Winter time is great to plan a backyard garden. We tend to stay in more, particularly in the northern climates. Sometimes, when the deep snow hits, we don’t even have a choice.

Perhaps you have had the foresight to start a compost pile. In autumn, we have raked the leaves, added small twigs, etc. into a large pile and covered it with black plastic to capture the sun’s heat or put the leaves in plastic bags. By spring, viola, you have compost. This is a natural way to add compost to your soil, thus enriching it and making the soil more pliable and easier for the plants to root or the seeds to germinate.

The winter season also gives you time to plan what vegetables you want to plant. Time to check out the different needs of the crops; their spacing, depth and width each require compatibility of one crop to another. Also, the space required for each vegetable in the garden.

After much contemplation and visualization, your vegetable garden will appear clear in your mind and make the actual work much easier.

How much land do you have to use for this project? That will have a lot to do with your choices. Also your climate will tell you much. Do you have a short or long growing season? The farther north you are the shorter time frame you will have for growing crops. And just the opposite for a southern climate. On the seed packets you will find planting instructions and the length of time for the seeds to develop full grown and producing plants. A great help in making choices.

If you are lucky enough to have a large area to plant your garden and the time to devote to it, you might want to plant a few things that your neighbors like. When we were living on more than enough acreage, we planted things that we were not going to use just because we had the room. I never dreamed of the results.

After telling her she could pick all of the turnip greens she wanted, one neighbor brought us baby chicks. Each time that she picked the greens and tomatoes and beans also, we found our chicken population had increased. Another neighbor gave us blocks of cheese in return for freshly grown vegetables.

Additionally, I canned many of the over load of vegetables. A first time experience, but well rewarded come winter. Another reward was going out to the garden and picking fresh vegetables for a meal; potatoes, tomatoes, squash, peppers and beans fried together with herbs sprinkled on top was most delicious and nutritious too.

Another reward is the benefits of being outside in the sunshine. I sure didn’t need any vitamin c. It was provided for me from a natural source. Plus the added benefits of the exercise involved in the work.

Don’t forget to plan on how much money you will be putting into this project. The cost of seeds is one, plus the cost of purchasing some started plants. For instance, tomatoes. It is of course easier to begin with starter plants and this will help ensure a good crop. Also, the wire frames to enclose tomatoes to give them a structure to hold the plants. Tomatoes can produce quite large plants and you don’t want them falling over and having your tomatoes lying on the ground where they can easily rot.

If you decide to plant beans you will have no problem with using seeds and they germinate quite easily. Although, you will have to provide some type of structure for them to climb.

Remember to have a hose close enough to water your plants. Mother nature, being who she is, does not always provide rain when plants need them. It’s best to water your vegetables in the early morning to give them adequate moisture through the day, particularly when they are young. Once the plants are firmly established you can put mulch around the base of each plant to keep the moisture in.

Other expenses include gardening tools, gloves, etc. Plus, you may want to rent a tiller to break up the soil. A tiller is much easier than digging it by hand.

Small green onions are an easy crop to plant and grow. Once established, you can pick them at any time of their growth. The same with chives and they can be used in many ways in your cooking; stews, soups, potatoes and sauces. They add a delicate fresh flavor to all types of food. Good luck with your garden.

Make some time and plan your backyard garden. Knowing what to plant, when to begin planting and how to plant the vegetables and herbs will make the gardening work more fun.

Article contributed by Shya

The satisfaction and pleasure that you can obtain from developing your own backyard organic vegetable garden is enormous. Of course, you also end up with some very fresh organic veggies for home cooking. Although there is work involved, knowing the potential outcome makes it very enjoyable work. Not only does it give you a feeling of accomplishment, it is also very soothing to your psyche. So if you are really into the benefits of an organic garden, you will find the gardening work to be well worth the effort.

Some vegetables require more growing space than others. As much as the kind of veggies you like will determine the amount of space you will devote to your organic garden, the type of veggies you will plant will also play a part in determining the space you need. For instance, if you plant squash, they are a spreading or vine type plant and take more of your growing space. Conversely, growing tomatoes will give you more room for other organic vegetables since tomatoes grow upward instead of spreading out like squash.

