The best gardens don’t happen by accident. Good planning can make the difference between a garden that delights you with food and flowers and one that becomes an unsightly pile of weeds and debris before the season ends. Read on to discover how to plan for garden success.
Choose the Right Garden Location
If your garden is poorly placed you may find yourself struggling with problems that just won’t go away, such as spindly plants, washed out seedlings or a neglected patch of land that is just too much trouble to get to. On the other hand, if your garden is well placed, you may hardly give its location a second thought because everything works so well. Sun, water and access all contribute to a successful garden. TURN ON IMAGES to see Gardening tools and a straw hat on the grass in the garden
Sun – Most vegetables require at least half a day of sun, so if you plan to grow vegetables, keep that in mind. Remember that nearby buildings may block the sun at different times of the day and that a sunny winter yard may become shady when trees leaf out in summer.
Water – Consider the way water moves on your proposed garden site. Are you on a slope where spring rains might wash seeds downhill? Or are you next to a building where large overhangs keep rain from reaching the soil? Is there a water spigot nearby?
Access – It’s a fact of modern life that most everyone is busy. If your garden is easy to get to you’re more likely to take care of it and enjoy it. So try to choose a place that is easy to access and that you will pass by every day. If, after considering all these points, the best location happens to be in your front yard, don’t despair. In more and more towns, front yard gardens are becoming acceptable and even desirable.
Choose the Right Garden Format
Raised beds, sunken beds, container gardens, standard rows– there are many ways to lay out your garden. Which one is most likely to contribute to your gardening success?
- Raised beds drain easily and can work well in an area with wet springs.
- Sunken beds are often used in desert areas to direct precious moisture where it is needed.
- Containers let you garden in patios, on rooftops or bypass contaminated soils.
- Standard Rows are easy for most people to conceptualize and work well in flat, well drained locations.
Improve Your Soil
Like farmland, a successful garden must be fertilized. America Natural has a wide range of natural and non-toxic products to improve your soil and nourish your plants.
Our products include natural and organic fertilizers and microbial inoculants for the best possible plant performance. Some are incorporated into the soil prior to planting and others can be applied after plants are established.
Choose the Right Plants
Now that you’ve chosen the best site and prepared your soil, you are finally ready to decide what to grow. Be sure to choose flowers and vegetables that you and your family especially enjoy. If you actively avoid cauliflower and okra on your plate, you probably won’t enjoy watering and weeding it in the garden!
Next, choose varieties that are well adapted to the conditions in your area and are resistant to common diseases. While national catalogs have glossy and enticing pictures, local sources may be a more reliable source of seeds that do well in your part of the country.
By growing well adapted varieties in the best possible soil in the most suitable garden location, you will set yourself up for gardening success!