Gardening is the word of the day. It could be down to the economy, but mostly it’s down to people realizing their food supply isn’t what they’d like it to be: pure and wholesome. Gardening is the consumers telling big chemical companies: no thanks.
If you start with a plan for your garden, when it’s time to take the shovel to the ground, you’ll be ready. Whatever your garden “plot” is, if you work with what you have, you will succeed. Be aware of the areas and natural beauty of your property. You want to combine two very important aspects of gardening: beauty for the soul and usefulness for the body. If you have “explosive” areas of color and activity, then you can balance them with some quiet areas of solitude and peace.
A garden journal is a time and future saver. It can be something as simple as a shoebox with a tablet. Save your seed packets so what works can be duplicated with the real name of the plant you enjoyed so much, as well as the company or store you bought it from. Write down the dates you planted and see if maybe it was too early because frost might have killed off some of your seedlings. Your box of plans, ideas, possibilities and hopes is a natural treasure and a gold mine. You can expand on what you’ve done or narrow it down because maybe time was an issue with some extensive work plants. This is your manual for editing, deleting and adding. It is priceless and a money saver. If something just didn’t work that well in your area, then you don’t want to spend your money on similar plants that probably don’t work that well either.
Keep variety in mind when selecting seeds and plants. It saves you from boredom when the summer heat is no good when you have to weed and feed. Diversity also keeps your garden safer from pests and diseases. It is also a safeguard, a very important piece of advice. If you like hot peppers, don’t plant them near bell peppers. Bees really don’t know the difference and your everyday peppers will be a trip to the land of spices. Trust me, this is not something you want to surprise your dinner menu with.
If you live where winter hits hard, don’t forget to plant evergreens around your garden area. They will protect your plot from the winter wind and in spring, your soil will be ready to go with just a few touches. If winter gets its way and there isn’t enough snow cover, your small garden will look like a relative of the desert areas you see in the movies.
Think of “specialty” gardens that can be incorporated into your overall plans. If you have young children, you may want a red wagon garden with fast-growing plants that a child can enjoy and be successful at. Take any old red cart with wheels and a handle to move around. Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and fill them with good soil. Plant cherry tomatoes, some green beans, maybe a cucumber plant, and strawberries. These can delight your child from flower to fruit and it will be a real gardening experience. If your area is tight, you can move your red wagon garden to more suitable locations or even take it to a patio or other area.
Try a raised salad garden bed around your garden. In this special garden, plant a tomato plant or two, some assorted lettuce seeds, as well as carrots and some herbs. Then when it’s time for dinner you can have a fresh instant salad mix is just the beginning of this mealtime wonder.
In your “quiet” garden, try lavender and some tea roses for scent and beauty. Pansies with their tiny faces are a joy to look at when you just want to sit back and rest. There are freshly made plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. These will add quality to your “peaceful” garden as you marvel at the beauty of nature and its wonders. Reading in this area is a summer luxury.
Teenagers can enjoy a “pizza” garden. This is where you grow your heirloom tomatoes with their vibrant flavor and diversity of colors. Add oregano, thyme, and a bit of parsley to add to your meat dressings. If your teens love onions, garlic, and even green peppers on their pizza, add some of these plants. Even teenagers will enjoy “picking up” their pizza toppings.
Whatever your family enjoys and finds fun to eat, you can incorporate it into small garden plots. The first rule of gardening: enjoy it and diversify. While fruits and vegetables are the mainstay of any garden, don’t forget decorative flowers and leaves for the centerpiece of your dinner table. In the fall, if you planned ahead and had your Halloween garden in place, you can imagine the enjoyment of not ghosts and goblins, but Halloween pumpkins, right at your fingertips, not to mention pumpkins and assorted gourds. There are even white pumpkins that glow in the dark and sparkle in the moonlight. Gardening is fun, profitable, and a happy event. Enjoy. ©Arleen M. Kaptur April 2009
