How to Start A Garden

So, after the composting fiasco I decided to do a little research before I took any further steps on my garden. How in the world do you start a garden from scratch? I assumed that you don't just start haphazardly throwing seeds and bulbs in the ground, but beyond that I had no idea. I put this question to the wise gardeners at Garden Stew and did some further poking around, and I think I've come up with a general plan.

The first thing to do is to assess your soil conditions. This makes sense because -- along with the degree of sun and shade you have in your garden -- the quality and nature of your soil will largely decide which plants will grow best in your yard. Plus, if you know what nutrients your soil is lacking, you'll know the proper type of fertilizer or soil amendment to buy. I was recommended to buy a soil test kit and take samples of the soil in various spots in my yard. A good soil test kit tests for:

• pH - this is the level of acidity in soil. If the acidity is too high or too low, your plants won't be able to absorb the nutrients in your soil.

• Nitrogen - this gas is necessary for strong growth of stems, stalks and leaves. Too much nitrogen will cause the stalks, stems and leaves to grow too rapidly and will slow down flower and seed formation; too little renders plants at greater risk of disease or infection.

• Phosphorous - the proper amount stimulates root formation and speeds up maturation.

• Potassium - again, a balanced amount of potassium stimulates root formation. Too much will result in delayed plant maturity.

A really good soil test will also include a comprehensive list the ideal soil balance for hundreds of flowers, plants and trees. I haven't begun looking for a soil test kit yet, so I don't know how common the inclusion of a list like this is in France.

The next step is to assess the sun and shade patterns for your yard. As you might expect, this means that you need to take note of where in your garden the sunlight hits (and to what degree and for how long), and where there is shade (taking note of how much). Obviously, this is key in determining which plants will flourish. For more information on how to figure out the sun and shade patterns of your yard, check out this link. It goes into more detail on the subject than I would have thought possible - talking about observing the differing length of shadows and whatnot -- but in a totally accessible way.

Once you've tested your soil and assessed the sun and shade patterns, it's time to draw up a plan of the space you've allotted for your garden and consider which flower, trees, and plants you want. Of course, this also means that you'll need to do some research on which plants are right for your soil and climate. For hints, peep into your neighbor's garden (his garden, not his windows), and ask at your local gardening store.

In terms of thinking about what type of garden you want, here is something seasoned gardeners asked me that I didn't expect: What kind of "theme" do you want for your garden? This really stumped me, as I never really thought of the average house garden as having a theme beyond vegetable, organic, or - for the really intense gardener - Japanese. But taking a look around gardening forums, I see that themes are big things for gardeners. Stuff like "butterfly gardens," "water gardens," "shade gardens," "hummingbird gardens" and so forth. I was really amazed at the creativity people display. Who knew?

I thought I wasn't really into themes, until I saw one gardening forum that was all about "fragrant gardens." I really liked that idea: imaging walking in your garden and being struck, not only by the colors of the flowers, but by a host of wonderful fragrances. Mmmmm. So, maybe I'll aim for that.

Of course, when I asked my husband what he thought the theme should be, he said something like, “view blockage.” It’s true that we don’t want anyone to be able to stare into our garden from the second story of their home, and there’s a really ugly house across the street that we’d rather not see, but come on! Here am I thinking of tumbling, fragrant flowers, and there he is thinking of large, view-blocking trees. No thought whatsoever to sun-and-shade patterns and how that will affect the rest of the garden! I think we’re going to have a serious talk before planning gets underway.

Anyway, these three/four steps are, I think, a good way to start a garden when you're beginning with nothing as we are.

We're off to the house this weekend - it's been two weeks and I'm very interested to see how our compost heap is going! (Despite having had too much wood ash.)