Some Thoughts on Vegetable Gardens
Although by now, you've probably already got your garden started for this year, it doesn't hurt to do some thinking about form and function in the garden at any time of the season.
The layout and form of your vegetable garden does not have to be entirely functional. It should also look and feel good. Building some decorative arches and some tomato cages not only makes your garden look good but also helps it produce more crops. After all, there's more to planting a vegetable garden than just cultivating a spot of land.
Function Over Form
The most well known garden structure forms are those that are built to sustain plants and give them the room to climb, hold up the weight of its fruits and other plants as well.
Building cages and poles lets you have a vertical garden which boosts your produce per square foot since you’ll have more space to plant in the ground. Vegetables like cucumbers, peas, peppers and eggplants need lots of garden support. Growing these vegetables on support structures above ground not only will produce a better crop it also protects them from insects found in the soil. Plus, the fruits will be less likely to rot if planted this way. Building other support structures like stakes and cages will help in making your plants grow stronger and taller.
Choose Your Structure
If you plan to shop for things for your garden online or in a garden store, you’ll notice how many choices there are when it comes to garden structures. A great online garden resource is a company called Garden Supply Company. Not only do they have a mail-order catalogue, they make trellises for plants like cucumbers that serve as a shade to neighboring plants, tomato cages, spiral supports, bean towers, maypoles and others.
Garden structures may vary especially in terms of form and function because they not only are very supportive of plants it also makes your garden look good. The best kind of garden is not only beautiful, but also enhances the health of the vegetables planted there.
Form over Function
There are so many options when it comes to building your vegetable garden. You can build ornamental structures like pergolas, trellises or archways to beautify your garden. You can even build walls or doorways to surround your garden for a more visual appeal.
To help beautify your garden, you can decorate it with plants other than vegetables. You can plant beautiful flowers to cover your trellis but choose flowers that are sun friendly and attract helpful insects. One example is trumpet flowers, which are not only beautiful attract bees which pollinate your vegetables. Since you also want to attract other helpful creatures, you can build a bird bath or a bird house in your garden. If you’re particularly into organic gardening, the birds can certainly help eliminate pests. Keep in mind that they will also love your vegetables and fruits, so plant extra to share with them. As long as you keep your garden attractive to birds and other helpful insects, they will spend a lot of time in your garden and repay you by eating away harmful pests.
Supporting Your Plants
One great and necessary garden item is stakes. Make sure to drive them properly into the ground and space them a little further from your main plant to avoid hitting its roots.
Plant supports are essential garden structures. It’s important to use them in the proper way to maximize results. This doesn't mean just shoving some stakes or cages in the ground and leaving your plants to grow on their own. Materials like plant ties, jute cords or twines can be used to tie your plants to the cages or poles. Be sure you don’t tie them too tight.
With a little thought and planning, your garden can provide you with lots of great home grown food as well as beauty to feed your soul. What more could you ask of that bit of the earth?
The layout and form of your vegetable garden does not have to be entirely functional. It should also look and feel good. Building some decorative arches and some tomato cages not only makes your garden look good but also helps it produce more crops. After all, there's more to planting a vegetable garden than just cultivating a spot of land.
Function Over Form
The most well known garden structure forms are those that are built to sustain plants and give them the room to climb, hold up the weight of its fruits and other plants as well.
Building cages and poles lets you have a vertical garden which boosts your produce per square foot since you’ll have more space to plant in the ground. Vegetables like cucumbers, peas, peppers and eggplants need lots of garden support. Growing these vegetables on support structures above ground not only will produce a better crop it also protects them from insects found in the soil. Plus, the fruits will be less likely to rot if planted this way. Building other support structures like stakes and cages will help in making your plants grow stronger and taller.
Choose Your Structure
If you plan to shop for things for your garden online or in a garden store, you’ll notice how many choices there are when it comes to garden structures. A great online garden resource is a company called Garden Supply Company. Not only do they have a mail-order catalogue, they make trellises for plants like cucumbers that serve as a shade to neighboring plants, tomato cages, spiral supports, bean towers, maypoles and others.
Garden structures may vary especially in terms of form and function because they not only are very supportive of plants it also makes your garden look good. The best kind of garden is not only beautiful, but also enhances the health of the vegetables planted there.
Form over Function
There are so many options when it comes to building your vegetable garden. You can build ornamental structures like pergolas, trellises or archways to beautify your garden. You can even build walls or doorways to surround your garden for a more visual appeal.
To help beautify your garden, you can decorate it with plants other than vegetables. You can plant beautiful flowers to cover your trellis but choose flowers that are sun friendly and attract helpful insects. One example is trumpet flowers, which are not only beautiful attract bees which pollinate your vegetables. Since you also want to attract other helpful creatures, you can build a bird bath or a bird house in your garden. If you’re particularly into organic gardening, the birds can certainly help eliminate pests. Keep in mind that they will also love your vegetables and fruits, so plant extra to share with them. As long as you keep your garden attractive to birds and other helpful insects, they will spend a lot of time in your garden and repay you by eating away harmful pests.
Supporting Your Plants
One great and necessary garden item is stakes. Make sure to drive them properly into the ground and space them a little further from your main plant to avoid hitting its roots.
Plant supports are essential garden structures. It’s important to use them in the proper way to maximize results. This doesn't mean just shoving some stakes or cages in the ground and leaving your plants to grow on their own. Materials like plant ties, jute cords or twines can be used to tie your plants to the cages or poles. Be sure you don’t tie them too tight.
With a little thought and planning, your garden can provide you with lots of great home grown food as well as beauty to feed your soul. What more could you ask of that bit of the earth?
posted by B.G. Roberts at
8:31 PM
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