If you’re an avid gardener, or even just like to look at pictures of gardens, and perhaps wish that you could get a green thumb and start your own, then you surely know these places: the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, just Southwest of London and the Gardens of Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
These are two gardens that are world renowned for their beauty and the lushness of the plantings and the magnificence of the flowers. But more than just beauty, these two gardens are a testament to the gardeners, the botanists and the horticulturists who started it all. And they are as different as night and day.
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew or more popularly known as Kew Gardens, is the quintessential British garden. The design and the landscape of this 121 hectares or approximately 300 acres of rolling greens, formal gardens, cottages, and Museum reflect British history and the taste and preference of the Kings for whom it was designed. It is a mix of formal walks and overgrown meadows, but just like in modern cities where there’s strict building codes, sections of Kew Gardens have their own curb appeal landscaping. Meaning, the paths and the walks are bordered by beautiful plantings. A mixture of hardscape and softscape.
On the other hand, the Gardens of Alhambra in Granada, Spain reflect the Castilian spirit. It is fiery, temperamental, exotic, mysterious and oozing with drama. It embraces the influence of the Moors, the Turks, the Europeans, and everyone and anyone who has crossed her lands. The gardens are meandering, bordered with trees and flowers, and a sense of hard fought victories, survival of the fittest and a fight for recognition permeate the gardens. It is a garden that is very much alive, in every sense of the word.
These two gardens are inspirations to those who love the land, those who love to plant and those who wish that they could get a green thumb and learn how to start a garden in their own backyards. Gardening by the yard, in your own backyard.
One of the most interesting and very curious skills that not many people have is called a green thumb. Looking back at the great gardens, we can surmise that hundreds of gardeners, each one possessing a green thumb lorded over the bare land. Having a green thumb basically means that you have this magical power to grow plants effortlessly, or so some people think.
A lot of individuals think that this is something that you are born with, a sort of innate talent that not all can have. Some think that it is a learned skill. Perhaps it is a combination of both, as long as you are truly interested in everything that grows and everything that the land sustains, then pat yourself in the back, because learning how to get a green thumb and having one is probably one and the same thing.
So you want to be a gardener. Just be prepared for hard work. Plants and trees need cultivation, nurturing and yards and yards of your patience. There will be times when some plants will not grow, no matter how much you will them to. And sometimes, like carefree children, some will happily overrun your neatly mulched flower beds. here are a few tips:
Start with the basics
How to get a green thumb is a question that can be rather easy to answer. It is the application that makes all the difference and this is where everything gets a bit challenging. Make sure you have rich soil, exposure to sunlight and plenty of water. Also choose the right plants for the season to avoid unreasonable planting. Plants are seasonal and growing them in the wrong season will result in wasteful planting. This is also true with vegetables. When to plant vegetables is just as important as where to plant them. Timing and placement are key factors to a successful garden.
Get dirty with the cleaning
Gardening will never be a neat job so you have to accept the fact that you will get dirty at some point. But if you love the soil, you will not mind this at all. Actually, that’s the first rule of learning how to get a green thumb, get down on your knees and study the soil. Plus, pruning, mulching, planting and seeding mean that you have to get down and dirty, too. So learn to love the soil! Let it talk to you. Let it tell you its secrets. Successful gardening is a partnership between plants and the soil.
Location! Location! Location!
And just like we learned in Monopoly and our own real estate deals, it is location that spells the difference. Know which plants love the shade and which ones absolutely adore full on sunlight. Learn which trees grow best on what soil, and you’ll be rewarded with fruits and a lush canopy. Sunlight affects growth. Some just won’t make it with too strong an exposure. Know which ones are these, and move them where the leafy branches will shade them from damage.
And knowing where and when to plant vegetables and flowering shrubs will give you long term joy, because soon the salad you’ll make and the cut flowers you’ll use to decorate the rooms will come from your gardens. And isn’t this why you wanted to learn how to get a green thumb, in the first place?
