CHAPTER 4
Now that you’ve decided on your desired gardening method (or methods), it is time to determine what will be in your garden and where. You have already put together your “wish list” in Chapter 2, but now is the time when reality needs to set in as to what will actually work for you. As a new gardener, you may be a bit unsure about whether you can devote the proper time to your garden. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to start small and stay with basic, easy-to-grow vegetables and herbs. Tomatoes, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, and many herbs are easy to find in both seed and plant form, being easy to grow either way you choose. Otherwise, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of vegetables, herbs, and fruits, as well as edible flowers, that you can select for the garden.
When selecting plants and/or seeds for the garden, it is important to remember that there are four types of plants. They are:
• Annuals
• Biannuals
• Perennials
• Tender perennials
Annuals are plants that come up for one year or season only. The following year, new plants must be replanted as the plants from the season before would have died off after the first hard frost or during the winter. Most vegetables will fall under this category, especially when growing in a region with four seasons. (In milder areas with three seasons or less, annuals may last longer than a single season before replacement is required.)
Biannuals are plants that will go to seed in the second year. Foxglove, a medicinal plant that is also commonly grown for garden decoration, falls into this category, as do carrots, onions, and beets.
Perennials are plants that will come back year to year. Many herbs and some edible flowers fall under this category, as well as vegetables such as asparagus and lovage. Many berries also fall into this category, as do all fruit trees.
Tender perennials are perennial plants that are grown as perennials in mild climates and annuals in cold climates, as they cannot survive extreme cold and snow. Some excellent examples of tender perennials include the rosemary plant, French tarragon, and various lavender plants.
There are also two more types of plants to take into consideration. They are heirlooms and hybrids. These plants may be annuals, biannuals, perennials, or tender perennials. The differences in these plant types are as follows:
Heirloom plants are pure, meaning there has been no crossbreeding with other plants. Heirlooms can date back decades or centuries. They may have unusual names as well as unusual colors or markings. Heirlooms are making a comeback into home gardens. They can be heartier to weather conditions and tastier than hybrids. However, they can also be a little smaller in fruit size and have a few problems in extreme situations. Heirloom seeds may be saved for planting the following year. They may also have some very colorful or interesting origins.
Hybrids are crossbreeds between two types of the same species. Hybrids usually date back decades, although some may go back farther. They may not be as interesting to grow as heirlooms, but some have been bred to stand weather extremes. Flavors may vary, and many gardeners who have grown heirlooms think that many hybrids have lesser flavor. Hybrid seeds may be saved, however, when planted, and results may be disappointing, as there may be little or no development.
As a result, the saving of hybrid seeds is often unpredictable. If you have the time and some extra space, it could be fun to experiment and see what happens. But keep in mind that results will be mixed, maybe even nonexistent. And if some seeds do work with one planting, it doesn’t mean the same results will be obtained the next.
As a result, the use of heirlooms or hybrids is up to your personal preference. Some gardeners will decide to grow only heirlooms, while some may want only hybrids. Many will opt for a combination.
When planting a garden, the plant category usually does not come into play unless you plan on planting a total heirloom garden. However, when planting herbs and edible flowers, whether a plant is an annual or perennial may be something to be taken into consideration, especially if you do not want to have to replant your herb garden year after year.
If you are an inexperienced gardener, you may want to look at easy-to-grow vegetables for your first year to get your feet wet.
The following are some examples of fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow and almost always produce a successful harvest:
• Most herbs
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
After you have decided what you will be growing, the next step is to decide whether to start with seeds, plugs, or plants. And it really isn’t as complicated or intimidating as it sounds.
First, what do each of these terms mean? Seed is pretty much self-explanatory. Most people, gardeners or not, are familiar with seeds. They are the base on which all plants start. Seeds are an inexpensive way to start, and you can have quite a variety of produce in your garden starting this way.
A handful of seeds before planting. Photo by Farmer Dave (www.family-gardens.com)
Plugs are very young plants, also called seedlings, due to the fact that they have just sprouted from the seed. Plugs will be small and more expensive than seeds but cheaper than plants. Plugs may need a bit more babying than plants in the garden to start, but will usually fare quite well and will give you a slight head start over starting with seeds. Plugs are sometimes sold as singles, but may also be found in four- and six-pack containers. Flower plugs may already be in some bloom at this stage.
Plugs awaiting transplant. Photo by Talitha Purdy
Plants are larger than plugs and usually sold singularly in small pots. Some may even be large enough to already have a number of blossoms growing, and may even have little vegetables or fruits developing. Plants are the most expensive way to go as the grower has had to take more care and time with them, not moving them to market as quickly as plugs.
