A successful vegetable garden requires fertile, well drained soil. Any soil can be amended to be made fertile provided it has good physical properties. Soils rich in clay drain poorly and are not sufficiently aerated to dry out and warm up in early spring when most planting is done. Does this Spark an idea?
Testing
You can take a sample of your soil to your county agricultural extension agent for a detailed analysis and soil amendment recommendations specific to your garden. You can test the pH of your soil using test strips available at any garden center.
Composition
The best soil composition consists of 40 percent clay; 20 percent silt; and 40 percent sand. Soil containing too much clay is called heavy soil and will not drain well. Soil that contains too much sand is called light soil and dries too quickly.
pH Level
A pH of seven is neutral. Less than seve is acidic and more than seven is alkaline. Most grow well in a pH of 6.5 to 7.
Chemistry
The three main elements that are needed for all vegetables to grow are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Some vegetables may also require trace amounts of other elements.
Water
Peat and compost can be added to your soil to enable it to retain the right amount of moisture, yet still allow the excess water to drain off.
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Planting a vegetable garden provides you with fresh produce as close as your own back yard or patio. There are a number of different ways to plan a vegetable garden. With a little research, you will find the design that works best for you whether you have a large piece of property or a small space. Does this Spark an idea?
Rows
A vegetable garden planted in straight rows is fairly easy to plan and execute. Before planting, lay out your garden on paper, or place stakes at each end of the garden and run string from one stake to the other to define your rows. Be sure to plan for a path between each row. The length of the rows depends on the size of the garden.
Raised Bed
You can design a raised bed garden by simply mounding the soil where you wish to plant or by enclosing it in wooden frames. The boxed raise bed garden is preferable because the soil warms more quickly, allowing you to plant your garden earlier. When you plant a raised bed garden, keep the bed between 3 and 4 feet wide. The beds may be as long as you wish.
Block
Block, also known as close row, gardens allow you to grow more produce in less area than traditional row gardens because you are eliminating the paths between the rows. You will plant blocks of vegetables in rows running across raised beds.
For example, begin at one end of the box and plant rows of carrots in a block running across the 3- or 4-foot bed. Then, plant rows of onions next to the carrots followed by rows of lettuce. Because bed that are not more than 4 feet wide are easy to access, there is no need for paths between the rows.
Container
If your space is limited to a patio or very small green space, consider planting your vegetables in containers. You can use a variety of containers from bushel baskets to traditional terracotta pots, but be sure they drain well. You might want to add an inch or two of gravel to the bottom of the pot to ensure good drainage. Choose pot sizes according to the type of vegetable you will plant in each pot. Most vegetables will require 5-gallon containers, but small vegetables like chives, green onions and most herbs do fine in pots 6 to 10 inches in diameter.
Companion Planting
Mixing vegetables and other species of plants in the same garden is known as companion planting. This type of garden design is fluid and many combinations of vegetables, herbs and flowers can be planted together, each benefiting from the other.
Planting marigolds with vegetables helps keep away many types of garden insects, while combining basil and tomatoes produces better flavor in both as well as repelling flies and mosquitoes. You can practice companion gardening in any garden design as well as mixing vegetables into your flower beds or bordering your garden paths with them.
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Whether you are short on garden space, have hard and rocky soil or simply prefer to grow vegetables in a raised bed, building a vegetable garden box allows you to grow more plants in less space. Homemade garden boxes, often made of wood, make tending plants simpler, as plants are generally grown closely and choke out weeds. A garden bed above the soil allows you to amend the soil for optimum drainage and to locate the box in a sunny location. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1
Purchase four sections of 2 inch by 6 inch lumber for each garden bed. Any lumber will do, but avoid pressure-treated wood, as the chemicals used to treat the wood may leach into the soil and contaminate your vegetables. Lumber comes in a variety of lengths and can be cut to any length you desire. Many raised beds are constructed with two 6- or 8-foot sides and two 4-foot sides, but they can be any size you wish. Beds that are 4 feet wide make it easy to reach the center of the bed from either side.
2
Purchase two sets of anchor joints designed to join 2 inch by 6 inch lumber for each bed you build (See resources). Many anchor joints can be stacked, allowing you to create a deeper bed by simply stacking the joints and adding the appropriate lumber. If you want to make a 12-inch bed, double the amount of lumber and anchor joints.
3
Measure the area you plan to place your vegetable box and mark the corners with a stake. Anchor one of the anchor joints into the soil at one of the marked corners. Slide the lumber into the slot on the anchor joint. Insert the second joint into the soil at the next marked corner and insert the lumber into the slot. Repeat until you have completed the bed. If you are adding a second layer, put the joints and lumber on top of the first layer.
4
Fill with soil and add seedlings or plant seeds directly in the soil. Water thoroughly and keep the soil evenly moist. Raised beds require more frequent watering than traditional gardens, as the soil dries out more quickly.
Few surroundings are more beautiful than a rose garden in full bloom. If you have the space, the sunlight and the inclination, you can turn your backyard or patio into a haven of roses, perfect for fragrant afternoons and relaxing summer evenings. With a little forethought, you can design a rose garden to fit any style landscape, from clipped and formal to wild and woolly. Does this Spark an idea?
The Traditional Rose Garden
The formal, traditional rose garden is laid out geometrically, often in the shape of a square or rectangle. Use paving stones or strips of sod to divide the garden into symmetrical beds. Plant tree roses (also called rose standards) at the four outer corners of the garden, and shrub roses and hybrids in the beds. If the rose garden is situated against a wall or trellis, plant climbing roses along its length as a backdrop. Arrange the roses in the beds by color, grouping warm shades such as reds and pinks, and cooler shades such as whites and yellows. Give each plant enough space so that it can be admired on its own.
Cottage and Container Rose Gardens
If the controlled, geometrical look isn't for you, or if you have an irregularly-shaped garden space, consider the cottage-style rose garden. The classic cottage garden appears unstudied and elegantly overgrown, but is actually the result of much planning. Climbing and shrub roses are at home in a cottage garden, as opposed to the more modern hybrid or tea roses. While some cottage rose gardens use roses exclusively, many situate other flowers and plants--even herbs and vegetables--between, and in front of, the roses to create a lush vista of color and foliage.
If your only gardening space is a balcony or patio, don't worry, you can still have your roses. Many smaller varieties of roses are perfectly happy growing in containers. Miniature roses are especially well-suited for life in a container, but any variety that grows between 2 and 5 feet tall is a good candidate. Buy large pots or build square, wooden tubs at least 16 inches deep to give the roots room to grow.
Planting Tips for Roses
However you decide to lay out your rose garden, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind. Roses need a good deal of light, at least six hours a day. (Cooler morning sun is preferable to strong afternoon sun, which can singe the flowers.) Before you plant, make certain that the garden is in an area with good soil and drainage, neither too dry nor too swampy after a rain. Roses prefer a soil pH of around 6.5 to 7.0, so test your soil beforehand and use soil mix-ins if necessary to change your soil to the correct acidity. Situate your roses far enough away from trees and shrubs so that they won't compete for root space. If you're planting rows of roses behind each other, be sure to plant the taller varieties behind the shorter ones, so that you won't accidentally hide your carefully-tended flowers.
