Pocket Orchard / Small gardens

A small starting guide

A simple session for exploring the layout and observation of modest edible gardens, with room for your own observations.

A modest beginning

Keep a tape measure and a sketchbook nearby and begin with garden beds. Choose a small question about the layout and observation of modest edible gardens rather than trying to cover the whole subject at once.

Begin with the place rather than a shopping list. Note the container size, the space around it and the times when direct light reaches it. Keep access for watering and cleaning. An arrangement that is easy to reach will teach you more than an ambitious display that is difficult to look after.

A five-step session

Use this temporary checklist during one session. It clears when the page is reloaded.

0 of 5 steps checked

Make the note your own

Treat a gardening note as a record of one particular spot. Write down the material, the date and what you changed, then observe before changing something else. Check the needs of any actual plant separately. A sketch of positions and a short maintenance note make the next attempt easier to compare.

Choose a first page

A bed on paper gives you a concrete exercise. You can also browse the whole journal and begin with the subject closest to hand.