Gardening Basics For Dummies. Steven A. Frowine

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       Local climate: Over the course of a calendar year, is your area’s climate dry or damp? Generally sunny or generally rainy? Do your winters (or summers) slow everything down or bring plant growth to a temporary halt? The answers to these questions can tell you which plants are likely to grow easily and which ones may require some extra help. See Chapter 3 for info about plant hardiness zones and how they affect your growing space.

       Type of soil in your yard: Consider the natural soil in your area. Is it rather sandy? Clay? Loamy (rich, crumbly, and dark)? Acidic? Alkaline? Does it drain rainwater away quickly, or does moisture puddle and linger for days? The answers can help you understand which plants will thrive and which ones will need soil improvements. (If you really don’t have any idea, a simple soil test is a good idea — see Chapter 4.)

       Plants native to your area (or already growing in your yard): Finding out which plants (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers) are native or perform well in your general area, either by observing or by asking around, can further fill you in on what kind of growing conditions you’ve been dealt.

       Zoning restrictions: Before you get too far along, make sure you’re aware of any landscaping or building restrictions or regulations that your HOA or city might have. In general, front yard plantings that are visible from the street typically have more restrictions than backyard plantings or structures.

       A good neighbor: Let your neighbors know of your plans or additions, especially if your plans affect their views or privacy.

       Permanence of big structures: Okay, the house stays. The garage and shed, too, although maybe you can move or replace the shed. What about shade trees? Can and should you cut any of them down, or at least prune them? Big branches may be a hazard, and letting more light into a garden is often welcome.

       Walkways: Changing the path of foot traffic if it’s currently in the way of your garden space is hard, but not impossible. So take a hard look and be honest. If you add or replace a walking surface, the yard can look immediately nicer and your garden spot may be neatly outlined. Options for installing a path include gravel, brick, flagstone, and other paving materials. Wandering paths look nicer and slow down footsteps, but pathways should actually lead somewhere if you want people to use them. Wider paths also slow people down and encourage them to enjoy their surroundings — your beautiful garden.

       Desire for privacy or shelter: Good fences can make good neighbors, and materials make all the difference. Big, substantial wooden fences do block street noise and unsightly views but may also create shade and look unfriendly. A lighter or more open design may be better, perhaps softened with a flowering, climbing plant. An alternative is living fences of hedges or an informal line of bushes (evergreen or deciduous, with or without fruit and flowers — turn to Chapter 13 for information). Work with what you have to improve your fence’s look, or vow to install or replace it with something nicer.

      1 Go out with clippers and/or a small pruning saw to remove all nonnegotiable branches and twigs — anything obviously dead or diseased, particularly the lower branches of thick trees.

      2 Go on to thinning — taking out growth that’s rubbing against other branches or crowding the interior of a plant.

      3 For anything you can’t handle, call in a certified arborist or a tree company. If you aren’t sure you can do it yourself, don’t do it! Tree work can be very dangerous. You need the services of a tree company if you decide to take out an entire tree or large limbs. Check with local authorities; in some areas you need permission to cut down trees. In the end? More sun, more light, and more air — a whole new yard!)If a tree is in your neighbor’s yard but the unwanted branches come over into yours, talk to them about removing the branches or even the whole tree. When a shade tree affects your yard and your neighbor’s, work out splitting the arborist bill to remove or prune — it’s only fair! If you decide to use a certified arborist, get references. Make sure the arborist is insured and bonded.