Gardening for beginners

I started to become interested in gardening when I moved in with my boyfriend in 2009, mainly because I moved into a house with no grass or curb appeal. The first spring that I started planting, I picked out whatever plant or flower looked the prettiest at Lowe's which was a huge mistake. Let's just say those plants lived a short and noble life. Since then I've learned a thing or two from my mom, who is a Master Gardener. These are the rules I go by when choosing plants:

1. Look at the sunlight requirements. Since I live in Texas, I can't buy anything that can't stand full sun.
2. Look at the water requirements. Again, since I live in Texas, I can't buy anything that needs to have moist soil. I need plants that are drought tolerant, or that like dry soil.
3. Once you've chosen the plant, choose good soil. I buy Miracle Grow potting mix for plants are going in a pot. If I plan on putting the plant in the ground, I make sure to fertilize the area well before and after planting. Don't over fertilize though you can fry the roots, just do what the package recommends.

I strive to make my garden unique and stand out from others. One way I've accomplished this, is by hanging pots. 

Silver Pony Foot

Here's how I did it:

• I bought the hooks that you drill into the fence from HangAPot.com. You can choose the color of the hook you want (mine are brown), and it takes 2 seconds to drill it into the fence post.
• I bought the pots on the cheap from Michael's, as well as the terra cotta paint. Each pot just has 2 coats of paint.
• I have the pots hanging on my 2 side fences in the backyard, one side has a pot on every other post, and the other side has a pot on every third post.

This is a unique, cheap, and easy way to add some character to your backyard.

Here are some shots of other plants I have:

Silver Pony Foot

Texas Sage

Mushroom intruders

Rainbow Chard

Sweet Potato Vine

Happy Planting!

Baby strawberry that I'm about to eat