Grow Like a Pro

10 tips to make your garden bloom this summer

Here's a secret gardeners don't often share: Plants want to grow. Really.

If you just give them a little of what they need — sun, soil, water — they'll reward you with abundant greenery, flowers, and food. Sometimes more than you'll know what to do with.

Another secret: Gardening boosts your mental and physical health. It's a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens your bones and heart. Being out in the sun gives you a good dose of vitamin D. Vigorous weeding can be a super stress-buster. And a 2007 study by the University of Colorado found that the bacteria in some soils (Mycobacterium vaccae) can boost your mood.

Best yet, gardening's an activity you can do no matter your age, income, or health — and even if you only have a balcony. So here are 10 tips for getting started in your garden this summer.

1. Know your sun
   Whether you're growing in containers or in-ground, know how much sun your location provides. To find out, check your growing area several times in a single day. Six to eight hours a day is full sun; less than four is considered shade. If the sun shines on your garden between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., that's ideal for most plants.
2. Don't forget drainage
   If you're growing in containers, make sure your pots have drainage holes in the bottom. If they don't, you can insert a plastic plant pot inside the decorative container, then drain excess water after each watering. And remember: Overwatering kills more plants than underwatering.
3. The plant tag tells all
   When buying plants, check the tag carefully. It should tell you the ultimate size of the plant, how much light it needs, how often to fertilize and water, and when it will bloom.
4. Start small
   New to gardening? Start with containers or a small in-ground bed. A few containers of herbs will be great to use in the kitchen and add a lovely fragrance to your living space. Basil, cilantro, and dill are easy to grow from seed and typically produce big harvests.
5. Small garden/small plants
   Have limited space? Choose plants labeled for small spaces. You'll often find words like "patio" or "tiny" in the names of plants designed for smaller gardens. You can even find smaller versions of shrubs such as hydrangeas.
6. Fertilize annuals weekly — and weakly
   For annual flowers — those that last only one season — use the "weekly-weakly" rule. Mix a liquid fertilizer at half strength or less and water once a week. Your blooms will be abundant.
7. Grow a lettuce bowl
   Choose a variety you can harvest over several weeks, sometimes called "cut and come again" lettuce. Fill a wide container with potting mix and press the seeds on the soil. Cover them with a ¼-inch layer of potting mix. Water. The seeds should germinate within 10 days, and you may be able to harvest small leaves in four to six weeks.
8. Grow what you love
   Kale is easy to grow and produces large harvests. But do you love it? If not, don't grow it. Plant what you love to eat, whether that's juicy melons, bright red tomatoes, or crunchy green beans.
9. Remember: Thriller-Filler-Spiller
   For decorative containers that shine, put a tall, dramatic plant such as King Tut® papyrus in the center (the Thriller). Plant full, mid-height bloomers such as impatiens or coleus around it (the Filler). Then add something — calibrachoa, trailing petunias, or sweet potato vine — that'll topple out of the pot's edges (the Spiller).
10. Plant for the birds and bees
    Observing nature is one of gardening's joys. Hummingbirds love tubular-shaped flowers such as salvia. Monarch butterflies will find your yard if you plant Tithonia. And bees swarm plants such as pentas and Liatris.

Finally, no matter how large or small your garden is, remember to enjoy it. Smell the flowers, brush your fingers on the foliage, and admire the beauty you've created.

Mary Lahr Schier is the author of The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2017).