How to Plant a Garden

Growing in Pots

This is a great place to start, particularly if you don’t have a lot of space. This year we grew lettuce, tomatoes and herbs in pots and they’re actually the healthiest of everything we planted. The plants need enough space and soil to grow so you’ll want a fairly large container. Make sure to use organic soil and mix in some organic compost. We really like Coast of Maine which most local gardening supply stores sell but any organic compost is fine (get one that’s specifically for vegetables). We also have our own compost which we mixed into the soil as well. Even if you don’t have compost you can add crushed egg shells, banana peels and coffee grinds to the soil (particularly to your roses). Most vegetables like full sun, but things like lettuce and spinach can have partial shade. Make sure they get enough water, once a day in the morning is fine and the soil needs to be able to drain so the pot should have holes. Herbs like cilantro and basil do best in pots, make sure to pinch back basil which will keep it producing. For tomato plants you will need to use stakes or a cage so the plant has something for support as it gets bigger. Herbs like mint are considered invasive and can end up taking over an entire pot or garden so it’s best to plant mint separately or put the mint in a plastic container and cut out the bottom. This will prevent the roots from spreading out sideways and taking over other plants.

Raised Beds

Craig built two raised beds this year. He dug several inches into the ground and used wooden boards to make 4×8 foot beds. We lined the bottom with cardboard to help prevent weeds and then added soil. You need a lot of soil for larger beds so keep that in mind. Next year we will do a delivery of soil instead of buying individual bags. This is a helpful tool for figuring out how much soil you need for your raised bed. We planted a variety of things in the raised beds including tomatoes, beets, brussel sprouts, peppers, and cabbage. One thing to keep in mind is that critters will want to eat your veggies as much as you do. Use chicken wire or build a fence around your beds to keep animals out. Craig bought fencing from Home Depot to enclose the garden. You also want to feed your veggies when you first plant them and then every few weeks for the duration of their season. Outside of the raised beds we also planted some blueberry and raspberry bushes. You might have to fight with the birds a bit to keep them from eating your berries but some light netting around them can help if it’s an issue.

In coastal New England there are some popular flowers and flowering bushes you’ve probably seen that tend to do well including hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, and knockout roses. Of course there’s many more these are just a few that happen to be in our yard. All of these are perennials meaning they come back every year. Some require more maintenance than others but for the most part are pretty resilient and don’t need a lot of attention. When Craig built the fence around our garden I wanted to find something to plant around the perimeter and we stumbled upon David Austin Roses when shopping at a local nursery. I could not resist because they were some of the most beautiful roses I’d ever seen. We have Eden Climbers and a Carding Mill rose bush. On the opposite side of the fence we have some peonies. We also planted some dahlias right in the ground and they’re just starting to come up now. The nice thing about doing a variety is you’ll get blooms at different times throughout the spring, summer and fall. It’s important to pay attention to how much water, sun and pruning they need (some need more than others). Make sure as soon as the first frost comes in the fall to cover your rose roots with mulch and keep it there until spring.