I’ve been pretty lucky over the years to have a Mom that plants and grows and amazing garden. I’m blessed with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and everything my heart desires when it comes to fresh veggies. She plants enough to feed an army, I’m not even kidding. We shared a post on Gardening Tips from Mom that is a great place to start if you’re planning your garden.
I’ve never been great at gardening, I always have big plans and then it doesn’t work out for me. Since moving back near my parents, I’ve decided to try again with Mom’s help.
The number one piece of advice I have, START SMALL. Don’t plant 20 different veggies the first year.
Think about a salad and what you put in it, then start there.
Start Small
What vegetables would you put in your salad? Lettuce, Radish, Cucumbers, Tomato? Start with these veggies so you know you’ll eat them. I know it’s going to be hard not getting over excited and planting every vegetable you see has seeds and plants but trust me. You don’t want to over do it! Otherwise, you’ll end up like me the first time – overwhelmed and quit. I tilled a huge garden and was not able to keep up with the weeds so my garden was quickly consumed.
If you’re going to start big, I would highly recommend getting a tiller like the Mantis Tiller because it’s light weight and you can easily fit it between rows to get those pesky weeds. The Mantis is easy enough to use that my 13 year old was able to help with it!
Use Containers
Not everyone has the space for a garden in their yard, maybe you’re in an apartment and it’s not an option. You can still grow beautiful tomato plants, herb gardens and more by using containers outside on your patio or deck. They’ll likely need to be watered more often but you’ll still have fresh veggies for you and your family.
Plan for the Winter
Gardening is likely something that you just do in the summer but you can plan for the entire year by planting enough vegetables to can and store for the winter.
My Mom plants a lot and her pantry is always stocked and ready for months after her garden harvest is over. The veggies that she grows in the summer is enough to can and get her through to the following summer when it’s time to plant again. This means that in the dead of winter, she still has delicious tomatoes and green beans to make for the family.
It Just Tastes Better
Guys, lets be honest. There is nothing that tastes better than fresh veggies, I mean really fresh. You picked it in the morning and ate it for lunch kind of fresh. When you crave a fresh salad, you have an actual fresh salad. There’s nothing better and that alone is worth putting in a garden!
Plants to Start With
Everyone is different and has different tastes, but these are the plants that I’d recommend starting with if you’re wanting to grow your own food.
Leaf Lettuce
Radish
Green Onion
Tomato
Cucumbers
These plants come up pretty easily and even if you’re new to gardening you should be able to have a great harvest.
Happy gardening! I can’t wait to hear about what you decide to grow and feed your family!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mantis.
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