Important Kinds of Garden Plants

Gardening is performed by people of all ages in all parts of the world.  For some people, gardening is considered an enjoyable hobby or recreation, but to others it is their occupation.  They grow vegetables to feed their families, as well as help to feed the rest of the world. 

Gardening helps to make a person appreciate beauty.  Like all living things, plants need the proper amounts of food, water and sunshine in order to flourish.  When the proper elements are not provided to plants, they will not grow in a healthy manner.  When a gardener fails to provide enough water during a very dry spell, then the garden will not survive.  Plants are living things that deserve the best of care by the gardener in order to grow into healthy, beautiful plants. 

There are many kinds of plants, but the ones important in gardening fall into four primary classes, which are:  trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. 

Trees:  Evergreens are used most of the time near and around homes. They are often used as a border or screen and are beautiful during winter and summer months.  Deciduous trees are trees that drop their leaves during the winter and are often used in landscaping yard areas.  They grow tall and are wide spread which gives a great deal of shade. There are flowering deciduous trees, like the magnolias and dogwood that add beauty to their surroundings.  Orchard fruit trees give both food and beautiful spring blossoms.  There are also nut trees, like the pecan tree, that provides shade and food.  Have you ever tasted a delicious pecan pie? 

Shrubs:  Evergreen shrubs are used as borders and the most popular are: arborvitae, junipers and cedars.  Many have cones or berries and their color is always green year round.  The broad leaf evergreen shrub, like the azalea, is very popular planted in groups in shady areas of the flower garden.  The deciduous shrubs are also popular because of their beautiful flowers.  They often bear berries, which attracts the birds and the blooms are colorful during the winter months.  Lilac and hawthorn shrubs are the most common. 

Flowers:  There are three important kinds of flowers in your flower garden. 

• Perennials:  These plants live from year to year.  They may look like they did not make it through the winter and frost killed them, but when spring comes they will return to life.   Favorites are:  Bleeding Heart, Delphinium and Hardy Chrysanthemum. 
• Biennials:  These plants live for two seasons before they die off.  When they are planted in the early spring, many of them will bloom the first summer continue to live during the winter and then bloom again the second summer.    Favorites are:  Sweet William, Forget-me-nots and Hollyhocks. 
• Annuals:  These plants come to full maturity the first season and then die.  You will need to plant the seeds for annuals every spring, keep them watered well and they will bloom through the summer and fall before dying.  Favorites are:  Petunias, Marigolds and Zinnias. 

Vegetables:  There are annual and perennial vegetables.  Annual vegetables have roots like beets and carrots.  Some hardy annual vegetables can be planted in early spring, but others that are considered tender plants would need to be planted when the ground is warm.  Some perennial vegetable plants are asparagus and rhubarb.  These plants stay in the ground and produce food year after year.  

In order to have a successful garden, you will need to take extra special care by checking the soil and locating the best spot for planting so that there will be enough direct sunlight (unless the plants need shady areas) and moist ground. Planting in an area where the ground is moist but well drained is the best place.  It takes patience and experience to grow a garden, but in time you will become a successful gardener enjoying nature and watching your garden grow.