For the most variety, seeds are definitely the way to go. Seed catalogs have an enormous selection of all different types of vegetable and herb seed. For the experienced gardener or the new gardener who isn’t afraid to jump right in, seeds are the best way to get the most variety in your garden for the least money. Seeds may be started indoors early in the season in seed trays (in fact, depending on climate, this is a must for some) or may be planted directly in the ground. (More details on starting from seed can be found in Chapter 5.) Either way, the package will indicate the best time and method for starting the seeds, usually having some type of growth chart on the back.
For quick-growing plants, planting directly into warm soil is fine. Some seeds can even be started in cooler weather, especially greens like lettuce and spinach. However, for those seeds that need a longer growing time that you may not have due to climate, the seeds would need to be started earlier indoors, in the house, or greenhouse.
Although seed will give the greater selection of prospects, you may feel a bit intimidated starting everything from seed, particularly if you are a first-time gardener. And if the seeds don’t germinate, which can happen, especially in bad years, you may feel defeated. But then again, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than taking a plant from seed to harvest.
So what to do? Try using a combination. Choose the fast-growing plants that can be sown directly in the ground to start from seed. The more difficult plants or those whose seeds need to be started indoors due to time restraints can be purchased as plugs or plants, which can then be placed directly in the garden. By using the combination of seeds, plugs, and/or plants, you can still have the experience of growing from seed without having to start everything from seed.
Does this mean all first-time gardeners should not start their entire garden from seed? Of course not. But for those who are a bit nervous starting with seed or are afraid of little success their first time out, but still want the seed experience, combining methods really is the best of both worlds. Then once you have your first garden under your belt, the following year you will feel more comfortable and confident with your garden. You may also feel confident enough to grow even more from seed. (And are those seed catalogs fun!) Once you start, you will wonder why you waited so long to grow your own plants from seed.
Before making the final decision on what will or will not be part of the garden, you should review the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. This map shows the United States broken down into regional colors and temperature or hardiness zones. All plants have a “zone hardiness,” meaning the best areas for a particular plant to grow based on climate and temperature. Using this map and the zone-hardiness numbers that can be found on many seed packets, plant packs, and singles, you can determine if a particular plant can be grown in your garden.
It should also be noted that some plants which may not be outdoor zone hardy for a certain area may still work as a house or potted plant. A good example of this is keeping a dwarf citrus tree in the north. It will do fine outdoors in the summer, but will not survive the first major freeze. However, many northern gardeners still keep citrus by keeping the trees potted, allowing the gardener to bring them outdoors in the good weather, then return them indoors (to either the house or greenhouse) before the first freeze or as the temperature begins to drop dramatically.
The hardiness zone map is available as a free download and may be printed out. It may be found at the USDA website at http://www.usda.gov.
Companion planting is the age-old method of planting plants together that will “get along” and can be beneficial to each other during their time in the garden. It also takes into consideration those plants that would not get along due to, for example, competition for the same nutrients. That being said, companion planting isn’t necessary in the garden unless there are plants that are truly incompatible. However, you will find the extra time and effort put into this arrangement to be worthwhile.
Companion planting may be used with any of the four gardening methods, and if done properly, can help to make your work a little easier, especially when the companion plantings aid in pest control.
One plant that works well as a general companion with any plant is the marigold. Marigolds not only repel pest insects, such as aphids, but attract beneficial insects as well. (And marigolds are edible too!) In a traditional or raised bed garden, scatter them among the other plants. With vertical gardens, they can also be scattered among the plants. When container gardening, if containers are sitting on the ground, simply plant the marigolds around the pots. If the containers are sitting on decks, porches, or some other way off the ground, intermingle pots of marigolds with the vegetable containers. Or they can be planted directly in the pots with the vegetables or herbs.
Other examples of plant companions that work well together include:
• Tomatoes and onions: Onions help keep slugs off tomato plants.
• Beans and corn: When given a head start in growing, corn will become the support system for the beans, with the bean plant growing up the corn stalk. These are not only good companions, but also a great space saver in a small garden.
• Cabbage (and cabbage family): Plant aromatics such as sage, thyme, or lavender to keep cabbage worms away.
• Garlic and roses: Garlic keeps the Japanese beetle away from the rose bushes.
• Peas and squash: Trellis well together in vertical gardens.
• “The three sisters”: Corn, beans, and squash with beans using corn as a support and squash planted around the bottom.
• Basil and tomato: When planted together, basil is said to improve the flavor of the tomato.
This is just a very minute sample of companions. There are a number of lists and charts online, giving hundreds of combinations of plants that will work well together. You can also contact your local extension office or nursery for further information.
Just as the previous list shows plants that are compatible with each other, there are also plants that should be nowhere near one another.
Companion plants help in keeping gardens healthy. Illustration by Ariel Delacroix Dax.
Some examples of plants that are not compatible include:
• Strawberries and cabbage
• Potatoes and tomatoes (common fungus)
• Cucumbers and sage (inhibits cucumber growth)
• Onions and beans (inhibits bean growth)
