For avid gardeners, the off-season can be a time of anticipation while you wait for weather conditions to improve. This time shouldn't be wasted though. Now is the perfect opportunity to plan out exactly what you want to accomplish during the 2024 growing season. Let's look at a few steps you can take to get your gardening plan going.

1. Fruits and Vegetables

If you're planning an edible garden, you'll want to consider which fruits or vegetables you actually like to eat. Often with edible gardens, people start planting things that are popular in their area, whether they actually enjoy that food or not. This can lead to waste unless you have plenty of friends and family who want to take your fresh produce. It's best to plan to grow things that you and your family can enjoy. You should also consider which type of plants you actually have time to tend to. You don't want to get in over your head with high-maintenance garden projects. Maintenance on gardening can fall behind really fast and it's difficult to catch back up.

2. Flowers

If you're planning to put in flowers this year, you should give plenty of thought to placement. Many flowers require specific sunlight requirements. You need to take time to evaluate the sunlight in different parts of the yard during different parts of the day. This information will help you decide where certain plants will best thrive. It's handy to create a sunlight map of the yard. You can then use this later when choosing flowers.

3. Landscaping

The landscaping on your property is also an important part of your gardening plan. If you want to make improvements to shrubs, trees, and grasses, now is the time to start planning those changes. Landscaping is important for several reasons, one being your property value. According to the USDA Forest Service, healthy trees add 10% to home value on average. You'll need to consider watering needs for different varieties as well as how different shrubs and trees will affect other plants nearby.

4. Organization

You're going to invest time and money into your gardening efforts this year, so you want to make sure you're getting good results in return. The more organized you are with your gardening plans, the better results you'll get. Most gardening failures are due to a lack of organization and planning. Gardening takes time and thoughtfulness.

These are just a few tips on planning out your upcoming growing season. If you need gardening supplies or inspiration, stop by or contact Wagner Nursery Inc. We are here for your gardening needs.