Minnesota Gardens

Planning your Minnesota Garden can be an easy task when you plan ahead for the work to be done.  If this is your first time gardening, we recommend the following steps.

The most important step is to look at your soil to tell what kind you have.  Grab a handful of most soil and squeeze it in your hand, if it forms water droplets most likely its holds to much water and needs peat moss, cattle manure, and  bacteria (mycorriazae).

We have used Peat Moss and Cattle Manure compost in our beds and in the plantings for our customers and find that it amends the soil to help with drainage and nutrients.  Another tip would to use the straw or leaves you might have put over your gardens the past season.  Turn soil over at least eight inches deep or call us to have it tilled.

The next step is to look at how much sun your garden gets.  Do you have a shade or a full sun garden?  The sun’s rays will change throughout the season with most home gardens.  You might have full sun in the spring but as the trees leaf out that spot might become partial shade to full shade by mid season.  I use the date June 20^th, the summer solstice for my starting point.  That is when the sun is at its highest point of the season.  Try to remember back the year before and see what your garden or that area was like mid season. This will determine the plant varieties you should use.

Laying out your garden is all up to you, the most common with flowers is tall in the back and the shorter in the front.  I have seen many variations, it really is what is pleasing to you.

When it comes to planning your vegetables it’s a whole different ball game.  Read the information on the packet of seeds you are planting.  If you are growing pumpkins you will need a large  area, as the vines will spread out as they grow.  Planting corn next to carrots will block the sun that the carrots need  Planting your vegetable garden in rows north to south will give your plants the best exposure to the sun. I put the layout and the plant information in an envelope to review at the end of the season.  You would be surprised how much that will help you on your next year’s garden.

If you are a first time Gardner  stop into Halla Nursery to have one of our experienced staff members help you with it.  We will be happy to make recommendations so your garden brings you the results that you desire.

For your larger projects our designers will meet with to do a complete design for your yard, there is no charge for this service when you purchase the plants from Halla Nursery.

To get more information on your garden, please check out hallanursery.com our Halla Gardens Blog and join us on Facebook for great coupons.