Vegetable gardens are so satisfying and rewarding. Consider what your very favorite vegetables, fruits or herbs are, and then, imagine how exciting it would be to just step out the door of your home to harvest them fresh for your meals of the day! Not only is this instant satisfaction, but you'll enjoy the very best flavors - nothing bought in the supermarket can compare. As an added plus, you can proudly announce to guests, "Oh yes, these were from my garden."

Follow these steps. It's simple.

1. Pick a sunny location, free of grass (or "free it" from the grass!):
Some veggies can tolerate shade. Try garlic, onions, chives, basil, and broccoli in shady areas.

2. In-Ground or Raised Bed:
Decide whether you will be planting in the ground or in a raised bed. Obviously, if you pick the raised bed, there will be additional preparation if the boxes haven't been made yet.

3. Soil preparation:
Determine whether your soil is predominantly sand or clay. If you are lucky, it will be a nice loam, but don't count on that.Chances are, your soil isn't a loam. You will want to supplement the native soil with a composting product, such as Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost, together with a good planting mix, like Kellogg Gromulch. Roto-till or good old-fashion shovel mix in these amendments and level out the soil.

4. Design for Access and Convenience:
Depending on the size of your vegetable garden, you will need to consider how to access it for feeding, weeding, and harvesting. Perhaps it is narrow (up to 3 feet), in which case, you can reach from the garden bed edge without a problem for these chores. If your garden is wider than this, plan a way to access your plants without trampling them and compacting your soil around the plants. This may mean a stepping stone path through the middle, or small paths to otherwise unreachable plants.

5. Plant selection:
Plant selection ties into #6 below. Presumably you've already got an idea of what you want to grow. Think about your vegetable garden's ultimate size, shape and support needs when designing plant placement. Tomatoes and pole green beans need support structures. They should be placed more toward the back of your garden, so they don't shade your smaller/shorter vegetables and herbs. Carefully consider the ultimate plant size for space considerations. They are little when planting, but some veggies get very large. They'll need the space and airflow.

6. Companion Planting - the technique of combining two plants for a particular purpose:
Books have been written on this very topic, and we cannot begin to cover all the issues in this one article. But we think that you’re getting the idea. There are many things to consider when starting your vegetable garden this season. Companion planting is an important one.

7. Fertilize:
You have choices here: regular chemical fertilizer (liquid or slow-release) or organic fertilizer like like Dr. Earth Life Pellets. Remember when choosing fertilizers that you are ultimately planning to eat these vegetables.

8. Pest Management - get your pinching fingers ready, or your garden hose:
Again, remember that you plan to eat these vegetables, so your choices on pest control are limited. Also, you need insect pollinators for fruit/vegetable production, so bees and other pollinators are important for your vegetable garden. If you must spray the pest insects, Bonide All–Season Horticultural Oil, a year round spray oil, is a safe remedy. You should pick a time of day with minimal bee activity and carefully follow the product instructions.

9. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch - for weed control and good moisture retention:
We recommend Cocoa Mulch. Throughout the growing season, water and periodically fertilize; keep weeds down to eliminate plant space competition. Have fun watching your vegetables and herbs grow. If you do grow any vegetables from the legume family, such as green beans, these plants add nitrogen back to the soil! What a plus! At the end of the season,instead of ripping the plants up, roots and all, leave the roots behind. It's good for your soil!

A raised bed for a garden is great where soil conditions cause poor drainage, or where the soil itself is poor. In addition, it's a very convenient way to garden, with less bending and stooping, and some natural protection for the plants. A raised bed can be surrounded by brick, cinder blocks, stone walls, wood, or other materials to suit your tastes.

When deciding where to put a raised bed, you'll have to consider several things. Will you want to grow sun-lovers or shade plants? Will you be growing plants that reach higher than your roof — if so, you don't want to locate your raised bed under the eaves, even though that may be ideal for plants needing some extra protection at certain times of year. You also don't want to locate a raised bed against a wood house, of course!

Whether your raised bed will be against the house or free-standing, decide how wide it will be. Don't make it so wide you'll have difficulty reaching plants or so narrow the plants won't have room to spread. Also decide what height you want, both for looks and convenience. Plan your garden bed for easy access!

Also keep in mind, if you have a hilly yard, that the raised bed concept can easily be adapted to create terraces.

Once you have an area selected, loosen the soil at the present ground level and get rid of any weeds . Fill the bed with a good soil mixture for the plants you intend to plant. You might also consider putting in extras such as a drip irrigation system, which can save both work and, more importantly, water. Plant your plants and add some good mulch on the top, and you'll have a garden plot that's both easy to care for and attractive.

Now is the time to:

• Rake up remaining leaves and debris to prevent the spread of disease.
• Cut ornamental grasses to a few inches above the ground.
• Use a lawn fertilizer with crabgrass preventer, such as Scotts Turf Builder Plus Halts.
• Prune summer flowering shrubs.
• Start flowers and vegetables from seed indoors.

All Seminars are on Saturday at 10 AM at the Moana Lane store.

March 17th – Orchids
Introduction to Growing Orchids. Learn about the various varieties of orchids, and tips on watering, fertilizing, light and temperature requirements.

March 24th – Orchids
Introduction to Growing Orchids. Learn about the various varieties of orchids, and tips on watering, fertilizing, light and temperature requirements.

March 31st – Spring Cleaning for Waterworks Features
Startup tips for getting the water features ready for the season.