Keys to a Successful Garden Design for Beginners

Location, Location, Location.

While these three words are usually associated with real estate, they are very important when planning a garden. Your site should have access to full sun at least 3/4 of the day. Certainly, there are some vegetables and flowers that can get by on a little less, such as lettuce, spinach, beans and kale, as well as herbs like chives and parsley. Melons, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplant, etc. all are sun loving and you should pick a sunny locale for their new home.

Size Does Matter.

Home gardening is supposed to be fun. Don’t turn it into a burden by building a garden that is too labor intensive. First, you must decide how much space and time you may want to devote to your new project. Like most new endeavors, starting small is a good idea, and as you learn from experience you can grow and grow from one season to the next. If all you have is a patio or deck, you should consider what we call “container gardening”.

Raised Beds.

Think about building raised beds for your garden. These are constructed with organic pressure treated lumber and range in size from four feet wide, one foot deep and to as long as you would like (10 to 12 feet is most common). It is important to limit the width because you must be able to reach the center of the bed without stepping on the soil. If you are going to use raised beds, it is a good idea to put pencil to paper and figure out how large an area you are going to work with and how many beds you want to build.

Soil, Do it Right the First Time.

Because your garden is new, this will be your best chance to fill it with clean weed free soil. If you are just doing container gardening, you can purchase bagged soil at any nursery or garden center. For raised beds, you will need to have soil or loam delivered by a local landscape service or mulch supplier. You will need approximately 3/4 of a cubic yard for each 4×12 foot bed. Make sure you specify composted loam for vegetable gardens. Upon delivery, mix in a small amount of peat moss to lighten up the soil, about 5%. Fill up your containers or beds and you are ready to plant.

Seeds or Plants?

With this being your first garden, I would start with plants from your local garden center or nursery. A successful seed starting program requires time and equipment such as grow lights and special soil mixtures. It is fun to do, but let’s wait until you have a full gardening season under your belt. You will learn an awful lot this first year! Besides, the young plants you purchase will be very healthy and prepped for transplanting at the appropriate time.

Finally, you need to consider the space around your garden. Whether you are using raised beds or several small plots of flowers and vegetables, make sure you leave enough space between the beds for equipment to maneuver. This may include wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, rototillers, garden carts, etc.