While it’s completely reasonable to focus on the beauty of our plants, flowers, and trees when designing a garden, functionality is important too. And what is more functional then transforming your yard into a source of healthy, non-GMO fruits and vegetables? Including edible plants in your garden is an amazing way to add both practicality and aesthetic appeal to your home. But if you’re just starting out with planting veggies and fruits, it can be a bit tricky. So here’s everything you have to know before adding edible plants to your garden.
What to choose
The first thing you have to do is choosing the edible plants you want in your yard. Obviously, I can’t tell you what the right choice for you is. That will be completely up to your own preferences. While fruits and vegetables are the obvious choices, there are numerous additional edible plant species that you can grow in your garden as well. For instance, herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano.
When selecting plants for your garden, take into account the amount of sun and shade they require, as well as their needs for water and soil. While certain plants, like tomatoes and peppers, enjoy full sun and soil that drains quickly, others, like lettuce and spinach, prefer partial shade and soil that is damp.
Pretty & practical
Finally, it’s time to start designing your garden. The easiest way to do that is by grouping your edible plants based on their requirements. For instance, you can position your plants based on their sunlight and water needs. This won’t only make it easier to maintain your plants, but it will also add a lot of variety to your garden.
Container gardening
Container gardening is a fantastic alternative if you don’t have enough space for a regular garden or want something more transportable. Choose a container that is the right size for your plants and has enough drainage holes. You can plant almost anything. From herbs like mint, parsley, and chives, to vegetables like cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. Container gardens tend to dry out quicker, so make sure you water it a bit more frequently than you would your regular garden.
Maintenance
Once your garden is done, all you have to do is making sure your maintaining it as well as you can. One of the most crucial parts of garden upkeep is, obviously, watering. The majority of plants generally require one inch of water per week, either from irrigation or rainfall. Instead of giving your plants a moderate watering every day, rather water them deeply twice a week.
Your plants can become stronger and yield more food if you fertilize them. There are many different kinds of fertilizers, including synthetic fertilizers like granular or liquid and organic fertilizers like compost and manure. What you’ll choose is up to you. In most cases, you’ll have to experiment until you find something that works for your garden.
