Garden Tip 1: Planning

Have you ever wanted your own garden? First think about what type of garden you want.
Types of gardens: Herbal Kitchen and medical, Fruits and veggie gardens, Decorative flowering gardens, Inside potted gardens, Porch potted gardens, window seal potted gardens.

Do you have a lot of space? or small space?

We did a potted garden for years although this worked great for when we lived in small places such as apartments and such, it was very limited on what we could do. we had many of the veggies and fruits, but it was still very limited on space wise. I couldn't grow all the things I really wanted and had to chose just a few things. This option is great for those just starting out and getting the hang of it all. Suggested Plants to do in pots all year: Tomato (try to pick 2-3 plants I did one of each: Cherry, Beefstock, and grape tomato), Basil, mint, spearmint, peppermint, catnip, peppers, oregano, dill, eggplant. Hanging baskets of cucumbers, strawberries, pumpkins (small), Peas, Beans these plants did well from hanging baskets but one could put them in big pots with steaks and tie the vines up as they grow.

When we moved out of the apartment our new home wasn't much better big pine trees every where and far too much shade with no space to have a garden. So we went without one for 4 years.

Our new place has the following issues: Grey clay and grass that wont go away. So this years solution to our garden is simple. We tilled 6 long beds we eyeballed it on width and length but if you are the more percise person measure and tie out your beds. We then will be adding the following to the beds:

Hay : This is free from our local expo center it is all ready broken down some with manure from past shows. Check your local expo center about there wast hay or even your local animal action house. Or if you have friends with stables ask them for there hay from the stables.

Compost conditioner and compost: The conditioner was 2.98 a bag from home depot we got 15. Compost is the left over veggies and organic matter from our kitchen.

Top Soil this is about 1.00 a bag at wal mart we wanted things that didnt have fertilizer in it.

We layered all this on our tilled spots. Then we covered with plastic drop cloth weighed down with yard stuff such as limbs, rocks and so forth.

This will allow the beds to worm up and break down more. Once broke down they will be ready for transplant.

While our beds are cooking we started all our seeds indoors. We used a combination of peat pods and pots with compost conditioner. By the time April Comes around everything will be ready to be placed into the ground.
What we started Indoors: Tomatoes, Peppers, Catnip, Lavender, Cucumber, Icicle Radish, watermelons, Pumpkin, Cucumbers, Dill, Chives, Sage, Chamomile, Strawberries, Potatoes, Chard, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Eggplant, zucchini, lemon balm, leeks, Brussels sprouts, thyme.

We have plenty we haven't started yet but these will be planted directly into the ground.

We Also started an earth worm farm for our compost bin this will be a great investment for us for years to come.

Picks to come on a good sunny day :)