Beginner Gardening: Brand new house..yard is a blank palette, 1 by pennefeather

pennefeather wrote:
Nyghtspryte,

I completely understand how you feel about jumping in and doing things without planning in advance. I find myself doing that alot, but I also agree that it is extremely helpful if you had an overall plan before you begin. Everything doesn't have to be planned at once - you can still leave some room for flexibility.

Since you are already thinking about this months in advance, take the time to consider starting some flowers from seed. You will save yourself a boatload of money in seed starting. Just consider that one geranium alone will run about $2.50 - $4 in the stores. That same money can be put towards starting a dozen flowers!

Not only should you start all of the annuals, if you have the room, but I would also recommend starting some perenials that bloom in the first year like coneflowers. Fifty dollars put towards seed starting (that includes money for some shop lights if you need them), will bring you a huge return. Plus if you start early enough, you will have large blooming plants come planting time. Check out the seeding starting forum for additional information, as well as the annuals forum. If you change your mind after you've started your seeds, the investment is minimal compared to purchasing plants.

Another source that I have used for inexpensive small starter plants is Ebay. There are a few nurseries that sell starter plants at a relatively low price. They are too small to set out in the garden in my opinion, but after spending a month or two in the house to grow larger, they are still a deal compared with what I would have spent at the stores.

I grew the blanketflower, and black eyed susans from seed this past summer.