January of
each year provides motivation to improve our lives in some manner by altering
our lifestyle, or redirecting our energy to a new cause. Although
many New Year’s resolutions are already discarded and forgotten by late January,
we are still energized by the concept of making changes in our lives. Some of this energy might be directed toward
planning a new garden for spring. Garden
designs should never seem tired or stale—they might simply need a new design
element, or some unique new cultivars to continue looking fresh and intriguing.
You might wake up your garden space
with any of the following design elements:
Ornamental vegetable garden:
Veggies are usually grown in rows when produced commercially, but YOUR
garden can exhibit a more interesting layout.
Try your hand at planting assorted veggies in clusters within your garden;
create pathways around these clusters made of stepping stones or straw (not
hay, which contains seeds). Include
some new cultivars so your veggie ornamental garden has something colorful at
every turn. Even green beans aren’t
ordinary anymore—some are deep purple when raw (but turn green when
cooked.)
Salad garden:
This section of your garden could include new varieties of leaf
lettuce—some tasty and tender varieties are now red or bronze toned— and make
an interesting addition to any tossed salad.
You could include radishes, carrots, spinach and kale in this section
also, but I would dedicate a separate space to your tomato plants. (Some indeterminate varieties of tomatoes can
grow over six feet tall and will shade neighboring crops.)
Culinary herb garden:
Herbs… always a favorite, even
for a novice gardener. Herbs are
suitable for small-space gardens, since you need only one or two plants of each
variety. Choose a sunny location with
fertile soil enriched with organic matter and compost; your herbs will be happy
there! HINT #1: some herbs, like certain oregano and mint
plants, are perennials and might overtake your designated space; grow those
herbs in large terra cotta pots. HINT
#2: don’t forget to USE the herbs you grow!
They taste best before plants produce flowers.
Fairy garden: This would not require a large portion of
your garden… fairies are tiny, right?
The mantra for a fairy garden design is “THINK SMALL!” Some figurines and accessories can be
purchased, but often household items can be cleverly incorporated into a fairy
garden to add charm. Flowering annuals
like alyssum work nicely, as well as creeping thyme and other plants with
dainty features. NOTE: If you wish to
introduce the joy of gardening to young children, a fairy garden might be the
answer! You will want to assemble your
plant selections and small rocks and accessories in advance. Then enjoy the sparkle in their eyes as your
children see their fairy garden come to life!
M. Lynn Schmid, Certified Master
Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
