Left-handed Gardening

I am left handed, only left handed person in my immediate family. I have accepted the fact that I do almost everything backwards including gardening.

Every garden book will tell you to have a plan for your garden. I agree, however the steps in which you plan I do backwards, kinda sorta in my leftie way.

First I take a good long look at the ground. Noting the slope, ridges it may have, how water will run, sun/shade through the seasons. Also look at outcropping of rock. This is of particular importance to me as I am not planning on prying any of them out, so I have to be sure I work them into the plan. Also note whether or not you can get machinery into the work area. If you can’t, come to terms with the fact that you will be the machine and choose plants accordingly

I plant those outcropping of rocks first and get mulch on them. This keeps moisture in and weeds away. As I do that a path seems to emerge as I have walked the property planting the “rocks”. Then I start looking at shrubs that will compliment but not take over the flowers at the rocks. As you dig in your shrubs you will encounter rock that will either be too large to remove or you are not interested in tackling.

So you adjust your hole-digging to accommodate the rock ledge that will be staying in the garden.

This further reveals the path as you have made your adjustments. This is when you take a season or three to allow what you’ve done develop.

At that time take another look at your garden, make whatever adjustments you desire and start researching trees. Trees are the hardest things to remove or just relocate and I could never understand why they tell you to plant trees first. Just my backward leftie talking, Also If you can’t get a machine on the property, my way of tackling this will better ensure you don’t have to move the tree(s).

When putting your trees in, remember water lines, where your sewage field lies, electrical lines, drainage, invasive root systems of “willow” anything, sycamore, and how you plan to irrigate or water. This might include a dry creek bed or an above ground watering system.

Then tackle the path, and realize you’ve already made it by walking your new garden…..