Start planning now for a great garden

Thinking of planting a garden this year? Planning ahead can be beneficial for maximizing your garden’s output. Whether you are gardening as a hobby, adding a splash of color to your yard, or looking for a more sustainable lifestyle, planning ahead can make the whole process go smoother and increase the likelihood of obtaining your optimal garden! We have put together some helpful hints for planning your garden! 1. Location: The most important part of planning your garden is deciding where you want your garden to grow. It can vary—such as indoors, planters, in the sun, or in the shade. Different locations of gardens determine the different types of gardens. An indoor garden is somewhere inside and takes considerable forethought. Whether it is in a room in your house or you have a greenhouse on your property, indoor gardens can take up a considerable amount of space and maintenance. Other outdoor gardens take significant planning; different plants take different environmental conditions and times of year to truly thrive, if you are planting a garden in the open sun or in the shade, it can affect and determine what you can grow. 2. What to Grow: Certain plants take certain climates and conditions to properly grow and thrive. Once you have decided the location of your garden, you can narrow down the type of garden you want to grow. If you are planting a garden in the shade, you will want to pick plants that will grow well in the shade. Whether they are produce or flowers, read the label before you buy to make sure they will work in your selected garden location. Researching shade, direct sun, mostly sun, and indoor plants can help narrow down what you can grow based on location and plants’ needs. 3. Time Commitment: How much time you have to commit to your garden on a regular basis can help determine the garden that is right for you. Gardens are great for weekend hobbies and for reducing your grocery bill, however, each will have their own level of time commitments. If you can’t commit to a high maintenance garden that requires daily work, look into plants and types of gardens that require less time. The time of year in relation to your work and other commitments will help you determine how much time you can commit to your garden. 4. Planning the Planting: Depending on what you want to grow in your garden and what time of year you intend to garden you can plan when to plant. Timing is crucial to getting the desired output from your garden. There are critical times to plant seeds and bulbs or transplant from a planter to the garden in order to avoid stunting growth or traditional cold snaps. Since spring is the most common gardening season, here are some key times to keep in mind when planting your garden. The three main times to plant are: very early spring, early Spring, and after the last frost. For lists of plants and produce and when to plant them, visit www.motherearthnews.com. These helpful tips are only a small step towards starting your garden. Based on your location, climate, time commitment, and desired garden, each garden is as unique as its gardener. Once you have an idea of what you want from your garden, do research on the types of plans you’d like to grow and the proper conditions to help them reach their potential. There are many great books and web pages available to help you develop a green thumb of your own!