[Sca-cooks] I finally got some land to garden on..

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

A few points to consider...

1. You say the property is mostly shaded.   There are many plants which thrive in shade, but fruits and vegetables like sun.  Some herbs (thyme and mint, among others) will do okay in partial shade).  Do you have any areas that are sunny all day?  Also, there are different kinds of shade -- partial shade, in which an area receives sun for part of the day, is quite different from dappled shade of deep shade.  There are some good books on shade gardening, and also websites.

2. Are there deer, rabbits, or other critters in your area?  If so, you will either have to be careful of the plants you put in, or protect them with fences, sprays, etc.  I live in the suburbs, adjacent to a wooded area.  Deer wander through my yard daily.  I cannot have tulips, because they are deer candy -- blooming one day, headless the next.  However, I enjoy daffodils, irises, ferns, and many other attractive plants.

3. Perennials are your friends, because they come back year after year.  The fringed bleeding-heart that I put in my front garden was more expensive than a flat of impatiens, but it will bloom for many years, and save me the work of having to re-plant something each year.

4. Learn your USDA zone number.  Most gardening references will list the zones in which certain plants can be grown.  In northern NJ, I'm in ZOne 6.
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html


A few useful websites:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/pagard/
http://www.extension.psu.edu/extmap.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/shade/

Have fun!



Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom