Planning the perfect summer garden

March 17, 2011 DevelopmentBG Gardening

The key to the perfect summer garden is most definitely the meticulous planning of all the areas of the garden. Therefore the time to start planning is in the winter months. With the romantic festival of Valentines Day in the dull month of February we often receive gifts of Valentines flowers and internet flowers. These can not only serve to brighten up the dark days but also to act as inspiration for us to start planning the perfect summer garden. One needs to consider the type of area for the garden, is it shady, in bright sunlight or somewhere in between the two?

Also to be considered is the amount of time the gardener is able to spend maintaining the garden within the summer months. Planning the summer garden should be as fun and enjoyable as receiving flowers and Valentines gifts on Valentines Day so the size of the project also needs to be taken into consideration. It is better to complete a small project to a high standard than to half complete a task with the resulting frustration.

Depending on the type of garden that is planned the garden centre and nursery can provide much advice on the perfect plants to choose. Annual bedding plants provide a stack of colour within the garden but the gardener needs to plan well in order have time and energy to plant the seeds, acclimatise the plants, plant them out then maintain the plants within the beds. One must always be alert for the chances of frost and have a supply of fleece to hand in order to protect any threatened plants. To reduce the workload, more established bedding plants can be bought nearer to the summer months but usually at a higher cost to the gardener. Internet flowers and plants are also an option for the busy gardener.

Another potential time and energy saver are perennial plants; these do not have to be replanted each year but usually go from strength to strength.
They also usually require less maintenance and can survive with a less intensive watering regime. Nurseries and garden centres have a good supply of perennials and again, Internet flowers and plants are available. It may also be possible to ask friends and family if they have suitable plants to take cuttings from. Finally, a keen gardener may consider growing their own produce. This can seriously help to save on grocery bills throughout the summer months. This feels almost as good as receiving Valentines flowers on Valentines Day!

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