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 gardening tips could help you increase your chances of success.

1. Start with the basics.

• Don’t be tempted to spend an enormous amount of money on your first supplies, materials, and tools. There’s no such thing as a magic bullet, and you’ll only end up with very expensive vegetables.
• Organic gardening can actually be done much less expensively than conventional gardening.
• Compost, manure, and other soil additives replace expensive fertilizer, and natural control methods keep pest levels down.

2. Grow your plants in the right spot.

• Take the time to plan which vegetables you’ll be growing and find out what kind of sunlight requirements they have.
• Take the time to find an area of your yard that will provide the amount of light and the soil qualities that these plants need.
• The right conditions can help you avoid many problems before they even begin.

3. Prepare the soil correctly.

• Check the pH, moistness, and type of soil you have available, then add amendments to make it what you need.
• You might need to add in compost, animal manures, grass clippings, ashes, or other substances to improve the condition of your soil. This might seem like a lot of work to start with, but it will help your garden grow, and will keep on working for you down the line. Setup of an organic garden is the hardest part.

4. Start your own compost pile.

• Compost can be purchased cheaply, but you don’t know what goes into it.
• Composting your own kitchen scraps and yard waste can help you dispose of these substances cheaply and in an ecologically friendly way, plus you’ll get great free fertilizer that you know is organic.
• You’ll be amazed at the difference that a good compost pile can make for your garden. Composting might seem like it’s a complicated process, but it really isn’t. Almost anyone can do it.

5. Don’t ignore your garden.

• Once you’ve tilled and planted your organic garden, it can be extremely tempting to ignore it. This isn’t a good idea in conventional gardens, either, but it can be disastrous if you’re growing organic.
• A little daily weeding and pest removal, a careful check over all plants, and some regular attention will do more to help your garden than any product you can buy. If you take the time to love your garden, you’ll be rewarded with wonderful results.

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Backyard gardening is getting more exciting each year, as we learn more about the Do’s And Don’t of backyard gardening.

Last year was the first time I planted zucchini but I put it on the wrong side of our garage and there wasn’t much sun during those all important summer days. Needless to say it didn’t get very big.

Also I couldn’t seem to get the slugs under control. We had one zucchini that was about 6 inches in length. Not my proudest moment.

This year I planted the zucchini on the south side of the garage and I used a few techniques to get rid of slugs, a very persistent garden pest. I tried the beer method to get them drunk and have them drown but that didn’t work at all.

Egg shells seemed to work but we don’t eat many eggs, certainly not enough for the area my zucchinis occupy.

I am so proud of my Zucchini’s this year

However, Slug B Gon worked really we and is eco-friendly which is most important to Jenny and I.

I went out a few minutes ago, in the rain, to get a zucchini to grill up with dinner tonight. Mmmm love grilled zucchini with olive oil and some herb mix.

They are well hidden in amongst the leaves so I had to hold the leaves back with my hand to get the shot about. Then I cut it off at the stalk.

Then I put in on the edge of our vegetable garden for the next picture, it almost looks like a cucumber but it sure won’t taste like one once I am done grilling it.

This zucchini is almost longer than my entire zucchini plant was from last year. What a difference a little more sun will make. Bon Appetit

I was looking at my tomato plants and was kind of proud to see them coming along, I could even see a couple of tomatoes starting. I love watching them grow in size every day.

Then my fishing buddy Jamie picked me up to go fishing and we stopped back at his place to put the canoe on the roof of the car. He showed me his tomato plants and I almost fell over. They were already three feet tall, while mine were still just pushing two feet.

Why Were Jamie’s Tomato Plants So Big?

I asked him what he was feeding them and he just laughed and said he wasn’t doing anything other than giving them water if they did it.

Then he mentioned that when he plants things close to the house like his tomato plants they can be planted early season and they grow like weeds with the extra time in the ground and the heat provided by the sun beating off the house.

Maybe I will plant my garden all around the outside of our house next year and see if I can get tomato plants to grow like that.

Cucumbers Climbing on Lattice

Jamie sent me a picture of one of his cucumber plants grabbing onto the lattice. I think this is an excellent way to guide the cucumber plant and save garden space.

We have limited garden space this year as I didn’t have the energy I was hoping for and didn’t get to triple our garden size. It just got too hot to soon and I was done for.

Maybe this fall my son will help me remove enough sod from the yard and we can increase the garden size for the next season.

I really like the idea of using a lattice to guide creeping plants. It may even work for our zucchinis

Families are trying to save money any way they can, and gardening may be one of the best ways to do that!  You can grow healthy food right in your backyard.  Not only will you be able to walk outside for fresh vegetables or flowers, you will know exactly what has gone into the food your family is eating.  You can grow healthy organic food just steps from your kitchen window!

