Being new to gardening, it can feel really overwhelming to realize all the moving parts that are involved in planning a garden. While it is completely reasonable to fly by the seat of your pants, if that’s your style, there is a great deal of success and satisfaction that will occur if you’ve planned ahead.
While there will more than likely be some adjustments that you will make along the way, especially when you start planting, having a basic idea of your garden layout and inventory will keep you organized and ultimately make your life a little easier.
Why is a garden plan important?
Simply stated, having a plan for your garden will alleviate stress and save you time when is comes to building, buying, and planting. Taking time to assess what you have, what you’ll need, and what you want from your garden all happen at the planning stage. It’s a time when you can wrap your head around all the parts and pieces that will be required to produce a successful garden.
While I could go on for a very long time talking about gardens and plants and planning, I’ve done my best to narrow down garden planning into 6 steps.
Step 1: Determine the Purpose of Your Garden
Why are you interested in growing a garden? Do you want a space that is full of beautiful things where you can sit and enjoy your morning coffee or evening wine? Are you interested in growing a small amount of food that you can enjoy in season? Or are you focused on producing high yields and preserving the harvest for upcoming months and years?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Understanding what you want from your garden is a very important first step. And your goals may change over time. But it’s good to have a jumping off point.
With poor planning the smallest garden can become a giant nuisance and you could be filled with frustration. On the other hand, a well-planned garden of significant size can be efficient and enjoyable.
Reality check, gardening is hard work. Even the most dedicated and experienced gardeners can struggle in the height of the season when the heat and weeds are relentless, and the last thing they want to do is go out and pick bugs off the plants.
It’s essential to determine your garden’s purpose so you can establish the level of effort that will be required to maintain it. Be realistic with yourself. How much time and energy are you willing and able to dedicate to starting and maintaining your garden?
Your efforts will definitely be worth it if you chose the size and type of garden that brings you joy and satisfaction.
Step 2: Assess What You Have to Determine What You’ll Need
Once you’ve decided your goals it’s time to take an inventory of what you have to work with. This will allow you to determine what else you may need to acquire to build your garden space.
Go through your garage and garden shed. Write down what you have and make of list of things you’ll need. You’ll compare this with the plants you want to grow. This list is a starting point, it doesn’t need to be exact, you’ll fine tune it later. I’ll talk about how to figure out what to grow in the following sections.
Do you have pots, raised beds, inground space, nothing? Once you have a list of what you’ll need you can start sourcing these supplies. If you are new to gardening, you may be starting completely from scratch. If this is the case, I have some suggestions for you.
Local Building Recyclers and Garden Centers
Check out local builder recycling centers like Habitat for Humanity ReStore or Resource Central. Resource is located in Boulder Colorado, do an internet search for builder recyclers in your area. Often people take used gardening tools and containers to these places, and you can purchase things for a fraction of what you would pay buying them new.
You can often find lumbar, fencing, and materials that could be used to build beds and trellises for great prices. Don’t feel like you have to get the newest, shiniest pots and beds. They need to be functional and safe; the plants will add the beauty.
As a side note, when choosing lumbar, try to find untreated woods like cedar or red wood. Don’t opt for pressure treated wood as there are chemicals that can seep into your soil. If you plan to build your own garden beds, check out this helpful article from Homestead and Chill.
Also, talk to your local garden center. Tell them what you’re planning and ask for suggestions. They should be able to tell you what plants thrive in your area and may have tips about planting locations and mediums.
Some other resources for second hand supplies are Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and Ebay. Be cautious with these resources, use common sense when transacting with strangers, and keep yourself safe.
Lastly, there are many bloggers, Youtubers, and gardeners on social media who have affiliate links with garden suppliers. Check out their discount codes and suggestions before you buy direct. You can sometimes save a fair amount of money by doing your research and the discount codes often stack on manufacturer sales which will get you an even greater deal.
