Gardening is the growing and care of plants, usually as a hobby. People garden for many reasons. Most do so to provide flowers, vegetables, and other plant products for their own use. Other people garden to beautify their surroundings. Still others use gardening to reduce stress or even to help treat illness.
Gardening ranks as the most popular outdoor activity in much of the world. Many people who begin gardening as a hobby end up pursuing it in a more professional manner. They may decide to sell surplus plants or produce, or develop new varieties of plants. Many fully professional gardeners work for botanical gardens, which specialize in cultivating plants for artistic, educational, or scientific purposes. Others may work as landscape architects, designing and developing yards, gardens, parks, and other land areas. The profession of gardening belongs to a larger field called horticulture. Horticulture is a branch of agriculture specializing in fruits, vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees.
Traditionally, new gardeners learned from their parents or from experienced gardeners. Other gardening resources included books and magazines, garden supply companies, government agencies, and gardening programs on radio and television. All of these resources still exist, but computers and the Internet have enabled them to reach many more gardeners worldwide.
People divide gardens into two broad categories—outdoor gardens and indoor gardens. This article will describe both types and discuss how to plan, prepare, and care for them.
Kinds of outdoor gardens
Outdoor gardens consist of two basic kinds: ornamental gardens and production gardens. Ornamental gardens exist purely to enhance the beauty of the landscape. Production gardens provide some sort of harvest for the gardener, including flowers, fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Some gardeners develop a combination of ornamental and production gardens.
Ornamental gardens.
Growers of ornamental gardens may either place their plants in the open ground or in containers. More elaborate gardens, such as rock gardens or water gardens, may feature specially constructed environments for unusual plants. While most ornamental gardens feature flowers, some concentrate on displaying grasses, trees, or shrubs.
Flower gardens
may be formal or informal. Some types, including cutting gardens, use elements of both. Formal flower gardens consist of relatively few types of plants, uniformly spaced in patterns as part of a clear design. Within the flower beds, all plants of a given type should grow to nearly the same height and width. These beds require significant effort to prepare and maintain the desired effect.
Informal flower gardens, sometimes called cottage gardens, have a natural, irregular shape. Such gardens prove much easier to develop and maintain than do formal gardens. Cottage gardens often include a wide variety of plants, either purposely arranged for a particular effect or chosen and planted randomly.
Wildflower gardens rank among the more popular informal gardens. They consist of plant species native to the area in which the garden is grown. Some wildflower gardens simply allow plants to spread on their own as they would in the wild.
Specialty gardens.
Popular types of specialty gardens include rock gardens, water gardens, shade gardens, and water-conserving Xeriscaped << ZIHR uh skaypt >> gardens.
Rock gardens consist of plants grown among a natural or artificial outcropping of rocks. Gardeners cultivate the plants in crevices or pockets of soil or scree (gravelly areas) between the rocks. Such gardens create a good habitat for growing plants from high mountainous regions or other remote areas.
Water gardens re-create wetland habitats with plants native to those areas. They usually require a pool or pond with at least moderate water flow, and they may include ornamental fish or other animals. Both rock gardens and water gardens may demand much time and expense to build and maintain.
For shade gardens, people generally choose areas surrounded by mature trees or closely spaced buildings, which limit the amount of sunlight. Many attractive plants thrive in the shade, especially those with small flowers that do not show well in bright sun, or those with patterned or textured foliage. Many woodland wildflowers also grow well in shade gardens.
Gardeners developed a technique called Xeriscaping in the 1980’s to help conserve water. This technique has become especially popular in drier regions. A Xeriscaped garden groups together wildflowers, grasses, and other plants that can easily adapt to their region’s climate. It also uses water-saving irrigation techniques, mulches (coverings that help to prevent weeds from growing and keep the soil from losing moisture), and other procedures to conserve resources.
Container gardens.
Gardeners without direct access to the land can grow plants in containers. Many city dwellers, for example, grow container gardens on rooftops. Container gardens also provide a good choice for plants that do not grow well in the local soil or climate. Movable containers enable gardeners to place plants in the most desirable locations at different times of the day or growing season, thus extending the plants’ lives. Especially popular container gardens consist of hanging baskets of ivy or other draping plants, used to beautify the exteriors of buildings.
