Should you garden in Utah County?

Yes. End of article. Just kidding. But how? Here are some tips and good old timey advice on how to garden no matter where you live in our glorious county.

I love gardening. Maybe it’s because I like to eat what comes out of the garden. Or maybe it’s because some of my greatest memories come from following my Grandpa Myrten around his garden. Maybe it’s both. I was born and raised in Lehi, Utah. I was blessed with two sets of grandparents, and a set of parents who all raised gardens. It was magical. They made it look easy. Too easy. Once I grew up and started a garden of my own, I realized it can be challenging. Times have changed since grandpa had his garden. Tilling is out and we are constantly on water restrictions. But I personally love the challenge.

No matter what part of Utah County you live in, you can successfully grow something. Maybe you live near Thanksgiving Point and have to deal with heavy clay. Or perhaps you live at the very top of Traverse Mountain. The wind from the two adjoining valleys can be persistent and constant. Or maybe you are one of our new neighbors in the high density housing. If you have a window (it does not need to be south facing, but it helps) then you can grow something. Tomatoes happily grow in a pot. So do strawberries and loads of flowers. You just have to be a little creative.

Here are some tips for growing: if you have the room, put in garden boxes. This way you can control what type of soil goes in. You can also can control the amount of water by way of using a drip system. Boxes can be an expense. Anything to do with gardening can be an expense. You can spend as much or as little as you like. Head on down to any store that sells lumber supplies and pick up some wood. The boxes need to be at least 4 inches deep. We are fortunate to have some easy to use resources here, like Deseret Industries or KSL classifieds, where you can find supplies for cheap or sometimes even free. If you are building your own boxes, remember to get untreated wood. The treated wood can leach chemicals into the soil around them.

Drip systems are a great way to control the amount of water, but can also be pricey. Soaker hoses work just as well, and are usually affordable to most budgets. Soaker hoses help combat the drying out effects of wind.

Repurposing old items is a great way to garden. We use an old toolbox to grow onions in each year. Just remember to add one or two drainage holes in the bottom. There are many resources online to help with ideas. Some of my favorites include old cans, boots, and even colanders.

If you have the room, a rain barrel is a must. Those can also be pricey (I sound like a broken record). We bought a cheap plastic garbage can and turned it into a rain barrel. Some cities are starting to offer rain barrels at discounted prices. If you are short on room, rain collection can be done on a much smaller scale. Leave buckets or pails out on a rainy day. Any bit helps.

Now for that old timey advice as promised. One of the best tips I’ve heard is the old adage of “Never plant outside until all the snow is off of Lake Mountain”. This happens sometimes between April through May. May 15^th is the listed official last frost day, so check the calendar and check Lake Mountain. Another great tip is to plant a variety of plants together. This is called companion planting and it is great! Marigolds help deter bugs that like to munch on tomatoes. Nasturtiums are another great warrior plant. Adding flowers in with your vegetables encourages a healthy ecosystem, deters many bugs, and adds interest to the garden. There are many resources on the science behind companion planting. Youtube has some really great videos about it. And, just between us, I love companion planting. I could talk about it for hours. So if anyone wants to chat for several hours about companion planting, call me up! If you like to start your garden from seeds, then trust the advice of the elders. Don’t start seeds inside until St. Patrick’s Day. I have tried starting seeds before this and it never works! Maybe it’s just me but the seeds that I have started inside on St. Patrick’s Day have always yielded a harvest, or blooms, for me. It is like magic. Ok, it’s not magic, it’s knowledge. And I’m sure science is involved. It usually is.

Gardening should be fun and not cost an arm and a leg. Gardening can be a great way to save a little dough, with the price of everything going up. It can also help with our moods. A little green thing growing in your window is sometimes all you need to brighten your day.