I need help with my garden anyone have a green thumb?

Question

O.k. here goes.......I am trying to create a nice flower garden in my backyard. The problem is it is the first time doing this. The area I want to do it in gets sunlight allday and I just need some help on how to start. I don't mean to sound dumb but this gardening is new to me. Any help out there? Serious responses please!!! I appreciate it!!!!

O.k. I live in San Diego....

The ground is pretty hard and it has the clay like dirt. I would just like some normal flowers nothing too extravagent since it would be my first.

Thank you for your responses I really appreciate it!!!

Answer 1

Have you checked that your soil is clay? If not try this rub a small sample between finger and thumb, it will give a rough guide to the texture of soil. Sand is gritty. Silt is silky. Clay is slick. Continue by picking up a handful and squeeze gently: If it feels sticky and stays in a tight mass, your soil is likely too high in clay. If it molds into your hand yet crumbles apart when squeezed, it has the perfect texture. If it formed a sticky ball try to squeeze it upward to form a ribbon. Measure the length of the ribbon. Now wet the soil in your palm til muddy. Rub the soil against your palm with your other fingertips. Is it smooth, gritty or both?
1” gritty ribbon is sandy loam
1” smooth ribbon is silty loam
1” both is loam
1-2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay loam
1-2” smooth ribbon is silty clay loam
1-2” both is clay loam
GT 2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay
GT 2” smooth ribbon is silty clay
GT 2” both is clay
Black color indicates high organic matter; gray indicates medium organic matter. Red, tan or blue color indicates little organic matter and high clay. Blue color indicates that there is no oxygen in the clay. Therefore, no roots will grow in blue clay. Normally, the organic matter is mainly in the topsoil 1-4 inches deep.
The key to amending clay soil is to amend a large area and use enough coarse sand and, especially, coarse organic matter. Avoid trying to change a small area. Plants will have a difficult time making the transition to the surrounding clay soil, effectively limiting their growth to the amended area as if they were in a pot.
Two of the best amendments for clay soil are coarse sand and coarse organic matter. Coarse sand is also sometimes called builders' sand. The particles are relatively large, especially when compared to the finer sands used for sandboxes and such. The fine sands may actually make your problem worse. There are lots of types of organic matter available for gardening but not all of them will help improve clay soil. It needs to be coarse. Avoid fine-textured material such as peat moss or the packaged manures. If possible, find a source for a coarse compost or composted manure with wood chips. Check with your city to see if they have a compost site for leaves and such or local stables often have a pile you can mine. Many tree pruning services are happy to deliver a load of chips free.

Your goal is to change your soils texture just enough to improve its structure so it will allow water and air to move into the soil. For example, soils with more than 40 % clay are called clay soil while if they have only 30% they are in the loam range. Ideal soil is made up of equal part clay, silt and sand with sand being the largest particle. But just adding sand is not enough. When one mixes a sandy and a clay soil together, the large pore spaces of the sandy soil are filled with the smaller clay particles. This results in a heavier, denser soil with less total pore space than either the sandy or the clay soil alone. (A good analogy is the manufacture of concrete, which entails mixing sand with cement - a fine particle substance. The results are obvious.) A soil must consist of nearly 50% sand by total volume before it takes on the characteristics of a sandy soil. For most sites, it would be prohibitively expensive to remove half the existing soil and add an equal volume of sand and then till it to the necessary 18-24". The answer is to add the organics.
Organic matter builds soil tilth in a couple of ways. First, the organic matter coats soil particles, physically separating clay particles and aggregates from each other. Second, and more important, microorganisms that degrade organic matter produce byproducts called glomalin that bind individual clay particles together into aggregates. Particle aggregation in the topsoil reduces crusting, increases the rate of water infiltration, and reduces erosion and runoff.
How much? And how? First, calculate the area you are amending. Length x Width = Square Feet. Ideally, you should use equal parts of coarse sand and coarse organic matter to amend the soil, but extra compost can be used if necessary. You will need to cover the area with a 3-4 inch layer of organic matter and a 3-4 inch layer of sand. Bagged products won't be practical. Look for a source of bulk material. It will probably be measured by the cubic yard (27 cubic feet). The general rule of thumb is that one cubic yard will cover approximately 100 square feet with 3 inches of material.
First spread the organic matter over the area to be amended and work it into the top 6 inches of the soil. Next spread the sand over the clay/organic matter layer and mix it in. A tiller works well for this task. If you don't own one, they can be rented.
This sounds like a lot of work, it is, but it is worth the natural appearance and the health of the plants you will grow. I had to do it from the other end. I had as close to pure silt & sand as a glacier can leave. My beds are slightly raised from the paths because they are unamended but I did not care for the look of raised boxes. I wanted a natural woodland.
Plants that do well in clay:
Burning bush Euonymus alatus,
Red osier dogwood Cornus sericea,
Witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana, very fragrant and blooms Feb,
Winterberry Ilex verticillata,
Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius, great dark plum colored foliage is available now
Rugosa roses most roses hate clay but this rose is good.
Amsonia Blue Star
Coreopsis Tickseed Comes in several heights and colors from pale yellow to magenta.
Helianthus sunflowers
Rudbeckias Brown-eyed Susan
Solidago Goldenrod

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:cxts..._
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2..._
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgard..._
http://www.bachmans.com/tipsheets/soils/...
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/...

Answer 2

Start by renting a roto-tiller. You'll want to use it to turn the soil over and create a healthy planting environment. Next visit a local nursery. They can help you pick the proper plants that will meet the condition of direct sunlight all day. While you are there get mulch and fertilizer. Fertilize the soil and plant a few days later. After you plant give them a healthy dose of water. Mulch around the plants to help keep weeds out and for asthetics. You can find border stones at just about any garden center or any home improvment store. After you finish sit back with a cold one and enjoy the scenery!

Answer 3

As stated, you'll want to flip the ground. As you do, add some good gardnening soil. You can get cheap soil for $1.50 a bag, or go expensive with good fertilizer.

In San Diego, you're good to grow anything. If you want to start simple, go with impatients and begonias. They are both small normally, but they can get 2-3 feet tall in San Diego if you keep them year after year. Hardy plants in that area.

Go down to the local nursery, and see what you like! Seriously, lots of things grow in SD. Stay away from bulbs (not cold enough there), and plants that take over easy (ivy, and surprisingly, California Poppys).

What height of plants would you like? It's a good idea to get many heights and textures. Get a few small, lowlying groundcovers (verbena is nice) along with some medium height plants (like the impatients), then some taller plants, and maybe a climber if you have space. Try to pick a few colors that you want to stay with.

Another easy option: get a packet of wildflower seeds. Just keep any California Poppys in check by pinching off the seed pods after they bloom.

Answer 4

It really depends on what you want to plant. You need to make sure the soil is right for your plants and then you need to decide how to lay it out, if you want a border, mulch, etc. You don't sound dumb. You should get a gardening book, it will help a lot.

Answer 5

Buy some good topsoil and compost to plant in

Plant things that like sun! If you do research and find out which sun-lovers also are tolerant of low watering, you can have a beautiful garden that requires less work - this is called

xeriscaping, you can search under that term. Good luck! Welcome to the JOY of gardening...

Answer 6

you dont sound dumb! you need to specify where you live, and what kind of plants do you want.. ones that come back or ones that dont come back so you can plant something different next year... color, border.. what kind of dirt you have.. is it sandy have clay,,,, do you need to prep the ground , loosen it up?

Answer 7

Tell me what part of the country you live in first, please. Then I can recommend plants that are tolerant for that area. Full sun in Alaska is different than full sun in Arizona. I know I have lived in both. ;)