new but very ambitious gardener

This is really the first year that I have been able to focus on my garden...I adore most flowers. My problem though is getting started. I have a pretty good size yard (about 4 acres) with my house sitting in the middle. Most of the yard is hard to dig, so I need to know how I can "fix" this.
I am also trying to figure out what and where to plant things. My favorite flowers are iris, daylily, amaryllis, anything new and unusual. I've been given some plants from friends and family and have just kinda placed them in my holding area that has now become it's own flower garden.
Anyone have ideas on how to start a flower garden , where the plants should be planted and how to care for them.
I'm all ears and eager to learn.

Since you have four acres, are you out in the country? If so, deer could be a problem and you will need to make sure you plant flowers they especially like, such as those day lilies you mentioned, up close to your house, not out where they will become an inviting salad bar for them. As far as actually arranging your beds, since you have several types of flowers already, try arranging them in the areas where you would like to have flower beds and see just how you would like them arranged. One thing that would help a lot is if you could post pictures of the areas where you plan to make flower beds. That will make it easier for us to help you visualize how the flowers need to be arranged. Also, are you wanting just flower beds or perhaps some to attract birds and butterflies? We also need to know whether you will be putting them in sun, shade, or a mix of both.

gardengirl......You think your problem is getting started but I reckon acknowledging that as you said "your yard is hard to dig" and you want to know how to "fix" it, well that's a great start right there and one of the most important......I'd also like to say that NatureLover made some good points to add to your list of to do's too....

As far as the flower beds go you need to start thinking about helping the soil get healthier so to speak....Two ways of many ways you're probably going to hear about or read about are these....One is the lasagna method of making a "hard to dig yard" a paradise for the roots of them plants you want to grow, it's basically a no-till method, less work and some folks say its better, easier and a no-brainer......more information about that method of making soil healthy than you can shake a stick at is available both here, other places on the net and in books.....

The other standard way is killing the grass with Round-up or shaving it off with one of them lawn removers or just shoveling it off with a straight edged shovel, but with four acres to do, if you plant the whole thing, I don't see how you'll live that long if you do it with a shovel.....:).....but all kidding aside after you get rid of the grass one way or the other then you start your tilling and amending the planting areas with organic materials( compost, leaf mold, pine fines, manure, the usual suspects)...After that the real fun begins, you pick the plants you think you want and put them in a design you think reflects where you want them.... Then you take the ideas from other folks who will tell you what plants to plant and where to plant them, you mix the two together, your ideas and theirs in proportions that nobody can tell you but yourself and then, by cracky YOU DO IT......I mean geez, how much simpler can it get?........:)

Good luck to you, I hope your yard turns out just like you want it too...I'm working on my yard too, if there is anything in the future that might come up and I can help you with, give me a holler...one last thing before I ease on.....Feed the soil, take good care of it, if its sick (low organic content, bad drainage, bolders as big as a Volvo in your beds, you make it better, you do that and your plants will take care of themselves.....well more or less.....You still got to weed and mulch, gee lady you think there's such a thing as no-maintenance gardening?.........:)

This message was edited May 8, 2008 5:35 PM

This message was edited May 8, 2008 5:36 PM

gardengirl.....on the Perennial forum there is a thread called: Making a new 'lasagna bed' for perennials?.. Its worth a read and it gives some links worth pursuing too.

Paul from Alabama

I agree that lasagna gardening is a good way to start getting beds ready for planting in difficult soil. First, of course, you need to decide where, and how big, you want your beds to be. Start close to the house, not just for convenience, but also for personal enjoyment. When I started gardening, my mother gave me a great piece of advice, which was, start with the view from your kitchen window. What do you see while you are washing dishes? Start there, and then expand outward. I spend a lot of time in the winter staring out my windows, thinking about what I am going to see come Spring. Also, plant up your own walk up to the house. Whatever you see every day is where you should concentrate your planting efforts.

Thanks everyone...I'll try and post some pics this week...

Angie

I just made a lasagna bed for my front foundation this weekend. It isn't hard to do, and you can actually plant in the bed right away.

Since I didn't have all the materials on hand I did buy most of what I needed. I started with newspapers (gathered from a local Freecycler), laid down some straw I nabbed from my parent's barn, then layered on bagged topsoil and humus, topping things off with a layer of bagged compost. My method wasn't "true" lasagna gardening, but I did avoid having to remove turf and ended up with a nice 6" deep base to plant in. If your soil is particularly hard (mine wasn't), you'll probably want to make your bed deeper.

Good luck! I've found gardening completely addicting...but in the best possible way! :)

KaylyRed.......According to the CDC, Center For Disease Control, there is no cure for gardening on the horizon......but you can take heart that your government is continuing to spend billions trying and with the billions that we addicted gardeners spend on plants, shovels, mulch, fancy hats and manure etc, I really think the end is near..........:)

Boy its a beautiful morning here....I hope it is where ya'll are at......

Paul from Alabama

But...I don't want a cure, Paul!

It's a gorgeous day here, too. And so, of course, I ran out and bought 4 new plants. :P

Dearest Kayly....I don't want to be young and handsome but that's what I have to be and I guess you have to be an addicted gardener........:)

Paul from Alabama