A beautiful garden is a glorious sight to behold but making it exist is no walk in the park. It requires intensive tending and timely action in practices like pruning, weeding and applying fertilizers. Even with these practices, however, a garden may fail to meet the owner’s expectations if some pre-planting plans are not properly formulated.

Here are a few tips to put into consideration if you want an amazing garden to sprout from your soil, whether for leisure or for business:

Are you interested in growing plants for ornamental purposes or for specific uses? The type of plants you intend to grow will determine the specific spot where you establish the garden, the type of land preparation you do and the specific time of the year to plant.

Growing a garden can be for purposes like beautification, health and curative purposes following advice from specialists like livi, or for kitchen supplements.

Once you are settled on your model of gardening, go ahead and pick a specific spot where you intend to place it. The area should be strategically placed for the plants to serve their intended purpose. Again, it makes no sense to have flowers out of everyone’s sight.

Take time to familiarize yourself with the spot you pick for your garden. How exposed is it to the sun? Does it receive direct sunlight for long period or does it fall into a shade a few hours after sunrise? What are the soil properties? These factors will help you suit the best plants for your preferred type of gardening. Tomatoes will do well in a place with lots of direct sunlight; carrots will thrive under a certain amount of shade.

Whatever you do, site your garden in a place where it always catches your eye- directly outside a frequently used window, on the front yard, right outside the door etc. Remember this is a pet project that requires attention to detail.

Take time to prepare your garden spot in a way that suits the specific type of plant you intend to grow. Preparation practices include bush clearing, tilling and application of manure. At this stage, you should:

• Till when the soil is moderately wet
• Have a soil test done if you are not sure about its fertility
• Apply organic manure to improve the soil

Do not be in a hurry during this step as it directly impacts on your plants’ health.

Whether you are going to plant seeds directly or transplant seedlings from a nursery, you should have them well before it is time to plant. With seedlings, you need to insist on the completely healthy ones as the formative stage has a huge bearing on the end plant product.

If you go through these stages with attention to detail, then only time stands between you and Eden. Remember to pay the same attention to your garden even after planting.

Happy gardening!