Step 1 - Light
Know how much light you can provide to your flowers. This will help you a lot for your choice of plant. The amount of light is determined by the direction your home is facing, by any neighbouring buildings, tree, fences, etc., that may cast shade, by glass buildings, or water surfaces that might reflect light into your direction, and by the seasons and average light in your region. If you are not shaded by anything else, the direction you are facing is the most critical element when it comes to light. Even in chilly winters for example a southern window will have plenty of sun, and you should be aware of that factor.
- north, north/east, north/west facing location, means you will have shade for the majority of the daytime throughout the year, so turn to the shade-loving or shade-tolerant plants
- east, means you will get plenty of light in the morning and none in the afternoon, so you can choose from varieties that work fine in both sun or shade, or semi-shady plants
- west, means you will get plenty of light in the afternoon so you can again choose from both varieties, slightly leaning to the sun loving ones
- south, south/east, south/west, means you should turn to the sun loving plants mainly. You can still pick some shady ones, as you will most probably still have a shady place somewhere in your home
Know how much light you can provide to your flowers. This will help you a lot for your choice of plant. The amount of light is determined by the direction your home is facing, by any neighbouring buildings, tree, fences, etc., that may cast shade, by glass buildings, or water surfaces that might reflect light into your direction, and by the seasons and average light in your region. If you are not shaded by anything else, the direction you are facing is the most critical element when it comes to light. Even in chilly winters for example a southern window will have plenty of sun, and you should be aware of that factor.
- north, north/east, north/west facing location, means you will have shade for the majority of the daytime throughout the year, so turn to the shade-loving or shade-tolerant plants
- east, means you will get plenty of light in the morning and none in the afternoon, so you can choose from varieties that work fine in both sun or shade, or semi-shady plants
- west, means you will get plenty of light in the afternoon so you can again choose from both varieties, slightly leaning to the sun loving ones
- south, south/east, south/west, means you should turn to the sun loving plants mainly. You can still pick some shady ones, as you will most probably still have a shady place somewhere in your home
Step 2 - Temperature and climate
Temperature is another key player in you successful plant care. It depends primarily on the climate in your area - if it is arid, tropical, temperate continental, coastal, or you live near the northern/southern caps. It also depends on the amount of light you receive throughout the day - the more light you get, the higher the average temperatures.
When it comes to temperature and climate, the most important things you need to be aware of are:
- hot summers with daytime temperatures above 85 F (30 C) - if you have them, you need to either protect your plants with some shade, or pick such varieties that can survive the high temperatures. Also with most plants, the higher the average temperatures, the bigger is the demand for watering. The majority of the European and Northern American countries have hot summers and they have plenty of beautiful varieties to choose from
- cold winters with daytime temperatures below 30 F (0 C) - if you have them, you need to protect the flowers against freezing, by bringing them indoors or covering them. There are also varieties that can survive subzero temperatures, but the majority of the popular plants are not such. On the other side there are plants that need the cold temperatures and snow to gain enough moisture and germinate for the new season. Also there are certain varieties of plants that blossom only in winter and early spring, so they can be a nice treasure that brings some color into your garden or home. Again winters with frost and lots of snow are typical for Europe and Northern America, so nothing scary there, this is pretty much the common case.
- if you live in the coastal areas with warm winters around 40 F (5 C), and warm summers around 75 F (24 C), then you can choose from a very large variety of plants, and generally this type of climate is much more generous to any gardener mistakes you may make. So congratulations, you are blessed with excellent conditions that will allow you to grow successfully plants for which others have to work really hard
- if you have arid (dry and hot) weather throughout the year, and you are not a particular fan of watering, you should choose from the succulent varieties of plants
- if you have lots of rainfall, and want to grow plants outside, you should choose from the water loving varieties (the different subcategories are aquatic, marginal, and moisture loving)
Temperature is another key player in you successful plant care. It depends primarily on the climate in your area - if it is arid, tropical, temperate continental, coastal, or you live near the northern/southern caps. It also depends on the amount of light you receive throughout the day - the more light you get, the higher the average temperatures.
When it comes to temperature and climate, the most important things you need to be aware of are:
- hot summers with daytime temperatures above 85 F (30 C) - if you have them, you need to either protect your plants with some shade, or pick such varieties that can survive the high temperatures. Also with most plants, the higher the average temperatures, the bigger is the demand for watering. The majority of the European and Northern American countries have hot summers and they have plenty of beautiful varieties to choose from
- cold winters with daytime temperatures below 30 F (0 C) - if you have them, you need to protect the flowers against freezing, by bringing them indoors or covering them. There are also varieties that can survive subzero temperatures, but the majority of the popular plants are not such. On the other side there are plants that need the cold temperatures and snow to gain enough moisture and germinate for the new season. Also there are certain varieties of plants that blossom only in winter and early spring, so they can be a nice treasure that brings some color into your garden or home. Again winters with frost and lots of snow are typical for Europe and Northern America, so nothing scary there, this is pretty much the common case.
- if you live in the coastal areas with warm winters around 40 F (5 C), and warm summers around 75 F (24 C), then you can choose from a very large variety of plants, and generally this type of climate is much more generous to any gardener mistakes you may make. So congratulations, you are blessed with excellent conditions that will allow you to grow successfully plants for which others have to work really hard
- if you have arid (dry and hot) weather throughout the year, and you are not a particular fan of watering, you should choose from the succulent varieties of plants
- if you have lots of rainfall, and want to grow plants outside, you should choose from the water loving varieties (the different subcategories are aquatic, marginal, and moisture loving)
Step 3 - Choose the right plant
The light and temperature to a very big extent determine the plant types you can choose to grow. Choosing the plant type also depends on your growing experience, the time and efforts you wish to spend on your plants, the presence of pets, and of course on your personal aesthetic preferences.
