Many times we buy plants on impulse, then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants, carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained, or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered, or windswept.

You’ll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation, like shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas, which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid, or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow.  You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Now you are ready to plant. Well - almost. Will you plant in groups, or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organized, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed, in their pots, to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes, or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers.

Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the centre, if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.

The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side, if they have a different blooming season.

Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.

So, before you rush in to planting, there are many factors to consider. These might even require some landscaping, to get the entire garden as you want it. You can incorporate other, non flower features, such as pools, fountains, pathways, benches, paving, stepping stones and all sorts of other attractive space users.

Then, there is still the patio and the indoors to consider. A garden doesn’t always have to remain outdoors. There are many plants that prefer being indoors, or at least being partially covered and protected, so bring some of your garden indoors.

If you long for a beautiful garden, get The Definitive Guide To Gardening. This is both an audio book and an ebook . See more here http://www.dersalsites.com/gardeningtips/prod/guidetogarden/

Sally Robson is a South African Internet marketer, who together with her husband Derek, have a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and other non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet, by overcoming the many obstacles facing them. They have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. Sally has a passion for gardening. For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally at: http://www.dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips/ 

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