My hand goes up immediately. Do you want to get the most from your garden with the least amount of effort? Then your hand goes up, too! But we’re not lazy gardeners; we’re smart ones instead. These suggestions help achieve “smart gardening” status.
1) Get organized. Have a garden plan on paper that includes all garden areas, what’s planted where, notes from past years listing successes and failures, schedules for equipment maintenance, etc. Don’t count on your memory alone.
2) Ask yourself important questions periodically. a) How much time do I have weekly to garden? Would I rather be doing something else? b) How large a garden can I manage and keep under control? c) Can I expect help from other family members or is this “my” job alone? d) Do flowers give me enough pleasure to justify their maintenance/cost or should I plant just vegetables and fruits? e) Do I garden for my own gratification or to impress my friends and neighbors? What are my rewards?
3) Plant more shrubs instead of perennials and annuals. Shrubs are easier, often have flowers and berries, and don’t need so much TLC. Choose slower growing shrubs that seldom need pruning. Avoid formal hedges like the plague — unless you have hired help.
4) Plant only vegetables and fruits that you know your family will eat. For this reason, okra will never find its way into my garden. Do you only half-heartedly like beets? Plant carrots instead, and buy beets at the Farmers’ Market.
5) Choose plants that aren’t so “needy.” Perennials like peonies and day lilies don’t need to be moved and divided often. Staking, spraying for mildew and constant fertilizing take time and money.
6) Save steps whenever possible. Carry a garden shears in your pocket when strolling around the yard to snip dead flowers or weeds. Mount a mailbox near your garden for storing small tools, twine and ties, bug spray, anything else that often gets forgotten back in the garage.
7) Develop raised beds. The pluses are many: improved drainage, earlier soil warming, weeds within easy reach, loose soil for better plant growth, closer planting offers possibility for greater harvest. Initial cost and work is high, but over time this becomes insignificant.
8) Always evaluate whether you are using all your garden space productively. Could you save space by growing cukes and beans vertically? Is it better to plant small vegetables in wide rows rather than in single long rows? Think of your needs (these do change with time) and what you expect from your gardening space. Maybe your garden can be smaller in space yet just as productive.
9) Resist the urge to plant too early. Most seeds need warm soil to germinate. Seeds in cold soil often rot in the ground, which means we plant twice. This is a waste of time/energy/money. Seed companies love when this happens.
10) Shop for seeds and plants with a list, just like grocery shopping. This will curb your spontaneous urge to buy one of everything. No more returning home to fret about where to plant something, and feeling guilty when there’s not enough space. Share extra seeds with friends instead of cramming them into small spaces.
11) Remember that no one ever wins an argument with Mother Nature. If a plant doesn’t thrive in spite of your best efforts, maybe it’s time to throw in the trowel and choose something else. For years I’ve tried to grow Russian Sage. It’s the loveliest blue-gray perennial on the planet. After umpteen failed attempts, I’m using salvia instead. It’s not as beautiful, but at least it survives.
This column is a volunteer service of the Beltrami County Master Gardener Writers' Group. For more information on gardens in Minnesota check on-line for locations, addresses and directions. Look for information about horticulture on the University of Minnesota Extension Home and Garden Information page www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo or on the Beltrami Master Gardener site beltramicountymastergardeners.org.
