canvas to which you apply your creative
urges.
However, my bias for folks who are
just beginning to test how green their
thumb might be (and how much they enjoy
gardening) is to use the KISS principle; at
least for the first year or two. (KISS – Keep
It Simple, Silly). A year or two of experience
with the basics under your belt will help
you decide where you want to concentrate
your efforts.
Keeping it simple
means straight
line geometry,
square or rect-
angular. I will
also confess my
strong personal
bias in favor
of raised bed
gardening. I have
never gone back
to ‘on grade’ gardening after trying my first
raised bed garden. Of course, if you are
planning a seriously large garden that you
will work from a tractor, raised beds won’t
work. Although a raised bed garden entails
additional preparation work, the benefits
are well worth the additional effort. Every-
thing from weeding to harvesting is easier
with a raised bed garden. Not only is it a
little less bending over, the ability to control
soil quality (particularly helpful for organic
gardening) and moisture level, as well as
enhancing weed control, are all improved
with raised beds. So, my suggestion
regarding STYLE choices for most begin-
18 HimPower April 2018
ning gardeners (also the choices of many
experienced gardeners) would be a square
or rectangle shape and raised bed (Raised
bed height should probably be a minimum
of 6” higher than surrounding area).
LOCATION
Location considerations should include,
how much sunlight (check the requirements
for the plants you plan to grow – most every
seed package or
starter plant label
will tell amount
of sunlight
required), prox-
imity to your
water hose reach
for watering and
proximity to
your house for
easy access of
harvesting. You
should also think about other factors that
could negatively impact your garden. Chil-
dren’s play area (you don’t want the neigh-
borhood’s favorite impromptu soccer field
right next to your tender young plants, or
your dog’s play or potty area next to your
vegetables, etc.). Consider the circumstances
peculiar to your property.
SIZE
My suggestion for SIZE choice is
similar to my thoughts about STYLE.
Keep your first garden small enough to
be comfortable to manage. You will be in
a better position to know your aspirations