The demands of a single family can vary enormously over a number of years. Where they are likely to be in the same home for sonic time it is important that the garden plan is flexible enough to reflect these changing needs. A young couple might use the garden mainly for sunbathing or entertaining and would want a simple layout which is easy to look after.
One way to discover a great deal about soil-its type and fertility-is to observe the plants that grow in it naturally, including the weeds. There are also various home kits v.hich test the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Some register the pH value as a colour variation. It is advisable to take samples from various parts of the garden, as the level of acidity may vary from one area to another.
In some parts of the world however the soil bears no relation to the rock beneath it because it has been carried to its place by a natural force: the material pushed along by a glacier, for example, forms a type of soil known as boulder clay, and the silt washed down by rivers builds up into alluvial soils.
Digging should be done in small spadefuls at a time otherwise the task can be backbreaking. The roots of persistent weeds, such as couch grass, bindweed, dock, thistles or nettles, should be removed and later burned. When turning over a large area the best method is to dig in trenches, working with the last trench in front of you. Digging to the depth of a spade is usually sufficient but with a very heavy clay soil, or for a large vegetable patch, it may be necessary to turn over the soil to two spade-depths, known as double digging. Apart from the extra effort involved, double digging is also more complicated because it goes down to the second layer, the subsoil. It is important to keep the two layers separate, so the topsoil should be lifted out of the trench and kept aside while the subsoil is broken up and turned over. Add any organic materials at this stage, forking them in well with the subsoil.
In the family life cycle of a garden use can grow and expand and then sl reduce its scope again. The demands may vary from, at one extreme, provide a tranquil retreat after a noisy day wor in town to creating the need for phys exercise in otherwise sedentary lives.
The texture of any type of soil will be improved as the strands of decaying vegetation will break up a sticky clay soil but bind together the large particles of sandy soil. The spaces between the crumbs of soil are sufficient for the retention of moisture but they allow any excess water to drain away. The good soil structure and aeration created assist root development.
One way to discover a great deal about soil-its type and fertility-is to observe the plants that grow in it naturally, including the weeds. There are also various home kits v.hich test the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Some register the pH value as a colour variation. It is advisable to take samples from various parts of the garden, as the level of acidity may vary from one area to another.
In some parts of the world however the soil bears no relation to the rock beneath it because it has been carried to its place by a natural force: the material pushed along by a glacier, for example, forms a type of soil known as boulder clay, and the silt washed down by rivers builds up into alluvial soils.
Digging should be done in small spadefuls at a time otherwise the task can be backbreaking. The roots of persistent weeds, such as couch grass, bindweed, dock, thistles or nettles, should be removed and later burned. When turning over a large area the best method is to dig in trenches, working with the last trench in front of you. Digging to the depth of a spade is usually sufficient but with a very heavy clay soil, or for a large vegetable patch, it may be necessary to turn over the soil to two spade-depths, known as double digging. Apart from the extra effort involved, double digging is also more complicated because it goes down to the second layer, the subsoil. It is important to keep the two layers separate, so the topsoil should be lifted out of the trench and kept aside while the subsoil is broken up and turned over. Add any organic materials at this stage, forking them in well with the subsoil.
In the family life cycle of a garden use can grow and expand and then sl reduce its scope again. The demands may vary from, at one extreme, provide a tranquil retreat after a noisy day wor in town to creating the need for phys exercise in otherwise sedentary lives.
The texture of any type of soil will be improved as the strands of decaying vegetation will break up a sticky clay soil but bind together the large particles of sandy soil. The spaces between the crumbs of soil are sufficient for the retention of moisture but they allow any excess water to drain away. The good soil structure and aeration created assist root development.
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