If buying organic and local produce has you wishing you could grow herbs, vegetables, and flowers of your own, it may be time for you to consider planting a backyard garden. Getting started may seem daunting if you’re not very experienced or familiar with gardening, but just about anyone can grow a successful patch. Even if you have watched in horror as houseplant after houseplant has met its demise under your care, don’t lose hope. Outdoor gardening is almost completely different from tending to houseplants; plus it’s fairly simple to begin and care for a basic garden.
The Zen of Garden Work
Gardening can be a relaxing, solo endeavor or something you do with a friend, spouse, or children. It does take dedication and time to develop successful, healthy plants, so make sure you’re up for a small challenge. While it’s not for everyone, most people find the time and effort they put into their gardens to be well worth the outcome, not to mention it’s actually fun to get your hands covered in dirt and watch things grow.
Talk to Someone Who Knows
Talking with a professional to create a plan for your outdoor activities is recommended, but you can also garner common sense advice from green-thumbed neighbors and friends. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a great deal of information about your landscaping and gardening endeavors. Visit the Alabama Cooperative Extension online to discover some of your gardening options.
Important things to determine are what types of plants you want to grow and what they need to survive—the amount of sun and water a plant needs varies from type to type. Doing your homework and finding out what types of plants do well in your area takes the guesswork out of getting started. www.basicgardentips.com is chock full of valuable resources for this.
It’s in The Dirt
You might be surprised to learn that dirt is actually the most important aspect of a garden. With good, nutritious soil surrounding them, your plants are far more likely to grow successfully than if you put them in bland dirt. The easiest way to fill your soil with nutrients is to start composting. We’ve put together some information on composting that will help get your started. Click here for more. If you’re not interested in composting, good soil mixes and compost can be bought from local nurseries. To find out the status of your soil, visit the Alabama Cooperative Extension online. This website will guide you through the steps to take to have your soil tested.
If the soil already in your yard is hopeless, you might be a perfect candidate for raised bed gardening. Those in East Montgomery who have yards full of prairie soil will definitely find this option helpful. It allows you to fill an area with good, rich soil without having to dig or till up a patch in your yard first. Beds can be bought as a kit from stores like Home Depot or you can custom build your own; www.basicgardentips.com explains exactly how this can be done. It’s easier to navigate through raised beds as it mostly eliminates crouching, reaching, or worrying about treading on plants while you’re tending to others.
Hip Tools for Success
You will need a few inexpensive, useful tools to get started in the yard. Most basic garden work can be accomplished using a garden fork for turning and tilling, a round-ended shovel for digging, and a short-tooth garden rake to move and smooth soil. Trowels and small, hand-held tools also come in handy for planting. Ladies, if you want your tools to match your lipstick, www.tomboytools.com has pink and feminine tools that are durable as well as cute.
If you’re a novice (or even if you aren’t) we recommend that you buy plants such as herbs and tomatoes from your local nursery rather than take on the task of planting everything from seeds. You’ll see the fruits of your labor and be able to use fresh herbs and vegetables in your kitchen much more quickly this way.
