My husband has been talking about how badly he wants to build and keep a garden; however, I have always been opposed to it. My main opposition is that I do not like digging in dirt! I get the creeps, and if I see a critter or snake slither by me, I know I will never go outside again. You think I’m kidding? I’m really not!
I know for others it’s a hobby though, my mom is one of those. I am jealous too because she has fresh produce and her flowers are beautiful!
After visiting the Farmer’s Market last year, my husband was even more so pushing me to think about letting him take a part of our backyard and create a garden. I have given in!! I have been lured by the amazing taste of fresh, home grown produce. My husband will be in charge of the garden, and I will be in charge of creating dishes with our home grown produce.
Honestly, I am so excited I can hardly wait! We need tips and tricks though as this is the first time we are gardening.
I would love to hear all of your ideas about the best times to plant, what produce is best, and any other information you think a beginner needs.
Stay tuned for more post on our gardening adventure this spring and summer.
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Comments & Reviews
If you make a raised flower bed verses just a garden the chances of rodents are slim. We have 2 here in our Tulsa backyard( bc the soil is red dirt) and i’m withyou on the dirt thing. I HATE dirt under my nails…
We have chives, lavender, tons of peppers, *some* tomatoes( stupid rabbits)even a huge ginger root plus catnip. I love going out to the garden and picking small tomotoes for my salad.
Try a flower bed and let me know
Thanks for the tips! That’s what really scares me ‘rodents’. EWWWWW! My parents had a huge garden when I was little and one year they had rodents in it bad. I didn’t think I would ever do another garden again after that one. That’s part of the reason I want to start small! =)
Go online to the Tulsa Library site, and request Square Foot Gardening, and Lasagne Gardening. Or just buy them outright.
If you have a problem with dirt directly on your skin, get a good pair of really pretty diva gardening gloves. It won’t eliminate all dirt touching you, but it will cut down on direct contact with dirt. And pretty gloves are just FUN to wear!!
If you do Square Foot Gardening, I suggest getting 2×8’s for your raised bed. You don’t have to fill it 8″ deep, but the extra few inches will create a lip and help keep your special garden dirt IN your garden plot and not spilling over.
I watch a lot of videos from The Garden Girl on Youtube… http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenGirltv for tips and ideas.
But the best thing to do since this is your first year, is start small. Start with a 4×12 plot or 2 4×12 plots. This will let you grow a decent amount of food, and won’t be too overwhelming to care for.
Give your boys one or two little squares to plant on their own. My girls love growing their own little veggies.
Also think about growing herbs in containers for pretty and practical porch decorations.
Hope this helps.
I’m checking out these books!! Love all the fabulous ideas. I also like the idea of growing herbs for porch decorations. I just mentioned to my husband that I could handle the herb garden myself. Haha 🙂
You can try your favorite veggies in a pot for your first season then gradually move the the ground next season. Tomatoes love pots. And its harder for any critters to get up in there. =) I LOVE my garden and it feels even better knowing that my veggies aren’t saturated with pesticides and preservatives!
I didn’t know that about tomatoes!! You need to live closer so you can help me!! =)
If you are worried about rodents, plant lots of marigolds,onions and garlic. It won’t eliminate them all, but it will help. 🙂