5 Best Veggies for Beginner Gardeners

Growing our own vegetables is one of the most rewarding things we can do for our health! But for beginning gardeners, starting a vegetable garden can seem somewhat intimidating. Whether it's a busy schedule that keeps you from being able to devote your full attention to your garden, or simply a seeming curse on every plant you try to grow, it can be hard to get started with growing your own vegetables at home - but don't fret because we've got some helpful tips for you this week!

Here's a list of the five best vegetables you can start with even if you're still a newbie gardener - and these are also great fun for kids to grow:

Carrot diversity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Carrots – They're orange, they're tasty, horses around the world love them and so can you! Being a root vegetable, carrots are mostly safe from the elements so all you have to do is plant the seeds during some cool weather and in a few months (depending on variety) they're ready to pull up, wash off, and bite right into! If you're feeling adventurous, try a different kind than your standard orange carrot. Carrots come in a wide rainbow of colors, from white and yellow, to purple, and long and skinny to fat and round, so there are lots of interesting shapes and colors to choose from!


2. Peas – Peas go on this list like, well, I'll leave that joke where it is. Peas are easy to grow, especially if you have something they can grow on like a trellis or fence, although you can just use a wire support if your yard or garden bed isn't in an optimal place. Another cool weather veggie, these go great with carrots both together in your garden and on your plate in a fresh salad.


3. Pumpkins – Not just for carving for Halloween, although you can grow that variety if you'd like - but there are more tasty options out there. Pumpkins are fairly hardy provided you wait for frost season to be over, and they're great for watching grow from tiny flowers into big tasty treats. Perfect for planting when you can plan for them to be ready in the fall for October and November for pumpkin pie, you can cook and eat them tons of different ways or just enjoy a healthy, delicious batch of pumpkin seeds!





Black Pearl Peppers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Herbs – Basil, cilantro, sage, and thyme - no it's not a Simon and Garfunkel song - it's a list of great additions to your garden! Herb gardens are easy to put together and can even be grown indoors in windowsill planters if you've got limited growing space outdoors. Just pick some of your favorite herbs and and plant them together in a planter, and you'll have fresh herbs ready to pick and put right into your favorite dishes whenever you want to add a dash of fresh flavor to a meal.


5. Peppers – Whether you like them hot or mild, you're sure to love them colorful and tasty! Peppers grow in close to the same conditions as tomatoes, making them a great choice for new gardeners to sink their teeth into (depending on how hot they are of course!). Peppers can be sweet and tasty when eaten raw, and can also be made into myriad dishes from pasta sauces and chili, to curry or stuffed peppers.

Even if you feel like your green thumb is more like the touch of death all you might really need is a little practice with some veggies that are a little easier to grow. Start off with some of these popular and easy-to-grow gems, and you're sure to find your garden bursting with fresh vegetables of all kinds in no time!

7 Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

For gardeners, nothing in the world stinks more than working your butt off in the hot sun to care for and maintain your garden, only to have something go terribly wrong due to an unexpected problem or oversight. You worked hard for your crops so the last thing you want is for something to go wrong and destroy all of your hard work. 

Don't let any of these mistakes happen to you! Be prepared with this list of 7 easy-to-make gardening mistakes to watch out for:

1. Planting in the wrong place – Always take care to look closely at the growing needs of all of your intended crops. Make sure to read the sun, water, and weather requirements for each of the fruits and vegetables that you want to grow, and plant and place your garden beds or planters accordingly. Better yet, you should take careful stock of your available space before you even decide what to plant, examining the soil, drainage, and even how and where the sun hits best during planting and growing months. Taking a little time to survey your yard beforehand can save you a heap of trouble down the road.

Transplanting plants from starter pots to the garden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Buying diseased or unhealthy plants – If you're the type that just wants to buy starter plants for your garden and pop them in the ground, make sure to pay extra special attention to the plants you're buying. The gardeners who took care of these plants before you might not be as diligent or as careful as you are, so take a close look at the quality and color of the plant's leaves when making your choices. Also make sure to look closely for insect damage, especially if you're bringing new plants to an existing garden bed. The last thing you want to do is introduce pests to a clean, insect-free garden that you've worked hard on.

3. Not preparing the soil – Or even trying to fix a preparation mistake too late! This goes hand in hand with the first potential mistake; you should make sure that your soil is prepared and ready to take in all the new plants you'll be planting in it. Soil testing kits are cheap and easy to use and can be found at your local gardening or home improvement store. Soil varies greatly by region and each type of soil needs something different to make it suitable for your plants. If you plant without preparing, be incredibly careful because doing work on the soil while new plants are establishing their root systems can have a disastrous effect on their growth and general health.

