When you design a small garden, you can grow an amazing number of vegetables and plants by using intensive planting techniques and rotation.
This article focuses on how to plant a three season garden to maximize the benefits of a small area.
It takes close spacing – though not too close as to affect the plant’s growth and then growing from Spring to Autumn or Fall vegetables and flowers combined.
This gets a garden that provides food for the table as well as looks attractive all in a place as compact as 4ft by 4ft.
First of all you need to prepare the soil properly, tilling, weeding, watering and using organic fertilizer or compost if the soil needs it.
You need to have at least six hours of direct sunlight a day too. You can also maximize what you can grow by using fencing for vertical planting. Though specific vegetables are mentioned for this plant a three season garden plan you can take out those you do not like and put in ones you prefer.
Designing a Small Garden – Spring
Bulbs planted in Autumn will flower in early Spring creating an attractive garden. As spring moves on the sugar peas planted to climb the fence will start producing as will broccoli that you can have in the middle of Johnny jump-ups. Once the main central head is cut you should have smaller ones forming on side shoots.
Inter-planted with beet or carrots are radishes that grow quickly, you can eat them in three weeks, and they help to keep the soil nice and loose for vegetables that root deeper.
You may also want to consider trying New Zealand spinach which can take an increase in temperature better than the regular kind, and have some lettuce too.
Designing a Small Garden – Summer
Those early season vegetables will stop producing as the weather gets warmer and you move into the beginning of summer.
At this point for those of you who want to plant a three season garden you will bring out mid season seeds you started indoors or you can buy from a nursery or gardening center.
Running up the fencing is going to be runner or pole beans and these are the only thing that does not need starting ahead of time as they grow very quickly. But with them you can out in a tomato plant and have lettuce that can handle the warm weather nearby so that it gets some shade.
Between the broccoli can be grown nasturtium and an eggplant, pepper and a patch of chives. At the front of the garden have some herbs that grow low and flowers that are edible. For color and to help with controlling the bugs also grow dwarf marigolds and dianthus.
Designing a Small Garden – Autumn
The final change in Autumn is to adjust to the cooling weather. Leave the tomatoes, they will keep doing well.
You could have a small squash or pumpkin along the fence and chrysanthemums will flower in autumn. Use the time to tidy up and plant bulbs ready for early spring.
If you plant a three season garden, you can get the most vegetables and appearance from it. It just needs some planning!