How to Start Your Home Garden

A garden can be a great way to make a new house feel like home or breathe life back into an old home. They can be useful, giving you fresh vegetables and herbs for cooking, or purely aesthetic, full of colorful flowers and gentle scents. Gardens take meticulous care and planning, however. If you’ve never had a home garden before, there are certain things you’ll want to consider and steps you’ll want to take carefully for the best results.

Choose a Type of Garden

This is the first question you need to ask when starting a garden at home. There are various types of gardens that you could plant. If you’re looking for a way to boost your curb appeal, a flower bed could be perfect. If you want something that’s practical as well as aesthetically pleasing, you might prefer a vegetable garden or an herb garden. Succulent gardens have some of the aesthetic appeal but require less maintenance. Chances are, if you’re thinking of planting a garden, you already have a few ideas of what you’d like to do with it, but this is the time to solidify them.

Choose a Location

The next thing to decide is where to plant your garden. For instance, vegetables and flowers need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. In the case of a vegetable garden or flower bed, you’ll want to pick a particularly sunny area that’s not obstructed by shade. However, you may be able to find flowers or plants that thrive in shaded conditions. You’ll also want to consider what best suits your curb appeal. And don’t rule out a sunroom with an indoor garden, if that’s something that could appeal to you.

Plan the Time

You should also get an idea of when to start your garden. Because your plants are dependent on the elements, different seasons will yield different results. Your best bet is spring or autumn. Autumn is a good time of year to plant bulbs, trees, and perennials. Spring with its soft, fresh soil is perfect for digging and nurturing the garden, while summer is mostly spent waiting and pulling weeds to protect the garden. Winter with its snow and storms isn’t ideal for gardening, but with Texas’s warmer climate you may be able to start planting a little before spring actually arrives. You can also look into planting vegetables and plants that thrive in winter.

Get the Right Tools

Finally, for the upkeep of your garden, you want to make sure you have the right garden tools. It’s more than gloves and a good spade. You should also have pruners, possibly pots, and twine can’t hurt. You may not be able to think of all the garden tools you’ll ever need, but get them as needed and hold on to them. Your idea for your garden may change over time, and that will require new tools.

Starting a garden is a great way to put your own statement on your new home. But to find the right new home in the meantime, contact an experienced College Station realtor.