Creating My Garden

Although I have been living in my condo for almost four years, I never had time to plant a “real” garden. I did dabble in planting some pretty flowers but without much knowledge or even research, and my gardens were average at best. So this was my first summer in retirement and with the help of my neighbor, who is an expert gardener, I was able to come up with flowers for my little area to make it stick out and look like a real garden.

Impatients love fertile, moist soil so it is important to consider if you will be available to water daily when planting them. They need a sufficient amount of water daily but be careful not to water log the roots. These blooms require lots of nutrients from the soil so if necessary you should add potting soil to your garden to provide this for them. You can buy potting soil or even use homemade compost. Both will work nicely to keep your impatients thriving.

Plant impatients after the later spring frost in moist, well-drained soil. You should space them apart from 8 to 12 inches as they will grow nicely in between and fill your garden with colorful blooms. These are annuals so you can always try different color patterns and space differently next year.

In the past, I have planted impatients. Unfortunately, they do not survive very long in the area I planted them in since they cannot take much sunlight. After research and with the help of my neighbor, I came across sun impatients (sometimes called sun patients) which can survive with extended direct sunlight. Impatients, in general, are a favorite because of their colors and their burst of brightness in your flowerbeds. They are perfect in a flowerbed combined with hosts (grass like shrubs). I decided to stick within the pink and purple families (my favorite colors) and started my garden. This is my first true endeavor so I hope to keep learning and make it more beautiful each year.

In another section, I planted some grasses and added a huge planter with colorful red gardenias. These are also an annual plant that is able to handle sunlight. You must look after these and pick off dead buds so that new ones will grow in. Being in a patriotic mood, I went for a red/white combination to plant with my flag decoration inside. Gardenias thrive in partial shade area, which was perfect right near an eve of my house in another section of my garden. They can withstand high humidity (perfect for New York summers), and they need an even supply of water and nutrients. Gardenias grow best with morning sun and afternoon shade.It is diffficult to grow gardenias indoors without at least six to eight hours of sunlight. Overall, they require one inch of water a week to maintain a healthy appearance. Gardenias also needed to be planted at the end of the spring frost. The gardenia survives well with higher daytime temperatures and cooler daytime temperatures.

Gardenias thrive in acidic soil and thrive far away from a concrete wall or foundation. They have an aromatic fragrance that is quite appealing under your window. Gardenias can also blossom perfectly in a deck flowerpot with just enough shade and sunlight.

To add to your garden’s depth look for some hosta plants (shrubs and grass like additions to your garden) to fill in the missino pieces. Most of mine are green with a touch of a lighter green. I bought one that was a burgundy color because it matched my pink flowers. Many of these are also annuals which means you can experiment with what you get and make new choices next year. The best advice is to keep pictures of your garden so you can evaluate it before you are ready to plant next year.

As I stated earlier, this year was just an experiment year for me. I hope to study different flowers and test new combinations next year. I may even spring for perennials (they return each year) that will pop up automatically in my garden. It is fun to go shopping at different nurseries and play with color combinations while learning what each plant needs. Be sure to take note of others’ gardens in your travels and see what you may want to add to yours next time.

I am very proud of my first, real garden and hope to make this a yearly project/hobby. In the meantime, I hope to keep learning about the care of these flowers and plants and what works best in my New York suburbs. Gardening is not easy and can often be exhausting but when you walk towards your front door and can admire your new garden, you will have a sense of true satisfaction.