Gardening can be a pleasant and rewarding hobby. Knowing that you grew your own food and that fresh from the vine produce is both healthier and more flavorful than factory produced food will give even the most seasoned gardener satisfaction. Gardens are very personal and can be tailored to fit individual taste and geographic regions. Your garden will be special to you; however I have put together a few of the basic ingredients to make anyone a successful green-thumb.
Location, Location, Location. Although this sounds like a cliche’, it is a very important consideration in planning a garden. You will pick plants to match your location or pick a location to suit your plants. By this I mean that if you garden is in a fully shaded spot you will have difficulty growing quality plants that require lots of sun, and vice versa. Most locations will accommodate a wide variety of plants and can be arranged to best utilize the sunlight. Soil composition should also be considered. A scoop of soil and a trip to the local garden shop can avoid many growing issues. Many garden shops will test your soil for Ph (acidity) and other factors that affect growth. They will also be able to recommend any additives you may need for the kind of plants you planning on growing.
Size matters. Once you have decided where you want to put your garden in, now you have to decide the best size and shape. Gardens should be sized to fit the plant life you intend on growing. Plants such as pumpkins, squash, watermelon, and many other varieties need large spaces as they spread out along the ground. Other plants such as corn, potatoes, some varieties of beans, can be grown in a relatively smaller area because they tend to grow up instead of out. Gardens can be made any shape to fit in you desired area, even in containers to fit a patio or deck. These container type gardens can add color and decoration to an outdoor living space while providing fresh veggies for your family. Working in a garden to fit your yard can be a fun and creative event. I have even planted tomatoes and chili peppers among my flowerbed landscaping to maximize my growing capability. Then information on plant spacing is available on the seed package or from the greenhouse if you prefer to use live plants to start you garden.
Make it yours. Time to decide what you want to plant. Consider your geographic location; this is a main element in successful gardening. Asking questions of local farmers and greenhouses will give you the best idea of what is best suited for your area. Soil and sun also need consideration in this step. Personal likes and dislikes are going to be a driving factor in this step also. Most seeds can be started early and transplanted to your garden space.
Lay it out. Grab a piece of grid paper or any paper if none is available, and lay out your garden. Take into consideration the sunlight hours and time of day, plant spacing and size at maturity, also consider when the plants will be ready to harvest as most vegetables have different growth cycle times. Planting different plants in a sequence can give a more consistent harvesting season. This means plant the longer growing plants first and stage the shorter growth seasons in as necessary.
Go to it. All the planning done, now for the fun part, grab your shovel and seeds and get to planting. Happy gardening!
