There’s nothing quite as satisfying as working outdoors in your own garden. Whether you’re interested in growing vegetables or flowers, there’s no doubt that home gardening has become a favorite pastime of many around the world. In fact, according to the National Gardening Association, in 2004, 80% of all households in America were participating in some form of gardening on a yearly basis. If you’re thinking of becoming a gardener yourself, then there are a few things you’ll want to do before you break ground and set that first tomato plant in the soil.

Choosing A Site

Before you start tilling up a spot of earth in the backyard, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve chosen the right spot for what you’re planting. Part of home gardening is realizing that not all plants are created equal. Some prefer full shade, others partial shade and still others like to bask in the full sun. Take this into consideration when picking the place you’ll be planting your new garden.

The spot you choose should be well drained. Standing water can kill plants and rot their roots. It should also be relatively level. If your yard is sloped or uneven, building beds or terraces that run across the slope is a good idea, as this helps keep soil in place.

You’ll also need to consider how you’re going to water your garden. Planting your garden close to a water source, or even within reach of the garden hose, is a necessity. This also saves you a lot of work, especially if you’re planting a large garden. Water is absolutely essential when home gardening, and without a nearby water source or garden hose, you’ll be forced to haul water back and forth, which can be both time consuming and heavy.

Planning Your Garden

Once you’ve chosen your planting site, it might be a good idea to check the pH and nutrient content of your soil. If your soil is low in nutrients, it may be necessary to add fertilizers so that your plants will grow well. A trip to your local home gardening center will provide a wide variety of fertilizers and soil enhancers to choose from, from man-made chemicals to natural compost.

It will also help to think about what foods or flowers you would like to plant in your garden and make a list. Get a few seed catalogs and thumb through them. Make notes of your favorite vegetables or flowers, and order your seeds early.

It’s also good idea to draw a map of your garden-to-be before you begin it’s time to plant. This will help you to visualize where you want to place the various types of plants that will be included in your garden, and will help to avoid wasted space.

Conclusion

Home gardening is definitely a worthwhile pastime. Not only do you get wonderful exercise out of doors, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing that you grew these things yourself. It’s easy and inexpensive, and requires only a little bit of commitment on your part. Once you start, you’ll soon see why home gardening has become so popular.