All dirt is not created equal
by MATT CHANDLER

Given the world we live in today - one dominated by cell phones, laptops, high-speed Internet, fast food, and Americans increasingly impatient to get what they want when they want it, it's no surprise that few of us have the patience it takes to properly lay the foundation of a good garden.

We like instant photos and food and also instant flowers. The big box stores are more than willing to provide you with flats of bright, vibrant flowers, full of life, and looking as though they were grown in some lush South American rainforest. Unfortunately,

Gardening

if you are like many amateur gardeners, you run home, dig a hole, drop your flowers in and replace the dirt. Two weeks later, when those gorgeous flowers you lugged home from the store are a distant memory, and you are left with sun-scorched, limp, withered skeletons in their place, you'll blame the store, you'll blame the weather, you'll blame the neighbor's dog for taking on the unsolicited task of watering them for you, but the true answer may lie in the lack of nutritious soil you placed around the flowers.

There are many excellent products available to treat your soil and make it more conducive to supporting the complex root system of your flowers and plants. But there is more to treating your soil than just grabbing a bag of Miracle-Gro and dumping it in the hole.

For starters, the soil treatment products available today come in a wide range of choices to fit your specific needs. There are products for flowers, different mixes for trees and shrubs and still others if you are growing organically. All of them are designed to fortify your soil with the nutrients to keep your garden healthy.

Additionally, it is key to not just dump the soil into the hole you have dug, but rather turn over the existing dirt and till in the store-bought soil to create an even mix.

If, like me, you have topsoil that is as hard as concrete and tough to penetrate, there are liquid products available to soften the ground and make it easier to work with.

Considering the havoc that destructive bugs and other small animals can wreak on your gardens, you may also want to look into some of the many products that can kill insects below the ground, before they can turn your garden masterpiece into an afternoon buffet.

With all of these garden-enhancing products right at your fingertips, invest the time to prep before you plant. You'll be glad you did.