Written by Chip Glennon for GLENNON REAL ESTATE EXPERTS
When planning a garden it can be exceptionally helpful to plot out the space on paper. For example, if your garden is going to be 10 feet by 6 feet, let one inch represent a foot on your drawing. In other words, your garden would fit in a 6”x10” chart on paper. For larger gardens, a half-inch or quarter-inch per foot conversion to paper may be required, regardless, create a scaled-down version for more accurate planning and spacing.
It is on this paper you should decide where it is best to place each plant. Vegetable gardens are usually planted in rows, with complementary or like vegetables planted in the same or neighboring rows. For a flower garden, this will serve as a pallet to help you decide what colors and textures will look best in what location. This will take some significant research to determine which plants work well together and the footprint they need take to grow efficiently.
Flower gardens can be a bit more challenging to plot as the anticipated height of the grown plants will also need to be considered. The results, however, can be a marvelous layered garden of beautiful colors that perform beautifully together.
Research Local Codes
Before investing too much time, too much money, or turning your first shovel of dirt, you will want to make sure there are no restrictions or regulations regarding gardens in your area. Some areas restrict vegetable gardens, for example, to be planted in front yards. Some Home Owners’ Associations have restrictions on the size of flower gardens or flower types, the size and height of verandas, or may even ban vegetable gardens. Be aware of these regulations and restrictions prior to digging in.
Your gardening plans could also be detoured by buried cables, wires or pipes. To avoid damaging these cables or pipes, contact your local utility companies to make sure the location of where you plan to place your garden is in an area where it is safe to dig. Calling ahead may not only prevent an unintended power outage or burst pipe, but it could help avoid a dangerous electrical shock.
Determine Layout
Once you know if there are any limitations to what and where you can plant within your yard, and are aware of any buried cables or pipes, it is time to determine the final layout of your garden. This is how and where your garden will be located on your property.
Start by walking your property and imaging the best potential spots for the garden. Observe how much sunlight reaches these preferred locations throughout the day. Make sure there is a hose or other watering source convenient to your site. Plan for any decorative edgings or small fencing you may desire. View these locations from windows inside your home or kitchen. This is particularly important if you are planting a hummingbird and butterfly garden where you will want to enjoy the view. This is also the time when you can make last-minute changes to your plan on paper, based on the amount of sun and shade.
Finally, if it is a specialty garden, flower garden or moonlight garden where you may want to spend more time, you may want to accommodate for a garden bench or other seating option. This is also a good time to consider any outdoor lighting that may add to the atmosphere of your outdoor garden.
Choosing What You Want to Grow
It’s time to make the final determination of exactly what you want to grow to best reach your gardening goals. If you want a red, white and blue theme, what plants will best deliver those desired colors? Do you want low, ground cover plants or taller plants that will stand out amongst the surroundings? How dense do you want your garden? Will you need room to prune or harvest at the end of the growing season?
For those who are considering a flower garden, this is the time when you can choose between annuals; plants that flower and die in a single season, or planting perennials; plants that come back season after season.
Although annuals only grow one season and bloom until the first frost, keep in mind that they often drop seeds that will regrow the following season. They also can be planted all season if you get a late start or want to fill in areas of your flower garden.
Perennials are generally less showy and although they only bloom for up to six weeks, they will continue to grow back for multiple years. A third choice to consider, biennials, can take up to two seasons to bloom.
Learn About Companion Plants
Some plants can steel sunlight, nutrients, and water from other plants, effectively suffocating them. On the other hand, there are companion plants that can work and grow well together, even joining forces to fight off pests. Planting companion plants can help you to make better use of your space, improve pollination and create a habitat for helpful insects. This can often result in better weed control and improved crop production.
Some examples of companion plants include planting basil and dill next to tomato plant to deter tomato hornworms. Leafy greens like spinach can thrive in the shade provided by taller corn or sunflower plants. Carrots, parsley, and parsnips have been known to attract insects that can be beneficial to many and mint can help ward off ants.
Companion planting has been shown to be so beneficial that many gardeners have become specialists in the process.
While you don’t necessarily need to go overboard with companion planting, especially if you are just a beginner, it can be extremely helpful to know about it and begin to apply its strategies in your garden. It is particularly useful in organic gardening where pesticide and fertilizer use should be minimized.
Gathering Your Tools
As with most projects and hobbies of any nature, having and using the appropriate tools can make your efforts easier and safer while yielding better results. Of course, the tools you need will depend on the type and size of gardening project you want to take on. A smaller herb or container garden may just require a few small hand gardening tools while a large landscaping garden or vegetable garden may benefit from powered tools like a rototiller. An outside garden will also likely require the use of long-handled tools like shovels, hoes, and rakes. Gardening tools are subject to moisture, dirt, sand, and stones. They frequently can be subject to significant force, so this makes it important that the tools you gather are of high enough quality to handle the job season after season.
While you want to pay a little extra for quality tools, you don’t want to waste money purchasing tools you don’t need. An expensive pair of pruning shears, for example, won’t be required for a herb garden. An inexpensive pair of scissors will do. You’ll discover there are tools you will need to plant and maintain your garden and tools that would be nice to have. In this section, we will explore both.
Must-Have Tools
Every gardener should first build a collection of basic or must-have tools. These are the tools that are hard to do without. These tools will vary according to the size and type of garden you are undertaking, but here are the basics.
- Hand Trowel – If there is a single absolutely must-have tool for all gardeners it is the hand trowel. No matter what style of garden is being planted or what size it is or will become, a hand trowel will come in handy at some point. Invest in one that feels comfortable in your hand and is built to last.
