Planning A Garden
Posted on 13 May 2008
Before planting a garden, we suggest that you plan a garden.
The best way to do this is to start a garden journal. Use a notebook that is durable and will hold up well to the elements. Using a flimsy notebook that will be destroyed within your first trip out to the garden will only cost you more money and time, in the long run. Also, if you can afford it, invest in an underwater necklace pen (like a fisher) so that you can attach it to your notebook and write under any condition. Also, avoid green or earthtone journals. Our experience is that these colors tend to get lost in the garden pretty easily so pick a bright color you will be able to spot easily. Once you have your notebook, you are ready to begin planning your garden.
The first thing you will need to consider is sun. The best way to do this is to devote a day from every season to sun/shade watching. From sun up to sun down, every hour, note where you see the shade. The best way to do this is to create a diagram for each hour which will tell you how much sun you get in any particular area of your garden. This is important for picking and planting plants. You don’t want to plant a shade garden where you get too much sun and you don’t want to plant full sun plants where all you get is shade for most of the day.
Next, you will want to consider your water sources. If you don’t have a good irrigation system and will be watering by hand, you will want to make sure that the water for your garden is accessible by a hose and/or faucet. If you are the type of person who may forget to water, we suggest creating a water schedule (another good reason to have a garden journal) or buy drought resistant native plants which won’t need much water. If you are planning on putting in an irrigation system, again, consider your source and the efficiency of your plan. If you have well water, consider using a solar generated pump This will save you money and energy, in the long run.
The last and most important thing to consider is your soil. Your soil is the foundation of your garden and you need to create healthy soil for a healthy garden. There are several things to consider, when it comes to soil.
The first is drainage. You need to know how fast your soil drains which will tell you if you need to condition your soil. Soil is made up of large (sand) and small (clay) particles. To find out what kind of soil you have, there is a simple test. Find the lowest point in the area you wish to garden. Dig a 1′ x 1′ hole and fill it with water. If the water drains in less than a half an hour, your soil has more sand and is better for desert plants. If your soil takes more than a half an hour to drain, your soil has more clay and is better for water plants. Soil drainage of about 30 minutes means that your soil is fairly balanced with both and is a soil with adequate drainage for the average garden plant.
Even after you have planted your garden, a garden journal will come in handy for future gardening, because there is so much to note. Germination times, harvesting times, seed saving times, seasonal changes, all are things which should be noted for next year’s garden.
Things You May Want To “Note” -
1) How The Elements Affect Your Plants - May need to be replanted where there is more sun or more shade.
2) When Flowers Bloom - You may want to plan for year round blooms, so take note of what times your plants bloom and arrange them for an all year round look.
3) When Plants Are Going To Seed - You may want to keep an eye on your plants during a particular time so that you can get the most out of your seed saving.