Back in the day gardens were planted out of necessity with a few flowers scattered about. We have learned that vegetables and flowers can feed both our bodies and soul. Your garden can be a work of art every season of the year. Start with a well thought out fall garden and the rest of the year will fall into place. The end result will bring pleasure to everyone who enters.

GETTING STARTED

Start with freshly tilled soil and rows of light green sprouts that you can almost see growing before your eyes. With bees, sunshine and showers the prize is the beautiful vegetable displayed on every plant or vine. Flowers, shrubs and trees do as much for our soul with sight, scent and the sound of rustling leaves.

You can start a garden any time of year but fall gardening is ideal. You can get ready and have a clean slate for spring planting. Fall gardening tips include knowing what you want to plant or accomplish. Do you want to can or freeze vegetables or sell at a fruit stand. The size of your garden matters. Do you have enough space to need a tractor, a smaller space to use a rototiller or are you going to garden by hand with a rake and hoe? If the area has not been used before or needs TLC clean and clear. Doing a soil test is a good place to start. Depending on the results you can add nutrients and till the soil. Tilling will help to loosen and aerate so it will be in better condition for spring planting. Compositing has been around since the beginning of time. For a while fertilizer and man made products were popular. Now many people believe compost is the healthiest. The finished product will be organic compost. If this is the only fertilizer you use you will be growing organic! If you do not compost now is the time to start.

Stop and consider the roll Mother Nature plays in gardening. If not for the seasons or the birds and bees we would not have growth as we know it. Count the seed pods in the center of an apple, there are always four. Are there always an even number of full rows of corn on a cob? Is there always a way to start a new plant from an old one?

GARDEN CALENDAR

On your seasonal gardening calendar consider what you want to see from every window of your home. There are shadows, images and movement when color has been removed in winter. A bright red cardinal can be a joyful sight so feed the birds. Have early flowering red bud, dogwood and fruit trees and you will know that spring has sprung. In summer keep the images interesting. Make sure you have a pop of color to catch you eye.

A focal point can be anything. Do you like scarecrows, angels or have a prize rose garden? A favorite color flower or pot that carries throughout a garden can be an eye catcher. Don't forget a white picket fence. A water feature can be pleasing to the eye but nothing can compare to it's sound. A bird bath can create a flurry of activity. Enjoy your fall garden all year long.

Maybe this is more like your grandmothers garden than we know. We've added interest and expanded the vision but the love and joy are the same.