Step 3: Decide What You’ll Grow
This is the fun part! If you will be growing vegetables, start by making a list of what veggies you like to eat and things you are curious about growing. Begin with things that are familiar, that you would normally eat and buy, and add a few things to the list that are a little different too.
Some great things to start with are…. Tomatoes, squash, peppers, herbs, cucumbers, and lettuce. These are all fairly easy to grow and you’ll learn a lot by growing these veggies. in addition to veggies, some flowers are easy to grow and are great for the garden. Marigolds, nasturtium, and zinnias are some my favorites.
Read about my Garden Inventory
To Seed or not to Seed
Next, decide if you want to start plants from seed or if you will buy started plants. If you are brand new to gardening, using started plants is a great way to get started. The plants are already established and easily transferred into your growing space.
However, starting from seeds is much more economical long term and if you plan to grow large crops. Typically, a 2 inch pot with a plant start could cost between $2-$6, that’s just for ONE plant. On the other hand you can buy a packet of 25 – 50 seeds for around $3, sometimes much less. Just something to keep in mind. Another reason to start from seeds is you’ll find endless varieties that you never see at local garden centers or grocery stores. I love starting seeds indoors, it’s such a fascinating process.
There are some additional requirements for starting seeds indoors like seedling pots, seed starting soil, lights, heat mats, and room. Not all of those are completely necessary but having the right tools will set you up for success. Also, not all seeds have to be started indoors. Many can be direct sown, meaning they can be planted into the garden bed. Read the back of the seed packet or online description to learn how best to start the seeds you’re shopping for.
If you are determined to try and grow from seed and have never done it before, start with just a couple of varieties. Tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers are easy to start from seeds. Tomatoes can be started inside prior to the last frost of the season. Zucchini and cucumber can be directly planted in the garden. Also, when shopping for seeds look for varieties labeled ‘Easy to Grow’.
Now that you’ve decided on what plants you’ll grow, do a little research on each variety to find out what conditions they require to grow. If you purchase seeds, read the packets or look at the online description. If you buy started plants, read the tags. Do an internet search for additional details before you buy plants, so you have the info you need.
Zones and Growing Season
Something to note when choosing the varieties of plants you want to grow is the number of days until maturity and your region’s average growing season. This often gets confused with growing zones. Zones are determined only by the average lowest temperature of a given region. That is less important than knowing the length of your growing season.
Determining the length of a growing season is fairly easy with a couple of internet searches. You need to know the average last frost date and first frost date for your zip code. A good place to look for this is Almanac.com. The last frost date will be the beginning of the growing season in the Spring and the first frost date will be the end of the growing season in the Fall. Almanac should show you haw many days are between those dates or you can type “How many days between (last frost) and (first frost)” in a search engine.
For example: In my zip code, the average last frost is May 4 and first frost date is October 5 for a growing season of of 153 days.
Why is this relevant?
Looking at a seed packet or plant tag, you’ll see that it mentions the number of days to maturity. For example: Radishes can have a maturation period from 22 – 70 days. Whereas peppers can take up to 150 days to mature depending on variety. Many varieties have an estimated maturation period but will continue to produce fruit even longer than that.
If your growing season is less days than the maturation period, you can extend the growing season by starting seeds indoors well ahead of your last frost date. Online descriptions and seed packets should have recommendations on how far in advance seeds can be started indoors and when they can be planted outdoors relative to the last frost date. There are varieties with longer growing times that can handle some cold weather and will be fine if left out past your first frost date. Although some may need a bit of protection like a frost cloth or a sheet if the temperatures dip very low.
Step 4: Important Garden Factors
Now that you have an inventory and have decided which plants you’ll be growing, you can begin to work on the layout of where all your lovely plants will live. When deciding on a layout, there are some important considerations to keep in mind.
