Planting Tips For Growing A Beautiful Garden

​Even if you weren’t born with a green thumb, you can still grow a great garden! From flowers and hedges to herbs and veggies, here are some growing tips from the pros on creating a beautiful garden you can enjoy all year long!

Pick the right spot

If you plan to grow edible plants in your garden, they will need plenty of water and sunlight. Most veggies, herbs, and fruit plants need 6 hours of sunlight or more to thrive. Look for sunny areas that are close to a water source so you won’t struggle to water your plants. Choosing a highly visible area is important too! That way you’ll remember to spend time in your garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Give new plants room to grow

Plants that are well taken care of grow, grow, grow! Seedlings and young plants need to be spaced far enough apart so when they’re all grown up they won’t compete for resources. Look at the tags on new plants to see how big they get when full-grown and space them far enough apart in the ground. It’s best to have a little wiggle room in your garden for plants to grow and for you to maneuver without damaging growing leaves and branches.

Water and feed your plants well!

Depending on the soil quality around your home, you may want to mix in a little compost or potting soil to get the ground ready for new plants. Turn the first couple of inches of dirt over to make it soft and remove any big rocks you find. This will help with drainage and give plants a nutrient-rich home to thrive in. Wondering when it’s time to water? Poke a finger into the dirt about one-knuckle deep. If it’s dry, it’s time to give your plants a drink!

No room for a garden? Start with containers

If you’re short on yard space, containers provide a convenient solution for growing a space-saving garden! Many vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and bushes grow wonderfully in containers. And while traditional plant pots and wooden planters work great, almost anything can be made into a container for planting! There are tons of great DIY ideas out there to make container gardens from up-cycled materials like empty buckets and bottles, colanders, teapots, tires, tote bags, and more!

Choose the right plants for your area

Knowing what plants will work best starts with knowing your Hardiness Zone. South Carolina contains zones from 8a and 8b near the coast, to 7a in the state’s upper northwest. Make sure to check what plants thrive in your zone before you purchase new plants!

Another sure way to know what will grow well where you live is to choose native plants. They already live where you do, so they will be right at home in your garden, too! Choosing native plants also eliminates the threat of introducing invasive species, and they help local populations of butterflies, birds, and animals. Click here to see what is native to your area!

More quick tips:

• Reserve the water from boiling & steaming vegetables to water potted plants. The nutrient-rich broth stimulates their growth!

• Many plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, gardenias, and even blueberries love slightly acidic soil. Sprinkle up to 1/4 inch of leftover coffee or tea grounds on the dirt around your plants once a month to keep soil slightly acidic.

• Looking for a fast way to dry garden-fresh herbs? Place a sheet of newspaper on the seat of your car and put herbs in a single layer on top. Close the the windows and doors, and your herbs will dry in a hurry! (And make your car smell nice, too.)

Happy planting!