Part of the reason for large spacing recommendations for garden plants is to keep air circulating, reducing pests and diseases. Raised beds or containers allow you to put the plants closer together, maximizing your resources (water, fertilizer, and space).

You can control the microclimate much better with a raised bed, too. You can get fancy with hoop-and-plastic systems, or set up your own clear plastic to increase the warmth for your plants. Warm up the soil with these systems and you can be weeks ahead of your neighbors who wait for the sun to do it naturally. Plus, you can keep your plants producing longer in the fall!

Whenever you have raised beds or containers, it's important to keep the soil well-composted because your plants exhaust nutrients quickly.

I'll talk more about choosing containers and designing raised beds in a few weeks. It doesn't have to be expensive or cause you a lot of pain!

You can have a veggie "garden" in your back yard, or even on your south-facing deck. You don't need space, you need a plan! Get a pen and paper and jot down some ideas. In next Sunday's newsletter I'll talk more in depth about specific plants and their requirements, so get ready:

Decide which fruits, vegetables and herbs your family really loves. Don't be put off thinking you won't have enough space. Just get the ideas rolling. And write them all down.

Don't leave fruits out of your thinking. A few blueberry, strawberry or raspberry plants can produce a lot of goodness, and keep coming back year after year. Rhubarb and grapes are also good candidates. Plant them in a sunny corner of the yard, or in a deep container.