Starting small and starting with crops that are very likely to succeed in your area is a great approach. There is so much to learn and experience in gardening, starting with easy crops takes one variable out of the equation.

Planning for Success

Everyone has their opinion which are easy to grow... but if you ask a number of people, websites, and Google, you'll notice some common suggestions.

Find a mentor and follow their...

Most beginner gardeners have at least a few successes every season. It's important to celebrate those successes, and who is better to celebrate with you than other gardeners! Other gardeners "get it" in a way that non-gardeners don't.

As human beings, we are tempted to focus on what went wrong. Of course we need to troubleshoot problems and strive to do things better! The problem arises when the problems are all you see....

Gardening has its ups and downs. You can't control everything about your garden; the weather and the pests are going to do what they're going to do. This uncertainty is part of what makes gardening interesting and what makes successes feel so good.

When you have a gardening success, you have conquered nature, itself!

(well, sort of)

As a new gardener, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the variables in gardening. There's so much to...

In this article I'm going to consider specialty fertilizers. There are so many to choose from in the stores and online, it makes you wonder if you need to buy custom fertilizers for each of your different crops and plants.

In short, no, custom fertilizers are not required.

However, if you have the time, read on; using fertilizers can be nuanced and depending on your situation, specialized fertilizers can make a difference in the...

In my previous article about fertilizers, I hinted at the difference between organic and synthetic fertilizers. This article will go in more depth.

In my community garden, we're 100% organic, so we don't even have the option of using synthetic fertilizers. I used to use synthetic fertilizers on my yard at home, but as I learned more about fertilizers and the environment, I decided to switch to organic. I can't say I always 100% of the...

Garden fertilizers are chemicals added to improve the growth performance of crops. 

Most people know about a few fertilizers, such as Miracle Gro or Jobe's. Just walk into a big box home and garden store and behold all the different types of fertilizers available! You'll find even more choices online. Some fertilizers are organic, and others are . 

I prefer an organic approach, and I use fertilizers. Organic fertilizers...

You may think only in terms of what you want to plant in your plot, but you should also consider what crops not to plant in your plot. Kind of a backwards reasoning, right? 

To me, some crops just aren't worth the trouble. 

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

Don't get me wrong, I love tomatoes! But cherry and grape tomatoes are prolific producers. You'll have a bajillion little tomatoes to pick. In season, a few...

Cucumbers are one of my favorite crops to grow. They are easy and can produce many fruits from only a few plants. The seeds are nice and large and easy to handle. The sprouts are obvious and substantial. It's a great choice for introducing gardening to your children or grandchildren. 

Cucumbers are also one of my favorite vegetables to eat raw. Anyone else slice up a fresh, chilled cucumber and eat the whole thing?

As...

Gardening is no fun if it causes you pain, discomfort, or frustration. Most of us are hobby gardeners, and what's the point of a hobby if you don't enjoy it? 

To do the work of the garden, you must have some physical fitness. It's not as rigorous as a workout in the gym, of course, but you need some basic physical prowess to do what needs to be done! This includes strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness, balance, and...

Plant supports is an important topic even though it may not seem very exciting! When you have a question about plant supports, you need an answer right now. This is a relatively long post and I hope the details it provides will help you and your garden!

Plant supports are the structures we use in our garden to direct the growth of our plants. Often gardeners purchase supports, but home made supports can also work well. 

Plant...