Sun Exposure
Different plant varieties require different amounts of sunlight, and this is an important consideration when deciding where your plants will live. Check your chosen plant variety’s requirements with the following in mind:
Observe the sunlight in your garden space during the day to determine which areas are best for each type of plant. Your garden area’s sun exposure could be a determining factor when choosing what varieties to plant and how to group the plants together. If you get mostly shade in your garden, heat loving plants like tomatoes and peppers may not thrive but radishes, lettuces, and delicate herbs may do very well.
Space and Spacing
Knowing the spacing you’ll use when planting will give you the ability to estimate how much room each variety will occupy. You can then note this on your garden plan
When spacing is listed on a seed packet or plant tag it is typically geared toward standard spacing for commercial farming. There are formulas that are used to determine yield per row of certain lengths for a large vegetable farm. This may be applicable if you are planning to grow large amounts of food. But for the average home gardener, think of the packet spacing as a guideline that can be adjusted to fit the space you have available.
Crowding should be avoided but you also don’t want to waste precious real estate in your garden. Some plants like to be closer together, like peppers, while others need room to branch and spread, like squash.
In the photo above, the seed packet on the left is for indeterminate tomatoes. The recommendation is 24″ spacing between plants. With trellising and good pruning, I was able to plant tomatoes 9″ – 10″ apart and they did just fine. If they are too close together and aren’t pruned, there is more risk for disease and pest infestation.
If you are a rule follower, plant by the spacing mentioned on the packet or tag. Keep a detailed garden journal of how the plants perform and if they fill the space. Adjust the spacing as needed in the next season.
Trellising and Plant Support
Some plants are going to need support to get the best result. Referred to as vertical gardening, plant supports can also help to conserve space in the garden. Indeterminate tomatoes, for example, do best when they are tied to a trellis. Left without support this variety of tomato will grow along the ground and root out from the branches. This is fine if you have the space for it. However, growing on the ground could leave the plant vulnerable to pests and diseases. Trellising and pruning help prevent these things.
For tomato pruning tips, check out this video from Roots and Refuge Farm
Research the varieties you’ll be growing to determine if any of them will need to be trellised or supported by any other means. Trellises should be noted on your garden plan, particularly if you choose larger ones that take up more space. Some other types if support are tomato or pepper cages, bamboo stakes, netting, string and twine.
Some varieties that need support are: Tomatoes, pole beans, peas, melons, some squash varieties, cucumbers, some flowers. Just to name a few.
Watering
Obviously, watering is an essential part of the garden. It’s important during the planning phase to establish how you’ll water. Not only do you want to consider your watering source but also drainage and accessibility.
Containers and beds should have sufficient drainage, so plants are not sitting water all the time. Place stones or broken terra cotta pieces into the bottom of your pots before adding soil. Be sure that your garden soil has aerators mixed in like perlite, vermiculite, sand, fine gravel, or shredded bark. Aerators will reduce compaction of the soil, allowing air and water to get to the plant roots. A soil mixture should have about 10% – 15% aeration.
Also, consider how to get water to the plants. Are your beds accessible or do you have to crawl over things to get water to them? There are many in-bed watering options you can choose like soaker hoses and drip lines. You can tap into an existing sprinkler line if possible. Hand watering works well but can be time consuming and may not be ideal for some plants. The goal is to get water to the roots. Watering from the top can be less efficient and promote disease and sun scorch.
Soil Quality
Healthy soil is key for healthy plants. Be sure you start with rich healthy soil if you are creating new garden beds or pots. If you have existing beds, amend your soil with rich compost to add nutrients. This is another topic to ask for advice from your local garden center. They will have great recommendations about soil amendments appropriate for your needs.
Containers can be depleted of nutrients quickly and require a bit more attention than raised beds or in-ground gardens. Typically, there are less beneficial organisms present in container soil and they can dry out quickly. Adjust the frequency at which you water and fertilize the soil.
