Your Guide to Building a Garden at Your Texas Home

When building a garden at your home, there are many important factors to take into consideration. In addition to the type of plants you wish to grow, you will need to understand your climate, plan for sun exposure, provide access to water and much more. Are you planning a home garden project? Take a look at these tips to help you show off your green thumb! 

Tips for Building a Garden

Location, Location, Location

Where you decide to start your garden can have a significant impact on its success. First, you will want to build your home garden somewhere you can see it. Not only will this allow you to enjoy your work, but it will also help remind you to stay on top of maintenance. You know what they say—out of sight, out of mind. If your garden is in plain view, you are much more likely to remember to take care of it. 

It is also important to place your garden out of the way of traffic so your carefully cared for plants will not get trampled. Building a DIY garden box is a great way to keep plants protected and create a stylish element in your yard. Placing your garden near a structure, like a brick wall or fence, can also help protect the plants from Perry Homes Building a Garden at Your Texas Home Publish Date: April 3, 2020 freeze, wind and other more extreme weather conditions that may harm them. 

Mind the Sunshine

Sun exposure is a balancing act when crafting a home garden. Too much sunlight and plants will scorch—too little, and they will wither. Experienced gardeners typically recommend selecting a location that provides shade from the west during the summer months. This allows for enough sunlight to promote growth and health without risking scorching. 

However, it is important to note that each plant has different sun requirements. Most vegetables have short growing seasons, making plenty of sun exposure a must-have. Some vegetables, though, are shade tolerant and would work well in a yard that may not see as much sunlight. If you have large shade trees, live in a dense area or simply decide the best place for your garden is in a shadier location, you may want to avoid sun-loving plants like tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers. 

Easy Access to Water

Make sure you can easily get water to your home garden. If you plan on watering using a hose, double-check that it will reach as far as you need it to. Building your garden near a spigot may also help save you from having to lug around a heavy water can. Better yet, consider integrating a drip system for easy maintenance—you can easily change the amount of water dispensed to accommodate for seasonal planting. 

Keeping a rain gauge on hand is also helpful to keep track of just how much water your garden is getting. This will help you avoid overwatering, which can be both harmful to your garden and wasteful. 

Set the Right Foundation

A garden is only as good as its foundation. Be sure to use high-quality soil with the right nutrients, pH level and more for the plants you are planning to grow. Mulch is another important factor to consider when building a garden at home. Not only does this covering protect your plants from harmful critters, but it can also retain moisture to help reduce watering needs. If you select an organic mulch, it will even add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes, boosting the health of your garden. Lastly, be sure to properly plan for drainage to prevent water from pooling and harming your plants. 

Choose Your Plants Carefully

When selecting the plants you wish to include in your garden, you will need to consider sun exposure, watering, maintenance needs, your climate zone, Perry Homes Building a Garden at Your Texas Home Publish Date: April 3, 2020 extreme weather patterns, how aggressive the plant is and much more. Seasonality is also an important factor to consider when building a home garden—planting during the right time of year can be the difference between a bountiful harvest and a disappointing season. For more sensitive plants, try starting your seeds indoors to help ensure they are healthy and strong enough to take on the elements when moved outside. 

What Should You Grow?

Central Texas has notoriously short growing seasons, but that does not mean you cannot have a stunning, full garden at your home. While not all vegetables can survive a frost, there are some that thrive throughout Central Texas’ milder winters. The best vegetables to plant during colder Central Texas months include: 

• Spinach 
• Kale 
• Lettuce 
• Beets 
• Carrots 
• Cabbage 
• Broccoli 

These can be planted periodically to produce through winter and spring. Herbs are also a great addition to any fall garden once the hotter months have passed. Basil is one of the only herbs that does not take a freeze well, but other than that, most are easy to grow during these months. Plus, there is the added bonus of being able to cook with fresh herbs without having to make any last-minute trips to the grocery store! 

If you are looking for easy spring and summer plants to grow, consider trying: 

• Artichokes 
• Melons 
• Peppers 
• Squash 
Perry Homes Building a Garden at Your Texas Home Publish Date: April 3, 2020
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Tomatoes 

Planning out what you want to plant can help you come up with a schedule to keep your garden blooming and full all year long! 

Are you waiting to find the perfect home before you start building a garden to show off your green thumb? Perry Homes has move-in ready options to help you get settled and start planting even faster! Explore stunning designs and modern floorplans in some of Texas’ best communities. Your dream home is waiting!