GARDENING AS "SCIENTIFIC, INTUITIVE AND CREATIVE"

I have for years gardened mostly intuitively and tried to be creative and my vegetable gardens were just not doing so well after I moved up north of the twin cities in the "sandy soil" land!  Finally after a few years, I decided I had to find out what was missing from my gardening as taught to me by my Mother and what I picked up "here and there".  So I went back to school at the Horticulture Center at Century College in Mahtomedi, close to the twin cities in Minnesota.  There I learned tons about soil and that the "secret to successful vibrant soil and produce was in the soil".


So, as the spring is near "full time" (right now it was 60's for two weeks and today it is 37 degrees) I am going to begin to blog about the "Science" to gardening.  "Science" is the first in the series of Gardening is Scientific, Intuitive and creative.  So lets begin with some thoughts of what the Science of Gardening might be.
1.  Plan your garden site early in the year with focus on warm weather plants needing lots of sun and cool weather plants needing less sun and can tolerate more shade.
2.  South side of your garden is best for warm weather plants as they will get more "early day" sun.
3.  Know which plants are warm weather and which are cool weather.  For instance, spinach is a great green leafy vegetable that craves cool, even cold weather and does not do well in heat.  So plant very soon if you are in Zones 3 and 4.  I planted my spinach in a raised bed outside my dining room on my deck two weeks ago, April 6th and they are starting to come up now.


Your assigned:  Consider what you want to grow and then check out from a reliable resource which are warm weather plants and which are cool weather plants.  Have fun.  Enjoy the great spinach.