Spring is a good time to begin growing and digging, although
planning can take place before the snow melts. Gardeners spend most of the
summer watering, weeding, and watching young plants grow. Fall is a good time
to plant trees, shrubs, bulbs, and some perennials.
Here is an easy, 10 step guide from our friends at Better
Homes and Gardens on how to start your own garden.
1. Get an idea. Is this going to be a vegetable garden? An
herb garden? A flower garden? If you choose to grow flowers, do you want
annuals, which you must replant each year but which give color most of the
summer? Or do you prefer perennials, which have a shorter bloom time but come
back year after year? You can mix any of the above -- after all, it's your
garden. Just one bit of advice: Start small. 'Tis better to succeed just a
little, than to fail grandly.
2. Pick a place. Almost all vegetables and most flowers need
about six hours of full sun each day. Spend a day in your chosen spot and watch
how the sun moves across the space. It might receive more sun than you think.
But don't despair if your lot is largely sunless; many plants tolerate shade.
Check plant tags or ask the staff at your local garden center to find out how
much sun a plant requires.
Put the garden where you can't ignore its pleas for
attention -- outside the back door, near the mailbox, by the window you stare
out when you dry your hair. Place it close enough to a water spigot that you
won't have to drag the hose to the hinterlands.
3. Clear the ground. Get rid of the sod covering the area
you plan to plant. If you want quick results, you can dig it out, but it's
easier to smother it with newspaper. A layer of five sheets is usually thick
enough; double that if your lawn is Bermudagrass or St. Augustine grass. Spread
a 3-inch layer of compost (or combination of potting soil and topsoil) on the
newspaper and wait. It'll take about four months for the compost and paper to
decompose.
If you don't want to wait or if the area is covered with
weeds such as creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea), you're better off digging
the sod out.
4. Improve the soil. Invariably, soil needs a boost. The
solution is simple: organic matter. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost,
decayed leaves, dry grass clippings, or old manure. If you dig soil (see Step
5), till the organic matter into the soil. If you decide not to dig or are
working with an established bed you can't dig, leave the organic matter on the
surface and it will work its way into the soil in a few months.
To learn more about your soil, have a soil test done through
your county cooperative extension office. They'll lead you through the
procedure: how much soil to send from which parts of the garden, and the best
time to obtain samples. Expect a two-week wait for their findings, which will
tell you what your soil lacks and how to amend it.
5. Dig or don't. Digging loosens the soil so roots can
penetrate more easily. But digging when the soil is too wet or too dry can ruin
its structure. Dig only when the soil is moist enough to form a loose ball in
your fist, but dry enough to fall apart when you drop it. Use a spade or
spading fork to gently turn the top 8 to 12 inches of soil, mixing in the
organic matter from Step 4. In vegetable gardens and beds of annual flowers,
turn the soil only once a year in the spring before you plant.
The traditional method of preparing a bed for perennial
flowers is to double-dig. Double-digging involves removing the top 8-12 inches
of soil (usually from one small area at a time), loosening and working organic
matter into the newly exposed 8- to 12-inch layer of soil, replacing the top
layer, then working organic matter into the top layer. It's a lot of work, but
it can make a big difference in how well perennials grow.
Plants and Care
6. Pick your plants. Some people pore over catalogs for
months; some people head to the garden center and buy what wows them. Either
method works if you choose plants adapted to your climate, your soil, and the
amount of sunlight in your garden. You can even surf the Internet for plants to
purchase. Here are a few easy-to-grow plants for beginners. Annual: cosmos,
marigolds, impatiens, geraniums, Calendula, sunflowers, and zinnias.
Perennials: Russian sage, lamb's-ears, black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers,
phlox, pansies, and daylilies. Vegetables: lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and
cucumbers.
7. Put them in the ground. Some plants, such as pansies and
kale, tolerate cold, so you can plant them in autumn or late winter. Tomatoes
and most annual flowers, on the other hand, are touchy about cold, so don't
plant them until the danger of frost has passed in your area. Midspring and
midautumn are good times to plant perennial flowers. Check the county
cooperative extension office or local garden center for a list of recommended
planting dates.
Some plants, such as lettuce and sunflowers, are easy to
grow from seed. You can sow them directly in the garden. Be sure to read the
seed packet for information about when to plant, how deep to plant, and how far
apart to plant the seeds. If you're an adventurous beginner, you can get a head
start on the growing season by sowing seeds indoors before the last frost date.
You can buy containers or flats designed especially for seedlings, as well as
seed-starting soil mixes (available at garden centers). Follow seed-packet
instructions, and place the containers on a sunny windowsill or under
artificial lights if you don't have window space. Be sure to keep the seeds and
seedlings moist but not wet (or they may rot).
An easier method is to buy young plants, called set plants
or transplants. Just dig a hole and plunk them in the ground.
8. Water. Seedlings should never dry out, so water daily
while they are small. Taper off as the plants get larger. New transplants also
need frequent watering -- every other day or so -- until their roots become
established. After that, how often you need to water depends on your soil, how
humid your climate is, and how often it rains. Plants are begging for water
when they wilt slightly in the heat of the day. Water slowly and deeply, so the
water soaks in instead of running off into the street. To minimize evaporation,
water in the early morning.
9. Mulch. To help keep weeds out and water in, cover the
soil with a couple of inches of mulch. All sorts of mulch are available, from
pine needles to cocoa hulls to bark chips. For a vegetable garden or bed of
annuals, choose a mulch that decomposes in a few months. For perennials, use a
longer-lasting mulch, such as bark chips.
10. Keep it up. Your garden is on its way. Keep watering
when needed, and pull weeds before they get big. Fertilize with a dry
fertilizer about halfway through the season. If you use a liquid fertilizer,
fertilize every month or so. And remember to stop and smell the -- well,
whatever you grow.