Planahead

Aim to plant your garden by the end of April. Start by selecting a well-draining location that gets at least six hours of direct sun daily. It should be near a water source. Last year, the environmentally focused nonprofit Annapolis Green received a grant from First Christian Community Church to have kids garden during their summer camp. The church grounds had a wide expanse of level lawn adjacent to an outdoor spigot. The plan was to plant a large demo garden and invite the public to participate.

This pizza garden’s diameter was large, at 16 feet, but you may want to start smaller at home. It’s easy to start with a 5’or 6’ diameter and then divide the space into six “pizza slices.” With a smaller garden, it then becomes easier to reach in to harvest from all sides. For the larger demo garden, steppingstones were added to avoid compacting the soil with foot traffic.

Divided into slices, a pizza garden can incorporate tomatoes, basil, oregano, green onions, and peppers—easy growers that come in bright colors and kid-friendly sizes. Herbs add enticing flavors, scents, and shapes, especially if you pick multiple varieties.