Even if you can’t work in your garden because the ground is frozen and covered with snow, you can still enjoy gardening by making a plan for how it will look in the new year. If you plan ahead, your garden will be more productive, easier to work in, and healthier. You’ll also keep your gardening skills sharp even when it’s freezing outside.
Answer five crucial questions to plan your garden…
1. Why are you gardening?
Of course, you’re gardening because you enjoy it, but what do you enjoy? A beautiful flower garden, a full vegetable garden, and a thriving berry patch all need different plans. You will also need different plans if your garden is for local wildlife or shares food with the neighborhood. If you know why you want to garden and what you want your garden to do, you can make the best plan to reach your gardening goals.
2. How big is your garden?
The size of your garden will affect not only how many plants you can grow, but also which plants will do best. For example, a small garden can’t support a lot of different vines that take up a lot of space. When thinking about space, you should also think about things like sheds, hedges, or trellises that might affect what you can or can’t grow. You should also think about how much light and water a certain space will get.
3. Style: What do you want your garden to look like?
Think about how the whole garden will look before you even plant the first seed or sprout. A formal, well-kept garden needs to be planned differently than a casual, freeform garden. Borders, paths, benches, and other unique spots can be great additions to your garden plan if they fit with your chosen design. You may also want to work with the different curves and levels in your yard when planning your garden design.
4. Care: How much work do you want to do in the garden?
When making plans for the new year, be realistic about how much time you will have to work in your garden. Do you travel a lot, work full time, or have other things you have to do? So you can give your garden the care it needs and deserves, you may need to choose plants that are easier to take care of or make it smaller. Plan your garden time around tasks like pruning, weeding, watering, harvesting, and other chores.
5. What do plants need to grow well in your garden?
Before you choose which plants to put in your garden, think about the type of soil you have, what nutrients are in it, and what the pH is. Also think about the amount of light, windbreaks, seasonal temperature changes, and watering needs. Write down what compost you have and how far apart the plants need to be or if they need to be covered with mulch. By paying close attention to what plants need, you can choose the ones that will do best in your garden.
If you carefully plan your garden for the new year, it will be more productive and fun to work in when planting season starts.
