Are you mowing the lawn and driving to the store to buy tomatoes, peppers and flowers? Why not turn an area of the lawn into a garden. It does not have to be big and may be placed in an area that is out of the way so the kids still have a place to play. You do not have to invest in expensive equipment and may already have what you need. A spade, hoe and a garden rake will get you started.

Now is a good time to start your preparation for next year’s garden. You should select a place that will get adequate sun, is not too wet or too dry and protected from the wind. What you want to plant will determine the area you will need. There are different thoughts on how to prepare the garden area. Covering the sod to kill the grass and many of the weeds would be preferred. A material that will block the sun and kill the grass and weeds is what you need; multiple layers of Newspaper, a black weed blocker or black plastic are some good choices. The decomposing sod will add nutrients to the soil. There are many web sites that will give ideas on how to proceed and what to add to your new garden area to enrich the soil.

Turning the ground over this fall after the grass has died will make it easier next spring when you start your preparation for planting. If you used a weed blocking material to kill the grass, I would recommend stowing it away for use around your plants during the growing season.

We devote many hours developing a house plan and most of the time the site plan is an after thought. Take time to plan your outdoor spaces and discuss your ideas with the excavator before final grading is completed.