One easy trick to be successful with your first plants is to choose from varieties that are commonly grown in your area. How to spot these?
- check what your neighbours are growing at their balcony or garden, or ask your nearby relatives and friends
- checkout popular gardening/flower forums in your country or area to find out what are the most commonly grown varieties near you
- ask at your local nurseries or flower shops
Once you know the common plant varieties, make them your starter plants. After you’ve gained some experience with them, you can try your skills at more exotic things that you are attracted to. Even if you are experienced when you move to a different country or area with a different climate, you might have troubles growing your favorite plants, simply because the small differences in the surroundings, can make a huge difference in the end result.
Another strictly psychological benefit of this approach is that once you have a couple of successful plants you will become more confident in yourself, and will not get easily discouraged if you make a mistake. And then you will always have that green buddy near you to remind you that you CAN grow plants.
The light and temperature to a very big extent determine the plant types you can choose to grow. Choosing the plant type also depends on your growing experience, the time and efforts you wish to spend on your plants, the presence of pets, and of course on your personal aesthetic preferences.
One easy trick to be successful with your first plants is to choose from varieties that are commonly grown in your area. How to spot these?
- check what your neighbours are growing at their balcony or garden, or ask your nearby relatives and friends
- checkout popular gardening/flower forums in your country or area to find out what are the most commonly grown varieties near you
- ask at your local nurseries or flower shops
Once you know the common plant varieties, make them your starter plants. After you’ve gained some experience with them, you can try your skills at more exotic things that you are attracted to. Even if you are experienced when you move to a different country or area with a different climate, you might have troubles growing your favorite plants, simply because the small differences in the surroundings, can make a huge difference in the end result.
Another strictly psychological benefit of this approach is that once you have a couple of successful plants you will become more confident in yourself, and will not get easily discouraged if you make a mistake. And then you will always have that green buddy near you to remind you that you CAN grow plants.
Step 4 - How to start your plant
1) Buy or grow on your own
For your first plants, the best approach is to buy them - it may be a very young plant, but still it will save you a lot of time and will give you better results more quickly. The price ranges are usually generous enough for the different types of customers so you will be able to find the right price and flower for you.
2) Where to buy
I strongly recommend purchasing plants from nurseries rather than flower shops. From my personal experience all flowers from nurseries have survived and flourished while the ones from flower shops have lived only for a couple of weeks or months. I am not sure what the reason is. I’ve read different theories, but I don’t have proof for any of them. Some say that in flower shops the plants are being sprayed and treated to have shiny leaves and look healthy, without actually being such. Although I am not a huge fan of conspiracy theories, I follow this rule strictly, and I am very happy with my purchases.
3) How to choose a healthy plant
Pick a beautiful looking, healthy plant. Check if there are any dotted, drying, or fallen leaves. If you are choosing a blooming plant, check that the flowers don’t have insects or spots. If you are choosing a fruit plant, see if any fruits have fallen out prematurely. Check for molds or insects or anything else you find suspicious. As a general rule, if something bothers you in the appearance of the plant, choose another.
4) Indoor/outdoor plants
If you are going for an indoor plant, get it from the indoor section of your local nursery. Respectively if you are going for an outdoor plant, get it from the outdoor section of the nursery. Generally the idea is to purchase a plant that has received cares similar to the ones you are going to provide.
When you choose and start your plant you will be able to gain experience and gradually build up your knowledge. This is where you will start paying more attention to the rest of the factors that determine a successful plant - watering, cleaning, fertilizing, pruning, re-potting, choosing the right soil properties, mulching.
1) Buy or grow on your own
For your first plants, the best approach is to buy them - it may be a very young plant, but still it will save you a lot of time and will give you better results more quickly. The price ranges are usually generous enough for the different types of customers so you will be able to find the right price and flower for you.
2) Where to buy
I strongly recommend purchasing plants from nurseries rather than flower shops. From my personal experience all flowers from nurseries have survived and flourished while the ones from flower shops have lived only for a couple of weeks or months. I am not sure what the reason is. I’ve read different theories, but I don’t have proof for any of them. Some say that in flower shops the plants are being sprayed and treated to have shiny leaves and look healthy, without actually being such. Although I am not a huge fan of conspiracy theories, I follow this rule strictly, and I am very happy with my purchases.
3) How to choose a healthy plant
Pick a beautiful looking, healthy plant. Check if there are any dotted, drying, or fallen leaves. If you are choosing a blooming plant, check that the flowers don’t have insects or spots. If you are choosing a fruit plant, see if any fruits have fallen out prematurely. Check for molds or insects or anything else you find suspicious. As a general rule, if something bothers you in the appearance of the plant, choose another.
4) Indoor/outdoor plants
If you are going for an indoor plant, get it from the indoor section of your local nursery. Respectively if you are going for an outdoor plant, get it from the outdoor section of the nursery. Generally the idea is to purchase a plant that has received cares similar to the ones you are going to provide.
When you choose and start your plant you will be able to gain experience and gradually build up your knowledge. This is where you will start paying more attention to the rest of the factors that determine a successful plant - watering, cleaning, fertilizing, pruning, re-potting, choosing the right soil properties, mulching.
