When most people talk of gardening, it is regarding flower gardens. However, there is much more to gardens than this as you will see in the numerous options that we are about to explore:
Vegetable Gardens
A common way of gardening is the cultivation of vegetables, which many people do in their backyards. The upside to having a vegetable garden is that it allows you the chance to have fun in the outdoors as you get to experience the bearing of real fruits come the end of the season. For many people gardening is therapeutic and they will jump at the chance to be outside with the birds and the bees. Other than its addition to the aesthetics of the surrounding area, a vegetable garden will provide you with an ideal opportunity to feed your loved ones with the fruits of your labor. Though you cannot grow everything your family may need, there is definitely the satisfaction that comes from laying the table and serving food that has come from your garden. Plus, you get involved in environmental conservation while avoiding the toxins that are present in many foods nowadays.
Taking care of a vegetable garden requires consistency as you need to plan the planting schedules, water the plants and weed them regularly if you wish to harvest healthy produce. Though it may not be simple, your hard work will eventually pay off come the end of the season. For beginners, it is advisable to start with low maintenance crops as you work your way up to demanding plants.
Flower Gardens
Flower gardens are quite versatile, and you can grow quite a large number of varieties, including rainbow versions where you have a beautiful array of flowers. The most popular arrangements are roses, tulips, and orchids. The one thing that makes these gardens so widespread is their beauty as it is quite rare to find someone who does not appreciate the allure of these presentations. And for people who are about more than beauty, there is the lovely scent that comes with flowers, culminating in something quite spectacular, breathtaking and other adjectives used to describe the appearance of these gardens.
Caring for flowers is easier said than done, and it is thus essential to conduct research on the various varieties, as well as their ability to thrive in your region. It is also important to note that some flowers will require more care than others. Exotic varieties could give you a hard time, especially in cases where you are a beginner. Rather than selecting flowers based on their appearance, look into their requirements and you will end up with an arrangement that will turn heads. As with vegetable gardens, the success of flower gardens will depend on the planning you put in place.
Herb Gardens
Back in the day, people invested in herb gardens as they wanted to have ingredients which they could use in the preparation of medicine. Then came modern medicine and people found other ways in which they could deal with their aches and pains, thus leading to a reduction in the number of herb gardens across the globe. However, if you are into holistic living, having a herb garden may be something that you may want to do. Other than their healing properties, herbs also brighten up spaces, not to mention the lovely scents that they exude.
At present, many people have herbs in their gardens which they use in the preparation of meals, owing to their vibrant flavors. You can use them in meat stews, sauces, salads, and other dishes, to give your meals an edge and to keep guests streaming through your door. The appealing thing about herbs is that they do not require much care and can thrive in varying climates. In some cases, you can opt to have them indoors where they can grow on a windowsill where they have adequate access to light and don’t take up much space. Some of the standard options include but are not limited to sage, rosemary, and basil which are easy to propagate as long as you keep their needs in mind.
Raised Gardens
Do you live in an area with poor soil that cannot seem to support the growth of healthy plants? If yes and you intend to grow plants, your answer may lie in the use of raised gardens. Though you could always incorporate other kinds of soils and use manure, you may find that the quality of your soil is so bad that the only solution in your case lies in using a raised bed. This form of gardening is possible through the construction of a platform that lies on top of your ordinary soil. You then purchase fertile soil from a gardening store or nursery which you then use to grow the plants that you have in mind. When purchasing soil, it helps to know the requirements of the plants you wish to cultivate as you can buy soil with the right pH balance.
Indoor Gardens
Another form of gardening that has fast gained popularity over the years is indoor gardening. In places where the weather tends to be cold for most of the year, growing plants may prove difficult owing to the unfavorable weather conditions. In such circumstances, you can have an indoor garden, in your home or in your wooden shed, where you can provide your plants with their required conditions. The advantage of this form of cultivation is that it allows you to grow your plants throughout the year, and you can thus harvest more times as compared to people with outdoor gardens.
There are many indoor gardening kits on the market that enable you to get good soil and planting solutions for various plants, thus allowing you to have a head start in your cultivation. You could also choose to designate an area for gardening and use soil from your garden if you do not mind making a bit of a mess in the setup. Successful indoor planting is possible as you can control the conditions in which your plants grow.
Other different gardening types include community gardens, tropical gardens, greenhouse gardens, and botanical gardens. The options are limitless as long as you are willing to explore the different opportunities and have fun while doing so!
