It is never too early to plan your garden

Even though it is getting close to winter and the ground will soon be too hard to work you can be making plans for your garden. Planning out a successful garden can be a long process so you should get started on it soon. The first thing you need to figure out is where you want your garden and how big. Unless you previously had a garden the location can be long and drawn out process. You will probably want to locate it somewhere near and outdoor spigot depending on how much hose you have. You don't want it in a high traffic area where your vegetables and flowers can get trampled or parked on. Once you find the spot then it is a matter of the size. The size will obviously be limited by the area you have picked out but you always have the option of going vertical. Once you have decided on the size you want comes the tedious job of digging up the sod. A good tip on digging the sod out of your garden area is too only focus on a smaller section at a time. For example, if you are planning on a 8'x 8' garden then you should divide it into four equal grids and focus on that 2' x 2' square. Now that you have your sod all dug out you are ready to decide what you are going to plant and the arrangement of the plants. On what you will plant depends on a couple of things: 1. What do you want? Flowers (annuals, perennials, or biannual), vegetables, or a combination. 2. The climate of the area. What is the climate zone? Will my garden get morning sun? Are there areas in my garden that will get more shade than other areas? 3. Temperature. How long is the growing season where you live? Do the temperatures where you live agree with the plants you want to grow? When you decide what you will grow comes the task of arranging the garden. When you buy the plants they will usually have some guidelines on spacing. Of course spacing is only part of laying out the arrangement. You will need to figure in the height of the plant, how long it will last, and how the garden will look when everything is planted. The best way to figure out how everything will look when it is plant is to arrange the plants in the garden while they are still in their containers so you can move them if you need to before the final planting.