Plant a row of herbs or greens in a small kitchen garden.
You don't need to till a large plot on the family farm to have a kitchen garden; every cook with a few feet of open ground can enjoy clipping herbs for a delicious soup or tossing homegrown vegetables into a salad. With a little planning, kitchen gardens are easy to maintain and offer sweet smells, an intriguing science project and the freshest food for everyone. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Look for a spot that is easily accessible from indoors and receives at least six hours of sunlight a day. A space as small as 3 feet by 2 feet can hold one short row of herbs or salad greens. Each additional 18 inches in depth will allow another row of fresh produce, depending on the plants you select.
2. Decide what you want to grow. If you have the space, consider growing a mix of the herbs, fruits and vegetables you most enjoy using in your cooking. Herbs and greens can be grown as single specimens, while vegetables that must be pollinated to fruit typically do better growing alongside two or three companions. Space hoggers like corn require multiple rows to produce a good harvest.
Check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see when it's safe to plant vegetables in your area. Renee's Garden offers ideas on best rotate cool-season crops, such as broccoli, and warm-season crops, such as squash, for your climate.
3. Draw your space to scale on graph paper and determine how many of your favorite plants you can fit. The tallest plants should grow along a side where they will not block sunlight. If your garden is more than 4 feet deep, remember to allow space for a path in the middle so you can easily weed and harvest.
Most vegetables require about 2 feet of spacing, but some can be planted as close as 18 inches apart, as long as you prune or harvest regularly. Space vining fruit (including tomatoes) and vegetables closer to 3 feet apart.
4. Plant and maintain the garden. Loosen the earth with a shovel, remove weeds and add compost and organic matter to enrich the soil. Plant your seeds or seedlings according to package instructions. Water as needed, which could be daily during hot and dry periods. Weed every week and use netting or fencing to keep critters out if necessary.
5. Keep on creating. If the sunlight is too sparse, try greens instead. If water is in short supply, add a rain barrel or sprinkler hose, or look to drought-hardy woody herbs. Stagger your plantings so that something is always ready to harvest, and try growing something new each season. No garden design is perfect; the most experienced gardeners spend their lives experimenting.
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