The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens

By Lisa J. Amstutz

Whether inside or outside, decorative or edible, this book is full of gardening projects large and small. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions are accompanied by photographs that guide the aspiring gardening through planting all kinds of gardens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Jan 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781623707422

Lisa J. Amstutz

Lisa Amstutz is the author of more than 150 children’s books on topics ranging from applesauce to zebra mussels. An ecologist by training, she enjoys sharing her love of nature with kids. Lisa lives on a small farm with her family.

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Cover

Get Growing!

Grow edible plants in your backyard or on a patio or windowsill. Brighten up your home with a fabulous indoor garden. Express your artistic flair with some creative gardening. Build your own tiny world in a fanciful fairy garden. It doesn’t matter what kind or size of garden you want to plant or where you grow it. Gardening can be a fun and creative hobby for everyone.

The Basics

Before you get started, be sure you know what your garden needs and how to take care of it. Plants need a few basic things to grow: sunshine, water, and good soil.

Sunlight

If you’re planting an outdoor garden, choose your site carefully. Make sure it gets plenty of light throughout the day. For indoor gardens, some plants need more light than others. Research this before determining where to set your indoor garden. Most indoor plants will do well near a bright, sunny window.

Soil

Potting soil is a must for container plants. Soil from your yard will not allow water to drain properly. If you’re growing indoors or in pots outside, organic potting soil will provide plants with the nutrients they need. For planting in soil outdoors, follow the instructions on preparing a garden bed.

Water

Plants need plenty of water, but not too much. Make sure your garden is getting the right amount of moisture. Always water plants right after planting. Water newly planted seeds or seedlings daily for the first week or two. Don’t overwater your plants. An overwatered plant will look droopy. It could die. Use a hose or watering can to water your outdoor garden. For indoor gardens, you can use a watering can or mist your garden with water using a clean spray bottle.

Depending on your local climate, you may need to water your outdoor plants. Set out a rain gauge or clear container. Measure the amount of water that it collects. If it doesn’t rain at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) per week, give your garden a good soaking. Outdoor plants may need extra water on very hot days. Water outdoor plants in the morning or evening. This keeps the water from evaporating too fast.

Water indoor plants every few days. If the soil feels dry when you poke your finger below the surface, then your garden needs watering. Tap water may contain chlorine or salts that can harm your plants. It is best to use rainwater or distilled water.

Starting a Garden

Once you understand the basics of garden care, you’re ready to get started. Each project in this book includes a list of the materials you’ll need. Most can be found at a nursery, department store, or hardware store. If you can’t find the exact plants or supplies listed, don’t despair. Use what you can find and give the project your own twist.

After you’ve decided on what garden to grow, you’ll need seeds, seedlings, or plants. A seedling is a very young plant. If you start with a seedling or plant, you’ll need to transfer it from its original container into your garden or pot. If planting in a container, make sure there are holes on the bottom so water can drain. Eventually, a plant may grow too large for its pot. If this happens, carefully remove the plant, gently loosen the roots, and replant it in a larger container. Fill in around it with fresh potting soil.

Gardening Tools

You’ll also need a few tools and other supplies. A trowel is used to dig holes for bulbs or seedlings. Plant labels will help you remember what you planted and where. A spade, rake, or hoe may come in handy when preparing an outdoor garden bed.

Weeding and Mulching

Removing weeds will help keep your plants in good shape, especially if your garden is outdoors. The best way to prevent weeds is to put mulch around your plants. Mulch also helps keep the soil moist.

Fertilizer

It’s a good idea to add some fertilizer to your soil or water every month or two. Buy liquid houseplant fertilizer or plant spikes, and follow the directions on the package.

Preparing an Outdoor Garden Bed

Before you can start planting outdoors, you need to prepare the soil. If you’re starting a new garden, remove any grass and weeds. Turn and mix the soil well. If you have very sandy or heavy clay soil, mix in some compost, manure, or peat moss. Rake out any clumps of weeds and large stones. Then smooth out the soil. If you’ve already used the area for a garden, remove any weeds, and then loosen the soil before smoothing it out.

Edible Gardening