- Long Handled Shovel/Spade – Necessary for just about all forms of outdoor gardening, a spade features a squared tip while a shovel is more spoon-like. Keep in mind that a long handle shovel not only will be used to lift and turn dirt, many times it is used as a lever to dig up large stones. This can require a substantial handle with solid construction.
- Gardening Gloves – Many beginner gardeners don’t realize their value until it is too late. Gloves can keep hands cleaner and protect them from small cuts and scratches. They also can prevent blisters.
- Pruning Shears – Pruning shears will be important if your garden includes plants with thicker stems or small branches. They are used to keeping plants both aesthetically pleasing and growing properly.
- Watering Tools – Every garden needs some form of water delivery system. It may be as simple as a watering can or a hose. Use a hose with an adjustable nozzle for the greatest versatility. You’ll also want a hose storage system to keep it out of the way when not in use.
If you intend to grow vine plants, you may also need sticks, poles or fencing for support. Fence-like “cages” are very useful when growing tomatoes, for example. Most gardeners will also benefit from some sort of bucket to move dirt and for transplanting. Depending on where and when you garden, some would consider sunscreen, a hat and insect repellant as a gardening necessity as well.
Nice-to-Have Tools
Depending on physical limitations and type of garden planted, some gardeners benefit from tools designed to make the job easier. In many cases, these tools aren’t an absolute necessity but can be very convenient and handy to use.
- Wheelbarrow – This is an extremely useful tool when large amounts of dirt, mulch, plants or other landscaping materials will need to be moved. It is also useful in removing vegetation in preparation for an outdoor garden.
- Kneeling Pad – It won’t take long to realize how valuable a foam or sponge-like kneeling pad can be when working out in the garden. Knee pads can work as well, but a foam kneeling pad is less prone to sink into softer soil.
- Upgraded Watering Systems – One of the more mundane maintenance duties of gardening is watering. Thank goodness, there are plenty of options and upgrades to help. Outdoor sprinklers and drip watering systems are available for just this purpose. For hanging and container plants, choose a watering wand to help water harder to reach plants. There are even easy to fill decorative watering bulbs for use in potted plants.
- Hoes and Rakes – A large outdoor garden can benefit from long-handled hoes or rakes. This can help keep rows between plants clear of weeds and help in removing unwanted vegetation and fallen leaves.
- Garden Cart – Garden carts serve to store garden tools while easily being able to be pulled into position. Some garden carts also include a seating area to make gardening easier on the back and knees.
It seems almost every year some sort of new tool or gadget hits the market to help make gardening just a bit easier. Browsing the internet or your local gardening center may yield some nice-to-have tools that are perfect for you and your budget.
Prepare Your Soil
Many avid gardeners will say the key to a green thumb is quality, rich soil. If you are planting in an area where there has never been a garden, it can take two to four months to prepare the soil for a productive garden. Even if there have been plants in an area, different plants have varying needs when it comes to soil. The Ph level should be balanced and the soil should be moist and rich in nutrients. In areas with shorter growing seasons, getting out during those scattered nice late winter and early spring days can be crucial in preparing the soil. Start getting prepared in the fall if you know you want a garden the next growing season.
Ultimately you’ll want an area that is cleared of rocks and debris, tilled and aerated that is rich and ready for planting.
Step 1: Clear the Area
Depending on how your new garden area was previously used, clearing the area can either be a relatively straight-forward task or very hard work. Areas that had stones or gravel previously can be an extra challenge. Areas near the foundation of a home can also contain concrete, rocks and old construction materials. The good news is that this “heavy lifting” of debris removal only needs to be done once. Preparing for future gardens in the same space will be much simpler.
Start by marking off the area with either a spray chalk line or string with a series of stakes. Remove any visible debris like branches, shrubbery, stones, and rocks. If there is grass or other vegetation in the area, it will need to removed too as best as possible. Remove any weeds or plants by the roots if possible. If there is grass in the area, a spade can be used to cut sections of the grass out, like brownies in a pan. Skim the grass just below the root surface and remove. If you have bare areas in other parts of your yard, this grass may be able to be re-sodded with sufficient watering. If not, try to shake off as much soil as possible and dispose of the unneeded grass. When the area is clear of all visible debris, you are ready to till and aerate the soil.
Step 2: Till & Aerate Soil
Once the surface of the garden is relatively level and clean, it is time to till and aerate the soil. This is to create a good growing environment for the roots of your new plants. You’ll want to dig up and turn the soil at least 6 inches deep. If it is your intention to plant root crops like carrots, beets or potatoes, you’ll want to turn the soil 10 to 12 inches deep. This breaking up of the soil makes it easier for roots to grow more deeply into the ground and for you to have a more successful harvest.
If you live in an area with soil that is heavy with clay, or you have a larger garden planned, a rototiller can make the job much easier than using shovels. Rototillers can be rented for this purpose, but remember, everyone is in the market to rent a rototiller at about the same time each year. Plan and reserve ahead.
When tilling and aerating the area it is important to keep an eye out for any rocks or larger roots that may need to be dealt with. If you have contacted your local utility companies, pipes, wires, and cables should not be a problem. By the time you are done with this step of the process, you should have a nice clean area of broken up soil that will only need one more step prior to planting.
Step 3: Improving Soil
Improving your soil means adding nutrients and vitamins to the soil to provide an optimum growing environment. The good news is with enough time and the right elements, any soil can be made richer. Doing this organically can take time, which is why allowing weeks or even months for the preparation of your soil is usually advised.
You may wish to start by mixing in bags of nutrient and vitamin-enriched potting soil and mulch into the soil. You may also add compost or dry manure at this time to further enrich the soil. Mixing the new mix in with the original dirt will eventually create a rich soil that is nutrient dense and should crumble easily when dry.
Your garden should now be ready for planting!
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