Wait there is math in gardening?

To start a garden you should have a plan.  We do!  We want a Florida friendly butterfly garden.  In order to get started we need to know the size of the yard.  What, math?  Yep.  We need to know the square foot area of the garden.  A rectangle shaped garden area would be the shorter side multiplied by the longer side.  So if your garden is twenty feet by thirty feet then the area is 600 square feet (20 ft.X 30 ft. =  600 sq. ft.).  Since my garden is a rectangle that is the formula I will be using but if your garden is a different shape http://pnwmg.org/pdf/basicgardenmath.pdf is very helpful.

Now, why would a gardener need to know the square foot area of their garden?  Well, I need to know how much room I am working with, for one.  How many plants can I place?  Also, I need the square footage to determine how much mulch and compost to place.  Yep, there is a formula for this also, but why not use http://www.gardenplace.com/content/calculator/mulch_calc.html.  It is quick, and will even figure how many bags, yards, or truck loads you need.  So, my garden will need 75 three-cubic-foot bags to create a three inch layer of mulch.  Wow, that is a lot!

One more set of numbers I think will be helpful are http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/# (USDA plant hardiness zone map) and http://www.gardeningplaces.com/heatzonemap/ (the American horticultural society plant heat zone map).  My little piece of gardening heaven is a hardiness zone 9 and heat zone 11.

I also just found Sunset climate zones; http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zones-southeast-00400000036361/.  This area is zone 26.  I haven't looked through this one yet, but here it is.

Hopefully, this information can help you.  All this math can be a little overwhelming.  These websites will help keep everything easy and if all else GOOGLE is your friend!

Beginning

How to begin?  Where do you start?  I have never done anything like this in my life.  The smart thing would have been to do some research.  Well maybe later.  I want a garden in the front yard of a West facing house.  It's Florida and flowers grow like crazy here so it shouldn't be that hard...

Yep should have done research!

So this is the front.  That bush was rescued by my Father after some kids accidentally stepped on it and split it in half.  I have no idea why he put it so close to the entryway but that was my Dad for ya.  It has been growing happily there for around  twelve years now.  The aloe plant was a quick fix my Mother had put in to fill a whole left by a palm tree right after they moved in 1994. (This picture was taken in 2009)

Here is my start.

This is the start April 2011.  See the aloe plant in the pots?  After tilling the soil and adding some fertilizer plants were added.  The stakes are where the border of the garden would be.  Then the husband unit wanted to add his two cents and would like brick borders.  So then the Mother-in-Law, (who decided to move in with us) since she knew how to do such things, added a pretty brick border.  Oh yeah and mulch was needed.

Many plants did not make the cut.  Even if the plant's tag says it like 8+hours of sun they don't always mean 8 hours of Florida sun.  Plus this winter took it's toll.  The thought to find Florida native plants never crossed my mind.  I mean if it's at Lowe's or Home Depot then it must be ok.  Like I said research would have helped.  

Here is the garden today...

The shape of the garden in on purpose.  When we get those heavy summer showers the water comes all the way up to the edge of the brick.  I would have like the area to have come down more.  All of the cute whimsical things are from the In-Law.  You can see The Great Oak in the side yard.  It all still needs work but we are getting there.  

The daughter is now very interested in the plants.  Some how a conversation started about the backyard and creating a native butterfly garden.  Yes this time we are doing our homework.  (But first I should trim those weeds in the front of the garden.)