Production gardens
are grown chiefly for what people can harvest from them. They include cutting gardens, herb gardens, and kitchen gardens.
Cutting gardens, or bouquet gardens,
produce flowers for floral arrangements. Such gardens usually contain many different plants of different ages, so the gardener always has plant material available.
Herb gardens
provide herbs for cooking, medicine, and craftwork. Some herbs serve as ornamental plants as well. Herbs may also form part of a formal or informal flower garden, or gardeners may simply grow them in containers.
Kitchen gardens
arguably rank as the oldest form of gardening. The practice of horticulture arose out of the need to produce food. Kitchen gardens range widely in style, with some having a highly ornamental appearance. Yet all exist primarily to produce plants for food.
Preparing an outdoor garden
The most popular outdoor gardens are informal flower gardens and kitchen gardens. A gardener can purchase everything necessary to start a garden from a nursery or garden supply company. Preparing a garden involves selecting a site, analyzing the soil, making a plan, and choosing the plants.
Choosing the site.
In temperate regions, which have warm summers and cool or cold winters, gardeners often create flower gardens at the edges of lawns, preferring not to break up their lawn’s grassy area. A good location will provide at least eight hours of sun a day. In hot, dry regions, flower garden sites should receive shade at midday. Kitchen gardens should lie near the house for convenient harvesting of crops. Gardeners usually place flower gardens and kitchen gardens on level or gently sloping ground. Steeply sloped ground should be terraced to keep soil from eroding. Terracing involves cutting level strips of land out of the slope.
To plan a garden for a shady lot, track where the patches of sun occur each day. Using stakes and string, outline the patches of sun at 8 a.m., at noon, and again at 4 p.m. Areas that receive sun at all three times will prove best for growing vegetables and any flowers described as needing “full sun.” Areas that receive sun at two of the three periods will support plants that need “part sun” or “part shade.” For areas that receive less sun, cultivate shade-loving plants.
Analyzing the soil.
Good garden soil contains an ideal balance of mineral material, water, air, and organic matter (decaying plant and animal material). You should make certain that your garden site becomes neither too dry nor too wet. Drier soil usually proves better for gardening because it needs only irrigation. Areas where water collects after rain generally do not make good garden sites unless you create paths for excess water to drain away. To test if a site is too wet for a garden, dig a small hole about 1 foot (30 centimeters) deep, fill it with water, and see how long the hole takes to drain. If it takes more than a day, the soil in that spot will not suit most kinds of gardens.
Adding organic matter can improve soil structure, thus correcting problems with soil moisture. Organic matter makes heavy clay soils drain better and helps dry, sandy soils hold moisture long enough for roots to absorb the water. During bed preparation, gardeners work into the soil such organic matter as finely chopped leaves, peat moss, or spoiled hay (hay that has become moldy or unfit for livestock feed). Compost, a mixture of decaying leaves and other plant material, is an especially good soil additive. Gardeners can make their own compost by layering garden wastes in a heap, with or without manure, and then allowing them to decay for several months.
Plants will not thrive without certain nutrients, chemical substances in the soil that are necessary for growth. The most important of these are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In the spring, if normally green plants have yellowish, purple, or bronze coloring at the leaf edges, the soil likely provides too little of one or more of these nutrients. Gardeners must then add fertilizer.
The amounts of acid and alkali chemicals in a soil also influence how well plants can grow there. Highly acidic or alkaline soils can harm many plants. An ideal gardening site should have neutral to slightly acidic soil. To make a soil less acidic, add lime. To make a soil less alkaline, add sulfur and organic matter at the same time.
You can determine the chemical makeup of your soil by asking other experienced gardeners or by using soil-testing kits. You can buy testing kits, with instructions on how to take a soil sample, at most garden centers. Such government agencies as county extension agents also provide kits. The test results returned to you will include a discussion of the acid and nutrient levels in your soil, and instructions for adding fertilizer if necessary.
Fertilizing.
Gardeners use two basic types of fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers and natural fertilizers, such as animal manure. Synthetic fertilizers generally have higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. But they release these nutrients quickly, and you must reapply them throughout the season. Be careful not to use too much highly concentrated artificial fertilizer because an overdose of nutrients can harm both soil and plants.