If you are working with limited space, make sure the plot of land you are using is not too wide. Keeping the garden narrow will allow you to weed unwanted growth without stepping through the plants and keep you from straining your back. The process can be as reqarding as the end results, so make it easy and comfortable whenever possible.

Next, decide what organic vegetables you want to plant and off you go to the local seed store. Make sure your seeds are stamped with the year you are planting them. Although seeds from two years ago will produce, there is no need to take the chance with old seeds. After all you will be putting a lot of time and effort into this project.

A small garden will require only one package of seeds for each variety of vegetables you choose to grow. To speed the process, you can always purchase starter plants. Buying starter plants has its draw backs. It is a little more expensive and you take away the thrill of seeing new plants emerge from seeds.

Organic Vegetables Are Expensive

At first, you may think the expense of growing your own organic veggies is counter productive. However, there are several benefits to consider:

1. superior taste
2. freshness
3. convenience and availability
4. * chemical free

All that and knowing that they are your creation make raising veggies in your own backyard garden well worth the time and expense. Of course, what you get out of the project wil depend largely on what time and effort you put into it. So, go ahead and get started today growing the freshest vegetables and herbs in your own backyard organic garden.

Article contributed by Shya

Nothing is more rewarding than an organic herb garden. The convenience of stepping out of your house and in to your own backyard to pick home grown organic herbs and vegetables is a true time saver especially when you forgot to pick them up at the grocery store. Additionally, it is nice to know that they are the freshest organically grown herbs available. Some people prefer to have an indoor herb garden, but that’s a subject we can address in later in another segment. Let’s talk about creating your organic herb garden.

A backyard organic herb garden does not require much space. An area as small as 10 feet by 10 feet is adequate for a family of four. Of course, you can always expand if you desire to broaden the array of herbs you began with.

If you prefer, you can build a raised garden by using landscape timbers or you can drive stakes in the ground and attach boards to them. Either way a raised garden tends to be easier to work and in my experiences for some reason they develop less weeds.

Create An Organic Garden
To start, dig up the earth, add more store purchased soil, plus mulch, then mix well. That will give you a great soil to work with and will ensure a more productive organic herb garden.

Before you purchase seeds, do a little research on what herbs you want to grow. Keep in mind those herbs that you use most frequently and check to see if it is plausible to grow them in your area. To some extent, your climate will determine what herbs you can grow.

For example, you may want to grow some bay leaf because you use a lot of it for cooking. Bay leaf, as the name implies, comes from a tree. It is not easy to grow from seed. The most reliable growing method for bay leaf is to use a cutting. If you really feel inclined to grow bay leaf, I suggest purchasing a starter plant from a nursery.

Sticking with the easier grown organic herbs might be the best solution, particularly if you are new to the gardening game. A sure fire easy to grow herb would be garlic and it has great health benefits. You might want to try elephant garlic just for fun. The end result is a very large garlic pod, but not quite as strong in taste as the usual smaller pods.

Plant your garlic cloves early in the spring as they need a fairly long growing season. Each clove should be planted about two inches deep and about six inches apart from one another. Garlic will grow in just about any soil, thought it does best in moist sandy soil with lots of sun. That is evidenced by its large commercial growth in Texas, Louisiana and California. We are constantly being told about the benefits of garlic, so why not give it a try.

Chives are also easy to grow and will multiply rapidly with very little care. They are great in soups, salads and cut and sprinkled on baked potatoes with all the other added goodies.

Another of the more popular herbs to grow and use is basil. Sweet basil tops the list. There are many varieties of basil, but do not be confused. Your local nursery should have the right seeds or plants for you to purchase.

Basil is know as the herb of love and rivals all other herbs in its usage. It has a sweet flavor and aroma which gives it multiple uses; spaghetti sauce, pizza, tossed salads, salad dressings, eggs and cheese dishes, vegetable dishes, poultry, veal, rolls, breads and lastly apples. This list alone would suggest it as a must in an organic herb garden.

