We all know the saying and it can hold more merit in different parts of the country or world. However, wherever you are in the world, we all have our time to sow and our time to reap. Weather you are planting a therapeutic herb garden in your back yard or just a few daisies out front, it does us all good to play in the dirt. Connecting with nature is one of the best ways to help combat depression and generally calm the soul.

You do not need to be a Master Gardner to “decorate” your outdoor space. There are several options for you to try out to get your nature fix!

Container Gardening

This is the practice of growing edible or non-edible plants solely in containers instead of traditional planting in the ground. You can use anything that will hold dirt, let the water drain properly and is the proper size for an adult plant of whatever you have chosen. Aside from pots try using unexpected containers such as old watering cans, tea pots, toilets… well, might as well have fun with it! Try looking through the things you plan on donating or tossing and see if there’s anything that would work. Do your best not to limit your creativity! After all, this is an expression of you!

Hydroponic Gardening

A method such as Hydroponic Gardening can seem intimidating because, to most of us, it is a newer way of growing things. It is simply the practice of growing plants in a mix of nutrients and water, instead of soil. If you are new to Hydroponics, try one of the systems that work best of us newbies; Ebb and Flow, Water Culture or Wick. A few of the first “forgiving” plants you can try your hand at are things like Lettuce, Spinach, Basil, Cilantro, Mint (MOJITOS!) and Tomatoes. The cost is not astronomical with most Hydroponic systems, with the average cost ranging between $50-$100. So jump on into the Hydroponic scene and be skilled in no time at growing your own food for that next space mission!

Vertical Gardens

Vertical or Wall Gardens are the latest hit with the youngsters – or anyone who gardens in a limited space area. This form of gardening has been around for ages in the forms of trailing vines and Trellis’s. If you have an area you are not particularly fond of looking at, or would just like a better view then the side of a building or your neighbor forgetting to close the blinds, check out this style of gardening!

It is best to have a Vertical Garden VERY well planned out. This will save you from much head and heartache later. Choose plants that, of course, grow up or can be trained to grow up and keep on their own course and not take over the space. You can choose shrubs, fruits, vegetables or flowers, whatever makes you happy and gets the job done! This type of gardening can also be mixed with any other type of gardening. For a vertical space try putting a few Trellis pieces on either side of two pallets stacked on each other, or slats of wood like shelves. That will give you a perfect space for “standard” potted plants to create visual interest.

Ground Gardening

The “Good ‘Ole Standard” for getting it done. Till and work the earth, plant your seed (or young plant you purchased from Ye Ole Store). Weed, water, feed and care for you plants and the rewards will come as food or beautiful blooms and greens creating a wonderful atmosphere.

When it comes to planting a garden in the dirt, you may have to adjust the soil composition to make your harvest flourish. There is an easy test you can preform at home to see how much of each main soil type you have in the ground around you.

Fill a jar roughly half full with earth from your garden area. Then fill the jar with water leaving about 1″ of room at the top. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to make sure all clumps and chunks are broken up. Leave the jar to sit over night undisturbed. Check the jar the next day and you will see the soil “components” have settled into layers. Most areas will have soil that is comprised of Sand, Silt and Clay. The ideal set up is to have equal parts of Sand and Clay and slightly more Silt because silt is generally more fertile than the other types of soil. The Sand will settle at the bottom, Silt in the middle and Clay at the top.

You are able to make your gardening space whatever you would like! The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself because life is far too short not to!