How Should Our Garden Grow?
September 19, 2011 12:06 PM Subscribe
Seeking help from MeFi gardeners! We're about to move into a place that we're really excited about, and our landlady- who lives next door- wants us to have a plan for the garden. I think I may have done some weeding a couple of decades ago, but am otherwise clueless as to how to proceed. Soil-based special snowflake questions inside.
The garden area consists of
1) a front patch in front of the house (the kind that most people just turn into a lawn). It currently has a patch of flowers and some tomato plants.
2) a side patch that is currently a vegetable garden.
The current tenants made most of the plantings, but they knew more about gardening and I think they were more ambitious than we can be. Things have languished as they've gotten busier.
The landlady has asked that we come up with a plan. She will ask the current tenants to make provisions (i.e. taking out the vegetable plants while leaving the weed barrier underneath) before they leave.
Since we really know nothing about gardening, we don't know what kind of maintenance and upkeep the current arrangement requires. I don't know the first thing about taking care of a tomato plant or how you cultivate and maintain a vegetable garden. Theoretically, it would be nice to have those things but we need to be realistic about our skill level and the degree to which we can commit to maintenance given our other time commitments.
What we thought might be a good solution is to put some sort of ground cover that's not a lawn in the front (replacing the flower bed and the tomato plant) to cover the area nicely and green-ly, and then using a native wildflower seed packet to cover the side area in a way that would be pretty and relatively low-maintenance (though I assume we'd have to weed and water it).
However, I don't know if I'm overestimating the amount of care the current scheme requires, or underestimating the amount that our prospective plan would involve. I also know so little that I'm not sure if there are better ideas out there that I don't know of or haven't considered.
I would appreciate your insider knowledge, help, and ideas. We are in southwestern Michigan, if it matters. Hot summers, cold winters.
The garden area consists of
1) a front patch in front of the house (the kind that most people just turn into a lawn). It currently has a patch of flowers and some tomato plants.
2) a side patch that is currently a vegetable garden.
The current tenants made most of the plantings, but they knew more about gardening and I think they were more ambitious than we can be. Things have languished as they've gotten busier.
The landlady has asked that we come up with a plan. She will ask the current tenants to make provisions (i.e. taking out the vegetable plants while leaving the weed barrier underneath) before they leave.
Since we really know nothing about gardening, we don't know what kind of maintenance and upkeep the current arrangement requires. I don't know the first thing about taking care of a tomato plant or how you cultivate and maintain a vegetable garden. Theoretically, it would be nice to have those things but we need to be realistic about our skill level and the degree to which we can commit to maintenance given our other time commitments.
What we thought might be a good solution is to put some sort of ground cover that's not a lawn in the front (replacing the flower bed and the tomato plant) to cover the area nicely and green-ly, and then using a native wildflower seed packet to cover the side area in a way that would be pretty and relatively low-maintenance (though I assume we'd have to weed and water it).
However, I don't know if I'm overestimating the amount of care the current scheme requires, or underestimating the amount that our prospective plan would involve. I also know so little that I'm not sure if there are better ideas out there that I don't know of or haven't considered.
I would appreciate your insider knowledge, help, and ideas. We are in southwestern Michigan, if it matters. Hot summers, cold winters.
Herbs!
Basil, mint, thyme, rosemary.. easy, pretty, delicious!
posted by a robot made out of meat at 12:23 PM on September 19, 2011
Basil, mint, thyme, rosemary.. easy, pretty, delicious!
posted by a robot made out of meat at 12:23 PM on September 19, 2011
Oh, and by that answer, Ms. Vegetable was trying to help with the "skill level" part.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 12:23 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by a robot made out of meat at 12:23 PM on September 19, 2011
Start a compost pile ASAP. Gather together whatever untreated leaves you can find, and set them in a pile with whatever vegetable waste you have. Water regularly. Composting systems vary. Some people prefer a two-stage system with newer stuff in one section and more mature stuff in another. Either way, this is for at least six months down the road, so you'll need to buy compost in the mean time.
Weed your patches. Add compost and mix in. Get it in as deep as you can. Now you're basically prepped.
Get familiar with what grows in what season. You'll get very discouraged if you try to grow basil in the winter or lettuce in the summer. Your local extension office can help you with that. Heck, maybe they even have literature that you can have. Those guys are awesome, and your taxes pay for them!
As amtho notes, you should not rule out things like flowers. Bulbs are awesome in that you only have to plant them once, and they just keep coming up year after year. You might also try to attract butterflies. I shared much of my dill with caterpillars and my wormwood with their pupae, and enjoyed having a yard full of butterflies. I also found that my trailing rosemary bush attracted bees like the dickens, which was great, since bees are excellent germinators.
I'm in an apartment now, so I'm genuinely envious of you. Gardening is serious fun, and once you embrace it, you'll come to the same conclusion.
posted by Gilbert at 12:33 PM on September 19, 2011
Weed your patches. Add compost and mix in. Get it in as deep as you can. Now you're basically prepped.
