So you want to have a garden? Maybe you have an interest in wholesome eating. Maybe you want to connect with earth. Maybe, like us, you have fond memories of your grandparents’ gardens and would like to find a kinship with the generations gone by.

Where ever your garden thoughts are rooted (see what I did there?!) — DREAM IT!

Get it on your mind.

Now it the time for proactive thinking. As the summer garden season wanes, and the seasons change, now is a great time to start thinking about what is next.  Plans come to fruition best when ideas have had time to marinate. 

Introduce these thoughts today and let them percolate in your subconscious (or even your full conscious) through the “-ber months,” and you will be ready to take action in the spring planting season.  These simple thinking steps will make all the difference when the new growing season arrives.

1. The first step is to decide what you will grow.  I find inspiration from local menus, other people’s gardens, cookbooks, and seed catalogs. Begin with the end in mind — what do you want to eat from your garden?
2. Check the calendar for the optimal planting and growing seasons in your area.  I remember my parents and grandparents always had a copy of the Farmers Almanac laying around and planned their planting by its advice.
3. Pick the place for your garden. You only need a tiny bit of space to grow things, but you’ll want to make sure the environment meets the needs of your plants. Check the lighting at different times of the day.  Consider the way the wind blows, how the rainwater hits, the pet-traffic, the kid-traffic (aka the soccer ball path, the tennis ball bounces, the toy dump truck routes), and the proximity to water.
   • Will you plant in the ground? Or in planters? Or raised beds?
   • Will you plant outside? Or indoors? On a patio?
4. Educate yourself about the planting needs of the seeds.  Each type of seed has its own unique need, and paying attention gives the plant a great start.  Decide when and where you will purchase seeds. Find out how much space you’ll need, how deep to plant, how much space between seeds, how many seeds in each pocket. 
5. Prepare the soil. Check out the YouTube Video below to see how we prepare the our potting soil for optimal growth.

Now, go grab some Pumpkin Spiced something.  Get your blankies ready.  Curl up with some good reading material.  Enjoy the holidays.

Turn the off-season into the growing season by growing in your knowledge of all things GARDEN. Read, read, and READ some more. Blogs, books, magazines – consume all the things from those who have gone before you! And dream about your harvest.