Welcome to my first post on the journey I’ve been taking into gardening.

I have no formal training but have begun the process of learning (and relearning) all I can about being successful with this hobby. I have completed a Master Gardener Program offered by a County Extension Office to get off to a good start.

The Northeast US is where I currently reside (USDA Zone 6), but I grew up in the South where the growing season lasts three times as long. There actually is winter in this part of the country. As I started this project a few months ago, the yard was covered with four feet of snow, while all my friends and family Down South were already well into planting their spring gardens.

Why Gardening?

Growing up the South and a rural agricultural area, almost everyone had a small garden.  I was never really interested in it back then, but now it provides me with a connection to those times and the good people I remember. It is also a terrific way to be active outside and enjoy nature. But the best reason to have gardening as a hobby is I can grow things I enjoy eating, and in turn eat healthier.

Reading current articles and watching videos on gardening by both professional and novice gardeners provided me with inspiration to start my own raised beds. There are so many who love this hobby and freely share information to help others be successful.

Setting Goals for the Garden

Once I decided on gardening as a hobby, I had to make some decisions about what to expect. Several questions had to be answered:

• How much time was I willing to spend setting up and maintaining a garden?

• How much space could I successfully manage starting out, and did I have that amount available in the backyard?

• What would I grow (vegetables, annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees)?

This was an exciting time as the vision was starting to come together. The more I read and saw pictures of other backyard garden spaces, the more ideas I came up with. This is also one of the things I read you must be careful of in the beginning — trying to do too much too fast. Nothing would lead to disaster than overwhelming yourself.

Doing Research

Finding articles and watching online videos for information and ideas was one of the best parts of the process. If there is a subject you want to learn more about, you can bet someone has authored an article, blog post, or posted a video online about it. I found so much useful information on gardening techniques and getting started that helped me avoid some common mistakes. Thank you to all those who make and share content for others to learn and gain inspiration from. I hope to contribute to the pool of information with this blog.

Deciding on Garden Layout

One thing to consider early is the garden design you plan to use. I chose to grow in raised beds as the soil in the back yard is mostly clay and rocks. Building a fence around the garden would also be necessary as there is a heavy deer presence in the neighborhood. They have little fear of people and would destroy a small garden in one evening if it had no protection.

The presence of deer also helped determine the maximum space I would fence in. After reading several articles about deer eyesight and how they are not good with depth perception, I found several articles that stated an ideal area to discourage deer from leaping into it was about 20 feet by 10 feet.  Because deer have trouble with depth perception, they look at a space this size and are unlikely to leap into it for fear of getting stuck.

Location is also important, and I chose a spot on the edge of the yard that was less visible from the drive. This space also receives full sun for most of the day and is open enough to promote good air circulation.

Other things I would decide later were what companion plants I would grow and if I would use methods such as square foot gardening. Building raised beds with some unused lumber lying around saved me from having to buy much to get started. My carpentry skills were good enough to piece together a few boxes that have held up well so far.

Setting a Budget

My goal was to keep the garden build simple and try to find ways to use items I might already have. This would also show others they could start a garden as well without it costing a fortune.

Since this garden would be somewhat of a growing lab, I knew I could save money by using recycled pots and containers. The major expenses came from fencing (got to keep the deer out) and soil since the beds would need to be filled. Seeds would be relatively cheap, and the plan was to collect and save seeds to use in following seasons.

Getting Started

With the plan finished it was time to get the project underway! I broke out the circular saw and cut the boards to length to make 4’ X 4’ and 8’ x 4’ boxes that would make up the major planting areas. I also recycled three modular beds that had been used the year before.

I used a combination of bagged and soil purchased from a local nursery to get started. I did not fill the beds to the top and will fill in the rest over time as I make my own compost.

To water the beds, I will keep it old school and manually water with a hose that has a showerhead wand attachment. I enjoy this part of gardening, but I am curious about trying one of the drip irrigation systems I have read about and seen in videos. This might be something I add to a bed in the coming seasons, but I think I will always mostly hand water unless I am going to be away for an extended period.

The Trials

There were a few things I had forgotten about or did not anticipate as areas of concern when I started the garden. First, I had to adjust to a growing season that did not begin until May in Zone 6 when the danger of frost was usually over.  Down South growers would already be well into their harvest and planting succession crops. Luckily, the temptation to false start is helped by the local nurseries and big box stores not having any seedlings for sale early.  

As mentioned before, the deer pressure in this region is awful. They are like neighborhood pets and hang out in the backyard quite frequently. You can see their tracks all over where they come through in the early morning hours checking things out. Knowing how front and center they are will eliminate me trying to grow many perennials or shrubs that are likely to be on their menu.

The Triumphs

I now had a garden with raised beds all fenced in and filled with soil. I then decided I would try to document and share my experiences in growing with others and The Academic Gardener blog was created.

Into the Future

This blog will be where I document new projects, plants, ideas, and information I come across as I continue to learn more about gardening. I would like it to be a place where others can come and ask questions, share ideas, and learn along with me as well. Feel free to leave comments here and follow along at my Instagram at @academic_gardenerm, and Bluesky at @academic-gardener.bsky.social as well.

Best of Luck Growing this Season!

OG Gardener