sticky ball, it's clay soil, which is alkaline and typically has a pH of 7.5-8. While clay soil is fertile, it can cause drainage issues.
- If the soil is somewhere in between, it's like loamy soil which is fertile and well-draining with a neutral pH of 6-7.5. Loamy soil is ideal for most plants since it contains plenty of nutrients from decaying plant matter.
Knowing your soil type will help you choose plants that will thrive in your garden and prevent over-spending on soil amendments that you plants might not need.
When to Plant
To maintain a vibrant garden all year long, plan for seasonality. Stagger planting times and select bulbs that bloom at different periods to ensure that your garden always has something in bloom. This method not only enhances the beauty of your garden but also helps avoid disappointment from planting flowers out of sync with their natural growth cycle.
We provide recommended planting and blooming times across precious-plants.co.uk and you can refer to these planting calendars to make sure you're planting at the right time for optimal results.
Before You Plant, Stage Your Garden
Before planting, create a layout based on the dimensions of mature plants. Mark where each plant will go and consider how the garden will look from different angles. Taking time to stage your garden will help you design a beautiful and cohesive space.
Once you're happy with the layout, you're ready to start planting your flowers and bulbs!
Embarking on your gardening journey can be incredibly rewarding, offering you a sanctuary of beauty and tranquility. Imagine sipping your morning coffee surrounded by the vibrant colours and fragrances of your carefully nurtured plants. Don't wait for the perfect moment - start assessing your space, understanding your soil and planning today!