Designing a garden is subjective, although gardening successfully requires learning certain skills, in the end, a garden’s bounty is often in the hands of mother nature. There are no fixed rules to garden design. But there are a few elements of composition that will serve the garden designer well. If your trying to start vegetable garden keep the basics in mind.

Most garden vegetables require at least eight hours of sunlight for optimum growth, so the summer months in North America will provide more than sufficient daylight for a smartly designed garden. Because vegetable gardens need a daily supply of water, it would be prudent to choose your location within a reasonable distance to a readily available water source.

Soil condition is a crucial factor in determining the yield of garden. When choosing a new location for a garden, be aware that the ideal garden soil is a loam that has plenty of organic matter, and is free of weeds and diseases. That being said, it is common practice to to till in organic matter and or fertilizer when preparing the soil.The main nutrients for a productive soil are Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium or potash (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur(Sg).

Water moves quickly through an internally well-drained soil and never completely shuts off air movement. Drainage is important because roots cannot develop, live, and function without a constant supply of oxygen. Clay soils dry slowly after a rain because the spaces in them are small and water moves through them slowly. Sandy soils, on the other hand, have many spaces and dry out quickly. However be careful not to till the soil when it is wet.

The garden soil affects the way vegetable plants grow and look. When soils are cold, wet, and crusty, seedlings are slow to emerge and some may not survive. Root rot diseases may take a heavy toll on seedlings, especially beans. Other soil-related plant symptoms are short plants, slow growth, poor color, and shallow and malformed roots. Soil symptoms of poor structure are crusts, hard soil layers below the surface, standing water, and erosion. Be careful that the preparation of your garden bed does not make it unfit for planting.

Essential Tools

Gloves
Shovel
Hand Spade
Rake – Hoe
Water Hose
Drip Irrigation System
Metal Cages for Tomatoes
Poles
Twine
Rototiller

You can start a garden with either hybrid or heirloom variety of seeds or plants. Hybrid vegetables are normally stronger and healthier than other vegetables and can often provide higher yields. Heirloom vegetables date from before 1951, when plant breeders introduced the first of the hybrids. Heirlooms are generally considered more difficult to grow but also possess a more succinct flavor.

To find tools and supplies in your area for planting a garden check out our local map search page for Garden Centers.