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EZ gardening

How to maintain a garden easily and on the cheap:
  • First, assess the plot of land you are dealing with:
    • If you can, ask someone who's more knowledgable about gardening to spend about an hour or two with you one afternoon to give you pointers and answer questions. If you are unable to find someone, read up a little about the region you live in as preliminary research.
    • On a nice day, grab a notebook (sketchbook if you have one) and a pen or pencil and take a walk outside.
    • Indicate North at the top of the page, and follow that direction during the next step.
    • At the top of the page, draw an outline of your area, leaving room around the drawing (a border) for notes.Below the sketch/outline block out a section for notes.Label the areas that you know or think you know must change and note down what you'd like to do there (e.g., remove low fence, tear out blackberries, pull down vines, add a walkway, put up a gate, etc.)
    • Then, label areas you are unsure about (e.g., prune tree or remove?, is this plant poisonous?, is this draining properly?, do we need to level this area out?, etc.)
    • If you have some solid facts about your area, add those, too (such as: previous owners claim the plum tree is healthy, compost bin has not been used in years, local cats enjoy this yard, etc.)
    • Now, label all the flora you recognize - if you are unsure just put question marks. Note if the plants look healthy or will need some work and also if you are sure you want to keep it.
  • Assess your tool and product inventory. You can probably figure out what you may need to own versus borrow or rent, and also if the equipment you own is working or not and/or needs parts or tune-up service. On a separate page, create two columns, one for tools and one for seeds, mulch, soil, etc.
  • Decide how much time you and your household/team/partners wish to devote to the initial projects and to ongoing maintenance. (Double the time you estimate just to be safe.)
  • Review your notes and do some research to see which projects are crucial, doable/viable, and most important to you and then rank them in order of importance. Check to make sure the work is in logical order (e.g., tilling comes before planting).
  • Estimate the costs as well. Make some calls to Home Depot or garden supply shops as well as tool rental places and lawn care service providers (sometimes it's easier to hire a team up front to take care of big projects and sometimes it makes more sense to employ an ongoing maintenance gang).
  • Take into account the natural environment of your area. What is the sun situation? The moisture accumulation? What are some major obstacles? Which plants are indigenous? Which plants tolerate drought or cold? And you'll probably want to lean towards plants that are perennials (come back year after year) and don't need much upkeep (fertilizer, pruning, etc.)
  • Consider a way to reduce the work overall:
    • Ground cover is a nice way to go to deal with the yard if you'd rather not mow so often.
    • Some opt to lay flagstone, concrete or blacktop over large areas of lawn.
    • Planter boxes make it easier to delineate between what you mow and what you sow.
    • Pathways covered in plastic and then bark or stones work well, too.
  • Make a rudimentary list of everything you think you need and then cut it down to the bones.
    • Research the lower-cost options at your disposal (on ebay, craigslist, freecycle, at discount stores, with coupons, sales, etc.)
    • Also, figure out what you can reuse at home (pots, stakes, decorative items, rocks). Check out your entire home - you may surprise yourself with what you can "repurpose".
    • And decide which items make the most sense in terms of overall cost and time needs.
  • Next, go shopping and get a simple array of items you need and wish to incorporate into your area: fertilizer, tarp, pebbles, stepping stones, twine, cages, plants, seeds, equipment and parts, and gloves, knee pads, etc.
  • Time to get started! Remove the excess from your area:
    • First remove all objects you want gone - old planters, rocks, garbage, stakes, wood, fencing, etc.
    • Then cut down and dig out the foliage you don't want.
    • Weed.
    • Mow.
    • Weedwack/edge/trim.
    • Rake!
    • Remove all your compost to a composting area or to your yard bins/bags.
  • Now, dig up and till the earth where you will be planting new items.
  • Set up the new systems initially (put up any trellises and fencing, lay down the tarp and cover with pebbles and/or bark, place the containers, etc.)
  • Plant those seeds, bulbs and plants! Although there are specific instructions the general rules are to cover with fertilized earth (sprinkle fertilizer on as you go), then water. If you do this during somewhat wet weather, you won't have to water as often, obviously.
  • Now - clean up the area and wait a few weeks! (Water as necessary).


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