Need Suggestions for Garden

[journey11]

DigitS and Beekissed,

Now this gardening "stuff" is going way over my head! I don't really get it about the black walnut tree and nitrogen stuff.

I did get a list from the Old Farmer's Almanac that I will try to use. I will try to keep my garden simple and enjoy.

(p.s. How do you do the boxes with the quote inside? I've played with the quote button but I just get the box and can't seem to get the text inside?):/

Mary

After reading all of this thread, I just wanted to encourage you Mary, not to worry too much about all these details. You're starting out small, which is wise, and carries little risk so my advice to you is to just "plant a seed and watch it grow". We've all given you advice based on our personal experiences, but there is nothing as effective as your own hands-on experience!

I'd really hate to see you get overwhelmed or discouraged by a deluge of info before you've ever even gotten started! Really, just getting them in the ground is half the battle, and I am sure you'll do fine this summer! Some things will do really well for you and you'll have some things that flop, but just keep some notes on what worked and what didn't (for your own reference next year) and most of all HAVE FUN!

:happy_flower :happy_flower :happy_flower :happy_flower :happy_flower

Oh, and about the quote function...

After you have hit "post reply" and if you click the Quote button at the top (you've got these buttons--B, I, U, Img, Quote, Word-Link), if that's the quote button you hit, you'll need to copy and paste words from someone else's post in between the brackets in order to see them.

Another quote option is when you are actually viewing a particular post, at the bottom you'll see "quote" and "report". If you click Quote there, it will automatically open a reply box for you and automatically put in the whole text of that person's post. Go down below that and type what you wanted to say in reply. (You can also erase some of the quoted post if it was a really long one and you want to focus on a particular sentence). Hope this helps!

 

[ninnymary]

[After reading all of this thread, I just wanted to encourage you Mary, not to worry too much about all these details. You're starting out small, which is wise, and carries little risk so my advice to you is to just "plant a seed and watch it grow". We've all given you advice based on our personal experiences, but there is nothing as effective as your own hands-on experience!

I agree with you journey11 and I'm also trying out the quote box. Hope this works. I am struggling to learn how to use this site. I hope to learn how to post pictures one day but that really seems complicated to me.:/

Mary

(Well I didn't get the quote box, rats.):/

 

[journey11]

Does that help any?

We'll try to help you on images some time too, because we will all want to see pics of your garden when you get it going!

ETA: found this info on posting pics.... http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26838

 

[ninnymary]

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/6486_example.jpg

Does that help any?

We'll try to help you on images some time too, because we will all want to see pics of your garden when you get it going!

ETA: found this info on posting pics.... http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26838

Let me see if this works!

Mary

I did it!!!! Now I just hope I remember how to do it for next time.

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, hon! Don't get discouraged! Gardening is really a process of learning over time. All the stuff from links and articles is just that....you really won't know anything about how things grow at your place until you plant a seed and watch it grow. :tools

I get excited over things I read and learn and can't wait to try....then I get on here and throw them in the compost pile and see what responses I get. Does it get turned into the pile or does it get tossed out as so much hoo-ha?

Keep us posted about how your garden grows? It's sort of like raising kids...no one can really tell you how, ya just gotta get in there and DO it!

Been gardening most my life and had the worst garden I've ever seen anywhere last year....I kid you not!

 

[patandchickens]

I agree entirely, it needn't be complicated unless you want it to be. Yeah, you can potentially squeeze like an extra 5% productivity out of your garden by getting way technical and fancy about it, but for most peoples' purposes, who cares Plant seeds in decent soil, keep them sufficiently watered, and you WILL get SOME harvest

One thing to think about though in terms of how large an area to plant is, how weed-free is your soil. If it is pretty good 'n' weed-free, the size garden you propose sounds quite reasonable. If it is likely to be sprouting up a lot of tilled-in grass and weed seeds, though -- or even if you are just totally unsure how weedy it is -- you might consider cutting down the size a bit to ensure it stays manageable. The difficult time in gardening is the middle 2/3 of the season when the weeds really get rolling, your initial enthusiasm is wearing off, and there is no active harvest to keep you out there and weeding. So if you feel like a bad first experience with veg gardening might really discourage you, it might be worth erring on the side of a smaller rather than larger plot, as being MUCH easier to take care of in a way that yields good results.

Good luck, have fun ,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

Sorry, ninnymary--didn't MEAN to discourage --I certainly have more of a brownish-greenish thumb. My garden(s) has/have had many failures. Here's a list of plants that have just up and died on me:
--EVERY Lavendar plant
--1/2 of my garlic
--spinach
--last year, 2009 season: potatoes, pumpkins, most of my corn, every squash, brussel sprouts, cabbage, beets ALL FAILED due to excessive rain and excessive weeds!!!

Here's what I harvested last year:
--onions and seed onions
--tomatoes
--sweet peppers
--basil
--oregano
--sage

I'm betting you'll have a better garden this year than I had last year.

 

[ninnymary]

Sorry, ninnymary--didn't MEAN to discourage --I certainly have more of a brownish-greenish thumb. My garden(s) has/have had many failures.

Oh I'm not discouraged at all! Everyone here is so kind and encouraging that it has gotten me all excited and can't wait to start. You all have such good wisdom and experience and are so willing to pass it on.

I think I will have a fairly easy time with my garden. It will be small, it has absolutely no weeds! and will have good soil and plenty of sunshine, and great people like you to give advise. How can I fail!? and even if something doesn't do well I know other stuff will.

p.s. I'm trying out my quote box. Hope it works.

mary

 

[weaveagarden]

I didn't read all the other posts, but have a couple of words on the subject of a new garden.

Don't forget runner beans. They are showy and forgiving. Just pop the seeds in the soil and water occasionally and they will reward you. You can plant them anywhere and they usually grow. No need to segregate from other plantings in your landscape...... Just plant where you would any vining plant.

Another plant that is easier to grow than most leafy plants like lettuce and spinach is chard. You can get some wonderful colors, and the taste is mild. You can use the stalks and leaves in place of many other veggies in dishes. Celery, spinach, lettuce...etc. I plant a row of Neon Lights of Gold Chard in my flower garden on the front row. They are so beautiful, it is hard to imagine they are a veggies.

Buy a combination packet sold by a seed company in your area that is specifically for children. They are usually pretty fool proof.

Buy White, or light colored pots for containers in warm or dry areas. They reflect the sun and will reduce the risk of drying out. Also, go large and deep rather than small and shallow. The center will stay moist longer. Also, don't forget that you can put a pot inside a larger saucer and put extra water there, to help out on those days when you are busy..... Just in case you forget to water. Lastly, there are products that absorb the water and release it when the plant needs it. You add them to the potting soil at planting.