Natural fertilizers release nutrients over a much longer period, requiring less reapplication. Such fertilizers also provide organic matter that synthetic fertilizers do not. Compost provides some natural fertilizer in addition to improving the texture of the soil. Do not fertilize with fresh manure because it may contain disease-causing organisms.
Planning an informal flower garden.
Many of the most beautiful informal flower gardens display subtle variation among the plants, both within the bed and over the course of the season. If possible, the beds should measure at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) across at the widest point. Island beds, surrounded by open space, should measure twice that width. Such lengths create enough space to achieve a progression from shorter plants to taller plants. For beds planted against a fence or wall, shorter plants should grow in front with taller ones behind. For island beds, shorter plants grow at the edges with taller ones in the center.
To create a pleasing design, always plant in clusters to avoid spacing the plants equally across the bed. Try also to achieve variation from side to side as well as from front to back. Finally, use gray-leaved or white-flowered plants to separate areas of colors that might clash visually if placed too close together.
Flower garden plants consist of (1) annuals, which live one year or less; (2) biennials, which live about two years; and (3) perennials, which live longer than two years. Annuals, such as marigolds and petunias, flower for an extended period. Biennials, such as hollyhocks and foxgloves, spend their first year growing and bloom for up to a month in their second season. Many flowers belong to the perennial group, including daffodils, lilies, and roses. Many perennials also do not bloom until their second year. But under good conditions, they will rebloom for a few weeks each season for many years.
Planting flowers that bloom in different seasons makes it possible for a garden to remain at least partly in bloom for most or all of the year. By planting a mixture of annuals, biennials, and perennials, the gardener need only replant certain parts of the garden each year.
Planning a kitchen garden.
Kitchen gardens generally have a rectangular shape that makes for more efficient care and maintenance. For big gardens, especially those greater than 5,000 square feet (465 square meters), plant in large rows. Most kitchen gardens, however, measure less than about 300 square feet (28 square meters). For these gardens, use a bed system of planting. In bed systems, permanent beds of plants are separated by paths covered with sod or a layer of straw, wood chips, or other mulch to prevent weeds.
To plan an efficient and attractive kitchen garden, first make a clear distinction between bed and path. You may enclose the beds with fencing or other material. Or you may cut clean lines in the sod to define the beds. Boxed, raised beds prove especially good if the soil drains poorly. Whenever possible, make your beds narrow and set the rows of plants across the beds, not along them. This arrangement will enable you to cultivate from the path without stepping into the beds.
Two fairly simple planting techniques will greatly increase the amount of food grown in the garden: succession planting and interplanting. Succession planting involves planting in the same spot different crops at different times of the year. For example, you could plant and harvest lettuce early in the growing year, and then tomatoes later on. Succession planting requires that you learn which plants grow best during which seasons, and how much time different crops will take to grow.
Interplanting involves planting certain crops together, usually in the same bed. Most interplanting uses two species that benefit when grown together. Two such crops are carrots and radishes. Carrots sprout slowly and need space to grow. You must laboriously remove some of the young carrots from the row so the remaining carrots will gain size. But if you sow radish seeds lightly in the same row as carrots, the radishes will sprout quickly, well before the carrots. When you harvest the radishes, you will thin the carrots at the same time because pulling the radishes will uproot a number of carrot seedlings. As a result, radish harvesting makes the subsequent carrot harvesting easier.
Many crops, including tomatoes and beans, come in both bush and vine varieties. By cultivating vines on supporting poles called trellises, you can grow larger plants and produce bigger yields. Trellised crops also have more resistance to certain diseases because they are exposed to more sunlight and better air circulation.
Some vegetables can grow directly from seed. These include such quick-growing crops as lettuce, beets, and squash. Others are best cultivated from seedlings, including such slower-growing crops as cabbages, tomatoes, and peppers. Onions and garlic grow from bulbs.
Cultivating an outdoor garden
To create an informal flower garden or kitchen garden, the basic equipment consists of a spade, garden fork, hoe, and rake; a wedge-shaped digging tool called a trowel; and watering equipment. You could also use a wheelbarrow or cart to move things.
