Guest Author - Sue Walsh

It’s cold, snowy and generally miserable in many areas of the country, but it’s also the perfect time to plan this year’s garden. With the current economic woes and rising food prices, many plan to start gardens for the first time while others plan to increase their harvests.

The very first thing to do if you’re gardening for the first time is decide on your space. If you plan on growing lots of veggies, you’ll need a space that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Herbs also need a lot of sun. If you’re growing flowers, there are varieties that do well in sun and shade so choose the ones that work for your space. One important note-don’t judge the light your space gets on what it looks like now-take into account that any trees nearby will be in full leaf and likely filter out much of it.

If you’re not new to gardening, review last year’s garden. Hopefully you took notes on what grew well and what didn’t, what insect/disease issues you had, etc. These types of notes are invaluable! If not, hopefully your memory will serve you well.

Whether you’re new to gardening or not, it always helps to sketch out your garden on paper. If weather permits, take your sketch outside to your space and walk around. Think about what types of plants would look best where, and also about what decorative items (a bench, fountain, ponds, etc) you might want to add to the layout.

Once you’ve got your plans set, now comes the fun part-choosing your plants! Find a comfortable spot and browse through all your seed catalogs and gardening magazines. Make a list of the plants and seeds you’re interested in-just be sure they are designed to thrive in your zone and in the area of your garden you want to plant them in. If you plan to grow from seed now is the time to start buying them and the supplies you’ll need. You can also order live plants now but most nurseries won’t ship until after the last frost date in your area.

Before you place any orders, fire up your computer and do a little research on the companies you want to order from. Garden Watchdog is an excellent resource. It provides user reviews and ratings on hundreds of nurseries and seed companies; Google is also a good resource. Be wary of any company that insist on cash or checks/MO only as these types of payments aren’t secure and offer no protection if the order goes wrong.

Once you’ve done your homework and placed your order, sit back, relax, and start dreaming about the gorgeous garden you’ll have this summer!