Growing vegetables is incredible fun and easier than you might think. Here’s a helpful list of growing recommendations for gardeners starting their first vegetable garden, as well as for the veteran gardener starting a new garden. One of the most common mistakes of new gardeners is trying to cram too many plants into a given space. I know because I’ve made that mistake myself! Pay attention to the amount of...

Organic gardening is becoming a lot more popular as people become more aware of the chemicals that are used in conventional food production. It can be a little trickier than chemical-based gardening, but it’s worth it in the end. If you’re new to growing plants this way, these tips could help you increase your chances of success. 1. Start with the basics. Don’t be tempted to spend an enormous amount...

In order to properly plan a bean garden, knowing the full cycle of bean plant growth can enable you to take full advantage of the volume of beans you get for the effort that you put in. All types of beans, ranging from the green bean to chickpeas, are a healthy addition to any diet. High in protein, the bean is one of the base parts in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as a great side dish for those with a liking...

There is no denying that eating fresh vegetables has many great health benefits. However, it can be inconvenient to run to the market every other day or store fresh vegetables in your refrigerator or pantry. A small garden would be a viable answer to this dilemma. Survey your yard and see if you have the space for a small garden. If so, it is fairly easy to start your first vegetable and soon you will have fresh, delicious...

By Bill Camarillo August is the time to enjoy tasty homegrown vegetables and fruits, and take pleasure in the beauty of green plants, trees and flowering annuals. It’s also time to plan your fall and winter gardens. Pick Your Summer Vegetables: Even with a modest garden, summer vegetables are in abundance and ripening continuously in August. You may have run out of recipes for all your zucchini and squash, but pick...

By Sharon Sweeny As far as most gardeners are concerned, frost arrives too early in autumn and departs too late in spring. Most gardeners look for ways to start things growing outdoors in spring when the days turn warmer, even if temperatures dip below freezing at night. In autumn we try to find ways to keep things growing while the days are still warm, even as the nights become increasingly colder. Here are 5 things...

For many gardeners, the garden actually begins in January when the first seed catalog arrives in the mailbox. While the cold wind howls outside, we retire to a cozy chair and leaf through the catalog, carefully notating which varieties of lettuce and tomatoes to try and wishing we had the space to plant each and every flower so artfully displayed on its pages. But have you ever wondered where your great-grandparents acquired...

Home grown varieties have the best flavor. Most of the vegetables sold in markets and grown in vegetable gardens are well known. The last major introduction of new kinds of vegetables took place in the sixteenth century when Europeans began to arrive in the Western Hemisphere and returned to carrying seeds of white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, and climbing beans, together with such plants as tobacco and...