​Scrub the Fuel Wheels and Plant a Garden

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the three-day weekend you have been patiently waiting for is finally here. Since early January, you have been planning hour by hour what you will do on this traditional summer kick-off holiday weekend.

You have watched the weather reports, checked the weather app on your smartphone and have been reading the Farmer’s Almanac and all indications are the temperatures will be warm and the weather perfect for the occasion.

The plan is to wash the truck and scrub the Fuel wheels Saturday morning, early preparation for the off-roading trip you have planned for Sunday afternoon. You also have at least two barbecues you plan on attending, tickets to a baseball game and you might even take the kids swimming, your three-day weekend is booked pretty solid.

That is until your wife informs you that she wants you to help plant a flower and vegetable garden this weekend.

That sound you just heard was that of a shattered dream.

At first, you think, actually, you hope that all she wants you to do is dig up a few places in the yard so she can plant her gardens. But then reality hits you as you learn she wants you not only to dig up the yard, but help her plant the flowers and vegetable seeds and, get this, help her figure out what flowers and vegetables to plant.

That sound you just heard was that of a man crying.

But since she has made several sacrifices in her life to accommodate you, you do the right thing and agree to help. You just don't know what to do or even where to start. So here are some gardening tips.

When planning a vegetable garden, it is all too easy to jump in with both feet and try to grow as much as possible. By doing so, you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. Your best bet is to plan small, and if things go well, expand in the future.

Pick a Location

The first thing you want to do is pick a location. Successful vegetable gardens need at least five hours of full sunlight, but eight is even better. The wind can damage your plants, so utilize buildings the best you can to ensure your peas and zucchinis are protected.

Since vegetable gardens need ample water, it makes perfect sense to plant your garden near a water source, like within range of your 50-foot hose.

Pick Your Vegetables

Try not to get too fancy, you will have more success sticking to the basic vegetables. There is no need to plant kale or beets. Nobody likes kale or beets anyway.

Tomatoes- Tomatoes should be a staple in every garden in America. Even if you despise tomatoes, you should plant them. It should be a law. Tomatoes are easy to grow and prolific and there are a huge number of varieties available.

Even if the rest of the garden fails, the odds are you will have success with tomatoes.

Carrots- Nothing is more satisfying than pulling healthy, tasty carrots from the ground.

Peas- Peas are the one vegetable that never makes it to the kitchen as they are often eaten right of the vine.

Sweet Peppers- Sweet peppers are fairly easy to grow and come in a number of shapes, sizes and colors. They make your garden look pretty.

Pumpkins- You plant pumpkins so you don't have to spend money buying them in October.

Weed and Water

Keep your vegetable garden free from weeds and make sure it gets plenty of water and by fall you should have a nice harvest.

Planting a Flower Garden

Once you settle on what you want to plant in your vegetable garden, it is time to focus on what flowers you want in your flower garden.

Designing a flower garden is easier than you might think and choosing what to grow is the best part.

Choose Colors

Color is a hugely subjective issue. Choose harmonious colors that don’t clash with each other and look good as a group.

Do Some Research

Browse the internet to discover light and temperature requirements for the flowers you want to have in your garden. It also makes sense to choose flowers that don’t require a whole lot of maintenance. After all, you don't want to spend every weekend dealing with your flower garden.

Consider Use

If you want to fill vases full of flowers to decorate the inside of your home or present to your wife on special occasions, then you will want to plant long-stemmed flowers that will grow tall.

Perhaps you want flowers that smell lovely and will permeate the air with their sweet aroma. Scented flowers are nice when planted beneath a window.

We are sorry that you have to spend your three-day weekend planting gardens. But look on the bright side; well, perhaps there isn't a bright side.