10 Essential Things to Do Before You Plan Your Garden

When you’re first starting your garden, it can be a little overwhelming. There’s so much to learn and think about, and it can be tough deciding what to grow. Make things a little easier for yourself by considering these 10 essential things to do before you plan your garden.

Start Small

This is very difficult for me, since I am a dabbler who gets really excited about things, and goes all in. But seriously, start small.

If you do too much in the beginning, it will be easy to get overwhelmed and give up. Starting small will help you really focus and hone in on what’s important to you. It’s also a great way to start to learn the basics.

One of the best things about gardening is that you can do a little more each year, and evolve based on the lessons learned from the year before. All your mistakes this year grow into wisdom next year, nothing is ever lost!

Decide What you Really Want to Grow

If you love a house full of beautiful bouquets, flowers may be a good place to start. They can be a little easier than growing food, too, which makes them a good choice for starting out. 

If you cook a lot and enjoy flavoring with herbs, maybe it’s best to start a small herb garden in your kitchen window sill, or in pots on your patio. You could even make a designated herb garden out in your yard.

Maybe you would like to have a fun project with your kids. A veggie garden is a great way to connect with them. You and your child can pick out some favorites and watch the miracle of them coming to life together. My son is a teenager now, but he still enjoys coming out to the garden with me from time to time, and I look back on our memories out there with a big smile. I’m hoping he will remember them fondly as he gets older, too.

If you’re interested in the long haul, planting fruits is a great first step. These can take longer to start producing, but once they start, they will continue to fruit for you year after year. Fruits can be a little more difficult to grow, as pests and pruning can be challenging, so keep this in mind, too.

Finally, if you’re a dabbler like I am, you can do a little of each. Just start small and do a few of each thing, so you don’t get too overwhelmed.

Grow What You Like

It can be tempting to go full force and plant all kinds of things right away. I have definitely done this! But plant what you love. If you don’t like Brussel Sprouts, don’t grow them. If you love carrots, learn all you can about them, and plant yourself a nice carrot patch.

It will be much easier to stay motivated if you’re growing what you love, and it will help you stick with it. Not to mention it will save you from being frustrated by growing a bunch of stuff you won’t use.

I recommend writing out a big wishlist of what you’d like to grow, and then going through each one to whittle it down to what’s best for you. If you would like a tool to help you get started, Here is a link to my FREE Garden Planner! The planner follows the same format as this blog post.

Know Your Zone

Do a quick internet search about which garden zone you live in. Make sure to only buy plants that grow in your zone. Most local stores and nurseries are pretty good about this, but it can be tricky when you order online sometimes. 

Knowing your frost date is also very important (google it for your area!). Stores and nurseries will often sell plants from their greenhouses before they are ready to be planted outside. Don’t grow these until after your last frost date, unless you have a way to protect them from frost. In general, things like onions, potatoes, carrots, greens, cauliflower, broccoli, and herbs can be grown in cooler weather. But you need to wait until after your frost date for more tender things like peppers, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, etc.

Get to Know Your Space

How much space do you have? If your space is small, planting smaller varieties of plants should be top priority. Check the labels to see how big your plants will grow. Only plant what you have room for!

Do you have mostly sun or shade? Find out and buy the right types of plants for your area. Often times a plant can handle sun and shade, but we can’t force a plant to thrive where it doesn’t belong. Make sure you are planting in a place where your plants can find success.

Get to Know Your Plants

Research the plants you’d like to purchase to see if it’s best to buy them as starts (I usually do this for herbs or things that may need to be started indoors) or seeds (peas, beans, and sunflower seeds are a few examples of easy to grow seeds that can be directly sown outside). Or if they should be purchased barefoot (usually fruits) or potted (also fruits and many perennials). Plants can also be grown from bulbs and tubers. Plant the easiest and most strong version of each plant. This will save you from heartache later.

Look into Potential Problems

Check to see if certain bugs, animals, or diseases effect what you’d like to grow in your area. It’s better to know ahead of time, so you can prepare, and also decide if it’s worth the risk. Also, knowing ahead of time will help you be prepared and know what to watch out for.

Look into Potential Benefits 

Is there something very special or useful about a plant that you’re interested in that makes it extra beneficial to grow? For example, if you would like to make your own elderberry syrup, and you also think they’re pretty, elderberry might be a good thing for you to consider. Or if you love lavender, and also need to attract bees to your garden, this would be a great choice. Or if you want to start a flower garden, and your mom’s favorite are gladiolus, that may be a fun one to start with. When you have a smaller space, it’s nice to have dual purpose plants to get more bang for your buck.

Check the Cost

The cost of plants can vary widely from a tiny herb start for a couple dollars at the super market to a very expensive shrub or tree. Take time to consider your budget and what you can afford in the beginning. Maybe you could make a plan to do one more expensive plant purchase each year, and keep the rest fairly reasonable. Do what works best for you. 

Have Fun!

The most important thing is to have fun! These are just tips and guidelines. Do what feels right to you. Having fun in your garden is ultimately what will keep you coming back to it. If this list feels overwhelming, throw it out, and just explore! Any mistakes you make will only turn into valuable lessons for next year. There is nothing to be afraid of. We all fail all the time! That’s where learning happens.

If you didn’t already download it, here is the link again to try using my FREE Garden Planner as a checklist to see what makes sense for you to grow.

Let me know when your garden is planned. I would love to see it!

To learn about gardening in a small space click here. To see some more great ways to start your garden click here. For an in depth step by step process for starting your garden, this resource is a doozy! Happy Gardening! I can’t wait to see what you grow!

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