Gardening

Just Say No to Peas: What to Plant in Your Garden

by Danny in 18.02.2010 14:41

I do not like peas, never have. If you do however, by all means put peas in your garden, grow nothing but peas if you would like- it's your garden after all. There is no sense in growing something that will not be used or enjoyed in some way, so only plant beneficial plants. ( If there are plants or foods that you are allergic to, you should of course avoid those as well.)

Start with an honest appraisal of your proposed garden area. Some plants need more room to grow than others, so know what a mature plants expected size will be. Consider your planting zone and the length of your growing season. And lastly, be honest about your level of commitment to this garden project. Some plants will be fine growing on their own, but some need nearly daily tending. If you cannot give a plant the attention that it needs, it is not your time or money to plant it.

Once you know realistically what you could grow, now consider what you should. The list of plants may still be fairly long, but a little careful thought will shorten it for you. Do you like cauliflower? Broccoli? Corn? Have you grown any of these before? If you have, what kind of luck did you have? Some people cannot grow certain plants, no matter how carefully they try. I, for instance cannot grow cabbage. I love the stuff, but my goodness, what does it take to make a head form on those little plants? I have tried every trick believe me, and still- I buy cabbages from roadside stands.

After you have selected your plants, you can diagram the plot. Pay careful attention to which plants will be close to one another, some plants are not at all compatible. If you are unsure of which plants will grow well together, check out the gardening websites or again, speak to the extension office in your area.

All of that being said, it should be reasonable that you would plant a few of your very favorite vegetables, maybe a few ornamentals and some experimental plants that will either fail and never be used again or will flourish and become a yearly favorite. Plant marigolds around the edge of your garden to keep the animals from munching on your plants ( deer hate the smell) or use a small fence around the parameter.

Many people use separate gardens for flowers and vegetables, and some use the flowers to separate the veggie varieties from each other. Make sure that your flowers are compatible with your veggies or fruits and keep them a good distance, as they are usually slightly needier than the other more functional plants. Also make sure that you know how to rotate your crops so that you do not plant the same thing in the same place each and every year. Plant what will make you happy, and do not feel compelled to plant the things that will not. Its your garden, plant it your way.

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