Planning The Perfect Vegetable Garden
A backyard vegetable garden can serve a variety of purposes. Not only can you enjoy the literal fruits of your labor, but an attractive garden can help turn what was maybe once a plain space or an eye sore into a beautiful area of your yard.
Planning for a garden isn’t as difficult as you might think. There are a few things to take into consideration like the size of the space and the amount of light it gets and then you can start to have a little creative fun and look at different soil types, what type of border to use and other landscaping supplies.
GETTING STARTED
With the right planning, you can enjoy your garden year round and not have to spend a ton of time tending it. The first landscaping tip is to start small, so you aren’t overwhelmed. Master a few plants and then you can expand as you get more comfortable. You also want to keep in mind how much your family will actually consume. Plants such as tomatoes, squash and peppers will continue to produce throughout the season so you probably won’t need several plants to get what you need. Other plants such as carrots and radishes only produce once, so consider planting more of those varieties.
Trying to determine what to plant can seem like a daunting task but the best guide is a seed catalog. This will allow you to narrow your choices as to the types of vegetables that might thrive in the space you will create. It’s a good idea to pick a couple of varieties (for example there are more than a dozen varieties of tomatoes alone!) and see which one does better.
It’s also possible to begin warm seasonal vegetables indoors or you can purchase them already started from a garden center. The advantage with buying them already started is that you will be able to harvest them earlier than if you start them straight from a seed. If you do decide to start your vegetables indoors, make sure you give them the tender loving care they will need to start off well.
SPACE AND SPOT
Once you’ve determined what plants will work best for the time of year and how much your family will consume, you want to decide how much space you need for those plants, as well as how much shade and sunlight is required for achieving the best results.
GOOD SOIL
Having the right soil directly impacts the success of your vegetable garden. Most vegetables thrive in moist, well drained soil. Temperature is also important to help your vegetables grow and organic matter such as peat moss or compost is common in most successful gardens.
THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES
Once you’ve got your spot picked out, your size plotted, and your soil prepared, you need to figure out what accessories you will need to keep things growing. You don’t want to crowd your vegetables. Consider putting all of your tall plants in the same area, like tomatoes, and keep them at least 18 inches apart. You also might need vertical supports for these types of plants.
Another option to consider is whether to plant in rows directly in the ground or to use bordered beds where you can keep similar plants together. Raised beds are definitely easier to harvest and provide excellent drainage as well.
There are some decisions to make but plenty of places to get great advice. Don’t be intimidated. With the right help and the right design, you can enjoy your vegetable garden for months and provide excellent fresh produce for your family.
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING SUPPLIES
The perfect garden requires the perfect arsenal of landscaping supplies. Pioneer Landscape Centers offers a wide variety of the materials you will need to tackle any backyard project.