Before preparing the soil, first remove any debris or stones. Then clear off any unwanted growing plants. If you have the time, lay black plastic covering over the area for two to four weeks to deprive the regrowing plants of light. This will weaken them and make soil preparation easier.
Preparing the soil.
Use the spade to cut through the soil surface to define the edge of the planting bed. Then cut the area inside the bed into strips. Standing outside the bed, slip the spade under the edge of a strip, 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) down. Rock the spade on its handle to break the roots of the old plants from the soil beneath. Then roll up the strip or remove it in slabs. Repeat this process until the entire surface is clear.
At this point, make sure the soil is neither too wet nor too dry. Take a handful of soil and squeeze your hand into a fist. If, when you release your grip, the soil retains its shape but crumbles when you poke it with a finger, then it has an appropriate amount of moisture.
Use the garden fork to lift and loosen the top 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) of soil. Remove any unwanted root pieces or stones. Next add the fertilizer, compost, or other materials needed to enhance the soil. Use the back of the fork to break up and distribute these additional materials. Finally, rake the bed smooth.
Planting and transplanting.
Methods of planting and transplanting remain essentially the same for both flower and vegetable gardens. For crops planted in rows, like carrots or beets, make a furrow with the trowel or hoe that is twice as deep as you want the seed to be. Then sprinkle the seed into the furrow. Use more seed than recommended to allow for seeds that may not come up. Then pull the soil back over the seed and pat it down so that the seed lies at the appropriate depth.
To plant onion, shallot, and garlic bulbs, push them into the ground until the pointed top lies slightly below the surface. With onions, use the entire bulb. With shallots and garlic, separate the sections, or cloves, and plant them individually. Each clove will then grow to become a full head of multiple cloves.
Flower bulbs and the roots of some perennials, such as peonies, must be planted at precisely the right depth to flower properly. Before measuring your plot, determine the ground level by placing a small board on the ground to even out any surface irregularities. Measure the depth from that board. For these and all other plantings, be sure to include a tag that indicates where each crop was planted and the date of planting.
Transplanting involves moving a young plant from a container to a place in the garden. When transplanting, dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball on the seedling. Then set the plant at the same depth that it lay in its pot and firm the soil around the plant’s base. You may mix a handful of fertilizer with the soil. Water the soil around the base of the plant to settle the roots and help the plant adjust to its new environment. In dry weather, shelter the plant for that first day. A basket or box shelter will protect the plant from drying out and wilting.
Caring for the garden.
Ongoing care of a garden consists primarily of feeding and watering your plants, keeping weeds out, and making sure that pests and diseases do not gain a foothold.
Water.
Most plants need about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water a week to grow well. To tell if an individual plant needs water, dig down with your hand and determine if the soil beneath the surface is wet. If you go more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) down without coming to moist soil, then you need to water. People most often water with sprinklers and drip irrigation.
Use sprinklers during the early morning in cool, humid weather and during the evening in hot, dry weather. By watering in the morning, you give the leaves a chance to dry off by evening. Leaf diseases often attack moist leaves at night. In dry weather, water evaporates before it has a chance to sink into the soil. Watering in the evening allows plants to absorb water overnight.
For drip irrigation, gardeners may set up a network of thin tubes supported by spikes that run alongside their plants’ beds. Water flows through the tubes and slowly drips from openings called drip heads or emitters that are spaced along the tubes. Drip irrigation wastes less water than sprinklers do. Some gardeners use soaker hoses that are perforated to allow water to trickle out along their length.
Weeds.
Many weeds grow from seed. Try to pull such weeds before they flower. Other weeds, especially grasses, spread from underground roots. You must pull out the roots over and over. If possible, avoid chemical weed controls, which can harm the environment.
Pests.
Such animals as deer, rabbits, voles, and woodchucks often present problems for home gardeners. Insects can also damage plants. Control such pests by keeping them away from plants or by making the plants less attractive to them. Fences and row covers exclude pests. Sprays of garlic or hot pepper juice on the plants will repel them. When using any spray, strictly follow the instructions on the label. If these methods fail, consider killing smaller pests as a last resort. Many pesticides kill pests either by infection or poisoning. See Pest control .
