If fresh ingredients are so important, what could be better than growing your own?  It’s that time of year (for Americans at least) and vegetable gardens are on my mind.  It’s really just a step process: (1) planning your garden, (2) preparing your soil, and (3) planting your seeds. 

Planning Your Garden
Location, location, location!  While it might be convenient to have your garden directly next to your house, you’ll need 6 full hours of sunlight each day for them to grow and mature properly.  You also want to avoid wind and areas that easily form water puddles after rain storms – so look for areas with good drainage.  An area close to your house is probably still preferred, after all, you’re garden will need care and monitoring and the more convenient that is the more often you will do it. 

Jot out a map of your garden and where you plan on putting each.  Some tips on some of the most common vegetables can be easily found with a google search.  For example, here is one vegetable garden site that can help you with some basics on 15 common veggies.  You’ll want to know WHAT you’re planting and jot down WHERE beforehand because each plant needs different spacing and so forth. 

You’ll also want to plan creating a mesh wall a few feet high to keep out dogs and other animals that happen upon your garden.  We love animals… but not ones that eat our fresh vegetables! 

Preparing Your Soil
So all the real hardcore gardners out there will have a dozen steps to preparing the soil.  And, perhaps rightfully sew (pun intended).  It may involve doing pH test of the soil acidity and a number of other detailed points in the process. 

You can delve into that if you’d like, but I’m going to keep it simple.  Sure, rotating crops each year and giving your garden a year off every 3 or 4 years is a good idea.  And, we know to buy some fertilizer and enriched soil to mix in when “plowing”. 

My rule of thumb would be to use your intuition.  Select an area that doesn’t seem to have rocks or stones in the soil.  Take a garden rake and how and dig into the dirt to see it’s consistency.  Does it look like the plant would enjoy it?  Good… let’s make food!

Planting Your Seeds
Following your map and the direction on each seed packet, sprinkle the seeds in the “v” shaped areas you dig in the soil.  Use a piece of string or ruler to make sure they are the proper depth.  When you cover the soil over, pack lightly so moisture gets to the seeds.  Water the seeds lightly so the soil is left undisturbed but keep the garden wet until the seeds have sprouted above ground.

For bedding plants that you transfer into you’re garden, you want to water these areas before transferring the plants.  And, make sure when you’re walking in you’re garden you are walking in the neatly created rows you have planned so as to not pack down the soil you worked to gently fluff.

Sure, this is an incredibly general guide but we hope it will get you started.  Having your own vegetable (and spice) garden can be fun, affordable and give you the freshest vegetables you so desperately desire!