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Can I get water to this spot by hose or by watering can, and will I be willing to carry a watering can this far if necessary? Either way, you'll want to make sure you'll have convenient access to a water source - either a spigot, or a sink with a tall faucet or bathtub. If you're in doubt about how far you may be willing to carry water, fill up your watering can or a bucket and trek around a little, keeping in mind that you may be doing that very thing once every day in the heat of summer!
How far away is this spot from the door you use most often to your home? This makes a BIG difference in how much attention your garden will get - After all, we're trying to build a new habit and it will help if you walk past your garden several times each day.
Think about the areas you might be considering for your garden in terms of other creatures. Do you have deer in your neighborhood? A great many squirrels or chipmunks? Rabbits? And if you are aware of a persistent pest problem in your existing lawn or landscape shrubs, directly adjacent to those areas might not be the best choice.
Is your potential garden spot in an area known to be especially wet or dry? If mildly so, these are issues that can be improved; but if a spot is excessively wet or dry you should probably choose another place.
What about wind? Wind isn't a great danger to most garden plants but may require you to stabilize plants better or water more often.
Think about how big you might want your garden to be. It may only be 1 square foot, big enough for one tomato, pepper, or squash plant. 4 such plants would require 4 square feet. You'll need to find a balance between how many vegetables you want to grow and how much area you might be willing to dig up and later maintain. It is very easy to take on too much garden at first, and end up feeling discouraged because you can't keep up with maintenance, so I suggest you start well within your comfort range.
Thinking through and answering these questions will help you choose the absolute best spot for your garden. And if you're okay with it, there's nothing wrong with starting a garden in the middle of your front yard! You'll likely feel more pressure to maintain it, but if that's not daunting to you, go for it! And just maybe you'll inspire your neighbors to start a garden too.
Please post questions about any of this as a comment - I'll be happy to answer them!
My most sunny spot is in the middle of my back yard. I have dogs, kids and the spot is terribly packed down with red clay. Short of building a fence and daring the kids to climb it, I am in a bit of a pickle. I also have a horrible problem with grub worms that like to eat the roots of the plants I plant. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteLacy, I think a garden in your back yard would definitely need to be fenced. Children can be taught to stay out of it to some degree, but dogs are another story. I know your back yard is certainly their domain! You could tear up a spot in your front yard though.... As far as grub worms, I'll have to look into that. I know that diatomaceous earth is an effective natural treatment for them, but it can get expensive.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we just need to convince Michael that they are the best fishing bait, EVER!
LOL, that way we can kill two birds with one stone or two fish with one hook. He He.
ReplyDelete