Little Strokes Fell Great Oaks

*I feel like I need to apologize for using stock photos, but I am blogging from Cincinnati and I am not on my own computer with images from my own garden. I will not make a habit out of it, but until I am home again, these will have to do. Thanks.

I will be the first to admit, there is a lot to do to prepare a garden for planting. That being said, I don't want you to feel overwhelmed by this fact. I think this is one of the reasons people don't garden in the first place (or do a lot of things in life) is they feel like they don't know where to start or they don't want to make mistakes and feel they have wasted their time. Please don't let this feeling keep you from trying. Like anything worthwhile in life, gardening takes time and effort, but is well worth it!

Last post I mentioned that we would be figuring out the square footage in your garden, but first I felt I needed to backtrack a bit. I realized today that some of you may not have a prepared garden space all ready to measure and there were a few considerations I thought were worth talking about. (For those of you with a garden space already, read through these anyway and consider if the place you currently have prepared is best.

First... placement of the space is key. Full sun of almost fun sun is best. In warm climates a garden can get by with as little as 6 hours of direct sunshine each day. Cooler climates will need more than that. If you are placing your garden next to the house, your best success may be realized if you situate your space on the south or west of the house as sunshine is most abundant there.
Good drainage is another factor to consider. Gentle slopes are good as they allow water to run off. It is wise to avoid low areas where water accumulates.
An absolute must, unless you live where there is abundant rain, is access to water. Most people think that this means if you can drag a hose to it, that is access. While that is technically correct, I think it is wise to consider how much work it can be to drag a hose around. Obviously an irrigation (sprinkling) system is best, but I can say from person experience that you can be successful with a hose. :)

Finally, and this is a big one... Make sure your garden is accessible. If you plant your garden on the back of your lot where there is nothing else of interest, chances are you will forget about it.

Before we talk about square footage, I also wanted to talk layouts. There are a number of different types, but I want to cover only four that I find the most common.

Containers: This type of layout is especially effective when you have limited space. This method doesn't work for everything but there are many dwarf varieties available. Don't forget about the vertical space that can be utilized too. I especially like how easy it is to control fertilizer amounts, ph levels and soil amendments with this method. Plus you can move containers around to conditions that suit their needs best throughout the season.

Spot Gardening: In my Provo garden where space was small, I often mixed edibles with ornamentals in my beds. Try planting sage or oregano in your flowerbed for a change or nasturtiums in with your edibles. Another place where spot gardening can be particularly appropriate is in kitchen gardening. Generally this refers to the placing of herbs and vegetables you use most near the kitchen door for greater accessibility.

Raised Beds: Along with spot gardening, this is my favorite way to plant. There are many benefits to this method. Soil in raised beds warms up earlier in the spring. You'll generally spend less time weeding and mulching. And one of the biggest "perks" I have found is how much more enjoyable it is to tend a bed 12-24" off the ground. (Your back will thank you.) This type of planting is more space efficient too. You will definitely get higher yields per sq. ft than compared to row planting. However, you need to consider the initial time and cost to prepare the beds and decide if you want make such an investment before going forward. We'll definitely talk more about this layout in the future.

Row planting: This layout is done by planting in parallel rows. It is easy to organize using this method. But as far as I am concerned it is the least effective as far as yields are concerned. It also is the layout that will need the most weeding and mulch. However, it is good for planting crops like corn or larger varieties of squash.

Again, I know this is a lot of information to process, but I feel like it is important to have the proper tools before you begin. Get out your notebooks and start writing down your thoughts. We will talk about space and varieties soon but until then decide how you want to organize your space and what you want to be eating for the next two seasons.

Ciao!

*I know some of you have questions about things I've posted. If you leave a comment/ question, I will respond with additional comments to answer your questions in the same post. So check back to get answers. If you want more personal attention :) leave your email address and I will get in touch with you personally. However, often the things you have questions about are things I am going to cover, so I may refer you to a future post for further details. Thanks for your comments and questions. I will do my best to answer them all.