Areas in Your Garden to Focus On

There are many books on how to have the perfect garden. But you aren't interested in the perfect garden- just the one that is right for you. Depending on what your garden will be used for, there are different areas you will need to focus on.

Check out where the shady areas are. You'll need to concentrate shade loving plants around trees and maybe the northern part of the house. Also it is nice to have plants with color to brighten up a shady area. A bird bath can brighten up the area also. You may want to add a garden bench to have a nice place to relax on a sunny day.

You'll want your pre-annuals to be planted where they will get the morning sun, preferably on the east side of the house, or even a southern exposure. You will need good, loamy soil that drains well for your flowers to do well.

If you have a really sunny part of your garden that gets at least six hours of sun each day, this could be a good place to have an herb garden. You will need rich soil. If your soil is sand or clay, you can add compost to it. The soil will need water and good drainage. Herbs are not only useful in your kitchen; they are are pretty in your garden.

If you have a stubborn area that doesn't seem to grow anything well, you can make a beautiful rock garden and maybe have a water feature. You will also want an area that is for recreation. Maybe fence in an area where small children will be safe and also won't mess up your plants.