A lot of gardeners are fortunate enough to live in areas with good soil and great climates, and everything grows without effort. Planting a few seeds, followed by regular watering results in beautiful plants for such individuals. Many gardeners though, are not so fortunate, and have a limited number of plants that thrive in their local conditions. Such gardeners do face an incredible challenge when trying to put together a variety of plants to create a beautiful garden in these areas where even Mother Nature seems to be rooting against them.
For many, the solution is to try and redress the balance through the use of every chemical compound, and fertilizer available on the market. This works sometimes, but is hardly the most sustainable way of gardening. Such a brute force method is also far from optimum when growing fruits and vegetables, as these chemicals do find their way into the fruit, in some cases spoiling the taste, if not worse.
A more natural and environmentally friendly way, is to try and create a micro-climate for each plant or plant type you have in your garden. This can be through controlling the amount of water, shade, sunlight and wind that the plant is exposed to. Such an approach certainly requires more careful planning and arrangement of the garden, to create the most ideal conditions for each plant. With a bit of effort though, it is an achievable goal.
The first step is to identify the specific plants, or plant groups you want to have. This will then lead to investigating the ideal growing conditions for each variety. A good knowledge of local weather and climate patterns come in handy at this point. You then need to take stock of what climate controlling features you already have in your garden. Your garden fence, for example can be a great wind breaker, and provider of shade.
The plants you choose for your garden can also serve the dual purpose of improving the overall garden's look, as well as acting as climate controllers for other plants. Various types of shrubs for example, are green and leafy all year round, grow quickly and thickly, and can provide natural shade for other plants. Many types of hedges too, are suited for such a purpose. These hedges too, if grown thickly enough, can serve as wind breakers for particularly vulnerable plants and flowers. Some gardeners have also had great success with strategically placing garden furniture, in particular garden umbrellas, to provide shade not just for humans, but for plants too.
Some plants do well in areas with a lot more moisture in the air than might naturally exist in your garden. Installing a water fountain near such plants can go a long way to improve their overall chances of success. Where possible, you can use a sprinkler system to water such a garden, instead of running a hose, or using a can on the specific plants. Again, the beauty of water features such as fountains and ponds, is that they serve the dual purpose of adding to the aesthetic appeal of your garden.
For those gardeners who want to keep the garden as natural as possible, such climate changing efforts can take years to fully bear fruit, since a lot of plants like hedges do not fully grow overnight. The main point though, is that with careful planning, and creative thinking, you will be able to grow many more types and varieties of plants in your garden than your local climate might suggest. Where there is a will, there is a way.
