The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and the soil is ready to produce.  Why not plant a garden this year and score some organic fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the cost?  Plus, a garden will force you to get your hands in the dirt and your baby outdoors. 

Today we’ll start with the most important part: planning your dream garden. Our tips come from Caitlin Blethlen, Youth Growth Manager for a non-profit organization called Growing Gardens.  It focuses on helping low-income families grow their own food and is based in Portland, Oregon.   For last week’s post on the cost-benefits of home gardening and ways to involve your children, click here. 

GBG: What should people keep in mind when planning a garden?

Caitlin: To grow great vegetables you need a site that gets full sunlight for at least 6 hours a day, healthy soil and have access to a water source. Investing in healthy soil is the best investment you can make for your garden. Soil should be full of organic matter which will attract worms, bacteria and other microbes that help plants grow.  One way to ensure your soil is healthy is by adding compost. Compost adds important organic matter, and bacteria and helps soil retain water.

Other things to consider when planning a garden are location and pets. Will you be inspired or remember to care for your garden if it is tucked away behind your garage? Locating it in a sunny spot is important, but it is also important to put it in an easy to access location so it won’t go neglected. If you have dogs or cats, how you will keep them from digging in the garden?

GBG: When is the best time to start planting the family garden?

Caitlin: Planting seeds in the garden can happen between mid-February throughearly November depending on the crop. Portland’s climate allows us to grow many fruits and vegetables from peas and greens, to tomatoes and peppers.  Some seeds can be sown directly in the garden, like peas, radishes and beets, and others need to be started indoors before being planted out later in the season, like tomatoes, peppers, basil and eggplants.