Through the Garden Gate

Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins

Have you ever wished you had a vegetable garden but didn’t have the time? Well, now’s your chance. It’s not too late to break ground. All you need is a spade, preferably one with a straight edge, a hoe, some muscle, a tarp and any amendments you can get your hands on like leaf mold, rotted manure or compost. Now, this is “down and dirty” gardening, meaning it may not be the best way, but it is a quick way; and most important is that you’re beginning. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to fine-tune it later.

Select a sunny spot. While there are a few vegetables that will tolerate some shade, the majority of them want lots of sun. Other considerations are good drainage and easy access to a water supply. Having a hose that reaches the garden will make you happy. Close proximity to the house will make it more likely that you’ll spend time there and will help you to keep an eye out for unwanted guests like deer, woodchucks and rabbits.

Stake it out. Keep your garden small at first to avoid being overwhelmed. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy. Grab a mallet, string and four stakes—unless you want a more creative shape, then by all means go for it. Gardening is fun! Design a circle, an oval, a keyhole garden or any other configuration that makes you happy. Bear in mind, though, that squares and rectangles make it easier to build beds, maintain rows and paths, add row covers, and so on. Stay small!

Now for the muscle part. Using a nice straight-edge spade, edge out a series of 10-inch squares about two inches deep. Lift the flat sod pieces out and place them to the side upside down. This is the beginning of your compost pile. Cover the sod pile with the tarp. The idea here is that you are discouraging grass and other plants from growing. It’s not perfect, but it will set the weeds back a bit.

Once the area is cleared of sod, it’s time to dig down another six to eight inches (about the depth of the spade) to loosen the soil. Remove rocks and roots as you go. When you’re happy with the job (or too exhausted to continue), begin to mix amendments into the bed. The goal is to create a nice spongy mix that will allow air, water, friendly micro-critters and your vegetable roots to freely move through it.

Take a break! You earned it. Let the bed rest and settle down. The miraculous mix of microorganisms, minerals, organic material, gases and fungi will knit together to produce an environment that will support plant growth. By disturbing the soil you brought up all kinds of dormant weed seeds that will now begin to sprout. Let them grow. Cover the bed with clear plastic to keep it warm and allow light to pass through. The weeds will be even happier. Your sneaky strategy is to allow them to grow just a little, then mow them down with a hoe. You could even do it a couple of times. You won’t get them all, but you’ll give your veggies a nice head start.

While you’re sipping your beverage of choice and admiring the results of your labor, you can contemplate your future harvest. Go get a few packets of seeds. Start with the vegetables you like the best. Your goal here is success, not exoticism . . . at least not yet. Read about the direct sowing dates for each variety on the packet. Our zone is 4-5 and our last frost date is May 30. If you a plant a little late, don’t worry. Save some of the seeds to plant again in another two weeks. Push the seeds in, give them a little water, keep the weeds at bay and get ready to enjoy the great pleasure of eating food you’ve grown yourself.

Easy Vegetables to Grow

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Spinach
• String Beans
• Squash
• Swiss Chard
• Tomatoes (from seedlings)
• Zucchini