How to Grow a Garden for Enjoyment

Add more plants to your garden when you feel comfortable with your gardening skills.

Gardening is a common pastime because many people find it both relaxing and rewarding. When you grow a garden, your hard work is rewarded with beautiful flowers or delicious fruits and vegetables to eat. Before you get digging in the dirt, it is a good idea to come up with a plan on paper so you know exactly where your garden will be placed and what types of things you will plant. If you have never built your own garden before, focus on growing either a flower or vegetable garden. Does this Spark an idea?

Things You'll Need

• Graph paper
• Pencil
• Shovel or spade
• Soil and compost
• Rototiller
• Plants or seeds
• Hose
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Select a location for your garden. When selecting a location, think about the types of plants you want to grow. Some plants grow best in areas that have direct sunlight and others grow best in shaded areas.

2. Draw out a map of your yard and indicate where the garden will be placed. Use graph paper and draw everything to scale. This will help you determine how much soil and other materials you will need to create your garden. Make sure you indicate exactly where you intend to place your various plants in the garden.

3. Use a shovel or spade to dig out the area where you want your garden to be placed. Your yard is likely covered in grass and therefore you will need to remove the grass. Dig down about 6 inches to remove the grass from the garden.

4. Build up your flowerbed or garden with organic soil and compost. Fill the flower bed until it is the desired height—some people like the garden to be higher than the surrounding grass. After you have laid the soil, use a rototiller to turn it up and mix it.

5. Plant your plants or seeds according to your garden plan. When growing a garden, you are not limited to growing plants from scratch. If you do not want to sow your own seeds, visit a nursery and select already sprouted plants to help you get a head start. Water the garden, and add any fertilizer the plants might require. Continue taking care of your plants with regular watering and you will soon reap the benefits of your hard work.

References

• Weekend Gardener: Start a Vegetable Garden
• Yardener: Digging The New Flower Bed