A Garden from Scratch

the garden now.

This is important to your final design.

If you already like the space then it’s a matter of simply adding what you need but if it’s not a part of your garden dreams, well there’s some additional design decisions you will need to make.

STEP TWO: A Garden Wish List

What is it that you want in and from your garden? Back to the note pad and create a list of what you want in and from your garden.

Here are a few ideas: a veggie patch, flower garden, a place to entertain, somewhere to read a book and relax, a wildlife sanctuary, a beautiful view, a family/pet play area, a shed, compost & worm farm, chook run, trees, green/shade house, herb garden.

Write it all down for future reference.

This isn’t all going to happy this weekend or perhaps even this month or even year but by noting all your wishes, you can decide what is a priority or achievable now.

Most importantly, this list will make sure that you leave room for additions later.

You don’t want to be pulling up a newish lawn to make way for a chook shed next year.

STEP THREE: Garden Style

Garden style is so often overlooked by beginner gardeners who jump in and quickly throw it all together.

Often, it’s in the second year or so, once the garden is getting established that they step back and notice that they might like

NEWS & EVENTS

Volunteer Coordinator needed - Kincumber Eco Garden

You will support garden membership, plan activities that maintain engagement and keep our garden tidy, safe, and productive. You will have experienced support.

Enquire at Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre: manager@kincumberdnc.com.au

The Fungal Kingdom - Saturday 8th April - 1:30pm for a 2pm start, Phillip House, 21 Old Penang Road, Kariong

Anna Durkin will share her work as a Citizen Scientist in this field, educating us with her skill and knowledge and answering our questions about the fungal kingdom of the Sydney region. $3 entry (with lucky door prize) A small selection of plants also on sale. austplants.com.au/Central-Coast-Events

Create an Orang-utan’s Forest Home - Monday 17th April 10:30 – 12:30pm

Using collage with Eco Artist Rachel Bunney. Learn about all forests and the different living creatures and plants that live there our special guest, the orang-utan from Borneo, as he or she is very threatened and in need of our help. Come colour a forest for your orang-utan to live. Using colour and collage we are going create a forest for our wool orangutan to build his/her nest in. Kariong Eco Garden.

Tickets: events.humanitix.com/ host/60d148eb7d6700000a913316

Gardening Planner

This week you could plant: culinary herbs, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrot, cauliflower, chicory, cress, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, salsify, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, swedes, turnips, ageratum, alyssum, calendula, candytuft, carnation, cineraria, columbine, coneflower, delphinium, dianthus, everlasting daisy, forget-me-not, foxglove, godetia, gypsophila, hollyhock, larkspur, linaria, lobelia, nemesia, nigella, pansy, polyanthus, poppy, primula, snapdragon, statice, stock, sweet pea, viola, wallflower a certain style to their garden. A lot of time and money can be wasted if you don’t get a simple statement together that defines your garden style.

You may already know that you want a rambling cottage garden filled with traditionally perennial cut flowers, a kitchen herb plot, and a welcoming picket fence.

That’s great, write it down as this will make you think twice before purchasing those huge stunning sculptural cacti at the next plant fair.

If you can’t decide then pick up gardening magazines and books or hop onto the internet and create a collection of images that really make you feel ‘at home’.

Don’t collect images just because they are wonderful, but rather choose those that you can imagine living in.

Pretty soon a garden style will emerge, and you can use this when designing your garden, buying plants and other garden elements.

STEP FOUR: Getting It All Together

First the soil will need to be assessed and improved if needed.

The greatest expense I have made in gardens has always been on soil and while it’s not as exciting as exotic plants, it shows down the track.

With a rich, healthy foundation, all gardens can grow to their potential.

Now you have your garden masterplan, start with one small area or task at a time.

If you are keen to grow edibles, pop in one garden bed or a couple of veggies and a few herbs.

Perhaps you need a hedge to define an entertainment area or provide a windbreak, start there or maybe this is the weekend you lay a lawn for the family.

At least with a plan and a wish list, you will stay on track while your ‘garden from scratch’ evolves around your home.