Help for a nongardener?

Question

Our new house has nothing to spice it up on the outside. No trees, no shrubs. There is grass, though. Around the house there are "decorative" rocks that just look like plain old rocks to me.

In the spring, what are some relatively cheap and easy ways for me to spruce it up a bit? We are on a budget and have never gardened before, so expensive plants that require a lot of care are not a good idea.

Also, do I have to remove the rocks completely to plant things, or can I just push them out of the way, do the planting, and then push them back?

I live in central Illinois.

Answer 1

You can get some good, inexpensive plants at Home Depot or Lowes. They tend to sell hardy, easy-to-grow plants. (The easier to grow, the cheaper they come - because they're easy to reproduce and grow!)

Consider some holly shrubs - they grow some that look like boxwood. They're called "poor man's boxwood" by some landscapers. Azaleas are easy to grow, and often you can get them for $2-3 per shrub from the same folks that sell pumpkins in the Fall, fireworks in July, and Christmas Trees in the winter. You can also check www.arborday.org for smaller ones - if you have patience.

Try www.wildflowerseeds.com for flowerseeds.

To enrich the soil - find a horse farm nearby and see if they'll give you composted manure. It's called "gardener's gold" for a reason. It doesn't smell and it works wonders in the yard. Put it down now, and it'll basically be dirt by springtime.

For trees - you can also try www.arborday.org if you want to start small. You may also want to see if there's a farm or other property neaby where you could dig up some dormant young trees for free. Winter's the best time.

And, I might note, that once all the trees have lost their leaves? That's the best time to plant trees - they don't go into shock.

Answer 2

I'm afraid the rocks you probably have are not the type usually associated with rock gardens. Are we talking just 3/4 inch gravel or some such? What's under the gravel?

Start your green thumb as someone above mentioned, with some flowers. Scrape back the gravel to make a planting bed. The bed should be at least 30 inches wide.....and as long as you want and can care for. Work the soil with a spading fork or shovel to introduce oxygen back into the soil. I know soils there can be rich, but I'd add compost while digging. The compost should be about 1-2 inches deep and spaded in to a depth of 8 inches.

You can start the plants by direct seeding when frost danger is over or you can direct plant with small plants purchased at a nursery. Read the labels for spacing between plants or ask. Plants can get big. Water as necessary and use a liquid fertilizer (a good choice for beginners) every 3-4 weeks at the recommended rate.

I like marigolds, zinnias and cosmos as good beginner plants. Zinnias can be tricky so go light on those. Most of all, have fun.

Answer 3

Gardening can become a lifetime pleasure and you have a clean pallet to work on, lucky you. Most people have to put up with someone elses idea of what constitutes a good garden which is more often than not completely different from their own idea. As you have no experience buy a really good learners book. Over the years you will accumulate many gardening books but there is usually only one that becomes your favourite. You don't have to do everything at once. Gardens evolve over time and you will change things often before you get it right (it isn't rocket science) some gardeners will say that you never get it "just" right so don't despair even if things don't grow to plan. Start of small and work your way up to more ambitious projects and soon you will have a garden worthy of envy. For now until you feel more confident just concentrate on keeping the weeds down and maybe plant a few spring flowering bulbs around the rocks (you can always did them out later then spend the winter months reading and making plans.

Answer 4

To start I would use what you have.

Start a rock garden. Sedums are great for this purpose and can even replace the lawn. They require almost no maintenance, little water and can grow in any soil.

Just gather the rocks up in one or more areas (borders are great) add a little soil between the spaces in the rocks and get some sedums. They will spread by themselves, flower, and survive the winter with little care.

Good luck

Answer 5

witterwax has a very, very good answer. Start slow, go at your
own pace, don't try to do it all in one season. Educate yourself
with books and don't be afraid with experiments. Most landscape
goof-ups can easily be re-done. I am absolutely amazed at the
number of people I've come across who didn't have a clue when
they started out and they wound up with a pretty darn good
landscape. And also, a good landscape should always be an
evolving project. Good luck.

Answer 6

I would use the rocks you have and plant succulents in and around them.
Use your imagination when you lay them out. Or go to a rock garden site. They are drought tolerant and so very easy to grow and reproduce. Some also have very beautiful flowers.
You will be pleasantly surprised how much enjoyment these plants will give you. I hope you have a lot of fun with your project.

Dont forget this question you (4)
Just want you to know you are being investigated.

Answer 7

I think Hugo has the good answer....rock gardening is fun......I did that in the mountains with boulders and lots of rocks.....
http://www.nargs.org/gardening/rockgardening.html
there are more possiblities than you can imagine with little or no care....

Answer 8

marigolds and mums are very durable plants. also daises. plant them and keep the rocks off where you just planted. maybe put a sprinkler every once in a while, like every 3 days. keep bird feeders! sunflowers are very hardy too. either buy sunflower seeds, or just buy bird food that has sunflowers in it *the birds will do the spreading!*. smile!