Avoid Overexposure In Your Garden By Choosing The Right Type Of Plants

Gardening is a wonderful, creative and fulfilling hobby, but it can also be confusing if you don’t know where to start. There will always be the ‘hot’ plants of the season but these won’t necessarily work in your garden.

If you’re a beginner gardener or just need a refresher, here are some simple tips to help avoid overexposure in your garden.

1.    Start slow.

Perhaps you’ve just moved into a new house or are thinking of picking up gardening as a hobby. Either way, be slow to purchase your first plants. Spending a solid year watching how your garden changes can set you up for success. An area that is cold, dark and damp in winter may just be blazing and sun-baked in the summer. Planting the wrong plant in that spot may mean watching it struggle and die. You may also have to transplant it which can be both costly and damaging.

2.    Learn how to improve the soil.

Get to know the soil you have in your garden and how nutrient-rich (or not) it already is. Learn which compost and/or manure will best complement your dream plants and improve your overall lawn care. For example, sandy soil loves nutrient-rich compost. If you have a clay-filled soil you may need to consider adding gypsum first. This allows air and water to penetrate, making it easier for you to work it.

3.    Get as much help as you can.

Take a walk around your neighbourhood and check out your neighbours’ thriving gardens. Join a garden club or visit your local garden centre. If you don’t know the types of plants in your neighbours’ gardens, be brave! Knock on their door and ask. You never know, you may just find a friend and walk away with a few free cuttings!

4.    Start with something simple.

Start small and gain some confidence by having a few wins under your belt. This way, you’ll be able to gain knowledge and eventually move onto something more challenging.

5.    Buy good quality, healthy plants.

Shopping the ‘sale’ section of your garden centre may seem like a good idea, but often those plants need a seasoned gardener to give them the best possible chance at life. Spending a little more for healthy plants will set you up with a higher possibility of success.

6.    Protect your lawn with the right plants.

Plant trees or shrubs that will protect areas of your lawn that are overexposed in the summer. Any protection your lawn can get from the harsh UV of the sun will help with that sunburned look. Be sure to only plant in areas that need it otherwise, you may just be giving the lawn too much shade and without light, the grass dies.

If there are any concerns you may have for your lawn or you simply want to know more about our products or services, please call us at Rivers Edge Turf on 02 4579 9009. We’d love to hear from you!