Get familiar with what grows in what season. You'll get very discouraged if you try to grow basil in the winter or lettuce in the summer. Your local extension office can help you with that. Heck, maybe they even have literature that you can have. Those guys are awesome, and your taxes pay for them!
As amtho notes, you should not rule out things like flowers. Bulbs are awesome in that you only have to plant them once, and they just keep coming up year after year. You might also try to attract butterflies. I shared much of my dill with caterpillars and my wormwood with their pupae, and enjoyed having a yard full of butterflies. I also found that my trailing rosemary bush attracted bees like the dickens, which was great, since bees are excellent germinators.
I'm in an apartment now, so I'm genuinely envious of you. Gardening is serious fun, and once you embrace it, you'll come to the same conclusion.
posted by Gilbert at 12:33 PM on September 19, 2011
A good place to start is to figure out what will/won't grow well next to one another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants
posted by no bueno at 12:34 PM on September 19, 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants
posted by no bueno at 12:34 PM on September 19, 2011
Honestly, my plan would be to hire a local gardener to come out and weed the garden, show you what a weed is, and then plant annuals in accordance with your time commitment. My parents did this and it worked well for them. My dad clips things back as instructed sex weeks later on said gardener's return visit. When my mom is feeling ambitious, she plants herbs and flowers in containers.
The lawn guys come once every 2 weeks to mow. I assume you have less property and can do this yourself.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:42 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
The lawn guys come once every 2 weeks to mow. I assume you have less property and can do this yourself.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:42 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Six, not sex. As far as I know, my dad is not banging the gardener, though he is very attractive.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:44 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 12:44 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Check out Gardenweb.com.
posted by Ideefixe at 12:47 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 12:47 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hi guys! Thanks for all these ideas. I should clarify that we're trying to explore low-maintenance options that will still look good and make the house looks like someone cares, and/or advice on what kind of due diligence the current layout will require.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 12:48 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 12:48 PM on September 19, 2011
Response by poster: Cacti and succulents seemed like they wouldn't work in Michigan, what with the crazy winters.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 12:57 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 12:57 PM on September 19, 2011
Low maintenance but still looking good is a very tall order. Try some alpines. They cope well with cold winters, need no weeding and will spread themselves gently around. All you need is a layer of gravel for water to drain away, and you're set. These things are hardy - they live on the tops of mountains.
posted by Solomon at 1:16 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by Solomon at 1:16 PM on September 19, 2011
If easy is what you're going for, I assume you're not spending hours perusing seed and plant catalogs and agonizing over your decision. I second the motion for spring and summer bulbs (not sure how gladiolas do in your zone, but they go all summer long in Maryland...still going now, as a matter of fact). Besides those, I would say find the best nursery in your area and go and talk to them when you're ready to buy--it won't do you any good making a list of things to plant if they're not easily available to you (unless you want to deal with ordering them and having them shipped). They will be able to show you the plants/seeds that they have which fit your various needs--and if you go prepared with an accurate square footage measurement, they can even tell you how many/much you need to buy. If you're lucky, it will be a one-trip thing (apart from the bulbs which, as amtho said, you would plant in the fall...like, now).
Composting is, of course a great idea for any garden, but not something for someone looking to invest a minimal amount of time (plus, you might not have a convenient for a pile or bin). Get some Miracle Gro.
posted by SixteenTons at 1:18 PM on September 19, 2011
Composting is, of course a great idea for any garden, but not something for someone looking to invest a minimal amount of time (plus, you might not have a convenient for a pile or bin). Get some Miracle Gro.
posted by SixteenTons at 1:18 PM on September 19, 2011
I grew up in Michigan, the child of an avid gardener and proponent of native plants. Using native plants in your scheme will help attract native wildlife, and they will most likely be healthier and heartier with less help than other plants not used to Michigan winters (or summers!). Milkweed, for example, has lovely flowers and attracts lots of butterflies.
As far as "not grass" A portion of our yard was covered in vinca, another in pachysandra. Both did well in south eastern Michigan. Vinca has little blue flowers, and pachysandra has very small white ones on stems. Both provide nice ground cover alternatives to grass. Vinca (as I remember from a summer of yard work) is easier to remove. Essentially leave them alone and they'll take care of themselves, they might need a little growth control once a year.
posted by FatRabbit at 1:21 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
As far as "not grass" A portion of our yard was covered in vinca, another in pachysandra. Both did well in south eastern Michigan. Vinca has little blue flowers, and pachysandra has very small white ones on stems. Both provide nice ground cover alternatives to grass. Vinca (as I remember from a summer of yard work) is easier to remove. Essentially leave them alone and they'll take care of themselves, they might need a little growth control once a year.
posted by FatRabbit at 1:21 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is the area shaded or sunny? For shade, you can't go wrong with some hostas . They are gorgeous and very easy to maintain.
