Garden Planning Motives: Your Garden’s Personalized Transformation!

Picture this: a garden that not only flourishes but becomes your personal haven, where nature’s symphony orchestrates a beautiful harmony, tailored to your unique strengths and aspirations.

To manifest this wonderful sanctuary you envision, some planning is necessary. I realize some of you are excited by planning, and some, well, not so much.

As a seasoned gardener, my journey has been interwoven with an illuminating understanding of the profoundly positive impact garden planning has on creating the garden of your dreams, be it a small veggie patch, flower bed or your whole yard.

Three Motives for Garden Planning

light green number 1 in a dark green an lavender circle

You don’t miss opportunities by doing a bit of garden planning. 

I remember a couple who bought a house and put a shed where they thought it *should* go.  Then the following year, when they want to put in some veggies and summer flowers, they realized they had built the shed in the sunniest part of their yard, so they were coming to me to see how to grow tomatoes in the shade!

Actualize your garden goals and dreams – on time.

New gardeners don’t tend to think about gardening until it is past time for the spring garden, to build garden beds or start seeds. This means they start their learning curve late, if they start at all. 

And, just because seasoned gardeners know the schedule, that doesn’t mean they always make it – plus – I have found they tend to get in a rut with their garden, which begins degrading their garden over time, and minimized their yield. 

You save money.

In case you don’t know, you spend way more money buying plants than if you start from seed, even with an initial investment in seed starting equipment.

In addition, trying to build a garden quickly to get in a summer garden, means you spend money on inputs like soil, than if you planned ahead and let nature do the work for you.

Garden Planning Styles Vary

Gardeners approach planning their annual vegetable garden differently.

Some meticulous plan everything to the smallest detail, while some grab a few plants from a parking-lot seller as an afterthought on their way back to the car.  Most are somewhere in between.

I love planning my garden, but I have gardened long enough to know that some crops will fail every year, that some ideas turn out to be brilliant, some unexpected and some a disaster, which makes for a good lesson I can pass on to you.

Over the decades I have gardened, I have honed my garden planning into systems to simplify garden planning processes.

For those who love to plan, it quickens their process.

For those who don’t dig planning, it allows them a short-cut to start planning to actualize their garden goals and dreams.

First Step to Garden Planning

The first step in garden planning is observation, because it is here where you set the stage for the bounty that is to come.

Observe:

  • How much sun and shade you have in each area of your potential growing area.
  • If you have critters. Look for both those who might be helpful for your garden, such as pollinators, or harmful ones such as deer. (Unless you are going for a wildlife garden)
  • What is it that grows in your climate that you and your household like to eat.
  • The amount of time you have to garden. This allows you to make wise choices on how much space to garden in what way – annuals vs. perennials – containers vs. in-ground.

Imagine embarking on a journey where your garden becomes an extension of your being—a canvas for your creativity and a haven for tranquility.

What truly distinguishes my system is the fusion of creativity and precision. I possess the uncanny ability to dance between these two realms effortlessly. For you, this means the opportunity to have support in manifesting a garden that transcends the mundane, while being grounded in simple, tested systems that ensures your garden flourishes organically.

My support isn’t just about planting seeds; it’s about nurturing your dreams and empowering you with the tools to watch them bloom into vibrant realities.

Why Choose My Garden Planning System?

  • Illuminating Guidance: Personalized support that aligns with your unique strengths.
  • Artistic Vision: Assist you in manifesting gardens that reflect your unique style and approach.
  • Simplified Systems: Streamlined processes that make organic gardening a joyous endeavor.

Let’s embark on this journey together, where your garden becomes a testament to your inner creativity and a sanctuary of natural harmony.

Uncover amazing collaboration and take the leap toward an organic garden that not only thrives but becomes a living, breathing masterpiece—a reflection of your unique spirit and my innovative approach to organic gardening.

Book a 15-minute Free Discovery Call today, and let’s unveil the true potential of your organic garden.

Together, we’ll transform it into the oasis you’ve always envisioned. I’m here to guide, inspire, and witness your garden flourish into a testament of your organic journey.

Look forward to talking with you soon!

Debby

Mix it up! Companion Plant your Annual Vegetable Garden

Make the most of your garden space by mixing flowers and herbs with your annual vegetables.

Backyard Foodscape
Backyard Foodscape incorporates flowers and herbs along with vegetables.

Pairing the right plants together, those that gardeners have observed grow well together, allows plants to do some of your garden work for you. This accomplishes several functions as we can see…

One classic example showing some ways plants work together is the native American corn/beans/squash combination:

Poll beans climb up the corn stalk, so the corn is the support, or trellis, for the bean.  So the corn just saved you from building a pole bean trellis. The bean is a member of the legume family of plants. This plant family are what are called ‘nitrogen fixers’, which means they capture nitrogen and store it in nodules on their roots, making it available for other plants to take it in. Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so in exchange for the support the corn gives the beans, the beans feed the corn. The beans just saved you from having to add something to feed your corn. The squash plants wind all around the base of the corn and beans, providing them shade cover to keep moisture in the soil longer for all of them. The squash just saved you from watering as much or putting down mulch to hold moisture in the soil.  A couple nice additions to this already cool combo are:

  • Sunflowers in the mix to also support beans and provide seeds for humans and birds.
  • Nasturtiums attract a ‘beneficial bug’ called hoverflies.  Beneficial bugs are so named because they prey on other bugs that like to eat your food, although, in a diverse ecosystem, all bugs are beneficial to maintain balance. Hoverflies like to eat bugs like aphids and thrips.  Nasturtiums repel loads of critters who want to eat your crops including: cabbage loppers, worms and weevils; squash, cucumber and bean beetles and more.  In addition, the leaves and flowers are edible!

Companion planting is a good way to design your garden beds. See what plants go together and plant in those combinations. Start with simple combinations and then get more complex over time. Good places to start are:

  • tomatoes/lettuce/onions/marigolds/parsley
  • peppers/basil/marigolds/chamomile
  • peas/carrots/lettuce
  • bush beans/potatoes/flax
  • cucumbers/radishes/nasturtiums/dill

Squash & Nasturtiums. Nasturtiums are good companions for not only cucumbers, but also squash and melons.

Another reason to use companion planting is it makes a beautiful garden, as these photos show, and remember, beauty is food too!

Container gardeners, you can do this too!  The same combinations apply, either in the same container, or containers that are next to each other.

I’ll write more companion planting, so check back.

3 Garden Planning Factors – Foundations of Organic Gardening Info Series

There are many factors to consider when planning your garden, but here are three basic ones to get your started:

Garden beds on contour
Also consider your slope and build plan to use the contour of your property.

1. What do you like to eat. If you grow something you like to eat, and want to eat, you’ll be more motivated to take care of it, which translates into a more successful garden

2. How much space do you want to use. I tell people to start small even if you want to transform your entire property into food production. If so, do a whole property design, but then prioritize what order you want to create each area in. You can have it all, but take it a chunk at a time

3. How much light do you have in the space you want to use. Really knowing how much light you have in each area is critical to successful garden design, especially if you want sun loving plants like tomatoes and berry bushes for example. Cool weather crops that like shade in summer are easier because you have more options if you have shady areas. Knowing how much sun you have in each area of your space allows you to be more successful and not waste time trying to grow something that needs at least 6 hours of sun in a place that doesn’t get over 3 hours. Be realistic and grow what you can be successful growing, your rewards will be greater.

Want more ? Our  Foundations of Organic Garden Course   is packed with workshops and worksheets to help you.