It may be hard work, but gardening is a labor of love for many Petalumans

Even for those who have never done much gardening before, the assortment of colorful flowers and plants saturating nurseries and even grocery stores may be hard to ignore.

"My advice for the beginner would be just to plant what you like," said Petaluman Louise Benanti. "One of the biggest things I learned when I started gardening is that you have to nourish the soil every year with compost and/or mulch."

Benanti wasn't always a gardener. She developed an interest in it in 1990 after moving to a home that was lacking in landscaping.

"There was no foliage on the ground at all," she said. "It was just dirt. My husband and I decided that it would be fun to design and create a garden ourselves. I don't know that &‘fun' was the operative word, because it was really a challenge. I knew so little about plants and what I was doing. I joined the Petaluma Garden Club in 1991, which really helped me learn a lot. It also got me interested in learning more."

Benanti's garden has since grown to more than 80 roses, a number of trees and a large willow, which was the first tree she and her husband planted after moving in to their home. She admitted that gardening is by no means an easy hobby, but feels its addicting and the rewards are well worth the effort.

"It's so peaceful and calming," said Benanti of her backyard oasis. "That's the reward for all the hard work."

Cheryl Feuerborn has been gardening for 22 years and agreed that the rewards are well worth the labor of keeping up a garden.

"The beauty you get from gardening makes it all worth it," said Feuerborn. "Just look what you get. All that hard work and time spent in the garden is rewarded with beautiful flowers!"

Feuerborn is also a member of the Petaluma Garden Club. Her garden has earned awards and has been featured in the Through the Garden Gate garden tour. She began gardening after she and her husband moved into a home with a two-acre lot, which provided plenty of blank canvas to work with.

"We grow everything here," said Feuerborn. "We have lots of landscaping, lots of plants and lots of bulbs. The only things we can't grow out here are azaleas because they need lots of water."

Feuerborn prefers growing perennials, which are plants that return year after year.

"It's exciting in spring, when everything starts to come to life," she said. "I also plant a lot of plants and flowers to attract bees and hummingbirds. I like to keep them all happy."

Though she said that she's "created a monster" with her elaborate garden, she emphasizes that the work is worth it.

"It's very peaceful," said Feuerborn of her garden. "The beauty you get from gardening is why you do it. It's also a great feeling to be able to share my garden with others."

While gardening may seem a bit overwhelming for the novice, there are a number of local resources for those interested in learning how to garden, and networking with other back yard gardeners can be the best first step.

Gardening groups such as the Petaluma Garden Club and Digging in Gardens in Sonoma offer beginning and experienced gardeners the opportunity to network, share advice and help get started on their own gardens.

"We've won a number of awards for a lot of different things we do," said Petaluma Garden Club president Barbara Harden. "We also give money every year through our scholarship program to schools in Petaluma for their gardens."

Sonoma County Master Gardeners is another resource for new and experienced gardeners. The group hosts regular workshops at the Petaluma Library on a variety of topics, from how to grow vegetables to chemical-free ways of keeping pests at bay.

With plenty of resources available, residents can dig into creating their own gardens without hesitation.

Benanti added, "If you like it, buy it and plant it."

(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@arguscourier. com)

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