Do a Little... Save a Lot!
Do you have a Large Yard?
Even if you have a large yard, you may have limited quality space for a garden. When planning your garden, choose a well-drained, sunny location that doesn’t receive much heavy wind to help plants thrive. Since you’ll be relying primarily on your native soil, get a soil test [exit DNR] done to determine the best crops and soil amendments for your garden. Adding too much fertilizer can contaminate our waters and lead to algal blooms in lakes. Get detailed guidance [exit DNR] on planning your vegetable garden and choosing the best varieties. And be sure to call the Diggers Hotline (811) to have any utility lines marked before you start digging to stay safe!
If you are lucky enough to have a big space available for gardening but are a plant newbie, it might be a good idea for you to draw up plans for a large future garden but develop it on the ground piece by piece each year. The time you would have spent mowing the lawn each week can instead be used to cultivate fresh produce.
Before purchasing perennials (plants that live for multiple years) like berry bushes, check if they are adapted for your soil conditions and hardiness zone [exit DNR], which spans zones 5 to 3 in Wisconsin.
Instead of planting tall shrubs and trees just for aesthetics or shade, consider ones that provide food too! [exit DNR] Elderberries, serviceberries, apples, plums, cherries, hickories, and walnuts are some good choices for Wisconsin. If you decide to plant walnuts, especially the native black walnut, be sure to plant it far from the rest of your garden as it produces a chemical that slows or stops the growth of many other plants.
Where permitted by local government, including some cities like Madison, you can take growing your own food a step further and raise a few chickens! [exit DNR] They will provide valuable fertilizer for your garden and supply your family with fresh eggs or meat.
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