Flower Gardening for Beginners: The Essential 3-Step System on How to Plant Flowers, Grow from Seeds, Design Your Landscape, and Maintain a Beautiful Flower Yard

By Plantgenics

How to PICK, PLANT, and PRESERVE your dream flower garden even if you have no experience or have failed with every other garden you have done in the past...

Flower gardening dates back for centuries, and to this day millions of people create their own floral heaven each year. Some might say that it is one of

• Language: English
• Publisher: Plantgenics
• Release date: Aug 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781087975184

Book preview

Introduction

The oldest memory I can recall from my childhood is standing in the middle of my flower garden. I have always loved flowers, and growing up, I spent many hours watching my father growing and maintaining his garden. The love for gardening and, more specifically, for flowers got deeply ingrained in me as a young child. I spent days and weeks attempting to grow my own flower garden. But, all my excitement and efforts were in vain.

It was winter when I almost gave up after many attempts to grow different kinds and species of flowers. I messed up so many times; I tried annuals, perennials, and biennials, but most of my plants would die. Early on, my father would let me try on my own so that I could learn from my mistakes. But, when he saw my gardening dream shattering before me, he stepped in to rescue me. After that, I learned from him, followed his path, and the results were: flowers blooming, my heart glowing, and the floral scents all around.

Sometimes we suffer from neophobia, the fear of starting something new when setting up our garden. Lack of direction and guidance is the biggest reason why we hesitate to start. In my case, I think that if my father guided me from day one, I would not have made mistakes. Although, I appreciate the time that I spent learning while trying to do it myself.

Experience in trying different combinations of plant species, taking care of the soil, saving plants from bugs and wild insects, and maintenance of my garden help to develop a vision. That vision was and is to help others get that perfect garden and avoid the mistakes that I made during my learning phase of gardening.

Of course, everyone is bound to have a little mistake here or there. But, with the right direction to grow your floral heaven, you will not have to spend nights laying in bed thinking that; frost might destroy your growing flowers, wild animals will trample your land, or even that you might not have created a proper layout that is ideal for your plants. As I have grown older, my passion for gardening increased, and the product of that passion is my gardening brand: Plantgenics.

The motivation for writing this book came after reviewing a lot of written pieces already available in the market. I could find different types of flowers to grow, a lot of pretty pictures, and maybe some brief guidance on planting. But, there was still a lot missing! What kind of soil do I use, and what is the importance of it? How should I layout my garden? What flowers are right for my specific location? I found that all of these questions went unanswered when I read books on flower gardening, and that is what led me to write this book for you.

I found the answers to this gap of information while learning and experimenting in my garden. I was lucky to have my dad on my side to help me and teach me, but not everyone has that same blessing. I decided to create a guide for all the gardening lovers who are reluctant to start their gardens. This book is for all the people out there who value flowers and gardening as much as I do but need more comprehensive guidance than just a coffee table picture book with flowers on it.

I have recollected every technique and every bit of knowledge I got during my life while growing different flowers in different soil types and locations. During all the years of educating the people about the rights and wrongs of growing flowers, I realized that a properly written piece is a must-have to get people in the right direction. The best way that I can think to explain the flower gardening process is as simple as breaking it down into three parts. This three-part system is: Pick. Plant. Preserve.

To help you get started as quickly as possible, I have structured this book with comprehension as the most critical value. You will be eager to finish the book and directly land in your garden to begin implementing the strategies.

What are you going to get from this beginner guide? The information in this book is of practical importance yet presented with simplicity. No matter what your age, gender, or location is, I aim to equip you with the right information to get the job done.

Every chapter is going to take you closer to building your dream floral heaven right in your backyard. The first four chapters will be centered around the first part of our three-step system: Pick. You will learn about the difference in plant and seed gardening, choosing the right plants for your garden, garden design basics, and finally, the importance of soil in the success of your flower harvesting.