Plants I've found to be low maintenance and pretty include: herbs like mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage, hostas, day lilies, wildflower mixes, and ferns. Native plants really are your best bet here, as they are native for a reason.
posted by fyrebelley at 2:31 PM on September 19, 2011
Plants I've found to be low maintenance and pretty include: herbs like mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage, hostas, day lilies, wildflower mixes, and ferns. Native plants really are your best bet here, as they are native for a reason.
posted by fyrebelley at 2:31 PM on September 19, 2011
OK first things first. Plants want to grow. It is why they are alive. So don't worry about not knowing how to keep a tomato alive. The tomato plant will take care of that for you.
If you are looking to raise pretty food crops one of the best is swiss chard. Go for the Rainbow Lights variety. It looks great, is tough and you can eat it.
If you like greens I also highly recommend Kale. Probably redbor or red russian. Great stuff and tasty too. Herbs are also great to grow. I recommend a thyme bush or two. Carrots can also look good and mixed in with the other plants.
As for flowers well I am not that into those but I can tell you I love the smell of my bee balm plants when I am out weeding.
Otherwise I advise you to forget most of the rules and just plant it, water it and eat it.
If you want to add a level of difficulty there is always next year.
posted by The Violet Cypher at 2:35 PM on September 19, 2011
If you are looking to raise pretty food crops one of the best is swiss chard. Go for the Rainbow Lights variety. It looks great, is tough and you can eat it.
If you like greens I also highly recommend Kale. Probably redbor or red russian. Great stuff and tasty too. Herbs are also great to grow. I recommend a thyme bush or two. Carrots can also look good and mixed in with the other plants.
As for flowers well I am not that into those but I can tell you I love the smell of my bee balm plants when I am out weeding.
Otherwise I advise you to forget most of the rules and just plant it, water it and eat it.
If you want to add a level of difficulty there is always next year.
posted by The Violet Cypher at 2:35 PM on September 19, 2011
Also Scarlet runner bean on some sort of trellis is both pretty and prolific.
posted by The Violet Cypher at 2:36 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by The Violet Cypher at 2:36 PM on September 19, 2011
University of Massachusetts, Amherst does soil testing for $8. It takes 2-3 weeks for turnaround, and it's how we found out that our yard, though previously used for vegetables by former tenants, has moderate levels of lead. So, I recommend that as a starting point. You can also use the other information in their report to see what types of plants may grow best in your soil, what the organic material composition is, and where it might make since to supplement the soil for future plantings.
posted by deludingmyself at 3:06 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by deludingmyself at 3:06 PM on September 19, 2011
Not to be a wet blanket, but if you don't want to garden, you could just rake the soil smooth, broadcast some grass seed and be done with it.
posted by jon1270 at 6:01 PM on September 19, 2011
posted by jon1270 at 6:01 PM on September 19, 2011
Go to a local garden centre and ask them what would be low maintenance for your area. Bring a sketch of the site, including what areas are shady or sunny summer and winter. They won't do the plan for you, but it will help them give suggestions suitable for your zone. Like rosemary is nice and forms a bush here on the coast, but will die in Michigan in the winter.
Ideally you might want to find someone like me who would love to have the garden space, who actually enjoys spending time there, and make an arrangement with them. It sounds like you have quite a bit of space and most plants are work, e.g. something common like tomatoes, because you have to support them, feed them, water them, and trim off suckers and diseased bits and so on.
But you could grab a local garden supply catalogue and it will guide to as to what is easy to grow in your area. Like big winter kale plants could easily fill your yard and survive even the winter snow - very nice greens in winter - but most people have no clue how to cook kale and not everyone likes it, so you have to be up for the adventure. (Strong tasting green that makes a nice curry, if you like curry.)
posted by Listener at 11:37 PM on September 19, 2011
Ideally you might want to find someone like me who would love to have the garden space, who actually enjoys spending time there, and make an arrangement with them. It sounds like you have quite a bit of space and most plants are work, e.g. something common like tomatoes, because you have to support them, feed them, water them, and trim off suckers and diseased bits and so on.
But you could grab a local garden supply catalogue and it will guide to as to what is easy to grow in your area. Like big winter kale plants could easily fill your yard and survive even the winter snow - very nice greens in winter - but most people have no clue how to cook kale and not everyone likes it, so you have to be up for the adventure. (Strong tasting green that makes a nice curry, if you like curry.)
posted by Listener at 11:37 PM on September 19, 2011
« Older I am not William Morris nor Maxfield Parrish. Who... | Taking the train from CDG to Brussels Midi Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I think tomatoes and bulbs (iris, tulip, daffodil, crocus, etc.) both require a lot of lime, so maybe the front patch would be a nice place for some bulbs. They can be a little more expensive than a packet of seeds, but they are _very_ rewarding. You'd plant them in the fall, and have some really showy stuff in the spring (iris may bloom later). Go ahead and do the soil pH testing -- it's easy and will make a lot of difference.
Your landlady will love you when all those bulbs bloom next spring.
posted by amtho at 12:18 PM on September 19, 2011