Preparing to Grow Your Own Garden

If you are thinking about having a garden and growing your own vegetables this spring now is the time to begin planning. Deciding what to grow, where to grow it, and getting all of the tools that you will need takes time and energy. But if you start now you will be ready to go at the first sign of spring and you will have an abundant garden of your own.

The first thing that many gardeners do is begin ordering seed catalogues. There are several good catalogues that offer a wide variety of seeds, garden tools, and supplies. The Cooks Garden, Pinetree Garden Seeds, Johnny Seeds, and Baker Creek are only a few of the wonderful seed catalogues out there. But within the pages you will find more than just seeds and plants. Many catalogues sprinkle their pages with tips, advice, and ideas. Even if you choose not to order it can still be worth receiving a free catalogue.

The next step in planning your garden is plotting your space. This does not have to be exact, just a simple sketch of the area with buildings, tree, and other large structures marked. Spend some time outside in your space, not what areas receive a lot of sunlight, what areas are in the shade, where the ground slopes, and what areas receive a lot of foot traffic from people and animals. This may seem like a lot of work, but just watching the area a little more and keeping a few notes you can have a general idea in no time.

Next it is time to plan out what you are going to grow. First you should find out what plants grow well in your area. This can be found either by searching online or by asking local gardeners. Many state universities have horticulture departments where you can often find a wealth of information, or you can check with any local farming supply stores. Once you know what will grow you can pare down the list to what you want to grow. Refer back to your map to make sure that you are able to grow what you want. Some plants require shade but you may not have a shady area to grow them in, some plants need large amounts of space but if yours is limited they might not be best. Also make sure that what you want to grow is convenient for you. If you do not have a lot of time for watering and weeding you should try hardier crops that need little help. Lettuce, onions, peas, spinach, tomatoes, snap beans, beets, and summer squash are all easy plants that even beginner gardeners can grow with ease.

Once you know what you want to grow it is time to begin collecting your supplies. Order your seeds and starter plants so that they arrive in time to begin planting. When ordering your seeds think about how much you need and how much you can harvest from the plants. Try not to grow more than you will use and keep. You also do not want to attempt too large a garden as it will be too time consuming to keep up with. You should also be looking for tools that you will need in your garden. Personal supplies such as gloves, a basket for harvesting, and knee pads for kneeling are easy to find in many stores. Other supplies such as mulch, hoes, shovels, and hoses for watering your garden can be found in your catalogues or at a local farmer supply store. While it might be tempting to buy every thing that you see, try to limit your purchases to just the basics. A great garden can be grown without spending hundreds of dollars on supplies.

While you are waiting for your seeds and supplies to arrive you can take some time to prepare the areas you plan to plant in. Till the soil, add mulch or compost, section off the areas with bricks or small fencing. Spend some time in the dirt pulling weeds and grass that may be growing there. You can also take the time to create markers for your plants and place them where each vegetable will be growing. This is a great way to get used to the time you will be spending daily in your garden once it begins growing.

Now you are prepared to begin your own vegetable garden. You know what you are going to grow, where you are going to grow it, and your land is ready. As soon as your orders arrive take the time to think about how wonderful your garden will be, then get outside and start planting. The rewards are worth the time spent, and vegetables that you grow yourself always taste better.