Vegetable Garden Planning

I've been busy planning out my vegetable garden, and I am one step closer to getting it started. I admit I waited a few weeks since getting the seeds to figure out what to actually do with them but I think I now have my plan. I had to figure out how much space I have to work with and then I was trying to figure out what goes where and how much space each plant will need; that part I haven't been as successful with, even with all the resources and articles out there, it is kind of hard to sort through to find the exact answers I am looking for so this will be part of a gamble.

My first step was to measure the space out on our deck, I'm using the L shape that is down on the left side of our little deck/balcony since right now it just empty space. The other side of our deck has the BBQ and table. It seems like a decent enough space to put small planters out there but nothing of any substantial size can really fit. I next searched through the home depot site to look at options for planter sizes and costs so when I do go to the store this weekend I'm not overwhelmed and I have a plan. I am just hoping that the sizes I picked are appropriate. I know I will not be able to plant many seeds but even if I get a few of each plant it will be worth it since I know I do not have a lot of space to work with right now.

I've decided to get three 12 inch size pots that I will plant two types of tomatoes, and my cucumbers since I will use a trelis to get the 3 plants to climb up, which will save me room with the cucumbers. Then I am going to get two 36 inch planter boxes, I am hoping these will hang over the side but I suppose I can also keep them on the floor as well. In those two planters I will do zucchini and squash in each. I am also going to use two decent size storage tubs that we have and have been doing nothing with to plant peppers and eggplant in one, and spinach and broccoli in the other. Mike said he would help me drill holes in the containers this week so I can have drainage. Finally I am going to get two small 6 inch planters to do a few different types of herbs in, since these do not need a lot of space at all. For the herbs I'm going to grow, Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Coriander, and Green Onions. Unfortunately this is only about half of my kit that I got but I am hoping maybe my mom can grow the rest of the seeds in her garden maybe since I don't have the space for them here.

I'm really excited about my first vegetable garden. I think I have a good layout and from what I can tell all of these vegetables grow well in containers, I'm just not sure how many I will be able to plant in each, guess I will have to figure that out when I plant the seeds.  Like all of my projects it is a little bit of an investment in buying all the supplies from my seed kit to the new containers and soil and other items but I am hoping it will pay off. I am hoping that I can get my Mom's green thumb and actually my garden to grow and I don't kill it first. I'd love to be eating vegetables from my very own garden this summer!