The second part of the book will be based on how to properly Plant your dream garden. You will be educated on the right way of planting different kinds of flowers and seeds. You will also learn the correct strategies for helping the flowers and plants while they struggle to grow. Finally, once you know the proper planting strategy, it is time to expand the garden with different types and species of plants.

The last part of the book is going to be about how to Preserve your garden. After all, we want to avoid spending all this time creating your dream garden just for it to be destroyed or fade away. I will show you how to defend your plants against climatic issues, weather uncertainties, and wildlife. This includes weeds, bugs, animals, etc. In other words, it is going to be all about the maintenance of your floral heaven.

I created this brand, Plantgenics, to educate people around the world with the knowledge of practical gardening. The only reason to write this book is not just because of the lack of knowledge in the existing literature. I could have written this long ago if that was the only reason.

The real reason is that during my interactions with many other gardeners, the most discussed concern I found was:

‘I’m fed up with trying to grow my garden.’

‘I have spent a lot on seeds, plants, and fertilizers, but no results are there.’

‘I have a black thumb instead of a green thumb. What should I do?’

Let me tell you that many people used to tell me that I might have a black thumb, because all of my plants would eventually die. I used to believe in the black thumb myth until I learned gardening is not about green thumbs or black thumbs, but rather rules of thumb. Gardening is about right and wrong, and if you do things right, the result will also be magnificent.

After reading this book, all your doubts and myths will disappear as if they never existed. I am excited to educate you on exactly how to build your dream flower garden oasis. Now, let’s get to work!

Chapter 1

Seeds vs. Pre-Grown Plants

Seeds versus pre-grown plants. Which is the more sustainable way of starting your garden?

Choosing between seeds or starter plants is a dilemma for almost every gardener. Or at least, this is a question all beginner gardeners ask themselves before starting their first garden. There are arguments for each method of starting your garden. Some people will support growing the garden with pre-grown plants because it is easy and requires less effort. Starter plant seedlings are nurtured in controlled environments; therefore, you do not have to worry much about pest attacks and weather uncertainty.

On the other hand, proponents of seed gardening will argue the benefits of lower prices for seeds. In addition, seed gardeners enjoy the massive variety of seeds to choose from at a garden center compared to the smaller variety of starter plants available. However, growing your garden from scratch or growing it from pre-grown plants is a matter of your choice. I say this because when you have the right information and guide, the chances of success are elevated in both cases. To decide which type of gardening you are going to do, you must know about the difference between seed gardening and transplanting.

I will walk you through seed gardening, transplanting, difficulties, and the positive sides of both types. The goal is to help you decide which option you will go for to make your summers glow with the colors of your flowers in the coming years. This is the first step in part one of your flower gardening adventure, Picking.

WHAT ARE SEEDS?

Like the first drop of rain signifies its importance in the drought year, a seed signifies its importance in your gardening journey year after year!

In general terms, seeds are vegetatively propagating materials or reproductive parts of plants. These are grains that are used for harvesting or growing new plants. These ripened ovules of plants give birth to new seedlings that bloom to become fully grown flowers.

The more formal definition is that a seed is an embryonic part of the plant covered within a seed coat and some stored food. This stored food is used by the seed when it is trying to sprout and become a new plant (Seed, n.d.).

What Are Seed Germinating Requirements?

For any seed to germinate, the most critical part is to have healthy embryonic tissues capable of germination. A healthy seed will germinate, but only in specific environments. So, what is the right environment for seed germination?

Most seeds germinate in a dark environment instead of light conditions. Even then, there is a slight chance of germination in light conditions for some species of plants. On top of that, the optimum temperature range also plays a very important role in this process. The minimum and maximum temperatures play a large role in dictating whether or not a seed will germinate. The optimum temperature varies for different species of plants. Therefore, if you plan on planting from seedling, you must study the optimal temperature of that particular plant for a uniform and fast germination.

Another key factor in this system is moisture, which also varies from species to species. In fact, the right moisture in the environment is the initiator of seed germination. Make sure to research your seedling and what proper watering looks like for decent growth. Lastly, you need to be wary of your soil and how it affects your seedlings. Since seeds are living beings, they