Vegetables need eight or more hours of direct sunlight a day. So do most flowers (some can grow in partial sun or shade). So observe your property: You can drive stakes to mark the shady areas as the sun moves across the sky. Choose a sunny spot: No plant will thrive without enough light.
A wise Chinese proverb says, “The best fertilizer is the gardener’s footsteps.” My corollary? “The farther away the garden is, the less you’ll end up doing in it.” If you can just step outside to putter in the garden, you’ll be more likely to do so.
A: No. Thatch is caused by roots growing near the surface. Mulching helps to deter thatch by helping with the decomposition process.
Good soil grows good plants, so, all else being equal, choose a spot where the soil is dark brown and loose, not hard clay or sandy. If the ground is poor, work to improve it and/or use raised beds.
Don’t pick a spot where water settles and stays. (Roots rot.) If you must, grow in raised beds, or divert the water with ditches and drains.
Sure, you want to grow everything. The first year, don’t. One 4’ x 12’ bed can be plenty. Don’t let your eyes get too big for your hoe. Restrain thyself now, or come August, you’ll regret it.
Pat Stone is the Editor of GreenPrints, “The Weeder’s Digest,” the prize-winning magazine that shares the personal side of gardening.
