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WHERE I STARTED AS A BEGINNER "" RESEARCH ""

Well where do you start I love flowers and colour so I went out and brought books from the 2nd hand book store lot cheaper than the shops. I browsed through all the photos and picked out the favourite annuals I would like in the garden. I wrote these down on a list then went to nursery and picked out my favourite plants by the punnet pictures and added these to my list . Next I went to the seed section where you buy packets of seeds and looked up all my favourite plants I had chosen. Then I wrote information down on how long it took to flower from each favourite I chose. Then worked out a planting schedule for time to plant plants hoping for all to flower at the same time. Well the research did pay off my garden is looking rather pretty with everything coming into flower. Mind you there were a few failures but thats all trial and error. I am sure with more experience it will become easier. I plan to do this method with shrubs and perrenials too I am having fun and learning by my mistakes what works and what doesn't. My timing is a bit out on some things for flowering at the same time but that happens. So if this is of any help to anyone try it the results are very rewarding.

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Contributing Gardener Comment by lillian turner on December 4, 2010 at 5:09pm: Thanks everyone failures I can learn and grow from them, Patricia like that idea of maps with what you plant. I hate it when I plant something then when its finished and gone not knowing what it was need to write them down in a book. Heather I have a few accidents that pop up from nowhere and sometimes they are a pleasant surprise.We all got to start somewhere and this passion just grows to tremendous heights with dreams and inspirations. Thanks again

Comment by Heather Jones on November 28, 2010 at 6:34am: You're all so organised. Our garden just sort of grows by accident. I'm always moving things because I've put them in the wrong place. I do consult books, but still things don't always turn out as planned or plants you love don't love you. I've planted so many fuschias and gerberas over the years, only to have them curl up their toes and die. I'm stupidly having another go at fuschias now and am actually having some success with gerberas. Your garden is so lovely Lillian. The annuals really give it colour. Just lovely.

Comment by beverly cookson on November 11, 2010 at 2:18am: thank you so much i love how you started and it does help to know that you dont have to know everything .just know what you love and the rest will come together, thank you so much for sharing your story .

Comment by Loren D Mannon on October 21, 2010 at 8:55am: Lillian, you said you have had a few failures. Failures are a wonderful aspect of gardening. Or at least it helps if you think of it that way. It is always gonna be something. I learned a long time ago, you can't make a plant live, Sometimes they just won't. Enjoy your successes, mourn your losses, and keep getting your hands dirty.

Comment by patricia jean hartman on September 11, 2010 at 8:56pm: Lillian, you have done a wonderful job.I love your yard you have alot to work with. I always draw maps of each garden so I know what should be blooming when. I also draw out what I'm going to do before I do it.I keep a file of all my drawings and maps.It seems to work for me.Alot of my plants get moved until there happy.

Comment by Linda Exline on September 1, 2010 at 8:58pm: You have done a wonderful job -- I really love the variety.

Comment by Janet Ruth Baron on August 23, 2010 at 9:34pm: Hi Lillian, Good for you getting garden books at the second hand store...that's a great idea! Some places like that I go in don't have them in order and it takes time to spot garden books. I have 2 whole book case shelves of them so don't really need any more! When I looked for flowering shrubs for shade areas, all the ones were partial shade...is that what you have? There were so many, needed to know how tall you want them as that would narrow it down. Then also, what color?
Rhododendron was one, those come in several shades, the darker pink is more showy than the lavender/pink...that is also an evergreen, flowers in spring.
Holly Grape grows 3' with yellow flowers, turns bronze in fall, that's another thing you may consider...the autumn color change of the shrub. Myrtle grows to 15ft with white flowers...that must be alot different than Crape Myrtle. Oregon Holly Grape is another 2-4" shrub. Red Bud usually is grown as a tree; you may already know about alot of these but I said I'd check for you. Probably, you already have your shade flower list, but I found those, too. Astilbe, Columbine, Hostas, Corabells, Primrose, Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm. Forsythia grows in partial shade, too...here in TN they nickname those March Bells...yellow flowers before the leaves. Hope that helps some but sounds like you've been researching alot!