Introduction:

It is an enjoyable activity to many people and so it is called a hobby also. It is nothing but growing and caring plants in leisure time. It creates beautiful landscape with flowers of different colors, shrubs and trees. Some times in small scale it produces vegetables also. Like other farmers it does not produce large quantities of flowers or fruits. It is created to decorate own house mainly. So it needs not ant tractor or any complex equipment. Here people produce usually  small quantities depending on manual tools like rakes, hoes etc. 

To some people this is a physical exercise. On the other hand, this also saves money. Most important matter is that some people do it to eat vegetables free from any harmful chemicals. To many it is also a profession. They do it professionally like landscape gardeners design; they also install and maintain gardens on behalf of the owner. Vegetable gardens are done to produce vegetables for home mainly but some people do it professionally also.

Gardening in past and present:

From ancient history we may know that ancient people also loved to do gardening. Mostly it was an important work and hobby to many. They did it not only for fruits and flowers but also they were dependent on various plants from where they used to take medicines.

Many ancient rulers also maintained garden and they employed some people also to take care of this. It was also true that to spare time many began to do gardening for great enjoyment. So at that time it was also a recreational activity.

At present gardening is a popular activity and done almost all over the world. Every body likes to do it with a little soil with some seeds and want to enjoy the rewords of creating a beautiful garden. They may be or may not be experienced about the types of plants and all related matters.

We are not all expert gardener but here are some thing about some facts to start gardening:

We all know that plants need proper soil, sunlight, water to grow. These three are main friends of any tree. But different plants need different types of soil, temperature and weather. So when selecting plants or seeds, people must take care about the climate condition of that particular region. They should also evaluate the soil condition, whether it is proper or not for those plants which they want to grow. Sunlight is a major factor also. The gardener should be well-known about the life cycle of those plants like how long time these will take to grow with flowers and fruits. For example Biennials-hollyhocks live for two years. In the first year it produces leaves only and in second year it gives flowers and dies after that. So this type of plants takes too much time. In the other hand Petunias bloom and produce flowers in same year and die when cold season comes. Some plants are for one month; some are for two and may be for more months. These are called seasonal flowers. There are some plants also which live three or some more years.

So important matter is that, gardeners have to choose plants according to their characteristics.

Types of gardens:-

There are many types of gardens, shown in different part on our land. One type is herb gardens, where culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and fragrant herbs are shown. Another type is flower gardens, where many flowers are seen. This type of gardens may focus one type of flower or many. Surprising matter is that there are some night gardens where flowers bloom at night only. Above these there are some specified garden including rock gardens or alpine gardens, which can be shown in mountain area and water garden in wet condition area. Another type is Botanical gardens which are mostly used for educational purpose. Here plants are leveled with names and with main features.

Now some popular plants for home gardening:-

Petunia- It is a member of night shade family. It is mainly cultivated as garden plant. It is available in many varieties with different colors of flowers and shading.

Garden Geranium- It is also a popular garden plant and grows very well in mainly warm areas or in dry climates. It is also available with single or double rounded petals with different colors.

Cornflower- It is a most popular annual cultivated plant and famous for its red, blue, pink, purple and white flowers. The main feature is, it needs mainly sunny locations with well drained soils.

Calendula- This is available in many species like yellow calendula or orange calendula. It is cultivated in large scale and it is available in everywhere.

Hollyhock- It is also called as Althea rose, which is a biennial garden plant. Previously said that its life cycle completes in two years. In first year it produces leaves only and in subsequent year it gives flowers.

Bleeding heart plant- Flowers of this plants are heart shaped and it needs semi shaded, fertile and well drained soils.

Common Lilac- This is also a famous gardening plant. It requires alkaline soils to bloom

Garden Tulip- Many varieties of tulips are available and grow from compact underground buds which are called bulbs.

Yellow daffodil- It is a famous plant in eastern hemisphere and famous for its brightness and yellow flowers. It is a spring seasoned flower.

Dahlia- It develops from swollen underground stems which are called tubers. It is also available in many colors and shapes.

Role of soil in gardening:-

To make healthy garden, healthy soil is necessary. Plants take water, oxygen and many nutrients from soil. S o soil should be healthy for good health of plants. It consists of two main components. One is minerals, which provides plants nutrients like Potassium, Phosphorous and Calcium. Water also holds some vital nutrients and air provides oxygen.

Loam type soil which contains a good percentage of sand, clay and silt is fruitful to plants. This type of soil can drain water timely, so that the plants can take nutrients more readily.

Role of earthworm- It plays a vital role as it enrich the soil by moving in soil. The earthworm’s digging action helps to mix the soil also. Earthworms also consume some soil and their fecal deposits, which is called costing also helps to enrich the soil.

Role of Fertilizers:- These are divided into two categories- one is synthetic and other is organic.

Synthetic fertilizers are produced from many byproducts, which concentrate salts and minerals. Organic fertilizers are originated from plants, animal’s compost, seaweed, ground bone etc. These are also available in packages in the market.

Better make a compost pile by layering different kinds of waste in a bin. This process is called composting. It should be left space for air circulation to make more hygienic.

Transplanting or Planting:- Many seeds begin to germinate in spring season. So before planting seeds the soils need to be prepared by following some process. Some gardeners do not prefer to lose the soil to keep oxygen in it. Gardeners then prepare their garden either planting directly seeds or transplanting. Transplant means to prepare the seeds in indoor and then planted outside. Some people purchase plants from nurseries and then planted. Transplanted plants may bloom early.

Planting means directly seeding into soil. It is done in different depths and also it needs sufficient sunlight.

Role of water:- we all know that the other name of water is life. All living things need water to live. So water is vital to plants also. Proper watering is necessary as excess watering may damage plants. Water holds nutrients also. The watering depends upon the climate on how hot and cold the weather is. It is better to watering in early morning in cold air. It is also better to water in the soil not on the top of plant.

Now some points to care the garden:-Three types of pests may damage the garden; diseases, insects and weeds.

Weed may be any unwanted plants and can grow anywhere. They take all things like water, light and nutrients also and grow up and disturb the flower plants. Sometime they make shadow also and do ot allow sufficient light. So it is necessary to pull out or cut out by hand. Some weed killers are also available to control the weeds.

There are many insects also who eat the leaves of plants. The sticky fluids of insects also may damage the garden. Different insects are attracted by different plants. Best method to prevent these insects is to spray medicine time to time or to cover up the garden with a thin net.

Various types of diseases may hold due to fungi, bacteria and many other viruses. It also may be controlled by spraying medicines.

 There are many institutes now where some short term lessons are taught about gardening. It also helps to take care the garden properly and some knowledge can be gained from such training.