There are few things as rewarding or therapeutic as planting a garden from seeds and watching it grow to fruition. Whether it be flowers or vegetables we want to stack the odds in your favor so we thought we would reach out to some experts on how to make them germinate glowingly and give you the garden you’re looking for.

Today top gardeners are turning to the seed packet, disappointed by the by what’s pre-grown and available at their local Home Depot, Osh Hardware, or local garden store.  By going this route you can improve your variety ten-fold and have some things in your garden that will have your neighbors asking “where did you buy that?”

Our first comes from a state where sometimes it can be very difficult to have a flourishing garden, New York. However much like in some European countries where necessity is the mother of invention learning to grow and plant under constraints like inclimate weather or a confined space such as a flower box help hone your skills.

Louis Bauer, director of horticulture at Wave Hill, Riverdale, N.Y. writes, “I use annuals and biennials like larkspur, clary sage, and columbine to fatten up new borders because they always look thin in the first couple seasons. I recently created a 30-foot-by-60-foot shade planting under an old tree with viburnums, hosta, epimedium and astibe. I sowed in two kinds of foxgloves, the common Digitalis purpurea but with white flowers and ferruninea, which is very tall and architectural. They move around quite a bit, self seeding and filled out most of the bed. However most will be pushed out when the perennials come in. We use this technique quite often.

Next up in the series, someone with home field (or garden) advantage, Ken Druse, from Vernon, New Jersey.