AJ Cameron Home and Garden Center
Rt. 11
Farmington, NH 03835
603-755-2124

 

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The Process of Gardening

   For some we seem to be born with our hands longing to be in the dirt. Others aquire a love for gardening from a parent, grandparents, or maybe an old friend. While others, it's not until you purchase a home, whether old or new, you want to plant it with you own personality.

   So let's talk about basic gardening to do's. First and always the soil. Plants, like us, need good nourishment to grow and flower. The old saying "$10 in the hole, $5 in the plant" is very true. Most new construction has sand or gravel 4-6" around the foundation. Great for keeping water out of the foundation but is nothing but drainage.

   Many of our NH properties are clay & rock, unless you were fortunate enough to have an old farm property where anything grows! Clay is rich in nutrients but it's compact ability properties crush the root system. Adding gypsum & compost to the soil loosens the soil so roots can establish and also gives valuable nutrients to you plants, shrubs & trees.

   Compost is my personal favorite. People often ask what I feed my plants with. Mother Nature and farmers for generations have composted and put manure on gardens for years. New plantings especially need to establish and develop a root system to store energy for our long winters in New England. Fertilizers are great on established plants or annuals when the plant is in growing season & blooming season. But do not fertilize a newly planted perennial, shrub, or tree. The first year you want it to concentrate on rooting, not growth. Regular watering is of the utmost importance in establishing the roots. Ok, Mother Nature does provide water, but not regularly, especially in August when we hit 90+ for 2 weeks. Forgetting to water could mean the difference between survivng or not through the winter. Water regularly 2-3 times per week. A long drink for 20-30 minutes is better than daily watering for stronger roots. For annuals, containers, & vegetables, a daily watering is important for them, sometimes twice in the heat.

Important Rules and guide lines for choosing your plants:

1- Knowing your ZONE is very important! The Seacoast area is zone 5, the Lakes Region is zone 4. Especially lakeside properties! Your weather and wind conditions are very harsh and make choosing your plants very important. You will become very frustrated replacing plants from winter kill if you don't choose wisely.

2- Sun or Shade. Each plant has different preferences. Read the tag labels and check the time of day the sun hits the area you are planting. Please ask our friendly garden center staff for help if you need it, they will be glad to assist you. Remember, if you do well, so do we!

3- How much space do you have? Measuring is important! Over planting will make for maintenance nightmares in future years. Plan for plants to grow and again, don't forget to ask for assistance.

4- Take pictures of the areas you want to plant and bring them with you to the garden center. Our experts will be glad to assist you in choosing the correct plants for the area you want to plant.

These basics will help your planting journey and I hope will provide you with years of gardening and beauty to your home.

Michelle Smith
Cameron's Home & Garden Center
Farmington, NH