New sprout, same garden: How to cultivate horticulture success
Greetings fellow gardeners, plant enthusiasts, and everyone ready to begin their adventure in horticulture. My name is Miri Talabac and I am excited to continue HGIC’s column about all things green, growing, and the organisms populating our leafy spaces.
I have been an avid lover of the outdoors and all its inhabitants since childhood. As one of my favorite critters, insects were my field of study at the University of Maryland, and I worked in the nursery industry for over 20 years helping residents make the most of their green spaces. I enjoy hiking and discovering native plants in their natural habitats, and tend my own home garden of miniature orchids, bromeliads, and an array of other tropicals under lights.
I have my feet in two worlds — enjoying the full range of exciting plants horticulture has to offer while still aiming to support our local biodiversity and plant communities. As a self-avowed plant nerd, I can’t ignore well-behaved non-native plants, where a rich diversity awaits gardeners eager to explore
myriad possibilities of color, form, texture and scent. Like the previous columnist Ellen Nibali, though, I also encourage a greater appreciation for native plants and gardens that support wildlife.
here to guide you, inspire you, and help you navigate the rewards and challenges of cultivating plants. It’s exciting to see interest burgeoning in native plants, gardening for pollinators, growing one’s own food and using houseplants to create a sanctuary indoors. If you’re inexperienced, though, we realize it can be a bit overwhelming.
So, where do you start? Inventory your growing conditions — it’s far easier to choose plants that will fit your site and care than to try to alter conditions or change your routine.
For plants, light is food; it’s very important they receive the right amount. Water is equally critical, since it can either support root health or put it at risk. Often, pest or disease outbreaks are events of opportunity, taking advantage of a plant under stress from its needs not being met.
Parameters such as room available for growth, issues with deer browsing, and what you want to get out of the planting will help to narrow-down any plant list that’s still too daunting.
We’ll continue to answer your questions in this column, as well as address seasonal concerns and popular topics. You can also submit queries to Ask Extension for help with an array of home gardening topics.
University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information at extension.umd.edu/hgic. Click “Ask Maryland’s Gardening Experts” to send questions and photos.