Using the Internet to Plan Your Garden
When it comes to planning your garden, chances are you’re starting pretty early, when it’s still cold out. In fact, that’s one of the fun things about a garden – you get to start planning while it’s snowing! But have you ever considered using the internet to plan your garden?
Here are some ideas on doing just that.
1. Webapps and Apps
There are apps available these days that can take care of some of the details of plotting and planning your garden. You provide information about your garden’s location, whether you have containers and what kind, and the garden’s basic shape. Then, depending on the webapp, you receive information about what plants grow well in your area, which ones will fit in your space, and even the best places to plant various plants. It may even remind you of when to plant, prune, and harvest. This can come in handy if you’re planning a vegetable garden!
There are similar apps for iPads and iPhones, too. And the mobility of the iPhone means you can take it out “in the field.”
2. Gardening Websites
Do an online search for gardening sites in your area. There are sites dedicated to only one aspect of gardening, such as when to plant or how to preserve your harvest; there are also sites dedicated to native plantings in your area. Still other websites can help you with the layout of your garden and clarify in what zone you’re located. A great place to look is your extension service – they should have a website with a wealth of information.
3. Social Networking and Groups
As you look on the web for gardening information, you’ll undoubtedly find chat rooms, message boards, Facebook pages, and online groups dedicated to gardening. Join one or more of these! There is nothing like discussing gardening with other like-minded people who are often full of advice. You can ask questions and learn from others’ experience. And there will probably be lots of information and links to websites and other resources.
4. Online Calendars
Using an online calendar can be a huge help in planning and maintaining your garden. You can use it to set up reminders to weed, plant, and water, for example.
5. Online Garden Planners
And finally, there are online planners where you can, with the click and drag of a mouse, design your entire garden. You can add shrubs, a patio, containers, flowers, fences…you get the idea! This is a great way to hone in on what you want to plant in the spring, so you don’t end up with a trunk-load of impulse buys.
The internet is a fantastic tool for garden planning. Put it among your most-used garden tools – and you don’t even have to sharpen it!