Jumping In

You're ready to jump in.  You've got a spot.  Now what?  How do you make the most efficient start?  You don't want to forget anything...

Our hyssop.  Started small under the grape vines because we wanted more
blooms for honey bees.  Now it's massive!
You'd be surprised how quickly things can change.

First:  BREATHE.  While Mother Nature can be extraordinarily brutal, she's also very forgiving.  Dead plants become compost, and compost feeds future plants.  Dead plants also become learning experiences.  In a tomato starting class my husband and I taught a few years ago, a student asked what my credentials were.  My husband answered that we'd killed more plants than she'd even planted, and each killed plant taught us something new.  I loved it.  And he was right.  We've killed our fair share of crops, and we still do.  Yes, things die in my garden, too.  Even, and including, horseradish.

Second:  Figure out your zone.  Many garden catalogs have maps that show you what zone you are in.  Don't try growing plants not hardy for your zone.  They won't flourish, and you're setting yourself up for failure.

Third: Map it out.  Getting an aerial view of your yard with Google Earth can be very helpful.  It allows you to see spaces that you may otherwise ignore.  It's the big picture.  I also recommend using a yard planner such as the one offered by many different seed companies.  We used the one on Territorial Seed. 

Fourth:  Decide on a way to organize your seeds. Some use card catalog boxes, some use binders with baseball card sleeves, some use a tin can... I'll put together a whole post on how we organize our seeds.  My favorite supplies include a 3 inch binder and clear top-zippering pockets.

Fifth--though probably not last:  Jump in.  You'll learn very little waiting for things to happen.  Plant something.  Learn to care for it.  Problems will arise.  Trouble shoot.  Plant more...come back here and ask questions.  We'll get to you as fast as we can, but in the meantime, start something else.