Setting up a veggie plot is not a slap dash activity, unless you are not seeking a bountiful harvest. If you are doing it on a whim, and just want to let things fall where they may, then fine. You can relax, and come harvest time be content with the bits and bobs that spring up. But, don’t be surprised in the slightest if you are greeted by barely identifiable cucumbers, undersized cabbage, or not a whole lot of anything. However, if you would like squash that is edible, and Brussels sprouts that are not brown and yellow don’t pick up a single, shovel, hoe or watering can till you have the rules of the road.

The basics required for mapping out a veg garden can be found rapidly online, in home and garden shops, or at a library. Once you have them, the legwork is complete on that front. You can refer back to them season after season. I for one found great solace in that, and are betting you will too.

First off, keep at the forefront of your mind that you want to be able to create meals in a natural environment, and if you go and ignore certain things, then that environment will change. You will go from designing a place to enjoy your natural surroundings to an area that feels more like being inside all over again. To avoid this, stick with neutral and those colours found in nature when picking out the grill, stove, sink, cabinets and countertops. And once you’ve chosen the tones, be consistent throughout with them. Next be sure to have living things within this territory too, place large potted plants on the edge of the workspace, grow vines or or other climbers up any walls you have in the space. This will ensure that you do not replicate what you already have going on inside your home.

The truth of the matter is with a closer look you will find there are ways to grow fruits without interrupting anything already in existence, and without the demands of tons of space. Take for example strawberries; we grow ours in a very large decorative pot. It has windows and ledges that allow for the berries to emerge into the light and they look nothing less than stunning as they poke out and greet the rose bush to the left and the azaleas to the right. By putting them in a bright mustard coloured container both their leaves and berries stand out really well. It is also quite the thrill to be reading the paper in the garden on a Sunday and to just lean over and pick a few of these delicious berries. So, if you want to grow berries, there is little actually holding you back.

As the earth responds to the harsh treatment of winter it can shift and crack. If the soil does this it can raise up your small, or shallowly planted items. To guard the soil, lay evergreen boughs on top of it. This is probably a different way to mulch your garden than you are used to, but an effective way nevertheless.

Then, to safeguard your young trees from those vexing animals that gnaw there is a good plan of action. Simple wrap the trunks with wire so those teeth are unable to do as they please to your precious pine or elm.

For those who live in areas where winter means the fall of blankets of snow on the garden floor, you are in luck. This layer of snow is actually referred to as the poor man’s mulch, and can do a garden good. The layer of snow helps to create a form of insulation that protects plants that lie below.

If you have never heard of this before, it might sound odd, but here is the reality of it. While anything that remains exposed above the winter snow blanket has the misfortune of potentially being battered with below zero temperatures, anything in the ground below will exist in a temperature bubble that will stay around thirty two degrees. Still chilly, but it could be your garden’s salvation.

Just one of those endearing quirks of Mother Nature that we love. Unfortunately, this scenario does not apply to everyone’s locale.

Now, normally these pipedreams involve me being involved in every last detail, including construction and woodwork. But, I think in this one I will not build the sideboard, or handcraft the table and chairs as anyone who knows me would expect. Nope, like a mirage I would wish for it to appear one day out of thin air in all of its grandeur.

Maybe this change in dream has to do with being tested to my limits with my teenage son this summer on a number of projects we undertook together. While I would not trade the hours we spent together for anything, at this point I think we both could benefit from enjoying some downtime together. He has reached that stage where he is rather obstinate, and in my utopia there will be no conflict.

I have high hopes that over the course of the next school year he will either grow out of this tenacious stage, or even better revert back to that joyful stage I so desperately miss. Perhaps I am just fooling myself, and I was lucky to have been able to get him to this age without all the shenanigans I have heard about from fellow parents. If this going to be his disposition for very long, I think I will have to revamp my dream space yet again. This time, it might become a space for adults only.

One such flower is the Baptista, aka baptista austalis. It is a vibrant blue when in bloom, during the spring and summer months, and an attractive shape and colour even in winter. This means that in both forms they have been tremendously popular with florists in both warm weather bouquets and cold.

You might also like the fact that it is known to attract butterflies, so you will gain a garden feature just by planting Baptista. And, once in the ground it is very easy to grow. Just be certain of your placement, as it does not like to be moved.

If upon review, you find that you are lacking in a healthy supply of any of these, it is time to incorporate some new vegetables into your garden. And for those cold months, you need not go without those valuable nourishing items you grow, instead learn to make chutney, or canned soups. This will not only give you a serving of those vitamins, but remind you of the warm months to come in the garden.

After the garden is producing the herbs it was intended to, your kids will benefit from knowing when to cut their herbs, and how to do it. Though everyone will be eager to get those cuttings to the kitchen, but by gathering those pieces properly will lead to a healthier garden, and even better ingredients for the dishes they are put into.

When cutting the herbs, at least two sets of leaves should be left intact. This will give the plants the support they need to continue to produce. Also, if the herbs are taken in the morning their concentrations will be at their peak. So, while you may not need them till later on in the day, morning is still best for collection.