Ahhh, the summer garden.  Who doesn’t love the thought of walking out of their back door and picking some ripe, juicy tomatoes, tender lettuces, or snipping off some fresh herbs to be used in that favorite kitchen recipe? 

Well, hold on there a minute, all you Gordon Ramsey wannabes.  First things first.  If you want to reap all of those delicious rewards, there’s a little sweat equity involved to get there.  I’m not saying that having a small garden is a ton of work, but to be successful, it does require some thought and planning.

First, there’s the garden’s location.  When will that potential growing space start to get some good sunlight this growing season?  Is it full sun or partial sun?  Morning or afternoon?  Is it a known “wet spot” on your property, or is it a raised bed that will have to be more frequently watered?  Each of these factors are important and should be considered.

How big should your garden be?  Honestly, it only takes a few window pots to grow some fresh kitchen herbs.  Several deep containers placed on a porch or patio is enough space to grow a nice batch of fresh greens or even tomatoes.  I myself have only two 4’ x 4’ raised garden beds, as well as four half whiskey barrels on my patio out back.  That may not seem like much, but using the “square foot” gardening method, that’s forty-eight spots to grow a wide variety of fresh vegetables all season long – plenty of space for growing a literal bounty of produce and herbs.

Do a little research.  Find out when the last frost of the season is expected (in my area, that will be around April 20^th of this year) so you’ll know when it’s safe to plant those seeds and seedlings.  Make a schedule for getting your garden ready with soil amendments and other maintenance, so it’s just a few tasks every weekend from now until planning time, rather than having to do it all at once.

What grows well in your area?  What are you looking to plant this season?  If you love beets, maybe you want to grow some extra ones this year.  Understand how long it takes for your plants to mature and take into account the timing of your potential harvest.  Do you want fresh lettuce all spring and into summer?  Sure you do, so you can’t plant it all at the same time.  It has to be staggered.  Do you really need fifteen tomato plants?  Not unless you plan on canning a ton of fruit in late summer.  Two or three will give you plenty of fresh options in July and August, without having to give away half of your efforts (or watch them spoil and rot on the ground).  Plan your upcoming menus around your garden harvest as well, so that you effectively utilize what you took all of that time to grow. 

I highly recommend keeping a log or journal of your gardening adventures.  It’s a space where you can write out planting and harvest schedules, jot down success and failures (for later reference), and if you’re getting older and more forgetful (like me), that’s one less thing to have to try and remember every season.  Just reference the book and you’re all set.  Plus, you’ll continue to learn and adjust your plan, based upon your garden victories – and defeats – year after year.

The home garden can be as simple or as complex as you have the time and energy for, but any gardener will tell you that a successful garden is the result of a well-thought-out plan, and these long and dark winter evenings are the perfect time to strategize for the upcoming growing season.