Depending on how weird the weather has gotten where you live, you’re probably starting to feel that summer warmth creeping in. For the serious gardeners, planting season has nearly come and gone, but it’s not too late! You can still start to cultivate that green thumb, and some vegetables to boot. It’s easy:
You need: dirt
Duh. But seriously—you need good soil, which probably means going to a gardening store, home supplies store, nursery, or local community garden for a big old pile of compost. Beware: it’s heavy. You’ll need several containers and maybe even several trips. Or a friend with a pickup.
(Remember! Plant in the sun!)
Even better: dirt in raised beds
Whey aren’t you planting directly into your front lawn? Several reasons. One is that most people’s lawns are so compacted by all the walking to and fro that they don’t have any air or space for plants to grow. It’s like trying to grow in dirt cement. Also, lots of lawns are contaminated from things like lead paint—not what you want in your parsnips. Raised beds can just be slightly groomed piles of soil. For more stability, less erosion, and general aesthetic appeal, build walls for these beds, using two-by-fours or bricks or whatever your creative heart desires.
Now that you’ve got beds, choose plants!
Even if you’re just getting started, some plants will still thrive in the remaining months before autumn. The best option would be to visit your local nursery for site-specific info on what will grow best. Lettuce and spinach are less feasible, but most hardier veggies, maybe even tomatoes, have a good shot.
(Remember! Herbs are a great thing to grow—much better fresh, and can save you some money)
Keep up the good work
…and keep up with your watering and weeding. To keep yourself from guessing, label all your little rows as you plant them, so you’ll know what’s what when it starts to sprout!
Do you have a green thumb? Tell us what you’re growing this summer here or on Facebook!
2 
9 
11
Built an 8′ * 8′ U shaped raised garden and planted the following:
zucchine, squash, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, mesclum, tomatoes, peppers, basil, thyme, okra, dill and radish.
I think I may need a bigger freezer to freeze everything we can’t eat before Winter comes…lol
Wow, Marco, that sounds like a great garden! Are you planning to plant winter fruits and veggies too? Thanks for sharing!
Julia
MyNewPlace.com
That Volkswagen is a number of years in one.
thanks for exposing this to world, amazing stuff!