To start your gardening journey

For many, the idea of growing anything at their homes is daunting. They don’t know what they don’t know, and out of fear of failure, many folks decide to do nothing at all.

A garden or landscaping project can add beauty, calm and life to your home, and luckily for West Orange residents, there is an incredible group ready to help you ease into the world of gardening.

Since 1997, the Bloom & Grow Garden Society and its members have worked to stimulate a knowledge and love of gardening through promotion and sponsorship of community projects and the protection and sustainability of native habitat.

And soon, the society’s signature event — Spring Fever in the Garden — will blossom in downtown Winter Garden. This two-day event, April 11-12, is the perfect place to begin your gardening journey.

Bloom & Grow Garden Society President and Tree Committee Chair Katy Moss Warner said the best way to get started is to make a plan for your space. Think of your growing space like an artist would a blank canvas.

“Decide where you want a shade tree, where you want a hedge to screen out an unwanted view, where you want a pop of color,” she said. “If you want to grow vegetables, you will need to find a spot in the sun. You will want to start with landscape plants that are well suited to our Central Florida climate. Native plants are best.”

Of course, like an artist’s color palette, there are rules and best practices for gardens. It’s a good idea to get your soil tested — the UF/IFAS Extension Orange County can perform the test. Warner recommends starting with green plants to give your garden a visual foundation. Then, make sure you choose plants that will thrive in your space.

“We use an adage, ‘Right Plant for the Right Place,’” she said. “If a plant likes full sun, plant it in full sun. If it wants shade, make sure it has some shade.”

At first, the only tools you’ll need are a shovel and a garden hose.

“The most important key to success is water,” Warner said. “You need to make sure to water when you plant and then follow up with water — even if it rains or you have irrigation.”

For Central Florida’s climate, Warner has some recommendations for good starter plans.

“For trees, the Southern Live Oak is terrific,” she said. “For shrubs, camellias and azaleas are great — and they bloom. The native Coontie is a tough green plant that is actually a good pollinator plant. Plants that spread are helpful — (such as) walking iris, African iris, ferns (and) cast iron plant. We love the tractor seat plant.”

And despite year-round sun, Central Florida definitely has gardening seasons. As a general rule, spring and fall are the best times to plant. There are some flowers that grow best in the winter, while others grow best in the summer.

“During this last freeze, dianthus, pansies and snapdragons came through without a blemish,” Warner said. “Impatiens and begonias melted. Impatiens and begonias are great in the summer. This is also true of herbs and vegetables.”

The county extension office has University of Florida publications with recommendations for different planting seasons.

In addition to adding beauty and charm to your home, gardening has other benefits, too.

“Gardening is an excellent physical activity and rates highly against other forms of exercise,” Warner said. “Gardening encourages sustainable living by growing your own food. Gardening strengthens connections with nature and the environment and offers a means to connect with the community via gardening projects. It is meditative and calming. Gardening is used as therapy. Research has shown that even seeing plants outside the window helps patients heal faster, causes them to be kinder to their caregivers and makes them happier.”

SPRING FEVER IN THE GARDEN

The Bloom and Grow Garden Society’s signature event, Spring Fever in the Garden, takes place April 11-12 in downtown Winter Garden. There, the society will host two booths designed especially for those getting started.

The Ask the Experts booth will be stationed by Garden Theatre. Two experts will be available to answer questions about everything from trees to pests to flowers to house plants throughout the festival. And everyone who asks a question will receive a free plant.

The society’s Pollinator Power booth will be staffed with gardeners who know all about garden plants that attract butterflies and bees. They will be giving free seed to those who come to the booth.

RESOURCES

Bloom & Grow Garden Society  https://www.bloomandgrow.club/

UF/IFAS Extension Orange County  https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/orange/