Planning A Garden

The first thing in garden making is the selection of a position. Without a choice, it means simply making the best one can with conditions. With space limited it resolves itself into having no garden, or a container garden. Surely a box garden is better than having no garden at all.

But we will now say that it is practicable to genuinely select just the right place for our garden. What will you select? The biggest deciding factor is the sun. No one would pick a north corner, unless it was absolutely neccessary; because, while north corners do for ferns, certain wild flowers, and begonias, they are of little use as places for a general garden.

If possible, choose a southern exposure as the perfect situation. In this place, the sun lies warm all day long. When the garden is thus situated the rows of veggies and flowers should run north and south. Placed like this, the plants get the sun’s rays all of the morning on the eastern side, and all the afternoon on the western side. One ought not to have any lopsided plants with this arrangement.

Imagine the garden aspects southeast. In this case the west sun is out of the problem. In order to get the optimal distribution of sunlight run the rows northwest and south-east.

The idea is to get the most sunlight as evenly spread as accomplishable for the greatest period of time. From the lopsided growing of window plants it is easily seen the effect on plants of badly spread light. So if you use a little diagram, remembering that you would like the sun to shine part of the day on one side of the plants and some on the other, you can juggle out any situation. The southern exposure gives the perfect case because the sun gives nearly half time to both sides. A northern exposure may mean an almost entire cut-off from sunlight; while northeast and southwest positions constantly get uneven distribution of the sun’s rays, no matter how carefully this is planned.

If possible, the garden, should be planned out on paper. This plan is a great help when the real planting time comes. It saves time and the unnecessary buying of seeds.

New garden spots are probably to be found in two conditions: they are covered either with turf or with rubbish. In large garden areas the ground is ploughed and the sod turned under; but in small gardens remove the sod.

The next question is how to take off the turf in the best style. Stake and line off the garden position. The line gives an accurate and straight path to follow. Cut the borders with the spade all along the line. If the area is a little one, say four feet by eighteen or twenty, this is an easy thing. Such a narrow strip can be marked off identical to a checker board, the turf cut through with the spade, and easily removed. This could be done in two long strips cut lengthwise of the strip. When the turf is cut through, roll it right up like a roll of carpet.

But assume the garden plot is big. Then split this up into strips a foot wide and remove the turf as before. What shall be done with the sod? Do not throw it away because it is full of richness, although not quite in available form. So pack the sod grass side down one square on another. Allow it to decompose and to weather. When decomposed it produces a fine plant food. Such a pile of rotting veggie matter is called a compost pile. All over the summertime add any old green veggie matter to this. In the fall put the autumn leaves on. A fine lot of goodness is being fixed for another season.

Even when the garden is big enough to plough, I would pick out the largest pieces of sod instead of having them turned under. Go over the ploughed space, pick out the bits of sod, shake them well and pack them up in a compost heap.

Mere spading of the ground is not adequate. The soil is still left in clods. As you spade you should break up the big lumps. But even so the ground is in no condition for planting. Ground must be very fine indeed to plant in, because seeds can get very close indeed to fine particles of soil. But the large clumps leave big spaces which no tiny root hair can penetrate. A seed is left stranded in a perfect waste when planted in clods of soil. A baby surrounded with great pieces of beefsteak would starve. A seed among large clumps of soil would be in a similar situation. The spade never can do this work of pulverizing the soil. But the rake can. That’s the value of the rake. It is a great lump breaker, but will not do for huge lumps. If the soil still has big lumps in it get the hoe.

Many people handle the hoe awkwardly. The chief work of this implement is to free the soil of weeds and stir up the top surface. It is used in summer to make that mulch of dust so valuable in retaining moisture in the soil. I frequently see people as if they were going to chop up into atoms everything around. Hoeing should never be such vigorous work as that. Spading is strenuous, hard work, but not hoeing and raking.

After lumps are broken use the rake to get the bed fine and smooth. Now the great piece of work is done.

Find more tips at Gardening Tips, Gifts, And Equipment.

Tags: Gardening