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Garden Prep 101: Getting Ready for Planting Season
That is why seed catalogs are a priceless tool for any gardener. Leafing through these resources can make plant selection easy and fun. With a garden design and journal from last year in hand, it will be a cinch to narrow down the choices for this year’s garden. A successful gardener doesn’t have to grow all their plants from seed. Most nurseries offer a wide range of small herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers to transplant directly into the garden. However, starting plants from seed does provide more variety, is usually less expensive and can grow plants that are more disease resistant. Selecting plants native to your region attracts wildlife and makes your garden a living visual experience.
O Journal: ScottsMiracle-Gro gardening
expert Ashton Ritchie strongly recommends that every gardener keep a “garden journal.” “My wife and I keep a garden journal so we know what we planted, when we planted and harvested, what prob- lems we had to treat, what we used and how well it worked,” he says.
Garden design:
Whether planting a new garden or bringing life to an old one—a smart design is key. Light, water and space requirements vary from plant to plant—and region to region. Therefore, a well designed lay-out for a garden can make the
utside birds are sing- ing and bits of green are popping up all around.
As seasons change from winter to spring, the gardener’s mind quickly leaps to growing flowers and pro- duce. Before getting out there and planting, follow these basic garden preparations to get the most out of this growing season.
“We start each growing season by reviewing last year’s journal.” In fact, many successful garden- ers, like Ashton, take notes or keep journals. It can be as easy as taping seed packets into a small notebook or sketching out where the tulip bulbs are planted. Keeping track of gardening experiences can simplify the gardening process, and will be an invaluable reference in the future.
difference between a bountiful harvest and withering leaves. From fancy landscaping soft-
ware programs to simple charcoal sketches, creating a garden layout is a great way to plan the optimal design. A few measurements of the space and observations of the amount of sunlight or moisture will prove helpful in the planning process. Consider what the garden will look like from all angles to maximize enjoyment. In addition, seed packets, garden books, pot- ting labels and nursery experts are always great resources on a plant’s growing requirements.
Plant selection: Varieties of plants available in
today’s market are virtually endless. Digging Soon? Make a Call to 811 No. 1 on Your Checklist
local one-call center will ask for the location and description of your digging project. 4. Your local one-call center will notify affected utility companies,
603-635-1560 NA L I
t’s that time of year again. All across the country, homeowners can finally put away the snow shovel, put on a pair of shorts and venture out into their yards with a digging shovel for an adven- ture in home improvement. Now that the weather is getting warmer, Common Ground Alliance
(CGA), the association dedicated to protecting underground utilities and the people who dig near them, reminds homeowners and profes- sional diggers that calling 811 is the first step to protect everyone from the risk of unintentionally damaging an underground line. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811, which connects you to your local one-call utility noti- fication center. Installing a mailbox, building a deck and planting a tree or garden are all examples of digging projects that should only begin a few days after making a call to 811. Here’s how it works:
P.O. Box 177, Pelham, NH N A 603-635-1560 L
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1. One free, simple phone call to 811 makes it easy for your local one-call center to notify all appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. 2. Call a few days prior to digging to ensure enough time for util-
ity lines to be properly marked. 3. When
you call 811, a representa- tive from your
P.O. Box 177, Pelham, NH A 603-635-1560
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who will then send a professional locator to the proposed dig site to mark the approximate location of your lines. 5. Once lines have been properly marked, roll up those sleeves and carefully dig around the marked areas. There are nearly 20 million miles of underground utility lines in the United States that your family depends on for everyday needs, including cable TV, high-speed Internet, landline telephone, electric, gas, water and sewer.
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Unintentionally striking one of these lines can result in inconve- nient outages for entire neighborhoods, harm to yourself or your neighbors, and repair costs. Digging damages an underground utility line once every three minutes nationwide, according to a recent CGA report, and one out of three incidents are caused because someone did not call 811. To find out more information about Call 811 or the one-call utility notification center in your area, visit
www.call811.com. - ARA Content
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Soil amendment: Native soils and top-soils are not all created equal. Most will need a little boost to become fertile garden soil. A 3-inch layer of high-quality garden soil, such as Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil, can be tilled into native soil to improve existing soil, add organic matter and help plants build strong roots. Amending soil will allow gar- deners to grow beautiful flowers and bountiful vegetables natu- rally. Compost is another great source of organic matter for the garden. Create a compost bin and add leaves, lawn clip- pings, kitchen scraps, potting soil from last year’s containers and any other garden waste. Turn or aerate the pile once a month, and by next summer all that former yard waste will be nice organic material for your garden, and keep the refuse out of landfills.
Feeding, watering and weeds: Once the garden is planted, feeding, watering and weed- ing are essential to the growth and survival of flowers and vegetables. Fortunately, you can prevent weeds and feed plants for up to three months with
Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All Purpose Plant Food Plus Weed Preventer when placed onto soil before laying mulch. Even with proper feeding, a garden should still be monitored daily for water needs, depending on the amount of rain, sunlight and temperatures it receives.
Mulch: Mulch is an often overlooked cousin of garden soil. Many believe mulch to be a strictly decorative item, but most garden- ers know its true value. High- quality mulches like Scotts Nature Scapes Advanced look great while also helping conserve water and naturally preventing weeds by blocking growth and restricting access to sunlight. Mulch should be used around the base of plants and in beds, but can also be used to create pathways through a garden, making harvesting and watering easier. Don’t forget that containers also benefit from a nice 2-inch layer of mulch. With just a little planning, and a few easy preparations before the growing season, gardeners can reap the rewards come harvest time, and enjoy the beauty of the garden all season long. - ARA Content
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