WHY PLANT A GARDEN
Here are some of the best reasons for growing a garden, either in containers or in raised beds in your own backyard.
1. Save Money: This may be one of the prime reasons to plant a garden. With just a small garden you can expect to save hundreds of dollars a year. The more productive your garden is and how much you are able to preserve the more you will save.
2. Safe Food: Everyone is worried about the quality of the food we consume, how safe the food is and what chemicals were used in its growing. When you grow you own food you know exactly what is in and on it.
3. Enjoyment: There is nothing quite as wonderful as spending time working in your own garden. Adults and children alike can have many wonderful memories about garden life.
4. Preserve your own food: Not only can you eat fresh safe food from your garden, but you can have quality food all year long by preserving the food by canning, freezing or drying.


If you are convinced, lets get started
Survey your backyard and determine the area available to have a garden. Consider too using front yard plant borders and containers for stretching your available garden space. Take into consideration the amount of sun the area will receive during the day.
Once you have decided the general area stake it out on the ground and tie string or mark the ground.
This will give you the guidelines to begin to work.
EXAMINE THE GRASS OR SOD
If the area you intend to use has grass you will need to examine the grass to determine the type.
If the grass has a runner type growing structure, this will have to be treated in a special way.
This type of grass cannot be removed by simply cutting off the sod because any little pieces of root left in the soil will grow new runners, therefore the grass must be killed.
There are chemical you can apply to the grass to kill it, these can be found at garden supply stores with direction on the bottle.
If you don’t want to use chemicals to kill the grass try this method:
The grass will die on its own in about 6 months if you cover it tightly with a layer of thick black plastic, holding it down with stones or bricks.
You can use the land in the meantime for growing some crops, namely sprawling ones such as cantaloupe, watermelon, squash or pumpkins.
To do this space two foot holes over the area.
1. Remove and discard as much of the sod as you can, shaking out any loose soil. Then dig out the hole to a depth of 6” to 8”. Mix the soil you have removed with a generous amount of compost and throw back into the hole.
2. Drive a stake into the center of each hole and the proceed to cover the whole garden area with at least 4 mil black plastic. Place stone or bricks to hold down the plastic.
3. Cut an 8” circle in the plastic over each stake. this will be your planting area to use while the land is covered.

Down to Earth Gardening

I plan on putting my gardening book here!