Planning a vegetable garden

US First Lady Michelle Obama tends to the White House kitchen garden in Washington. (PHOTO: FILE / STANDARD)

Paperwork is probably the last thing you have in mind when you think about growing a vegetable garden. Whenever it comes to mind, you probably see yourself leaning on your spade as lush, healthy plants shoot up in front of your eyes.

The fact is however, quite different. A lush and healthy vegetable garden begins not with seeds and a spade but with paper and a pencil. Drawing a plan may not sound as critical as getting outdoors and planting things. But, if you do not spend the requisite time planning what to grow in your garden and when and where to plant it, you may spend the rest of the growing season correcting mistakes you made because you did not have a plan.