In the beginning there was dirt.

I went to a networking for professionals event last week and I learned that a blog is born about every 1/2 a second. After only a week and now two posts I think that makes my blog at least middle age. Gosh by next week it will be OLD and by the end of the month it could become the subject of an archeological dig.
Hey speaking of digging (keep up we're switching gears), have you started pulling weeds and/or clearing your space yet?   March is here so it is time to start figuring out where in your yard you are going to plant. Make sure the area you pick gets at least  6 hours of sun everyday, however 8 hours is best for optimum growth.  Try to stay as far away from brick walls as you can, they can create heat and cold extremes in your garden which will cause poor plant growth, and diminish vegetable production. If  there is no way around a brick wall then plant low to the ground plants like bush beans, root veggies (carrots,potatoes etc.) broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage nearest the wall and taller plants like tomatoes and cucumbers farther away if possible. 
Next start thinking about what you want to plant and does your budget allow for young plants or seeds.  Plant what you will eat.  If you don't like bell peppers then don't plant them.  I can't tell you how many baskets of chili peppers my neighbor Lydia got from me one year because I had no idea what to do with them.  Actually Lydia didn't either but I heard her mom sure did! Those chili plants looked really cute in the garden but they weren't practical and not everyone has a Lydia.  Don't be wasteful no matter how cute the red chilies are.  
If this is your first garden start small to avoid overwhelming yourself and your neighbors. Because what you can't eat you are going to try to pawn off on them and then you are going to need more than a Lydia. You are going to need an Alice, a Melissa, a Kathy and maybe even a Cindy.  They are mine, you can not have them.  Also the more complicated you make your garden the less likely you are to actually maintain it.  That is a fact. You are either going to quit before you even get started or you are going to end up with more stuff than you can handle, annoyed by the amount of money you have spent and overwhelm yourself to burnout before the first green bean sprouts. I know what I'm talking about.  A couple of years ago I graduated from gardening to farming.  I had the space so I felt an obligation to fill it.  I found myself wishing for barnyard animals, rabbits, deer or anything I could allow in there to blame on the demise of my abundant undertaking.  I didn't want to look like a quitter after all but I was exhausted.  Moral - gardening, farming know the difference and know your limits! I am a gardener once again, farming was not for me. 
A good rule to follow is clear enough ground for planting that you are willing to pull weeds from and regularly maintain in the coming months.  If you can only work in your garden a couple of days a week then keep it fairly small.  

A big concern for most gardeners is healthy soil.  Unfortunately when I hear talk about nitrogen and phosphorus content, alkalinity, or soil testing my eyes start to cross.  Yes I know healthy soil begets healthy plants.  They say the same thing about healthy eating producing healthy children, but after 7 months of being able to eat little more than watermelon with my first child, he turned out fine!  Sadly the watermelon diet doesn't work for gardens but there are other just as simple solutions. 

The first couple of years I had a garden I couldn't afford a bunch of soil amendments, I could barely afford to buy the seeds. I just planted them in the dirt that the good Lord gave me and you know what? everything grew just fine. I had tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and zucchini and they all did great! No fancy testing, no pricey amendments just a little liquid plant food, when I could remember to use it. Yep it can be that simple.  And if that is all you have time for, then I give you permission to not make it complicated.  Of course some of you may be ready to venture into soil improvement, so I will talk about that next week. Even when you decide to start adding things to improve the soil there are some really easy things you can do.

For now the recent rains have softened the ground for optimal weed pulling. Couple that with the low temperatures and you have got yourself the perfect time to build a relationship with your dirt. Go on, get your butt out the door before it warms up.