Location, Location, Location
I wonder sometimes at people who live deep in the heart of major cities, surrounded by metal and cement and hardly a tree or open space for miles. I even feel occasional claustrophobia living in the suburbs, despite having a yard to call my own and nary a high-rise in sight. Though I dream of someday living in the country and having more open space to myself, I also feel a little apprehensive at the prospect - I don’t want to be too isolated or too far from friends.
If kitchen garden plants had feelings, I suspect they would feel like me. The ideal kitchen garden setup isn’t too crowded and isn’t too far away. Location is one of the vital aspects to a successful garden setup. If your existing garden isn’t growing as well as you hoped, or if you’re considering starting from scratch, here’s what to consider:
1) Harness the Sunshine
Just as I would suffer a lack of Vitamin D being inside or surrounded by tall buildings all day, your plants need adequate direct sunlight to thrive. Ideally, pick a location that gets eight hours or more of sunlight a day. A garden can get by on six hours, but plants might not be as happy.
2) Beware the Shade Throwers
For my first raised bed, I picked an ideal location for a garden that got enough sunlight…during the summer. When late fall arrived, the trees directly south of my garden threw shade (that they had not been throwing in the summer! argh!). None of my cool season plants were happy with less than four hours of sunlight a day, and they basically hibernated until March when the shade started to ease off a bit.
How to avoid this? Get yourself some graph paper, or better yet, an overhead screenshot of your property from Google Maps. Mark any tall structures (fences, sheds, buildings) or trees that will throw shade and consider how much that shade will stretch in the winter vs. summer. Be wary of how much sun will be blocked if you put a garden right next to a fence or wall. Once you have a location that seems promising, go out and take pictures at 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm to see how much sun that spot really gets, just to be sure.
3) Ensure a Daily Meet-Up
Ideally, you cross paths with your garden daily because it is physically close to your normal routine. Right outside the back or front door is a wonderful spot to consider, assuming you have the sunshine in those spots. The more you see your garden, the more likely you are to make a habit of tending it. “Out of sight, out of mind” can be a major garden killer.
4) Establish a Watering Hole
Just like a caffeine addict always knows where the coffee is, you must have easy access to water for your garden. You don’t want to slog around a watering can or even have to mess with hoses on a 105-degree day (been there, done that). I always recommend setting up a drip system as it’s both the most efficient form of watering and also the most plant friendly, and make sure you’ve got a dedicated hose you can run to the system if you don’t have one built into your property.
Proper setup is a major foundational part of getting a garden to grow. Still not sure where to put your garden? A Garden Coach can help you decide. Reach out for a free 15-minute Discovery Call or get started with a consult.
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