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Organic Home Gardening
I am really passionate about organic gardening, and I believe this pursuit can add immeasurable value to your life.
Just a few of the benefits of having an organic home garden (aka kitchen vegetable garden):
- an organic home garden enhances the look and feel of your home/property
- an organic vegetable garden feeds your family the healthiest possible produce
- organic gardens encourage biodiverse ecosystems- this is great for the environment
An garden can be a small or a large committment. If you have never grown vegetables before,
you might want to start out with organic container gardening. I did this for several years
before I got the confidence to go bigger.
Or you could start with just 1 or 2 raised beds...
If you're sure want a bigger garden, make sure to spend some time evaluating your property to determine the best site.
Planning a successful and beautiful kitchen garden takes time, so don't rush.
Draw a map of what you'd like your garden to look like and consider things like:
- How much sun does your proposed garden site receive? (Remember that if it's less than 6-8 hours a day, it's probably not an appropriate site for growing vegetables...)
- What do you want to grow? A few basic veggies or a large assortment of heirloom varieties?
- What is your soil like? Getting a soil test is always a good idea, but at the very least, you can add nutrients
by amending your soil with compost and other organic matter...
- Are you going to use raised beds? How many will you need? What dimensions will they be?
- Will you be bringing in soil and compost to fill the beds? How much will you need?
- How will you water? Can you utilize rainbarrels or an irrigation system?
- Do you have critters that you want to keep out of your garden? Are they small or large?
If you need a fence, how high does it need to be and what will you construct it with?
- How will you maximize space in your new garden? Can you utilize structures that will allow your vegetables to grow
vertically (ex. cages for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc.; fences or trellises for climbing beans/peas, etc.)
- How much time are you willing to put in to the maintenance of your garden? Be realistic and try not to bite off more that you can chew.
If you find that something you need to do is out of your skill set (like building raised beds or a fence), you can always hire
help. Or, if you have like-minded friends, you could organize garden work days where you help each other with different projects. I have participated in several garden building
days at my childrens' schools and it always amazes me how much lighter the work is and how much can get done when there are lots of people on hand to help!
Connecting with other gardeners in your community can be a great way to get any questions/confusion you have about getting started
sorted out. I have found that seasoned gardeners love sharing their knowledge and experiences.
Books can also be very helpful-- below are some of my favorite organic home gardening resources.
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I want YOUR DIY Tips for Gardening!
Please submit it to the site- it's fun, easy, and free and you'll
get your very own page at Healthy Green Lifestyle!
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