It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Time to garden! If you’ve never planted a garden before, or you’ve tried unsuccessfully, this blog is for you. With just a few quick tips, you can be digging your hands in the dirt by this weekend!
Gardening Resources
A little preparatory research will go a long way. Many times, people get excited about gardening and end up planting things that aren’t suitable for their area, planting at the wrong time, or caring for their plants poorly and end up failing. This can lead to discouragement and a vow to never garden again. It doesn’t have to be that way, and if you’ve been there, it’s time to try again!
Start by looking up which herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers are best to grow in your growing zone. A great resource for planting calendars is The Old Farmer’s Almanac website. I’ve included a link below, and all you have to do is enter your zip code and get detailed information about when, what, and how to plant. One thing to be especially careful of when planting seeds is not planting them so late that they won’t mature before your first frost. Read all the directions on seed packets before you plant them so you know what to expect.
https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar
It’s very helpful to start a garden journal. You can keep notes as you research, keep track of planting dates, expected harvest dates, a fertilization schedule, etc. I like to tape seed packets on pages of the journal to be able to look back at exactly what varieties and brands worked best.
Start small
A big first-time mistake is biting off more than you can chew. Do you have visions of huge, bountiful vegetable gardens with a harvest big enough to feed your family for the winter? While that’s definitely possible, you should probably work up to that. For your first garden, start with a small plot or raised bed and a few different varieties of plants. It’s always fun to have some herbs, some veggies, and some flowers to attract more pollinators.
Before you buy seeds or plants, check around a little. Some libraries are carrying free local seeds, and sometimes you can find people selling seedlings or small plants when they’ve prepared too many for their own garden. If you plan to buy plants, check your local greenhouses first. Many times they are healthier and better-taken care of than the plants box stores offer.
Set Yourself Up For Success
A few things to consider before you decide where to start your garden:
- Is there easy access to water? You might think it would be no big deal to carry water in a watering can or a bucket to your garden, but in the heat of summer, when you’re already tired, you might regret that decision and maybe even *gasp* give up!
- What about the weeds? You’ll want to decide before you plant your garden how to handle the dreaded weeds. You could lay down landscape fabric and cut small holes to plant your vegetables. You might not want to use this method if you’re sowing seed directly into the ground. You could use grass clippings, straw, or wood chips as a weed barrier or an organic mulch without added chemicals or colors. Keep in mind that weeds are a much bigger problem if you plow up ground straight in your lawn instead of a raised bed or a container garden.
- Who do I turn to for help?
If you don’t have people in your life who have gardening experience, don’t fear! Usually, you can find Facebook groups dedicated to gardening in your area or community garden clubs to grow in knowledge and get to know people interested in the same things you are.
Also, each state has a Cooperative Extension Service Office, where local experts are available to help you with any gardening problem you may have. Find your state’s office info at this link:
https://www.almanac.com/cooperative-extension-services#
Do you feel confident enough to start your garden now? Get planning, so the summer doesn’t slip away from you! Happy gardening!
