LITCHFIELD - If you are a first-time gardener, or maybe you are building a new bed to add to your gardening collection, this article is for you. When preparing for your new garden bed there are a few things that are crucial to setting your garden up for success. Decide what you want from your garden, design your garden layout, and then prepare your garden for planting.
Knowing what you want from your garden in the forefront is really important but it's not always something people spend much time thinking about. People grow gardens for lots of reasons. Most commonly, gardens grow from a place of necessity. Kitchen gardens were just part of life for everyone not that long ago. Now gardening is a totally foreign concept to most people. I garden because I have a strong desire to grow my own food. Do you want a garden for food? Perhaps for beauty or enjoyment? Some people grow a garden simply to create a food source for our pollinators. Whatever your reason is, it's important for you to know it and understand it. This will help you figure out how much space you will need for your garden.
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Once you have this figured out you can then design your garden's layout. What kind of infrastructure will you need? Will your garden require beds, trellising, or ornamental features? Some people just need a couple of pots, or a raised garden bed or two. Some people need beds, trellising and enjoyment features like benches or a gazebo. Maybe, if you're like me, you have big plans including beds, trellising, and features, but you can't do it all at once. I just want to be a supportive voice that reminds you that it's OK to do what you can. Just because you can't do it all, doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything. Do what you can this year, and then add to it next year. Slow and steady wins the race, right?
Once you have your garden layout designed, it's time to prepare it for your plants. The best way to get your brand new garden beds prepared is to lay down a layer of cardboard to smother out the grass and weeds. Next, you'll want to cover up the cardboard with soil and compost. Watering it all in well will help the nutrients from the compost to seep down into the soil and soaking the cardboard helps form it to the earth and begin its breaking down process. Doing this now will give your beds time to break down slightly and be ready for planting when the ground is warm enough to support your plants.
I hope this encourages you to not only think about kitchen gardening, but also beauty gardening. I hope you get out there and get your hands dirty! Please feel free to share your experience and tips on my Instagram or Facebook page @BottomViewFarmIL.
Kris Hart lives in Litchfield and has a small hobby farm making strides towards sustainable living and organic/heirloom gardening. Contact her at kris.hart17@yahoo.com.
This story was originally printed in the March 2022 issue of The Prairie Land Buzz Magazine, a free magazine distributed monthly in 11 IL counties. For more information, additional stories and more, visit http://www.thebuzzmonthly.com.
