From the Cumbernauld News and Kilsyth Chronicle
September 18 2002.

A perfect garden setting

   If you believe everything you see on the telly, it's easy to
transform your garden, with a spot of decking and a few pounds
worth of tropical plants.

   But sometimes it pays to get back to basics. Whether you recently
moved into a new home or you've just got the gardening itch, planning
a new garden can be loads of fun.

   The hardest thing to convince new gardeners of is the need for patience.
The first new day of spring comes along and they are eager to begin
planting and nothing can stop them.

   But these gardens are doomed to failure. The plants wither and would-be gardeners become convinced that they lack some secret knowledge or skill.

   A few hours of planning and preparation will make all the difference
to creating your healthy, living garden. The first thing to determine is what
will grow in the spots available for your garden.

   Don't buy plants before you've given some thought to the conditions
they have to grow under.

   The three main things you have to look at are sunlight, composition of
the soil, and soil moisture.You can have some influence on soil composition
and moisture, but you are stuck with the amount of sunlight that you get.

   Plants that require 'full sun' will need at least six hours of direct sunlight
a day.

If you plant under large trees, your crops will only get mottled sunlight. If you
want to use this sort of location, then buy plants that grow in 'half sun' or a few
hours of direct sun a day.

   Next you will need to work out what type of soil you have. The three main
types of soil are sand, silt and clay.

   Sand has the largest particles and clay has the smallest, silt particles are
of intermediate size. An ideal garden soil would be about 40 per cent sand,
40 per cent silt and 20 per-cent clay.

   To see what type of soil you have, dig a few holes and take some
samples.

   Take a fistful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it is unable to hold
its shape, your soil is probably too sandy. Break the ball apart by pressing
on it with your thumb. A good soil will break apart easily. If not you
probably have too much clay in your soil.

   The best way to fix bad soil is to add organic matter. If your soil is high
in sand and silt, add a combination of topsoil and peat moss or compost.
If you have too much clay, add peat moss or compost and some sand.

   The weather in the area where you live has a bearing on the amount of
moisture in your soil, but there are other factors.

   If your garden is at the bottom of a hill, the soil might be wet for long
periods of time. In this situation, it's best to stick to plants that enjoy
having their feet wet.

   If your garden is very dry, don't assume you'll be able to fix the problem
with constant watering. Choose plants that will be happy in a dry place.

   If you work out your garden type and its limitations, and then accept it
by choosing plants that will thrive in those areas, you will save yourself
a lot of time, money and grief.