The amount of soil needed for new garden spaces can be figured with this formula:
Measured in feet – Length x Width x Height = Total Cubic Feet
To get cubic yards, which is how most suppliers sell product, take the total cubic feet and multiply by 0.037037.
Companions
Some plants are very good friends, others not so much. This is not something to spend to much time worrying about as a new gardener, but it is a good thing to be aware of for the future. A simple internet search can tell you what plants work well with one another.
The beauty of companion planting is that it can help with pest control and overall health of your plants. I credit companion planting to some success I had with my garden last year.
Read about 7 Things I learned from my Garden
Step 5: Decide How Much to Plant
The question is not really how much should you plant, but how much can you reasonably care for. Starting seeds, maintaining the growing plants and dealing with the harvest all take time and effort. Not to mention weeding, pest control, and watering. Be realistic with the amount that you decide to plant.
When planting vegetables, grow at least 2 plants of each variety. Until you are familiar with caring for each plant, how they produce, how disease resistant they are. Planting 2 of each variety will give you a backup if one dies. I’ve lost plants to pests and disease. Last year I planted 3 bush goliath tomato plants. One was lost to disease, and 1 was partially devoured by pests.
Journaling
If your ultimate goal is production and preservation, the number of plants you grow will completely depend on your needs, the variety and the purpose. There are many charts you can find online but the best method to determine your needs will be to keep a detailed garden journal.
Track the number of plants you start with. Record loss, yield, and what you do with the harvest. From there you will more easily be able to determine if you need to increase or decrease the number of plants you grow in the future. There may be a year or two of trial and error before you feel confident in knowing the exact amounts to grow.
I know that sounds vague, but from what I have learned there is no magic formula when it comes to how plants preform against common threats. As an experiment I will be doubling the number of tomatoes I’m growing this year. My goal being to have enough of a harvest to freeze and can a fair amount.
I find it helpful to keep a spreadsheet of the varieties I will be planting. Details about when to plant, sun and space requirements, variety, maturation periods, yield and notes are all kept on this sheet that I reference as needed.
Expect Loss
As I mentioned before, there is really no way to predict what may happen in the garden from year to year in the way of pests, disease and weather. While you can do much by way of intervention, some things will just not be enough. Keep an open mind and know that you are doing all you can to care for your plants, sometimes nature wins even when we’ve meticulously planned all the details.
Step 6: Bringing it All Together
Sketch the layout of your space. You can use graph paper or sketch paper or a large sheet of butcher paper. It’s helpful if it can be to scale, but it’s not completely necessary. Draw your entire garden space and surrounding space. Map out where your garden beds and containers will be.
You can create a key for your plants. List the plants you will grow at the bottom of the page and give them a letter or number designation. Simply add the number/letter to your sketched plan.
Of course, this can be as creative and fancy as you like, or it can be simple. If you have a large space or your garden is broken up into several areas, its helpful to draw a full overview as well as separate drawings of specific beds and containers with details about the plants you’ll be putting in them.
Be willing to be flexible. Once you have your plant starts you may decide to change things up. This is totally normal, trust your instincts and feel free to change it up.
When to Plant
The last topic I want to touch on briefly is when to plant. I will talk about this in more detail in an upcoming article about seed starting, but it’s worth a mention here.
It’s important to know when you should put your plants in the ground. We figured out the frost dates for this reason. There are some varieties of plants that can withstand a certain amount of cold, they may need a little protection, but they may actually thrive in cooler weather.
A lot of the vegetables you may grow as a newer gardener will be warm weather crops. These will not do well if they get too cold. Keep an eye on your forecast and be sure to plant these in the garden after the danger of frost has passed. It’s very exciting to see stores selling seedlings in pre-spring months, but if you pop plants into your garden too early you will lose them to the weather.
Refer to the plant tags and seed packets again for ideal temperatures. Know your frost dates and growing season and keep track of what you’re growing to ensure you provide the best conditions for your plant babies. I wish you success and joy in your gardening efforts.
Happy planting!
