Planning Your Vegetable Garden
Now, in addition to my garden beds I also plant containers, which I put on my deck to bring the garden still closer to the house. I don't limit myself to only flowers either. Last year I planted peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and chives in pots on my patio successfully. The year before that I planted them all with tomatoes and herbs. I have even seen some people plant pumpkins in barrels and they looked fabulous. (This is an especially neat way to garden if you live in an apartment, or if you don't have a yard that is conducive to gardening - i.e.- one that is too shaded, or that does not have good enough soil. ) This is also where I try my hand at fragrant flowers and herbs, which I can then cut and bring into the kitchen without even putting my shoes on.
But back to my vegetable garden plan. So far I have sketched out where the sun and shade are, and from last years notes I have rearranged some plants to better their success. Now it is time to really have some fun as I begin to place new varieties that I want to try into my garden and plan out the main crop. For the beginner, one or two new varieties is best, so as not to be overwhelmed. Another good thing to do at this time is to pencil in companion plants that will keep the garden free of pests and disease, as well as helping the vegetables as they grow. (This is the key, in my mind, to organic gardening. I will go more in depth into companion planting in a future article.) Right now, if you are planning on adding companion plants to your garden, you just need to keep them in mind so you remember to make room for them.
When I am done, it is time to take a final look at the garden plan and remark if anything has been misplaced. (See fig 3) For better viewing I have enlarged a portion of my garden plan so that you can see more clearly how I have laid out the beds and arranged the vegetables. Here I have the cucumbers growing by the fence so
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