Ooo, I want to get outside!

When I stopped by the Ventura store the other day I was greeted by the lovely sight of gardening supplies!

Pots and soil, trowels and fertilizer, even strawberry plants greeted my delighted eyes!
As I have mentioned before, gardening has long been a part of my life.  I spent the first seven years of my life on a dairy farm, and then my parents were constantly growing everything from tomatoes to lilacs!  So every spring (even year-round, in California!) I get a hankering to plant a garden.

It’s so nice that there are organic soil and amendments available–even fertilizers for flowers and vegetables and fruit trees.

So Fun!

These adorable planting kits caught my eye, too.  They are an easy and fun way to start gardening!
The first time I attempted a back-yard garden, I made a classic first-timer’s mistake:  I planted sun-loving plants–tomatoes–in a spot that just did not get enough sun.  We got lots of blossoms, but very few tomatoes.  So make sure your plants get what they need.  The information on the seed packets will tell you how much sun they need, and when to plant.  Pay attention to that info!  If you don’t, you’ll have to learn the hard way, like I did!
One of the most important steps to having a successful garden is amending the soil.  Very few of us have perfect soil in our yards.  So make sure your soil is healthy.

Use some compost and some leaf or grass clippings.  If you want to grow organic produce, you have to make sure your compost and your grass clippings are also organic (this is a tricky one, since most gardening services use non-organic pesticides and herbicides.)  Mix your soil thoroughly.

Seeds or plants?  Your choice.  If you are impatient, plants are a great choice.  However, the economics of seeds make them very attractive, too!  Make sure your plants get enough water and keep the weeds from crowding them.  A few minutes a day is all it takes, once your garden is growing.

Gardening by Josh…

Josh, our buyer, is becoming quite the Farmer Fred!  Here are some pictures of his growing garden!

Josh is inspiring me!  If only I could figure out a way to outsmart those tricky rabbits, gophers and squirrels that roam our neighborhood!  (I think I’m going to have to build a greenhouse!)

If you’d like a nice tutorial for how to start an organic garden in nine easy steps, from Goodhousekeeping, click here.   Here is another one from Better Homes and Gardens.  I also like this article from the Organic Gardening Guru.