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Honey Do List: Planning your planting

Is it unseasonably warm? Yes.

Is it spring? No. [Not with the weatherman predicting temperatures close to freezing for this weekend.]

But this weather sure does make you think about getting outside and doing some projects. One timely activity would be planning and mapping out your spring garden.

Many gardeners today expect to provide more than just vegetables for the family. Gardens are laid out to fit smaller spaces, to be more easily cared for and, many times, to be more decorative than the gardens many of us grew up with.  

Raised beds and elevated beds are great ways to make a garden easier to work and can be great space savers. With these types of gardens there is no need to till the ground, and you may even locate different beds in different parts of your yard to make the best use of space.

Keep beds to within four feet wide and you can easily reach across to tend your plants. They are much easier on your back, and you don’t even have to get your shoes dirty.

You may already have an idea of the vegetables and flowers you want to grow, so do a little research to see which ones like more sun and water. Putting these together is a good idea. Watch out for some plants that cross-pollinate, like corn.

There is a great guide on “theseedbank.net/articles-info-how-tos/vegetable-cross-pollination-guide.”

Now, pay attention to your intended garden spots for a few days and make note of the hours of sun and shade each one gets. If it rains, notice how the water drains or doesn’t.

Armed with all of this information, you should grab a pencil and paper and draw a sketch of your proposed garden. Make sure taller plants don’t overshadow shorter ones, faster growing plants don’t block out slower growing varieties, and running plants don’t choke out their neighbors.

Hey, it’s not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to have a successful garden. Next week, we’ll talk tillers.

Good luck with planning your planting, and remember, help is just around the corner at your local hardware store.  



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