Vegetable Garden Planning -- Garden Location

This blog is one of 5 posts we will be doing to help you get your garden ready for the summer!

Have you grown a garden for many years or thinking of growing a garden for the first time this year?  It's never too early to start planning. Growing fruits and veggies at home is easier than you may think.  You just need to know a few simple tips to get started and start planning to successfully grow your own food.  Plants need water, sunlight, space, temperature, nutrients and dirt.  Plants have different needs -- some need a lot of sun and water and others do not.  Knowing what your plant needs will help you prepare your garden and help your plants grow. 

Getting the right location is the first step in planning your garden.  Most vegetable plants require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Before you start planting your garden or building a raised garden bed, make sure that the location that you have picked is getting 6 hours of sun each day.  If this area doesn't get 6 hours of sun each day, try growing a vegetable like lettuce there that doesn't need as much sun to grow.  Other things to think about are: 

• Access to water.  Make sure that the water hose can reach your garden to be able to water your plants.  If the water hose doesn't stretch, you can still fill up watering cans and take the water your plants. 
• Watch out for animals.  Bunnies and rodents may try to steal some food while dogs and cats may try to leave waste in your garden.  Animal waste can make your food unsafe to eat.  A fence might be needed to keep animals out of your vegetables.

If you are thinking of starting your garden, watch the area where you plan to put your garden and see if there will be enough sunlight for your vegetables to grow.  Start getting ready for planting your garden! Check back in a couple of weeks for the next steps!