Start the gardening process by planning what kind of garden you would like.  Do you want herbs, flowers vegetables, or a mix of all three?  If you pick out flowers, do you want annuals that need to be planted every year, or perennials that have a shorter blooming period but will come back next year?  Also consider the region in which you live.  Some plants are more likely to thrive in certain areas of the country.  Often seed packets indicate which areas of the country produce the best results.  Your local gardening center will also be able to point you in the right direction.

Once you decide what you want to plant, you need to find the best spot in your yard.  Look for a place with easy access to water, appropriate drainage and direct sun.  Consider putting the garden in a spot that you look at every day, such as outside a kitchen or bathroom window.  It will not only be a lovely sight, but will help remind you when the garden needs water and weeding.

Now that you’ve chosen the spot, it is time to start digging.  It is important to find the right time for this job  – you can ruin the soil’s structure if you begin digging when it is too wet or too dry.  A good rule of thumb is to dig only when the soil is moist enough to create a dirt ball in your hand, but dry enough that the ball will fall apart when dropped.  Use a spade or spade fork to turn over eight to twelve inches of soil, and mix in organic matter as you work.  Continue to mix organic matter with the soil for approximately three weeks before planting your seeds.  This will improve your soil’s water storage and soil buffering.  Test your soil’s pH before you plant.  Some plants prefer more acidic soil, some prefer more alkaline, and some are happiest in neutral soil.  acquiring the right soil pH may mean the difference between a thriving garden and failing one.

While you are improving the soil in your garden, start shopping for plants.  Visit your local gardening centre, read magazines and brochures, or surf the Internet to find inspiration for what you would like to plant in your backyard.  There are plenty of annuals, perennials and vegetables that are great for beginning gardeners.  Cosmos, marigolds, impatiens, geraniums, sunflowers and zinnias are perfect first-time annuals.  Beginner’s perennials include lambs ear, lazy susans, coneflowers and daylilies.  If you are interested in vegetables, consider planting lettuce, peppers, tomatoes or cucumbers in your first garden.

If you purchased small plants instead of seeds, gradually introduce them to bright sunlight.  Many greenhouses and gardening stores keep their plants inside and away from direct sun.  Start by putting the plants on a covered porch, then move them to an area that gets sunlight for a portion of the day and finally plant them in the ground.

Water your plants only weekly, at first.  Use a soaker hose in the mornings for the best results.  Any more water and you will run the risk of drowning your plants.  Once they are well established, water according to the guidelines for each plant, as well as your area’s rainfall.

Don’t forget to keep your garden tools clean!  While this may seem counterintuitive since you use the tools in dirt, it is important.  Dirty gardening tools can attract microbes that will harm your plants.  Using clean gardening tools is one of the easiest ways to keep your plants free from disease and infestation.

If a backyard garden sounds too ambitious, consider container gardening or square foot gardening.  Container gardens are a great way to reuse old porcelain bowls, tires or other items you no longer need.  First, decide whether you would like to keep your plants inside or outside, then you can choose the containers you want.  When picking a container, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.  The height of the plant at maturity, whether it needs partial or full sun and the length of the bloom time are all factors that will help you decide which kind of container you will need.

Square foot gardening is another great option.  These are small, intensely planted gardens.  It is a form of organic gardening done in closely planted, raised beds.  Square foot gardening is a fine option for people who live in areas with bad soil, first-time gardeners or those with disabilities that prevent them from caring for a traditional garden.  Square foot gardens need less weeding, less water and fewer pesticides than conventional gardens.

Now you are ready to begin planting!  Gardening is a fun way to connect with nature and to give your family fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers to enjoy all summer long.

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Each year we get one more thing done that makes our backyard our backyard. It’s a lot of hard work for us but worth the aching muscles. This year I will tackle the mess in the south-east corner of our yard so that we can put a nice flower bed there. Here’s what it looks like right now.

South-East Corner of Our Backyard Yard

Last year I cleaned up a section of our property fence that had suffered ice kill from a couple of rain storms that turned to ice. The ice was thick and then the snow turned back to heavy snow and the weight was just too much for most of the bushes.

It was a painful job as there are so many thorny bushes. Getting bundled up so no open skin shows helped but then the thorns grab your clothing as if they were trying to drag you into to some freaky alternate world.

We didn’t buy a chainsaw like I was going to, instead I will borrow Geoff’s chainsaw as he told me all I have to do is ask. It will make the job much easier and faster.

We are not sure what we will put there so I think for this year we will do a bit of container gardening in that spot just to try some plants to see what pleases us.