I have been dwelling on this for a few weeks as I have been pottering around at work, doing the endless number of gardening jobs through a Sydney summer on the rather large site that I look after! There are many things that I have come across that I thought are worth a mention-they are things that apply to massive gardens as well as little balconies with a few pot plants.

The first thing I think that is important is time. Today, people often expect things to happen instantly. Nature, including plants in gardens, doesn’t work that way! Plants take time to grow to their full potential, with the amount of time they take to get there depending on the sort of plant it is. The time taken to care for your garden is also important-fair enough, some people hate gardening, but your garden should have little in it to look after if that’s that case. If on the other hand, you really enjoy your gardening, don’t be surprised if jobs take far longer than you initially thought!

Knowledge is also a key factor in getting a garden looking good. If you don’t know anything, there are so many resources out there to help you learn. For those that are more experienced, there is still more to learn, even for professionals. You do have to be careful about finding good sources of information as some is totally incorrect. Good places for advice include botanical gardens, gardening charities like the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK (there are probably equivalents in many other countries too, like The Diggers Club in Australia). There are books, websites, and hopefully friends and family that can show you the ropes.

I think that enjoyment is also key. If you are out enjoying your garden, whether doing the weeding, smelling your fragrant flowers or eating your home-grown veg, it all helps. You can always tell when someone loves spending time in their garden-it always looks far better somehow.

Designing your garden, or at least having an idea is also helpful, but without the above, and some effort, then your garden will not reach its potential.