Disorders and diseases.
Plant disorders occur because of improper growing conditions or poor weather. Diseases result from infection by another organism. At the first sign of deformity or discoloration, determine the problem quickly and seek a remedy. You may need to consult gardening books or local experts.
To prevent such problems from arising, choose varieties of plants resistant to the common disorders and diseases of your region. Seed packets and plant labels describe many such problems. Also make sure to irrigate properly so your plants do not stay continuously wet, which makes them susceptible to disease.
Mulching
involves spreading a layer of chopped leaves, hay, straw, wood chips, or other organic material over the bare soil between plants. Such material will help regulate moisture and prevent weeds. In humid climates, gardeners must ensure that slugs, slow-moving types of snails that normally have no shell, do not hide in the mulch. Slugs can harm plants. Gardeners can detect slugs by noticing partially consumed leaves, or the shiny residue that slugs leave behind when they move.
Plant supports.
Many plants need fences or other supports to look their best. They include such flowers as larkspurs, lilies, and peonies, and such vegetables as beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Providing supports also improves air circulation, which helps keep the leaves dry and helps prevent disease. You can buy trellises, wire cages, and other plant supports at garden centers or use bamboo poles and wire to make them.
Pruning.
Many plants will be healthier if you prune them, but you must prune each type properly. For plants with two seed leaves, remove the top shoot. The plant will then branch out more vigorously, producing a larger number of small flowers and a fuller shape. Such plants include broccoli, tomatoes, and zinnias. Plants with one seed leaf almost never need pruning. Such plants include corn, lilies, and onions. For information about pruning trees and shrubs, see Pruning .
Harvesting
flower gardens usually involves removing the flowers from plants past their prime. This will enable the plants to produce more and extend the growing season. For bouquets, however, cut the flowers before they fully open, or they will not last long in the vase. Have a bucket of water with you and place the cut ends in water immediately. Then let the flowers sit awhile in a cool, dark place before arranging them.
Gardeners should harvest most vegetables before they fully ripen. The major exceptions include winter squashes and pumpkins. These must ripen on the vine before harvesting, or they will not keep well.
Fall clean-up.
In areas that do not have a year-round growing season, you must prepare your garden for winter. For hardy plants still in the ground, protect them with fluffy mulch or with such artificial covers as plastic sheeting. For less hardy plants, remove and discard them to prevent pests and diseases from attacking the plants. For some tender perennials and bulbs, lift them from the ground and store them indoors through the winter in pots or in a cool, dry storage area.
Kinds of indoor gardens
People grow most house plants for their ornamental form or foliage. House plants range in size from tiny ferns up to woody trees. Some homeowners construct greenhouses for large and expensive plant collections.
Terrariums
consist of a collection of plants within a clear or faintly tinted container. A terrarium should have enough space to grow a collection of small plants from a particular environment. People often light their terrariums. They may even include small animals, such as snails, as part of the display. Well-designed terrariums look attractive and require little maintenance.
Preparing an indoor garden
Most indoor gardeners maintain house plants in a range of locations and containers. Houses with many windows can support a greater range of plants. The more light a house lets in, the greater the variety of plants it can support. Most homes can support certain rain forest plants, such as ferns or philodendrons, which need little light to survive. Most homes can also grow small plants on kitchen window sills and other areas. You can also provide additional artificial light. Just be sure to use lamps properly designed for plant growth.
Containers for house plants range widely in size and style. Clay pots designed for displaying small cactuses on window sills can measure as little as 3 inches (8 centimeters) wide. Large floor pots reach 18 inches (46 centimeters) wide or wider. They may hold weeping figs 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. Beautiful hanging baskets can feature spider plants by bay windows.
A good garden center or nursery can recommend plants based on your needs and space requirements. Consider bringing snapshots of the space in which you plan to grow plants. The plants will come potted with an appropriate soil mix and in a properly sized container.
Cultivating an indoor garden
Water.
Watering requirements for house plants vary. Some plants prefer moist soil all the time, while others prefer the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Still others need watering only infrequently.
Plants that need the soil continuously moist include many rain forest plants. You may need to group these plants together near a small humidifier. Most homes are too dry for such plants, especially in winter. Having all the plants in one place makes watering easier.
