Big Secrets
Plants want to grow!
Give them the best of what they need; they will thrive!
Exploring the perspectives that differentiate great gardeners, the green-thumbed legends we strive to emulate in our gardens, their most prominent tenets guide us to the fundamentals of great gardening.
The True Core of All Great Gardeners
Effective gardening practices emanate from the wisdom to notice simple truths and maintain the courage to act on them. It’s why the best gardening teachers base every gardening lesson on the most essential, seemingly simple, gardening wisdom.
The Fundamentals of Gardening
But what are these fundamentals guiding the green-thumbed gardeners of the world? Immense amounts of direct sunlight; the correct amount of water at the right times; and deeply loosened, healthy soil—those three will produce amazingly healthy gardens and productive plants that will largely take care of themselves. It’s why these are the first steps and foundations for every gardening endeavor and solution to almost every gardening problem.
Immense Amounts of Sunlight
There’s nothing like sunlight for our garden plants. With it, they thrive, exploding in growth and health. Without it, they become weakened and eventually die. Plus, our garden plants need much more than is commonly thought or taught. How much do they need Why do they need so much? And how can you make sure they get enough?
The Right Amount of Water
For the most part, the right amount of water is provided free of charge, literally falling out of the sky right where you need it. The real tricks, then, are 1) keeping that water in your soil as long as possible and 2) how to most conscientiously provide it yourself when dry times hit and trick number one isn’t enough to maintain its presence in the soil.
Perfect Soil
Perfect soil is every gardener’s dream. But what are the characteristics of perfect garden soil? And what lessons do our plants’ roots tell us about what they need to be their best?
Building Perfect Soil
Since almost every gardener’s reality is starting with clay-filled, sand-choked, and/or with low-organic-matter soil, how do you build your soil into the perfect soil that is every gardener’s dream?
Layout and Spacing
Companion Planting
Some plants like each other, growing stronger, healthier, and more productive in each others’ company. Others don’t, noticeably languishing if planted near each other. But why, which ones go together well, which ones don’t, and are there common “teams” of plants that would be easiest for a beginner to companion planting to use?
