Winter is a great time to plan your garden, said a University of Missouri Extension horticulturist. Whether you’ve been gardening for years or if you’ll be planting your first garden in 2011, thoughtful preparation can save you time and money and help your garden thrive.
“Putting pencil to paper in the dead of winter can do wonders for ensuring a successful and economical garden later in the year,” said Marlin Bates.
One of the more common gardening mistakes is that gardens are filled with plants that are haphazardly chosen when the garden centers open. “While this sort of approach is appealing, why not take advantage of the cold weather and plan an excellent garden?” Bates asked.
He suggests making room in the plan for a couple of new or oddball varieties to satisfy the whim and impulse that will be replaced by a well-thought-out plan. “I always encourage gardeners to try new and exciting things in their gardens,” he said. “That’s a large part of what makes gardening so fun.”
An extra step that can helpful is to transfer your gardening plan to a calendar. This will lead to a more methodical approach to preparing and installing the garden. “With this sort of approach, gardeners will be less likely to diverge from the plan, and it will help to make sure that everything gets checked off of the list,” he said.
For more information and advice about planning your garden, contact your local University of Missouri Extension center or go to http://extension.missouri.edu and select the “Lawn and garden” link.
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