Tim Morehouse
Enquirer contributors

Now is a good time to make a new garden, or a new bed in an existing garden. When spring comes, the various ingredients will have become one.

The key here is thorough soil preparation.

First, deeply dig up the entire garden area. If there are weeds - such as bindweed, creeping buttercup, quack grass, etc. - remove every strand of root you possibly can.

Use a border fork and as you turn up the soil and shatter each clod. Aim for a sea of lumpy, root-free dirt. If you have chopped up your fall leaves, spread these over the new bed.

Next, sprinkle bone meal, blood meal and cotton or soy meals over the area. The various meals can be applied freely - a couple of pounds of any one or a mixture of several.

All animal manures are excellent, though low sources of nitrogen. Chicken rates the highest, followed by rabbit, goat and steer. In the fall, you can use "hot" manures (those that are still fresh), since your applications will go on composting all winter.

Composted or rotted manures are safe any time and can be added generously to new beds.

To incorporate the meals or manures, rototill the new bed or spade it in once again. This is hard work, but worth it. Remove any rocks, old shingles, broken glass, etc.

Next, use a short-tined garden rake and smooth it all out.

Lastly, think spring: Your work is practically finished with the exception of planting your new garden. Your reward will be new plantings that will take shape faster than you imagined.

Contact Tim Morehouse by Web site: www.getmoregarden.com; mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer. (Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.)