All About The Garden

Have you ever wanted to start a garden but just don’t know where to begin?

You might be wondering things like, can I plant this now or can I even grow this in my area?

When you’re unsure what to do, it’s hard to move forward.

The good news is, you can easily bring order to the chaos by planning out your year in your garden in advanced. 

In this post, I’ll lay out how to have a year round garden and provide 3 ways that I stay focused and organized through the year. I hope that this will give you a roadmap so you can get started with your own backyard garden and have fresh organic produce just steps away from your home.

What is the Perfect Plan for a Year Round Garden?

THINK NOW SO THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO THINK LATER

Through my many years of homesteading and homeschooling, I have learned that putting in a little work and organization in the beginning can make life move smoother and gives me more options in the moment.

My husband Shawn likes to say:

Today Shawn is helping future Shawn

when he is making time to prepare.

By making time to plan. using good resources, and physically preparing in advance, your dreams of having year round produce at your finger tips are well on the way. 

Use Local Resources

I don’t mean finding local seeds or soil- (ALL THAT IS GOOD!!!)

What I mean is that you need to find a local gardening book. A book that is specific to your area.

This is a crucial component because having local information will be like a neighbor who has prior gardening knowledge and will give you customized advice. 

Many people who are new to gardening start out on the right track but then get stuck because they are using a very general book for information.

And then they wind up getting frustrated with the lack of information and the frequency of personal mistakes because of the broad spectrum of information that they are using to base their growing plan from.

The key to having fresh produce just moments from your door is knowing what works and what does not work in your area.

To get started here, you can find a local university and try to find a professor that teaches about gardening, then see if he has written a book. 

Another way to find a good local authority on gardening is befriending a farmer that sells to the farmers market. Sometimes these farms offer classes on Saturday to visit and learn. 

I personally live in a very small town and we have neither a farmers market or university. The book that I learn from and base tons of planning from is actually based in the big city that is an hour away from me. I do make slight adjustments but for the most part the information is right on target.

PLAN and Then PLAN Some More!!

I like to plan the whole year at once. 

I have kids and get interrupted so for me this takes several secessions. But take some time to prepare for the future garden. 

You could spend hours trying to make a crop produce but the weather could be too warm or cold and the whole thing is a bust. Likely the piece that’s missing is planning. 

What can you do?

Clear a spot at your table and have a calendar and the local book that you have acquired. Decide on what veggies you and your family would like to eat. Never grow crops that you would not eat. Find when to seed, if they need to be direct sown or seed started in a tray, when they can be planted in the garden, and then when the plant is harvestable. 

You can use a planner or even simply print off the twelve months. I like to give myself small tasks everyday to do in the garden so that it does not seem overwhelming. If I get behind, I might take a day to catch up and get on track. I write when to seed and when to harvest. I like the reminder on when to harvest because I know how long the plant will be in the ground and can then plant something right after the harvest of that plant. 

Make Your Garden In The Winter

Yes, I tell people all the time to make their spring garden NOW. If you are in summer, fall or winter. It is a good time to create a garden for the spring.

I have a bad habit of making one every fall/winter and so have several different gardens going. I live on a small property and eventually I will run out of room for more gardens but until then……

Here’s where you’ll really start to gain traction. You see all the other people who want to begin a garden in the spring will wait till the spring to dig a bed. They will spend tons of energy creating this space and may even run out when it comes time to plant. If you take my advice and prepare a space in the previous months and let it sit, you will start sooner and have much more energy to put into the project. 

Of course, preparing a bed will take time and possibly in the winter when it is colder outside. BUT consider how good it will feel to walk up to a prepared bed right when you are ready to plant. 

The easiest way to make a garden bed is to

• Weed the area down but do not dig up the soil
• Then layer brown cardboard with out tape
• Outline the space with wood, logs, metal edging, or stones
• Then, simply fill with soil. Personally get soil delivered every fall, a mix of garden soil and mushroom compost. Always know your sources. My father has gotten bad soil before and it has ruined his whole growing season once.

Once you’re done,  you’ll be well on your way to a backyard grocery store.

Putting it All Together for Your Perfect Back Yard Garden

There you have it! The 3 components to set you up for success in creating your backyard garden.

It may sound like a lot, but like most things practice makes perfect. Just focus on taking small steps. Break down the preparation into bites that you can take before the spring comes. This will help you accomplish more and have more options in the long run.

What’s next? Watch a Video that Includes Even More Tips and Tricks on Building a Successful Backyard Garden

If you need help getting started, my video-Start A Garden Now will help you create a garden so you can be a successful backyard gardener.

Click here