Yet another good herb to plant is mint. It is easily grown. In fact, it will take over your garden if not kept in check. There are many flavors of mint to choose from; lemon, orange and believe it or not, a chocolate flavor. We all know that a little mint in ice tea enhances the taste. Mint can also be used to make jelly and sauces. It can be sprinkled on peas, carrots, potatoes and fish.

There are many other herbs to grow. The list is long, so your choices are many. Once again, I must say there are great joys and benefits of having a backyard organic herb garden. Start small and grow big. You won’t regret it. Happy growing.

Article contributed by Shya

To grow the best veggies naturally, you have to begin with the best soil possible. By using compost and organic fertilizer, you can create an excellent soil for growing your organic vegetables and herbs.

All time, monies and energies you put into enriching your soil will reward you with an abundance of great tasting veggies. Although the cost of organic veggies is substantially more than regular veggies, going organically offers substantial benefits in health as well as overall taste and quality of your vegetables and herbs.

Many years of working with organic gardens have shown gardeners this is the best way to maintain a bountiful garden. This practice is also helpful in protecting your animal friends.

In its many forms, compost gives fertility to soil. Use every shred of organic matter that you can find; add leaves, twigs, garbage such as potato peels, lettuce leaves, onion peelings and what ever fruit or veggie discards you have. Determine where you will put your compost pile, somewhere off to the side or corner of your lot or yard. Some people prefer to build a bin, but that is not necessary. Dig the earth a few inches deep- 3 to 4 inches. This will expose soil bacteria to give the mulch a good start. The first layer is called a hot layer and should be composed of garbage and if possible some manure, which can be purchased at your local feed store or home hardware. Layer this about 2 inches deep.

Next comes green matter; old leaves, weeds, trimming from bushes, etc. A thin layer of granite dust, rock phosphate or other trace additives- again check at local stores. Top this with an inch of soil- preferably organic. Begin again layering in the same way.

The pile should be watered frequently as the heat of decomposition dries it out and stops the composting action after a few days. Do not over water, just keep the pile moist.

Turn the pile twice the first two weeks. The turning helps air get inside the compost. Then turn once a month to keep the compost cooking. If possible have the compost pile at least 4 to 5 feet high.

In case you are considering chemical fertilizers, I would like to give you a little run down on that as an easier solution. It’s true that chemical fertilizers are less expensive to buy than organic fertilizers. They give you quick plant growth and an abundant yield, but their side effects can be devastating. Chemical fertilizers are made from by-products of petro-chemicals, soil and strong acid.

They lower the nutritional content of your vegetables. This has been laboratory proven. In the West and Southwest, all dry areas, the use of chemical fertilizers is causing the ground to become more compact. Chemical super phosphate treated with sulfuric acid to make it more soluble. Used in man made fertilizers takes a long time to breakdown and the salts formed from them causes the ground to become more compact and ultimately cause erosion.

In the long run and in the health requirements of all, chemical fertilizers should not be used. Don’t poison Mother Earth or yourself. Grow a garden that is beneficial and rewarding- garden organically.

Article contributed by Shya

Another thought on the subject of managing a backyard garden concerns the physical aspects. Turning soil, planting seeds and weeding are all taxing on the body. Foresight in your gardens’ development will reduce the risk of injuries and soreness.

The climate can also present physical issues like the heat. With a little preparation you can protect yourself from the heat and by planning your gardens layout and plot size, you can minimize the physical portion of backyard gardening.

Garden Plot Size

If you are working with limited space, make sure the plot of land you are using is not too wide. Keeping the garden narrow will allow you to weed unwanted growth without stepping through the plants and keep you from straining your back. So make it easy and comfortable whenever possible.

When living in a hot climate, consider working in your backyard garden during the early morning hours. If your garden receives shade in the evening from the house or a tree on the east side of your garden, you should contemplate planting and weeding before dusk.

Backyard Gardening Work Tips

1. Work in the early morning or late evening
2. Limit your time in the garden
3. Wear a broad brimmed hat
4. Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water

Truth be told, the physical labor done correctly, can be a benefit to all of us. The exercise you will get helps tone the body and maintain good health. So, water, plant and weed at the appropriate times and enjoy good health along with a flourishing backyard garden.

Article contributed by Shya