If you’re thinking of investing in some beautifully designed garden furniture, perhaps from the Lifestyle garden furniture range, you’ll want to ensure your surrounding planting is equally attractive.
When considering planting in your garden, it helps to identify your soil type, so you can then select plants that will thrive. Here’s a simple guide to the most common soil types:
Sandy soil
If a handful of your soil runs easily through your fingers and feels dry and quite light, then you probably have sandy soil. This soil type tends to be acidic and lower in nutrients.
Clay soil
Clay soil feels thick, heavy and sticky when wet, and it’s high in nutrients. It’s prone to drying out very easily in summer, leaving the surface cracked.
Peaty soil
Full of organic material and often high in nutrients, peaty soil feels slippery and quite dense. Too much water retention can be a challenge with peaty soil.
Chalky soil
Often stony and very alkaline, chalky soil tends to occur in downland areas with limestone or chalk features.
Silty soil
If your soil feels lightweight but becomes compacted easily, you probably have silty soil.
Loamy soil
Loamy soil is easy to work with, retains moisture and looks dark and fertile. Loam is a mixture of sand, silt and clay, and it supports a great range of plants.
Fortunately, there are simple ways of improving all of these soil types. The addition of organic material, mulches and specialist fertilisers will help you create a beautiful garden display.
