5 Things to Know - Starting a Garden
Plant location - Most fruits and vegetables need full sunshine. Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and arugula can be grown in partial shade. There are plenty of flowers that handle the shade well.
Attention - Your garden should be somewhere easily accessible. Having a community garden is wonderful, but tending to it 1-2x a week is not ideal.
Don’t get started too early - It is tempting to start planting the first nice weekend of spring, but hold off until your last frost date. In Denver + Boulder there is a risk of frost through May 9th.
The more you pick, the more your plant will produce - Regular picking keeps vegetables producing. The more you pick your zucchini and cucumbers the more they’ll produce. Same with flowers, remove the dead heads so the plant doesn’t send energy to create seeds and you’ll have beautiful blooms longer.
Take notes - You will make mistakes, but the best gardeners learn from them. Keep track of things you grew, what failed, what unwelcomed bugs passed through, and the best producers. It’s also an excuse to buy a fresh new journal - I see you out there journal hoarders!
The most important tip is to simply begin. Each season brings with it new lessons.
Need help getting started? This spring Larkspur is offering Garden Coaching. Perfect for garden newbies. A coaching session typically consists of a consultation and follow-up with care instructions for the garden, local resources, and other helpful information. Contact nic@larkspurlandscapeco.com for more information.
