Garden Greatness-Part 2

In Part 1 you learned about the basics of creating a plan for an effective garden. In this section you will learn about the basics of taking the first step in turning your plans into a reality.







Your first step is to secure your supplies to complete the job. When you go to your local home and garden store these are the things you should consider purchasing.







-wooden gardening stakes



-bags or bulk nutrient rich, loose soil



-gardening tools (shovel, spade, rake) if needed



-stone or metal edging to create a perimeter around the garden



-chicken wire or metal garden fencing (to keep pests out of the garden)



-seeds of selected crops







Okay, so you are now home from the home and garden store ready to get to work on your garden. The first thing you want to do is to use a tape measure and outline your space using wooden garden stakes. Before you install the edging you will first use your shovel or spade to dig up the soil within the space you are creating your garden. It is helpful to have a wheel barrow to remove that soil and any grass in the area. You will want to remove the soil to about 2-3 inches below the surface of the grass. This will allow for the complete removal of grass seed as well as make room for the nutrient rich soil you have already purchased.







Next, outline your garden with the metal or stone edging making sure to leave it high enough to prevent grass seed from moving into the garden. Once you have completed the the border of your garden use the soil to fill in the cleared space within a half inch of the top of the edging.







Once you have the soil filled in you will use a hose with a wide spray pattern to thoroughly wet down the surface of the garden. At this point you will let the garden sit overnight. When you come the next day you should look to see how much the soil has settled. Use more soil to refill the garden space up to half an inch from the top of the edging. Once you have done this re water the soil and let it settle for a minimum of 6 hours. After 6 hours or overnight use a metal rake to smooth the soil out in all areas of the garden space.







Now you are ready to plant your fruits and vegetables.







Continued in Part 3: Planting and Caring for the Crops