4. Not watching your watering – Each plant has their own needs and requirements when it comes to watering so you should be especially careful if you have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your garden. Overwatering can drown your plants' roots which will cause them to rot and kill your plant. On the other hand if you don't water enough your plants will get dehydrated, sometimes causing even more damage than if you had watered too much. (I made this mistake back in the fall when we had moved into our new house, and for the first time all summer, we didn't get rain for several weeks. I forgot to water my newly transplanted strawberry plants, and several of them died.) You should work to find a good balance and make sure to group plants with similar watering needs together to make things easier on yourself. If you're worried about watering yourself you can always purchase an automatic irrigation system which will take care of the work for you.

5. Not accounting for space – Of course you want your garden to bursting at the seams with fresh fruits and veggies to enjoy, but if you pack it too full then you're going to end up in a lot of trouble down the road when instead of tiny seedlings you've got an overcrowded garden full of growing plants. Always make sure to zone your beds and take into account what size the plants will be when they're grown as you plan out your available space.

6. Planting an overly invasive species – Reading your plants' tags can give you good insight on what growing them will be like. Sure a plant that's hardy, grows well in most climates, and spreads easily sounds like it'll be a snap to take care of, but if you're not careful you could end up seeing your tiny garden bed spread well beyond the confines of its walls. Always make sure to read your tags closely and keep any potential rampant growers well in check.

Wild garlic mustard is a common invasive weed in some areas. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

7. Taking the wrong approach to weeding – Without a doubt you're going to end up with weeds in your garden. I'm not saying you're a bad gardener, it's just an inevitability of nature that these tenacious plants will find a way in and stay there as best they can. When you're preparing your space, make sure not to use any harsh chemicals that are going to sit in your soil and make the space just as inhospitable for your garden as it is for the weeds. While you don't need to be inspecting your bed with a magnifying glass every hour of every day it's a good idea to at least check your bed at least once a day for any offending invasive species before they get out of control and start taking over your garden.

Gardening can be hard work, but this isn't meant to make it sound off-putting. On the contrary, now that you're armed with the knowledge of what not to do in your garden, you can plant a beautiful garden with confidence that you won't make these mistakes yourself!

How to Plant a Vegetable Garden in Four Easy Steps

If you love to cook, growing your own vegetable garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do. When you grow your own garden, you can harvest fresh seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs as you need them instead of having to drive miles to the nearest grocery store. It just doesn't get any fresher - or healthier - than that!

Here's How to Plant a Vegetable Garden in 4 Easy Steps:

Step #1. Decide What You Want to Plant.

Cover of a Burpee Seed-Sense catalog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is the fun part. Start by making a list of all the recipes you frequently make. Note which vegetables and herbs you use over and over again, because this will tell you not only what you should plant, but also in what quantity. 

Don’t forget to jot down other items your family enjoys, even if you aren't using them in your cooking currently. Growing your own vegetable garden is a great way to expand your culinary horizons.

This planning phase is a great time to get your children interested in gardening, too. Ask what they might like to grow or make fun suggestions if they are too young to come up with ideas on their own. Pumpkins, ornamental gourds and sunflowers (for their beauty and seeds) are popular choices with kids of all ages. Fast growing plants, such as lettuce and beans, are also great choices for children because they produce noticeable results quickly.

Once you've made a list of plants you want to grow, collect mail order catalogs, search online or stop by your favorite garden center to find seeds and transplants. You can learn a lot about what grows well in your area by tapping into these resources, as well. This is a really fun way to pass the time in late winter before it's warm enough to get outside and start planting!

Step #2:  Pick a Location for Your Vegetable Garden

Just like in real estate, planting a successful vegetable garden is all about location, location, location. If you want your plants to thrive, there are a few non-negotiable items you will need to provide:

1. Sunshine. Pick a sunny location with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.

2. Water.  Make sure the location you choose has easy access to water. You will need to water your plants whenever Mother Nature refuses to cooperate, so make sure you have a convenient source of water nearby.

3. Accessibility. Gardens need care, so position your vegetable garden in an area that is convenient to get to with the tools you need to work in it. If you place it too far from the house or garden shed where you keep your tools or in an area difficult to reach with a wheelbarrow, you may find yourself tempted to neglect it.

Make your life easier and plant your garden in the most convenient sunny location you can find.

