I will be living in very south alabama, somewhat near florida. I want to make a garden in my back yard and the size of my garden is going to be 20 feet by 30 feet. What should I plant?I plan to plant marigolds since I believe bugs do not like the smell of marigolds and will stay away. Is this a good idea? How many marigolds should i plant?Tips and other information would also be appreciated.
TRY what I do...if you do herbs and vegies..in the one pot...they come up at different times so you alwasy have something popping up at different times of year. If I get bugs I cover the plant with a plastic container and spray with bug spray or insect repellant..thats all I need. I find marigolds, well their nice but add nothing. Even mixing in tomato's you get visuals and something to eat as well...goof for environment. I find coffee grounds good for most soils but sometimes they attract bugs..as soon as you see them just do the above..i made the mistake of if the plant gets sprayed it curls up..but if you cover it it doesnt...and even surface spray works. HAPPY GARDENING!
If you are planting now, as a fall garden, you are limited to varieties (flowers and veggies) that tolerate cool temperatures. Members of the brassica family (collards, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, rutabagas, etc.) do well during the fall. Radish, beet, lettuce, carrot and parsnip do well also. On the other hand, corn, peas (except English(sweet) peas), melons, squash, etc. cannot tolerate the cool temps of fall and will not survive. There are also flower varieties that do well in the fall. Pansy is easy to grow and quite attractive. Do some research either online or at local garden shops. The local shops have people who know what grows well in your area and can recommend some varieties and explain their care requirements. I'm in N.W. Florida and have already planted most of my fall garden: collards, kale, Brussells sprouts, Oriental cabbage, kohlrabi, beet, turnip, rutabaga and mustard. I still have to get the parsnip seeds planted; they will go where my late potatoes are growing. I'll be harvesting them this weekend and planting the parsnip in about two weeks, after I amend the soil with some leaves and let them begin to decay. Good luck and enjoy!
I believe part of the fun of gardening is experimentation. We change things around in our gardens all the time. Yes, the marigolds are a good idea. You want to plant them around the front of your garden. As far as flowers, you can have fun picking out the types you like, just remember to look at the packages to see how tall they get, and plant shorter ones near the front and taller ones near the back. As far as vegetables, try to think of ones that you would eat more often, and what you would like to cook. Sometimes we grow things, and then have to wonder what to do with them...Also, you have to consider how much space each plant needs to grow. When it comes to bugs, we have been mixing up a tablespoon of dish liquid in a spray bottle and spraying the plants once a week to help keep them away. Good luck, and happy gardening.
If it is your first time gardening then before selecting any plant know about it water and sunlight need. And sunlight area of your garden also. Home gardening is always good try some flower plants (I never go for rose plant because for me its not much easy to grow) then go for herbs like mint, oregano, basil, asparagus etc. You can also grow vegetables. Believe me watching the growth of the plant is fun and gardening is really good hobby. Group your plants according to water and sunlight needs. You can use irrigation system for watering. Below is the source for installing irrigation system.
marigolds will be fine just plant them on the outer edges and some spaced out among your veggies.as what to plant take your pick of your favorites, since you live in the deep south almost any thing you plant will do fine.and you have a long growing season to grow in.get dirty and have fun growing your owen veggies.
