The 20-30 Something Garden Guide. Dee Nash
AHH, SPRING. She whispers her siren song on the waft of warm breezes. Tree sap flows, birdsong erupts, and the whole world rejoices in each new leaf. We feel an overwhelming urge to plunge our hands into soil and feel the sun upon our skin. The garden center is crowded with people full of excitement and anticipation. It’s intoxicating. We find ourselves piling way too many plants in our baskets. But then comes the tug of panic – so much to choose from, such a small space in which to garden, so little time to devote to it.
Take a deep breath and just be
You don’t need a back or front yard to garden. You can garden anywhere. Begin with your balcony or patio. I’ve gardened wherever I’ve lived; it didn’t matter if it was a mobile home, an apartment or a house with a real backyard. I guarantee that when you bite into that first sun-ripened tomato or sauté your first homegrown poblano pepper, you will be filled with pride and joy. On top of that, your friends will be amazed. Trust me.
Although this chapter is about your first year of gardening, go ahead and skip ahead through the following chapters as you need to, or as the mood strikes you. You may have an outbreak of insects or disease before I can teach you about that, or perhaps you want to grow fruit, and this chapter doesn’t talk much about fruit. There’s no “right” way to progress with a garden, or with this book. Things come up. I have some favorite garden books that I enjoy reading cover to cover just for the pleasure of it. Maybe you’ll want to do that, too, before you ever open your first bag of potting mix.
First things
START
SMALL
When I was a little girl, my family often ate at a local cafeteria where I always chose more food than I could eat. My dad teased me, saying my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Going too large in a garden is like overfilling your plate. Only plan for the number of pots you can easily water. Before you buy six packages of lettuce seed, remember that you don’t need to grow everything you eat. Give yourself permission to buy the rest from local farmers, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), or the organic section of the grocery store. Although there is something special about pulling an onion straight from the dirt or snipping herbs just before dinner, nothing is more soul sapping than a too-large garden gone bad midsummer. Depending upon your watering system and space limitations, you can replicate all eight containers in this chapter’s plan, or narrow it down to three for the first year. You can even start with one. It’s your garden. No garden police will check on your progress.
Your site
Starting a garden is like taking a college course or beginning a new job. Before you head to the nursery, read through the entire plan and ask yourself some questions.
~ What do I like to eat?
~ Where will I place my containers?
~ Will my plants be on an uncovered patio, deck or balcony?
~ Do I have access to water?
Patios, decks and balconies all have similar but unique conditions. Apartment balconies may not be able to support heavier containers, so it’s best to use lightweight pots whenever possible (you may also not like moving heavy containers full of soil). Situate heavier items closer to the building along load-bearing supports. It’s a good idea to check your lease to make sure you abide by any restrictions.
There’s always room for a garden, even if you don’t think you have enough space. Look for a sunny place that’s not being used. I’ve seen driveways, roofs and other unlikely spaces with containers full of food plants and flowers.
BALCONY GARDEN
| Strawberries | Lemon Tree (whimsy) |
| Tomatoes | Basil and Spearmint or other herb |
| Cucumbers | Blueberry or Raspberry |
DECK OR PATIO GARDEN
SPRING
| Strawberries | Spring Onions |
| Lettuce & Spinach | Pansies |
| Chives - Perennial | Radishes |
| Swiss Chard | Nasturtium |
SUMMER
Tomatoes in Planter box 2
Squash
Eggplant or trellised Zucchini in Planter box 1
Cucumbers
Green Beans (pole type, trellised)
Radishes and Swiss Chard – trade out to peppers – either hot or sweet
Here comes the sun
Most vegetables, being sun worshippers, need at least six hours of natural light each day to perform their best. If your patio faces east, where the sun rises, I have wonderful news: east means morning sun and maybe even all-day sunshine, depending on how far from your house or building the pots are placed.
A west or south-facing area will be much hotter, getting afternoon or all-day sun. If your area faces north, you’ll have cooler temperatures and more shade. That isn’t a bad thing if you live in a hot climate, but in cool, rainy places like Portland or Seattle you’ll need all the sunshine you can find.
The sun becomes much stronger as summer progresses and the sun's angle changes. In hot climates, morning sun is always best for your plants, but with a little ingenuity and some shade cloth (see page 80), you can grow in afternoon sun as well.
Pots don’t have to just sit there
You can move them around as needs or whims arise. Don’t have enough sun? Want to change the look of your garden space? Here’s one of the great things about container gardens: they’re mobile.
Tools of the Trade
Containers should be at least 18 to 24 inches wide and 12 to 16 inches deep to provide plenty of room for your plants. One benefit to using larger