When and how to start your garden

Spring is an exciting time for me. The air is cool and refreshing, the buds of bold greenery poking their curious heads from the ground, tulips of all colors popping up EVERYWHERE! And Phlox... like a magical purple and white carpet cascading in tiny flowers over beds and gardens everywhere. Life is new and beautiful. Now is the time to plant your garden or flower pots or beds or boxes or... you get my point! 

  Mother’s day is usually the best time to gauge the last frost and so accordingly, this is when i begin preparing my garden beds for planting. If you are a brand new gardener you will want to decide where to put your garden, and how big of an area you will need. Most fruits and vegetables require a lot of sunlight, so a sunny area is best. Make sure the soil here is appropriate for gardening.  For example, i tried to til up an area once that was full of gravel and no matter how much soil I added to this spot the stones would find a way to the top. Needless to say, not much grew there. Find an area where you have naturally rich soil. You can always add more soil or nutrient rich compost (I will talk about composting later), but steer clear of rocky areas, spots with too much clay, or areas with tree roots.  

Mark off your garden area by using a stake at each corner and string tied to each one to form a square or rectangle or whatever shape you’re feeling that day!  Dig up this area, or if you are lucky, you know someone with a rototiller. Remove any sod by shaking the excess dirt from the roots. You can add this to your compost pile, or use it as a fantastic way to repair bare patches in your yard! Using a garden rake, pull out all the large debris, sticks, stones, etc... Rake it smooth. Sometimes I will add a layer of miracle grow or other garden soil and work it into the existing soil to give it a boost! Now you are ready to plant!!!!