March winds and April showers help bring May flowers...that and some dedication and TLC from you! Have you dreamed of a beautiful, vibrant garden bursting in color and being the envy of your neighbors? With some hard work, planning and research, your floral dreams can become a colorful reality! 



Make a wish list. Do you know the type of flowers you’d like to grow in your garden? If you’re not quite sure, tour your local gardening centers or walk around your community to see what others have blooming in their yards. Buy books about gardening that specialize about your geographical area and zone. You can find inspiration in so many places. 

Plan your irrigation. Look at the space you have in your yard and plan exactly where you want your flowers to go. Will they go along the edges? In front of windows? In a dedicated plot dug out just for your garden? Once you know where you want your blooms, plan and layout your irrigation accordingly, so everything gets the right water allocation. Learn the difference about all the options from drip to bubbling to sprays to know which will work best for your particular needs. 

Know your light. Watch how the sunlight lands in your yard – or how is doesn’t. Do you have hot spots that never receive any shade, or do you have areas that have never been warmed by the sun? Read about the types of flowers that do well in part, full or all shade and plant accordingly. Putting plants that don’t like sun in a sunny spot or vice versa can be extremely disappointing when it comes to how they fare and bloom throughout the season. 

Evaluate your soil. If your soil is less than optimum for growing things, you can add fertilizers and/or mulch to loosen it up. There are many options, but you may have to try a few before you get it just right. Talk to professionals at your local garden center who can advise you. Since they also live in the area, they’ll be able to tell what has and hasn’t worked for them. 

If you are searching for a new home, please know San Joaquin Valley Homes is still busy building homes throughout the Central Valley. Our model homes are open daily, we offer private in-person appointments and our virtual tours are available on our website.