How To Grow A Garden

Growing A Garden 101

How to begin thinking about growing a garden

When you've finally made enough space to have your garden, you have decided to have one of those backyards (or front yards) where you can be proud of, and when your friends come over, you can show off your gardening skills. But, it's not that easy. No, not only do you need to have enough space, but you need to develop steps to plan your gardening.

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First, break down what kind of garden you want to have. Not only are there tons of different types of plants to choose from, but there are many kinds of garden plants that you can grow. For the sake of time, let's break them down into edible or non-edible plants. Both serve their purposes, and thankfully, you can do both! Edible, of course, has a high function in the sense that you can eat what you grow, so there is no wasted space. Non-edible garden plants are great for decoration and can keep sure critters at bay.

Something to think about before you plant anything: what kinds of plants live symbiotically with each other? A symbiotic relationship, especially when talking about garden plants, can be detrimental to your plant's health. For example, if you plant chilies next to flowering plants, deer and other creatures will be less likely to eat those flowering plants because of the chili's presence.

Steps to plan your gardening:

Make enough room for whatever you want to plant. Make sure you think outside of the box. You can always have plants in hanging baskets or construct vertical trellises for edible and non-edible plants.

What kind of construction do you need to protect your plants? Are you going to need to build boxes or fences to keep the plants in and the animals out?

How much space are you going to need? Sometimes, plants that you wouldn't expect get very large and can kill other plants because there isn't enough room.

Most important: keep in mind what the plants need regarding light, water, and shade. I had to learn this the hard way with basil—Darn San Francisco weather.

Over time, you will have mastered all of the steps above, and you can make smooth and swift decisions on what kinds of garden plants you want to have. But understand that it takes a lot of practice, patience, and persistence to get it just right and have a garden that you can indeed be proud of. And always remember: gardening is suitable for your soul and your belly!