Luna Approved (we asked)


Teri’s Garden

~ ~ ideas ~ ~





Zones:
A. Vining Plants
B. Herb + Vegetables
C. Sweet Potato
D. Hugelkultur
E. Compost Pile
W. Water Feature (run-off from car port)
L. Luna’s Track




Organization:
I. Initial Considerations
II. Project Sequence 
III. Pests
IV. Zones 
V. Other Ideas


I. Initial Considerations:


The backyard is predominantly wooded, offering a lush but shaded environment. Shade-loving plants are essential. The abundance of trees creates opportunities for pests, so we should think of mitigating that. Raised garden areas are preferable so we can mantain our knees and backs and also keep luna from the produce while allocating her space to roam. The south fence provides an ideal support structure for vining plants, which can be flowering for aesthetic or support plants like sweet peas or grapes. 




II. Suggested Project Sequence: 


First:
Compost Pile + Wood Refuse Pile  
Why: will always need fertilizer and need to begin collecting resources to build hugelculture and raised beds (excess wood and logs) [[ linkto: really good beginning compost guide ]]

Any Order:
A. Sweet Potato Patch
Why: Will help remediate soil for future planting and one fall harvest can last a really long time. Cons: need to do low ground work, recommend acquiring a gardening stool. [[ really good intro to planting sweet potatos and this is one of my favorite farmers who teach andre the farmer ]] 

If you want—after the sweet potatos have been harvested, you can use this newly fertile soil to grow any kind of [[ shade-tolerant plants ]]

B. Herb Garden
Why: Need to start companion herbs and pesticide earlier than later. Plus, herbs are easy to get started and will sometimes propogate into next year. 

C. Hugelkultur  
Why: Hill gardening can start whenever you have enough wood to build a hill with. Recommend building a hill in the middle of the yard where there’s lots of sun. It will also create a track so that Luna can run around, and you can store extra gardening materials along the carport fence. [[ more on hugelkulture ]] 






III. Pests


While insects can be delt with by planting specific plants and using neem oil, etc. this page links how to deal with other kinds of pests like gophers or mice [[ gardener’s common pests ]]

Good starter plants for mitigating pests + you can harvest and use them yourself: 

  • Basil
  • Rosemary
  • Citronelle
  • Mint
  • Catnip
  • Chives
  • Garlic
  • Dill
  • Nasturtiums 

Good starter plants to attract pesticides (like ladybugs and other polinators): 

  • Dill
  • Calendula
  • Yarrow
  • Queen Anne’s Lace
  • Carrots
  • Borage

If you’re looking for more plants or advanced care plants check this out: [[ more companion planting ideas ]]


V. Other Ideas


Native Planting: 
If you are interested in finding out what native plants are synergistic for your garden check this out—native plants are always good because they’ll be the most low-maintenance and attract the right kinds of wildlife to your home. 
https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-natural-heritage/naturalareas/native-plants



Olla Style Plant Watering: 
you can usually find these types of pots in gardening stores or order them online (you can even make them out of regular terra cotta) — but essentially they are fire and forget style watering systems where you bury the pots next to the plants you are trying to water and the water gets to them through ceramic osmosis.  https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-make-diy-ollas-low-tech-self-watering-systems-for-plants/

Copper:
If you build raised beds and surround the beds with copper tape, it’s a slug deterrent. Some people also say burying copper wire helps promote plant growth but i’m not completely sure whether it works or not you might try it out! here’s a link: [[ https://www.budget101.com/gardening-landscaping/607255-harnessing-the-power-of-copper-wire-an-introduction-to-electro-culture-gardening/#:~:text=Copper%20wire%20helps%20stimulate%20the,extensive%20and%20robust%20root%20systems. ]]