All successful gardens thrive & produce abundantly using these basic four steps: planning, preparation, planting & maintenance.

Whether these four steps are done simply or in a complicated procedure, it is totally up to the gardener. Very large gardens with numerous plots all growing something different & tiny gardens that only harvest simple cuts of plants, both require the same steps for the gardener to follow.

Planning

First thing you will want to do is plan where to place your garden, looking specifically for the available sunlight exposure.

Then, you should find out exactly how much sun & water your plants will need to sprout & thrive, able to grow to their maximum size & yield.

Consider planting sun adoring plants together & water loving plants also together in the same area. It is very important that a gardener does not put plants needing a lot of water next to plants that thrive on dry conditions.

Preparation

Your garden soil is the the key element to your garden. Make your soil the best it can be for your plants by preparing your garden area in three easy steps.

1. Take out all grass & weeds from the gardening area you have selected.

2. Till the soil thoroughly, getting rid of all stones & breaking up large clumps of earth.

3. Improve your soil as needed with more nutrient rich dirt.

Planting

In order to have your garden just the way or in the specific design that you would like, you should make a rough drawing of how your garden will look when finished. Then, as you begin, plant the seeds & established plants following your drawn plan.

Protect your garden from late Spring freezes & water your new seedlings & plants frequently to be sure they have a good, healthy beginning.

Maintenance

Give your plants all the feed they need, but not too much. Overfeeding will probably cause damage, especially to young plants.

Be sure to get rid of or deadhead your flowers to encourage them to re-bloom & to stop plants from expending energy on seed production.

Be sure to get rid of or deadhead your flowers to encourage them to re-bloom & to stop plants from expending energy on seed production.

Ready yourself for the oncoming attack of hungry, destructive insects. Prepare the steps needed to control the damage.

By following these important & simple steps you will be on your way to a bountiful, gorgeous garden.

Tom Straub is a successful author, & webmaster of the Best Gardening Tips web site, where you can read more on Landscape Gardening & more than a dozen other gardening topics.