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Plant List



A. 2 pkts. Snow peas, ‘Sopporo Express’, or ‘Oregon Sugar Pea II’/ Six-foot vines; train onto trellis, followed by yard-long beans. Six-foot vines with foot-long green beans.
B. 2 pkts. Yard-long beans, ‘Kaohsiung’, or asparagus. Six-foot vines with foot-long green beans.
C. 1 pkt. Edamame, ‘Envy’ or ‘Butterbeans’. Two-foot bushy plants for fresh shelling.
D. 1 pkt. Stir-fry greens mix, a combination of mustards and bok choy. Grow quickly to cutting size of 3 inches; followed by cucumbers.
E. 1 pkt. Spinach, ‘Tamina’ or ‘Tyee’. Smooth leaves grow to 1 inch; slow to bolt.
F. 1 pkt. Cilantro, ‘Slow Bolt’. Grows to 2 inches; slow to flower.
G. 2 Cucumber, ‘Suyo Long’ or ‘Orient Express’. Long, Japanese-type cucumbers on 6-foot vines.
H. 1 Eggplant, ‘Ichiban’. Long purple fruits.
I. 1 Eggplant, ‘Asian Bride’. Long, white to lavender fruits.
J. 1 Pepper, ‘Thai Hot’ or ‘Thai Dragon’. Small, very hot peppers.
K. 1 Pepper, ‘Jalapeno’. Stubby, hot peppers.
L. 3 Basil, ‘Thai’. Green leaves with purple buds and stems; cinnamon flavor.
M. 1 pkt. Bunching onions, ‘Ishi Kura’ or ‘Evergreen Long’. Use as scallions.



Tips for Installing Your Garden

Before You Begin

Preparation is the key to creating a garden that will offer a lifetime of pleasure. Before you head to the nursery, review all garden plan materials. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have a suitable spot for this plan? The layout diagram shows the dimensions for the plan. In general, you can enlarge or reduce the size of the garden by adding or eliminating plants, although the character of the garden may change if you alter the size dramatically.
• Do I have the right growing conditions? Check the plant list to see if the plan will do best in sun, part shade, or full shade. Be sure that the plants are suited to your Zone.
• Do I need to amend my soil? Most plants thrive in moist, but well-drained soil. If you have soil with lots of sand or clay, amend it liberally with lots of organic matter, such as compost.
• Is my soil’s pH and fertility okay? If you’re unsure, inquire about testing at your county’s extension service office. Follow the recommendations that come with your test results if you need to correct the soil’s pH (how acid or alkaline the soil is) or fertility.



Create the Bed

To lay out your bed, use a garden hose to mark the outline. (Or sprinkle flour along the hose for a more temporary mark.). Using a sharp spade, dig along the marked line to set the edge of your bed.

If the spot is currently covered by lawn, remove the sod using a straight-edged shovel or sod cutter. To make this easier, wet the area thoroughly, then use the shovel to cut the lawn into strips that are the width of the shovel and about 3 feet long. (Sharpen the edge of your shovel frequently with a file.) Use the shovel to pry
up and roll back the strips of sod. Once the sod is removed, loosen the underlying soil with a shovel or a power tiller.

Regardless of how you prepare your bed, use this opportunity to mix in organic matter (such as compost, peat moss, or rotted manure) and loosen the soil at least 6 inches deep. Don’t mix in fertilizer unless your soil test shows a need; in general, excessive amounts of fertilizer will do more harm than good.

After your bed is prepared, water it thoroughly and wait a week. This will allow weed seeds to germinate. Pull these seedlings or dig them back into the soil. Or spray them with an herbicide. Follow the instructions on the packaging, including the time to wait after application before planting.



Planting

If you have all of your plants on hand, keep them in their pots and set them out on the planting bed. This will give you a preview of how the bed will look, and allow you to make adjustments before digging any holes.

When you are satisfied with the placement, plant your garden from largest to smallest container (usually trees first, then shrubs, perennials, and finally annuals).

• Tree-Planting Tips: Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the pot or root ball but no deeper. If the tree is potted, loosen the soil slightly around the roots, then place the tree into the planting hole. For balled-and-burlapped trees, loosen the burlap after the tree is in the hole. Cut away as much of the burlap as possible. When the tree is in place and straight, fill the hole one-third with soil, tap firmly to make good contact between roots and soil, then water. Repeat twice more until the hole is filled. Water the tree thoroughly by letting a hose run slowly for 30 minutes.

• Shrub-Planting Tips: Plant shrubs in a hole that’s about twice the diameter of the root ball. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the surrounding soil level. Backfill with garden soil, taping firmly to ensure a contact between soil and roots. Water immediately by slowly running a hose at the shrub’s base for about 20 minutes.

• Perennial- and Annual-Planting Tips: Set these plants in soil at the same level they were growing in the pot. Firm the soil around each plant with your hands, then water thoroughly.

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