Planting Your Summer Garden

When it comes to planting your garden the first thing you need to focus on is planning. Once you have a handle on the things you want to plant, where you want to plant them, and what the needs of your individual plants will be, it's time to really dig in and get your hands dirty. Of course, for many gardeners this is the best thing about growing a summer garden (though some will argue that the results are the best thing).

transplanting plants from starter pots to the garden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before the planting begins however you should take a calendar and mark the days that each part of your summer garden will be planted. Different flowers and vegetables have different growing seasons. Some prosper by earlier plantings while others thrive by later plantings. If you are planting a summer vegetable garden then many of the plants will need a precise number of days between planting and harvesting. Both the plant and harvest days should be noted. This also however provides an excellent opportunity to plant more of the vegetable (and some flowers) every two weeks to provide a continuous rotation of the vegetable you love throughout the gardening season.

Plants that are known to take up a great deal of space on the ground when left to their own devices (cucumbers, melons, squash, etc.) may be trained to climb poles that you set up in the garden for them. If space is limited, this is highly recommended. Doing this also provides an opportunity to shade plants that prefer less direct sunlight when planted next to these climbing vines that are climbing vertically. Also make sure you have enough stakes for all the plants that require them for best effect.

Plant your plants so that those needing shade get the shade they need and those that require the most water are located on a downward slope so that they get the water that runs off from the plants that require lesser amounts of water. This is a trick of conservationists and seasoned gardeners that makes the most of sometimes limited resources such as water for the purpose of creating a better environment for optimal growth. At the same time you want to avoid planting vegetables and flowers that require less water at the bottom of these slopes as they are likely to become over hydrated, which can be just as devastating as not getting enough water.

Compost (Photo credit: nancybeetoo)

Make sure your soil is healthy so that it can create the healthy plants you are hoping to have. Fertilize the soil in which these plants, flowers, and vegetables will be grown with plenty of compost. This provides the foundation necessary for optimal performance from your plants and greatest yield from your vegetables. You should also take great care once the planting has taken place that the plants, flowers, and vegetables that make up your summer garden are well fed in order to produce even better results. There are plenty of organic fertilizers and plant foods from which to choose nowadays, or make your own compost tea from well-decomposed compost. (See our recent blog post on this for how-tos: http://nhlsustainablegardening.blogspot.com/2012/04/video-make-your-own-compost-tea.html)

Plan your pest control before you begin planting your garden. There are some plants, flowers, and herbs that work as natural pest controls. These make an excellent addition to your garden as they offer no harmful side effect and can rid your garden of many of the pests that provide constant head aches. Another thing you may wish to consider is the use of chicken wire to protect some of your plants from things a little bigger than the average bug. The more humane the methods of pest control and the less you rely on pesticides the better. (For a few good home-made pest remedies, check out this recent blog post: http://nhlsustainablegardening.blogspot.com/2012/04/four-safe-home-made-pest-remedies-for.html )

And most of all, enjoy getting out in your garden and having a little one-on-one time with nature! It's good for the body and the soul.