We live in a beautiful area and tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. Our country home plan has a wide wrap-around porch that overlooks most of our yard. For years we have thought about putting in a garden so that time spent outdoors would be productive along with fun. The kids are finally old enough that they can help out so we have finally decided this is the year. It should be a great family project and we can all learn together about how things grow and what fruits, vegetables and plants are easy or difficult to grow.

Choosing the garden’s site within our yard will prove to be the most important decision. Things to consider are how we will water it, how much shade or sun the plants will need and what area of the yard has the best soil. Of these three things the first two, water and sun, are the most important because they are a result of Mother Nature and are out of our control. The soil condition is also important but there are additives that can enhance the soil to make it ideal for growing conditions. I didn’t have to go far for some great gardener’s advice. Our next-door neighbor has had a garden for years and was happy to share his expertise.

When it comes to watering our neighbor said it is important to take a look at the areas we are considering and make sure there is not excessive water standing after it rains. It is also important that water doesn’t naturally drain through the area. If that is the case all the seeds and small plants would wash away with it. Some plants thrive in wet, moist conditions, but there does need to be some type of drainage. The same goes for areas that are dry. We need to make sure that our hose bib is close enough that during drought-type weather we can water our garden without too much effort.

Sun or shade is a very important factor since it can’t be adjusted. We need to make sure the area that we plan to plant has “full sun” which means it gets direct sun for at least 6 hours of the day. Many sun-loving plants like more than 6 hours but will need regular water so they don’t shrivel up. If only part of the area has full sun and the other partial then we will need to plan the garden so the plants chosen will thrive, grow and produce in partial sun or partial shade. Most plants are labeled with their sun exposure requirements. Before digging begins we need to do the research and decide what we want to plant and grow and then we will have a better idea of what type of sun exposure is needed. As a family we need to chose everyone’s favorites and then plan it out.

Everyone has dirt in his or her yard but we have learned that the success of the garden has a lot to do with healthy garden soil, not just yard dirt. Soil that is healthy will yield a more productive garden and better quality of the produce that is grown.  Soil is based on fertility and texture.

Ideal texture for garden soil should be 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay. Our neighbor gave us Soil Testing 101. You can easily test your soil by digging up a hole and trying to make a ball. If you cannot, then you have too much sand in the soil. If you can make a ball with the soil then try to press the ball with your thumb. If it just leaves an imprint and stays together then you have too much clay. If it breaks apart then you have good garden soil.

Fertility in garden soil refers to a combination of nutrients and a pH that help make the plants grow. Once we have chosen the perfect garden spot we will need to test the soil to make sure it has all the right nutrients for the plants we intend to grow. If not, then we will have to find out what needs to be done to get it up to par.

I don’t know about you but I didn’t think planning it was going to be so important. But it could be the most important decision we make. The perfect garden spot will be the difference between a successful garden or not.

As a family we are committed to planting, watering, pulling weeds and whatever it takes to have a garden that produces the fruits, vegetables and plants we all love. It will be quite rewarding to sit on the porch and watch our garden grow. And what satisfaction we will have when we get to pick fresh produce right in our yard and not have to make the trip to the store.

For more great gardening tips visit the Outdoor Ideas section of House Plans and More!