I have a pretty decent amount of land to put my garden on, but i'm thinking about 20' x 20' split into four cross sections. I am considering 4x 4'x4' areas so I can separate plants that do not do well together, like tomatoes from other nightshades and cucumbers. I also am planning on planting marigolds and a few raspberry/blackberry bushes (if I can get some pre-grown shrubs) between the planter areas to attract ladybugs and praying mantises to help me with my pest control.
My current idea is one region with tomatoes, hungarian and green peppers, and snow peas. One area with cucumbers and cabbages for fermenting. One for sweet potatoes and melons, then one for onions, garlic, turmeric and herbs.
Between each area should be probably a total of 5 raspberry/blackberry bushes evenly distributed with one in the very center. Marigolds and other flowers will be in between and help distinguish pathes between the planter regions.
Sound reasonable?
Thoughts?
There are a lot of praying mantises in the midwest, but they are generally the Carolina variety and have been heavily wiped out from pesticides. Similar to how dragonflies have become a rarity up here...to much industry has killed off so many of them.
In grade school I used to catch mantises and dragonflies and bring them into show and tell. I'm just hoping I might be able to attract some, or at the very least help release some in my now fast more rural area
Edit: also doing to buy 5 healthy berry plants that wont succumb to disease seems a bit tough, so that is why i'm sticking to just the middle and corners for that for now. Still gives great haven to mantids and keeps them far enough apart on case any are diseased, then I can replant next year with the ones that did well to make more