PLANNING THE GARDEN

There's one thing you can always say about herb gardeners. They're enthusiastic and they can't wait for the arrival of spring. That explains why we often buy plants on impulse even when we don't really have room for them.

That's where good garden planning comes in. Plan carefully. You won't regret it.

There are a few basic suggestions that help this process. Give each herb sufficient space. Overcrowded ones are stressed and more susceptible to insects and diseases.

Every plant you buy is going to require attention. Set limits and stick to them. I choose easy care plants that need no deadheading.

Gardeners in the American South will want heat-tolerant plants. The best source of information around on that subject is "Tough-As-Nails Flowers for the South" by Norman Winter, published by the University Press of Mississippi.

In this enlightening book, he recommends over 170 different award-winning plants that have proven their worth in trials at university gardens throughout the South. The volume features complete instructions on care and planting as well as a color wheel and recommendations on color combos.

Small gardens can be a challenge. For sound advice on choosing plants and landscaping, gardeners won't go wrong if they rely on "Gardening for the Small Property" by Jack Kramer from Fulcrum Publishing.

He offers many valuable tips for maintaining and creating a pleasing landscape. The book features extensive lists of suitable space-saving plants along with gardening ideas for herb gardens. In the appendix you'll find complete listings of cooperative extension service offices and mail-order gardening sources.

Give some thought to those container gardens. By planning ahead you'll be able to choose dazzling plant combos. For the best containers, start with "Window Boxes Indoors & Out" by James Cramer and Dean Johnson. Originally published by Artisan, it is now available as a paperback from Storey Publishing. It features over a hundred different projects in every imaginable kind of container for every occasion and season.

Gardeners are individuals. Some spend hours studying garden catalogs and making lists of the plants and seeds they want to buy. Others visit web sites, garden centers, or spend lots of time at the seed racks of retail stores. If you're shopping in stores, the likelihood of buying things on impulse increases. That's why I make a shopping list and stick to it.

Another method of garden planning is to put your computer to work for you. A great place to start is with the Ideas Genie software. The more I work with this program, the more I come to realize just how dispensable it is to me. With its extensive database and helpful features, you can choose the best plants for your garden and store information on how to care for them.

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