When it comes to gardening plants, there are too many to name. Gardening plants can refer to flowers, shrubs, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and many more. There are also gardening plants that are in season at different times of the year, some in fall and winter, others in spring and summer. Whatever type of gardening you decide is your forte; there are plenty of gardening plants available to suit your preferences.

If you want gardening plants that you can actually use instead of just look at, vegetables, herbs, and fruits are all very satisfying. Edible plants add an excitement to gardening because of the produce available at harvest time. The main vegetables grown in smaller, home gardens as well as larger ones include corn, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, peppers, onions, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and beets. Popular fruits are pears, plums, tomatoes, blueberries, apricots, cherries, and strawberries. Herbs are used for their wonderful fragrances, to spice up a salad, and in cooking. Herbs that are often home grown include thyme, sage, dill, mint, lavender, and chives.

It is fairly easy to have a colorful garden in the spring and summer months, but it is a whole different ball-game during the cold, winter months. Even though it is difficult, with planning and a little more care you can have a colorful garden year round. One gardening plant that thrives in the fall and winter months is the Rudbeckia, a beautiful yellow perennial. Others include the Christmas rose, the Japanese Anemone, and Cosmos.

When you think of flowers you automatically think of a spring garden full of many different, beautiful colors. Spring and summer gardening plants are some of the prettiest things on earth and give inspiration to all who grow them. Some of the most grown spring plants are tulips, daffodils, and violets. Favorites of the warmer months of summer are lilies, dahlias, and roses.

When gardening, many people will opt for decorative grasses or shrubs. Monkey grass is an all time favorite, especially for a sidewalk. These will gardening plants can be for looks, can act as a border or fence, and can be used for privacy. Shrubs are easy to take care of and add a defining look to any yard or garden.

There are so many different kinds of gardening plants available. Many gardening plants actually have a purpose and can be used, whereas many of them are just for looks. The kind of gardening plant you choose to have in your garden is completely up to you, but remember, no matter what kind it is, it will require some maintenance and without proper care you will end up with a garden full of just dirt.

It's winter. It's cold outside. Everything is covered in snow. Good News! Now is the perfect time to start thinking about — and preparing for — your spring garden.

While your activities outside may be limited, there's much you can do inside to make the coming months more fruitful.

For starters, grab a pencil and paper and sketch out any changes you'd like to make to your garden once the snow clears.

Where will you put the new arbor you've been thinking about? Is it time for a new and artistic pruning of the hedges? What about a new walkway of flagstones interspersed with thyme? Will you be moving any flower or herb beds? Will you need new annuals or perennials? Would you like a new herb garden? Some, like basil and parsley make tasty additions to your pantry. Others, like sweet woodruff are more decorative and can be a subtle but significant facet of your landscaping plans. Still others, like anise-hyssop and sage attract butterflies, and bergamot may attract hummingbirds.

When you put all your gardening tools away at the end of autumn, you made sure to clean and oil them, right? If not, now would be a good time to do so, along with sharpening any dull blades and fixing or replacing anything that's broken.

Your inside houseplants still need plenty of attention. Perhaps, because of the shorter winter days, they need more light and should be moved. Over time the soil of potted plants loses nutrients and may suffer from a mineral build-up from hard water. Now would be a good time to re-pot them.

While you're inside taking care of your houseplants, consider starting seedlings to be planted outside in the spring. Besides being fun and educational, it can save you the expense of purchasing plants in the spring. Thyme can take three to four weeks to germinate and shouldn't be transplanted until two sets of true leaves appear. Then the plant still needs to be acclimatized over a period of a week. Now would be a good time to prepare the soil, containers, and lighting you'll need, as well as to purchase the seeds themselves.

Speaking of seeds, start perusing seed catalogues and gardening magazines. You'll find excellent inspiration for your own garden designs, as well as news about new tools and techniques. Botanists and horticulturists are always producing new hybrids to tickle your senses.

On days when it's not too cold, consider getting out and setting up a bird feeder. Different seeds attract different birds: Niger seed for goldfinches, house

and purple finches, and pine siskins; black oil sunflower seed for just about every other type of bird. It's a good economical general feed. For a high energy feed for winter, give them suet or peanut butter. Also, think about a heated birdbath. Water is a necessity!

Be sure to shake excess snow off the branches of small trees, particularly evergreens. The excessive weight may break tender branches or even topple the tree. It's still not too late to wrap vulnerable evergreens with burlap.

Once you've done everything you can inside and outside, it's time to get away to a gardening show. Each year, Landscape Ontario and The Garden Club of Toronto produce Canada Blooms, a veritable oasis for eager gardeners where you'll find hundreds of exhibits including lavish custom designed gardens, water falls, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops. Past Canada Blooms have even included real weddings with the public invited as guests.

No matter what the weather's like, there's always plenty to do for the serious professional and the amateur hobbyist alike. So prepare now for a springtime garden that will be a haven for both yourself and the friendly neighborhood wildlife.

Springtime is typically considered a period of fresh beginnings and revitalization. For plants it is a very active span as they arise from their winter sleep. For horticulturists this is a very spirited period for not only outdoor plants but our indoor plants too. Springtime is the ideal period for indoor plant maintenance.

Fertilizing plants in the spring and summer months will render the best results. A useful rule of thumb to keep in mind when fertilizing is that less is indeed more. Don't fertilize a plant that has recently been re-potted for a few months or a new plant just brought home from the nursery. The fertilizer nutrients are already in a nursery plant and the fresh soil of a re-potted plant.

I also examine my plants in the spring to determine if they need re-potting. There are 3 standard methods to determine if your indoor plant needs re-potting:

1. If the roots are protruding out of the drainage hole.

2. If the roots have totally filled the pot and are growing around in circles.

3. If, after adding water, it quickly leaks out the bottom. This is a matter of either the soil altogether drying out, or the roots so totally filling the pot that they are self-strangling and can't take up any water at all.

After re-potting, it is a perfect time to consider displaying your plant in a splendid, natural-looking macrame plant hanger.

Macrame plant hangers are also a good method to move that plant that needs more or less light into a superior spot to receive its needed light. Usually plants come with a guideline on the amount of light that works best for them. During the winter, less sun comes inside than in the spring and summer. It's useful to know which windows have the less to more sunlight that comes through on any given sunny day. The north window has the least amount of light. The east window has the next brightest; the west window is the next brightest with the south window being the brightest of all.

Pruning a plant to improve its shape and cultivate more even flowering throughout the plant is also ideally completed in the early spring or late summer.

During this spring I am loving the blossoms of my many African Violets and the spring flowering of my Christmas Cacti. I also have numerous macrame plant hangers in my home so they can all have their individual showplace. It is fun pampering your plants…they love it!