It's a great time to think about designing and planting your garden. Growing your own garden is a great way to save money, provide family fun and get exercise. Michigan is a great state for growing fruit, vegetables, flowers and landscape plants. Let your garden bloom by checking out these tips, resources and books.
Quick Tips
- Tidying up after the long winter will give your new plants a friendly place to thrive. Remove weeds and dead plants, and trim trees and bushes if needed.
- Spend some time preparing what you’re going to grow and where you'll grow it. Consider available sunlight when deciding the location of your garden. Check out these suggestions for plants that thrive in different environments.
- Having a healthy soil environment is key to a productive garden. Here are some tips for soil preparation. Wondering if your soil is healthy? Try these DIY soil tests or order one.
- Many places now have seed libraries where you can get seeds for free. The Michigan Seed Library Network has an interactive map to help you find the nearest seed library.
- Do you have seeds from last year that you want to plant? You can test their germination by using moist paper towels to see if they sprout.
- Check to see the recommended planting times for what you plan to grow. This may change depending on whether you are starting seeds indoors or outdoors. This almanac resource provides a chart of recommended planting times for various seeds or seedlings in the Canton area.
More Resources
Michigan State University – A fantastic go-to resource for all things gardening in Michigan. The garden planner, a printable calendar, is a great place to begin. The Smart Gardening section features research-based knowledge with videos, articles and tip sheets to use at home. MSU also provides a free gardening hotline.
Green Education Foundation (GEF) – This national non-profit organization is committed to creating a sustainable future through K-12 education. Its Garden Resource link has printable PDFs and monthly recommendations for organizing, harvesting, and maintaining your backyard garden.
Bees in the D - Gardening is not just about what you put in the soil, but also about attracting pollinators to work their magic on flowers, fruit trees and plants. Find out more about local bee-saving efforts and what you can do to help the bees.
Don't have space for a garden at home? Fear not: local community gardens and farmers' markets, specifically the Canton Farmers' Market, will still enable you to be part of the eating local movement.
Dig into these titles for more gardening know-how.
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