Plants that need dry soil between waterings prefer relatively low humidity. On average, these plants should be watered only once a week. Apply enough water so that it runs out the bottom of the pot into the catch tray. The excess water will evaporate in a day or so.
Plants that need only infrequent watering include most cactus and other succulents (plants with fleshy leaves and stems that store water). Water such plants only once every two weeks or so. The soil in their pots may have a large proportion of sand so that it does not hold water. Soil that stays too wet for too long can lead to root rot in these plants.
Fertilizer.
Newly bought plants will likely have slow-release fertilizer mixed in with the potting soil. After the plants use up this fertilizer, in about three months, apply more fertilizer periodically.
Cleaning.
Dust and other debris in the house will settle on plant leaves. Over time, such debris will inhibit the plants’ ability to breathe through the stomata (pores) on the surface of their leaves. Take your small plants to the bathroom or kitchen sink for washing. For larger ones, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or sponge. Such cleaning provides an opportunity to examine the leaves for insect pests. If you find pests, isolate that plant from the others until you have cured the infestation.
To keep plants looking good, remove dead or dying leaves, flowers, and branches regularly. Plants near windows often start to grow toward the light. Be sure to turn them periodically so that their growth remains balanced and they do not become lopsided.
Repotting
should occur only rarely. Just because a plant looks too large for its container does not mean it needs repotting. Keeping plants in smaller pots constrains the roots and prevents the plants from growing too large. In some cases, however, a plant’s roots may completely fill its container, sticking up above the soil or out the drainage holes. At this point, consider repotting.
To repot a plant, spread some newspaper or cloth in an open space and hold the plant in one hand. Then place the palm of the other hand on the edge of the pot, so that your fingers surround the stem or stems. Turn the pot upside down, support it with the second hand, and rap on the bottom of the pot with your fist. This rapping should dislodge the plant from the pot. Some kinds of pots may require extra work to dislodge the plant. Plastic pots may require kneading, while ceramic pots may require that you rap the pot on its sides. Larger plants can prove especially difficult to extract, and you may need to break the old pot.
Once you extract the plant’s root ball, knead it slightly to loosen it up. Then put the plant aside and prepare the new container, which should measure only slightly larger than the old one. Add enough potting soil so that the plant will lie at the same depth as before. Then place the plant in the pot and fill around it with more soil. Finally, firm the soil with your fingers.
For plants that like moist conditions, water them after repotting. Other types of plants, however, should not receive water at repotting time.
Obtaining new plants from cuttings.
Plant owners can propagate plants—that is, obtain new plants from an old one—by taking cuttings, or slips, from the plant. Kept in proper conditions, the cuttings will form roots and grow into a new plant. This practice can even yield gift plants for others. Many books and websites provide information about how to grow plants from cuttings. See also Plant (Vegetative propagation) .
History of gardening
People have planted gardens for thousands of years. Wallpaintings in ancient Egyptian tombs show gardens surrounding rectangular pools. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were built in what is now Iraq, probably from 605 to 562 B.C. Ancient writers described the hanging gardens as laid out on a brick terrace about 75 feet (23 meters) above the ground.
The Chinese developed their own garden styles over 3,000 years ago. These gardens often featured stylized, carefully placed plants surrounded by walls. Each plant had a symbolic meaning in Chinese culture. Eventually, the Japanese and other Asian cultures developed their own garden styles based on Chinese models.
The ancient Romans created formal, symmetrical gardens featuring fountains, hedges, sculptures, and topiary (sculpted plants). During the Middle Ages, from about the 400’s through the 1400’s, many expert gardeners were monks and nuns who kept large gardens at monasteries and convents. During the Renaissance, which started in the 1300’s in Italy, gardeners began to re-create the formal gardens of ancient Greece and Rome. Such styles eventually spread from Italy to France and other countries.
In England, local gardeners developed a variety of informal cottage gardens. Such gardens spread to North America, Australia, and other parts of the world.
Since the 1800’s, the development of new varieties of garden plants has grown dramatically. The availability of more and more kinds of plants, as well as more garden styles, has greatly increased the popularity of gardening as a hobby.
