If you’ve been following our social media recently, you know that we are trying to prep you for the best time of the year, garden growing season. February is a month full of roses, chocolate, cupid, and all things love. This year, we want you to fall in LOVE with your garden. Follow our six tips to planting the garden of your dreams.

1: Location

It all starts with the “WHERE”. Whether you’re new to gardening and need to pick your first spot ever, or you’re a garden veteran and need to consider moving your plot, thinking about the best space for your garden is the foundation for every other step. Read on to step two to start the research phase for your personalized garden.

2: Consider What You’re Planting

When picking your spot, consider the “WHAT”. What do you want to grow? Does your family love spicy and you want fresh jalapenos or ghost peppers (if you dare)? Or are you going for a farm fresh bouquet of flowers on the table every week? Maybe it’s a combination of everything. Also consider the quantity. How many of each crop do you want to grow, and are there spacing parameters that these specific plants need for their roots to grow? If your research shows that you may not have room in your backyard for a garden, consider working with community gardeners or trying to incorporate an indoor garden if your plants do not need as much sunlight. Making goals for the produce you want and doing research for the nutrients they need is your starting point.

3: Planning Your Garden Layout

Okay, it’s time, you’ve graduated from the research stage, and you can start doing something. You’re ready for this. Soil tests, sunlight capacity and water accessibility are all things you want to investigate for your plot. Deer fence is your next consideration. The deer, rabbits, ground hogs, or other critters you have noticed in your yard may now be a big problem when starting to plant your garden.

You may have come across some of this during your crop research, but the main garden layout types are rows, four square, square foot, block and vertical. Determine what works best for the space and plants you have chosen in steps one and two.

To protect your crops, it is important to consider installing deer fence as a preventative measure. You don’t want all of your hard work to go to waste when a deer gets hungry and notices the new tomato plant in your backyard! It is always better to have your fencing up before the deer know the garden exists to prevent determined deer from trying to get through the fence. There are many fencing options, and our DeerBusters DIY kits can make it easier on you to select the best choice and install yourself!

4: Shopping for your garden

Our personal favorite step (because it involves shopping), go get the tools you need to grow this garden! Take inventory of what you may already have and organize a shopping list. Especially for new gardeners, looking at all the shiny shovels, colorful rakes and whatever that pointy tool is can be overwhelming. Go into your shopping spree with goals tailored to your specific location and plants in mind. To get your list started here are some of the standards; shovels, gloves, fertilizer, and seeds of course (possibly the most important ingredient).

5: Preparing the Soil

Now that you have all the equipment needed for your gardening project, it’s time to break ground!

Tilling can loosen up the soil to allow the roots accessibility to more water and nutrients. This is not a required step, but testing and improving your soil is a good consideration. If it feels too overwhelming for first timers, this is something you can try next year. Making sure your soil is not too wet or dry, and planning your watering routine based on this is important too.

6: Planting

After all the preparation and research, it's time to get your hands messy! Be patient, stick to your watering routine and be patient. If you are having any trouble with the planning stages, we are always happy to help you pick the perfect fencing choice for your individual garden to be sure you will be the only one enjoying your plants. Happy planting!