How to Plant a Victorian Garden

Draw a plan of the garden on graph paper. Include the sun and wind direction. Using colored markers, draw rows running east to west, and indicate the locations of the vegetables and flowers. Mark a round planting or sitting area in the center of the garden.

Remove the grass from the garden area. Spread compost over the garden and dig in with a shovel or rototiller. Rake smooth.

Plant the espalier fruit trees against a south-facing wall. Select "flat" trees with branches that spread mostly to the sides. Prune to remove branches on the front and back of the tree. Attach wire or lath to the wall at the level of the remaining branches. Dig the planting hole close to the wall or fence, deep enough to accommodate the root-ball and three times the width of the branches. Fill with water and allow the water to soak into the soil. Remove the tree from the pot or package and gently spread the roots in the hole. Backfill with soil and tamp to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly. Tie the branches to the wire with plant ties.

Start the first row of vegetables 3 feet out from the trees. Rake the dirt up into a long mound, 4 inches tall and 2 feet wide, with a groove down the middle of the row. Plant the corn according to package directions on the north side of the row. Then plant corn on the south side of the row, with the seeds staggered from the north side. As the corn grows and matures, it will make a thick double row of stalks, maximizing the growing space.

Repeat the planting process, working from tallest to the shortest vegetables. For example, starting with the row of corn on the north side of the garden down to carrots on the south side. Leave enough room to walk between the rows.

Install a circular planting bed in the center of the garden. In the very center, place a Victorian obelisk or gazing ball. Plant strawberries around the base.

Plant rampantly growing fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and pumpkins on the west and east sides of the garden. Use tomato cages and sturdy trellises to encourage the vines to grow up, forming a living wall on each side.

Unroll the soaker hose and run it along the base of the trees, then in the groove in the top of each row. Pin it down with wire holders.

Lay pavers as stepping stones in front of the fruit trees and between the rows of vegetables. Tap down with a rubber mallet to press into the soil, making a firm base. Fill the areas between the stepping stones and rows of vegetables with 2 inches of mulch. Do not cover the seeds with mulch.

Add decorative elements to the garden, such as a rabbit ornament among the carrots, a gnome peering out from under the tomatoes or a solar-powered fairy hovering near the espalier fruit trees.