Spring is just around the corner and that means its time to start thinking about planning your summer garden.  Besides the pride of growing beautiful healthy plants, gardening itself is a great way to help with your overall well-being.  Studies have shown that gardening helps with anxiety, boosts your vitamin D and even increases muscle tone and weight loss.

Whether you are a first-time gardener or a seasoned grower, here are some great tips for planning your garden this summer:

Find the Sun

Pay attention to where the sun tends to shine the most and least during the day in your yard or balcony.  Different plants need different amounts of sun to survive.  Tomatoes and peppers need lots of sun while lettuces and greens do better with some shade.

Garden Layout

The best way to turn your vision into reality is a garden layout map.  Go online for free virtual garden planning tools or better yet go old school with pen and paper to sketch out your plan.

Pay Attention to Space

Don’t overcrowd your garden, plants need lots of room to grow and thrive.  Consider growing some plants in large pots if you are limited on space.

It’s all about the Soil

A flourishing garden needs great soil.  The best soil for most plants to ensure optimum growth is a rich, sandy loam.  Depending on your own soil, you may need to amend it with compost.  Another option is to build raised beds and fill it with 50/50 ratio of compost and topsoil.

Grow what you Like

This garden is for you to enjoy.  Grow things you like to eat.  We have a wide variety of certified organic and biodynamic heirloom tomato, hot and sweet peppers, herbs, melons and more.  Go to www.rumarfarm.ca and order your locally grown seeds today.

If you want to leave the gardening to us professionals, sign up for our newsletter where we publish our weekly inventory during the growing season.  You can simply order on-line and arrange for convenient, contactless pickup here on the farm or visit us at the Welland market starting in May.

Ruth and Marc, Rumar Farm