4. Good Drainage. You may have to do some work for this one, especially if you live in an area with heavy clay or compacted soil. If you find the area you want to plant tends to collect standing water, you will want to build your beds up to protect your plants from overly wet feet.

Step #3: Create Your Garden Beds

Once you’ve identified where you want your garden, you will need to decide where you want the individual beds within it. As you are doing so, keep in mind the orientation of the sun throughout the day because taller plants or those growing on trellises can cast shadows and stunt the growth of nearby plants if they aren’t positioned correctly.

To create the individual beds, many old school gardeners swear by the traditional practice of removing heavy layers of sod, then tilling and amending the soil beneath it before planting your vegetable plants. 

Although this method will certainly work, you simply don’t have to work that hard.   Instead, you can use one of my favorite methods - the Lasagna Gardening method - of building your beds UP instead of digging down to create them. This methods works equally well with raised garden beds or directly on the ground.

To get started, add flattened cardboard or a thick stack of newspapers on top of the ground and then add alternate layers of peat, topsoil, aged manure or barn litter, organic mulch, yard clippings and/or compost. 

You can either prepare these beds months in advance or right before you plant. Either way, the layers will meld together into a beautiful, rich soil for your plants.

For more details on this no-dig gardening method, check out Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens.

Step #4: Start Planting!

Once your beds are ready, it’s time to start planting!

Before you start digging, you have some choices to make: you can sow seeds directly into the soil, start seeds indoors then harden them off outdoors before adding them to your garden, or plant established transplants you’ve purchased directly into your prepared beds.

Some plants require direct sowing, while others need to be started indoors several weeks before the frost-free date in your area in order to perform well. While you are creating your list of plants you want to grow, make a note of the growing requirements for each so you can give your plants the best chance of survival. 

If you decide to follow these four easy steps to planting a vegetable garden, you will be rewarded all season long with an abundant supply of fresh and healthy produce. Plus, you’ll have the added satisfaction of knowing you did it with your own two hands!

Also Check Out These Helpful Resources for Planting a Vegetable Garden:
   

5 Advantages of Raised Vegetable Garden Beds

Raised vegetable garden beds are an excellent choice for many people with a small backyard or garden. In this article we will look at the advantages of setting up raised vegetable beds as well as some of the materials that you can use to establish this style of gardening in your yard.

1. The biggest advantage of raised bed gardening for most people is that it is so much easier to maintain. Your beds are closer to eye level so you can see and eliminate weeds and pests so much more easily.  Because of this, you are likely to spot them and deal with them before they become a serious threat to your vegetables.

Raised vegetable beds for disabled access from wheelchairs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. The greater accessibility of the beds means less bending, so you can escape a lot of the physical discomfort of gardening. This is especially important for people with back problems or other physical difficulties but it makes gardening easier for everybody. You can even take a chair or stool to sit on while you garden. If the height of the beds and the pathways between them are designed correctly, it can also make the garden wheelchair-accessible both for visiting and for carrying out gardening tasks from a wheelchair.

3. Some pests are less likely to invade your beds if they are raised up from the ground, simply because it is harder for them to crawl up. This is especially true of slugs if you have brick-built beds, but you can also restrict access by putting deterrents for particular pests such as ants around the base of your beds. Vinegar can be a great deterrent for ants, but it could burn the leaves and roots of your plants if you didn't have raised beds.

4. When your garden is raised off the ground it is more visible from windows. The beds themselves can be attractive features and the plants are closer to eye level, so your garden can be even more pleasing to the eye.

5. Raised vegetable beds provide a more substantial and permanent alternative to container gardening for those who do not have bare earth in their yard. You can establish raised beds and fill them with earth to a greater depth than some containers will allow.

Raised bed garden with wood frames. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You may even be able to establish a raised bed garden on a roof or large balcony, but be very careful not to overload it. Raised beds can be much heavier than containers and you would not want your roof or balcony to collapse under the weight!

Materials for raised beds include brick, wood or plastic. Plastic doesn't decompose as quickly as wood, but it can warp and crack over time, or bow outwards. Wood can look very attractive at first but it is not so long lasting. If you use treated wood that lasts longer, a small amount of chemicals may seep into your soil and possibly eventually into your vegetable crops, so it's really not a good idea for growing vegetables.  Even if you have a lining, which is recommended if you must use treated wood, this can tear or be damaged by pests over the years. If you use wood for edging your beds, be prepared to replace them every few years.

Brick is heavy, but is often a good solution because of its strength and relative permanence. Brick raised vegetable beds look very good and keep their attractive appearance for a long time.

Raised Bed Gardening Kits: