When you make the decision that you will be planting a garden there are many things to consider. First, you must plan the lay out. As well as educate yourself on placement and proper growth nutrients to ensure a beautiful, lively garden. The most exciting and creative part when planning a garden will be choosing what flowers and plants to include in the garden.

Variety - You can plant endless variety of things from flowers that attract butterflies to the oregano you sprinkle on your salad for dinner. You can plant a vegetable garden, or an herb garden. There are so many options when it comes to gardening which are both beautiful and healthy for you and the earth.

Annuals or Perennials - There are certain flowers and plants that are annuals or perennials. The term annual is applied to garden flowers that complete their life cycle in the span of one growing season. This means they come up in the spring, grow, flower, set seed and then die after the frosts in the fall. The perennial term is used to describe plants and flowers that live longer than two years. Perennials, especially small flowering plants, grow and bloom over the spring and summer and then die back every autumn and winter, then return in the spring from their root-stock rather than seeding themselves as an annual plant does. Have fun with your choices and once you have done the research and choose the appropriate things to plant it can definitely be a creative outlet and hobby that will make you feel beautiful inside and out.

Maintenance - When choosing to plant a flower garden you will have to keep in mind the maintenance that goes along with your beautiful garden. If you enjoy "playing" in your garden than you will not look at this as a chore. There are a couple daily tasks that are associated with the maintenance of the garden. The first one will be the watering. You will want to make sure your garden has water at least every other day. On extremely hot summer days, and if your plants and flowers are in a direct shot of sunlight, you will want to water them every day. Weeding is also a task that can be done every day or every other day. Keeping your garden free of weeds will ensure proper and full growth of your flowers and plants. Think of the weeds as the enemy. They will strangle your delicate flowers if they are left to get out of control.

Any type of garden is not only a beautiful addition for any home it also is good for the earth. It keeps the flow of nature flowing! Think you will not only be esthetically pleasing yourself and family, as well as feeds the butterflies, bees, and worms. There are no negatives to planting a garden. Follow these simple steps to get you started and you are on your way to having the "greenest" thumb on the block!