Flowers for the inexperienced gardener (grow, grass, Ivy, tomatoes)

[Miaiam]

Hi, would you please write a quick "gardening 101" for me? I will have the opportunity to plant a few flowers/herbs (basil?/oregano?) and maybe even a few tomatoes around my apartment, and would like to have something beautiful but very simple as I am definitely not an experienced gardener. Any help? From gardening tools and where to buy seeds/bulbs to essentially what to plant and when. Thanks!!

[Caladium]

Do you have space for something that will grow fairly big? If so, I think knockout roses are the easiest thing to grow and very satisfying. They bloom all summer long. Note: Make sure you get a knockout rose, not a regular rose. It's not one of those roses with long stems, it's more like a bush.

[ArkLexee]

The best tomatoes we ever grew were in those big wooden whiskey tubs. Some folks use regular flower pots..the big ones.

You might try grasses and petunias, marigolds and other fillers for summer in pots; it depends on how much sun/shade you get. Most plants come with tags to tell you what they like...sun or shade and what temps they can take. Pay attention to that and you can't go wrong. Ask your garden center employees. Even walmart will only sell the plants that do well in your own area.

A lot of bulbs must be planted in fall. It's a a good idea to plant perennials so, eventually, you won't have to plant anything but your veggies each year. The tags will tell you.."annual" or "perennial". Pansies are great for winter as is ornamental cabbage.

The picture I've included, was planted for winter with some summer pieces added for warm weather last month. The more you put in one pot, the better things seem to do; always use mulch on top...to keep moisture in. Actually, you can buy crystals to mix in the potting soil to keep moisture in longer. Pots dry out faster than the ground soil.

Hostas love shade..but snails will eat them if they're in the ground or close to the ground. I keep mine in a pot on a stand under our carport.

GOSH....somebody stop me!!!!

good luck

[Ohiogirl81]

Miaiam, what kind of space do you have? Does it get morning or afternoon sun? Which direction does your garden space face? Are you planting in pots, or in the ground?

Oregano is a good thing to start with; chives are also easy to grow and aren't fussy. Potted basil will wilt if you don't water it enough.

Geraniums, both ivy and zonal, can take a lot of abuse and will grow in sun or partial sun. Marigolds also are tough.

Where to buy .... Find a good garden store. It might be a greenhouse, or a hardware store, or a roadstand market. The best way to find these places is through word of mouth (or hard experience!). Do you know anyone else around you who gardens?

[Miaiam]

Hi, Ohiogirl, there is quite a large area behind the apartment, so I can pretty much use it all. However, as I am inexperienced, I would like to start in a small area... I believe it gets the morning sun, and I might plant either in pots or in the ground, but I think it is waaaay nicer if I am able to plant in the ground!! Last time I planted something I was in first grade, a long time ago so I am very excited about having a small garden. I don't think people nearby have gardens, at least I have not seen any yet. I will ask them if I have an opportunity. Thanks much