When we bought out first home four years ago, I  went absolutely crazy growing every kind of seed I could get my hands on.  That first year some of my border plants were four foot tall with six inch plants that struggled to survive behind them until they finally succumbed to the immense shade provided by my four foot tall border plants.  Then there were the seeds I grew that were entirely too fragile for the hot summers of Atlanta; I watched as they burned up like they were literally on fire.  I almost gave up that first year.  But then I discovered that perseverance is the “master key" to gardening.  Every climate and every yard is different.  There will never be a set of blanket rules, but it is important for a beginning gardener to do some planning before starting a garden.  Here are a few pointers to help increase your success from the start. 

Know Your Zone
Knowing what zone you are in will help you in numerous ways.  Understanding the climate you live in helps you know what will flourish in your garden.  Each zone has a “tentative” first and last frost date for each growing season. This lets you know when it’s safe to start seeds or set out plants in spring, when to dig up and store non-hardy plants and when to divide plants that have multiplied.  The USDA has an updated hardines zone map that will help you figure out what zone you're in.
 
Lighting
Pay attention to your yard or window spaces during the day. Discover what time of day and how long the sun will shine in your future garden space.  This will help you determine what plants will work best there. Once you know the type of sunlight your yard gets, you can then select seeds or plants that will work there and know which ones won’t.
 
Soil
Take time to prepare the garden space. Remove all weeds and grass from your future garden and be sure to do a soil test so you can provide necessary nutrients to the soil before planting.  A tiller can be helpful for getting your soil ready, but most garden centers have them available for rent.  Don't till before getting rid of weeds and grass.  This will only mix their seeds and root into the soil and you will be never be able to truly get rid of them without starting over.

Tools
Don’t go crazy buying every tool there is right away.  Garden gloves and kneeling pads protect your hands from cuts and blisters and take stress of the knees from squatting.  Proper digging and maintenance tools like a shovel, rake, hoe, trowel, shears, pruners and a garden hose are a necessity to maintain your garden.  If funds are an issue, check out clearance sales, thrift stores and yard sales.  I found my favorite garden shovel on clearance! 
 
“Nurse” Your Plants
All plants need nurturing.  Be sure they get the proper amount of water and at the right time of day, never in the heat of the day.  Pay attention to your weather forecast and take advantage of natural rain water to conserve water usage.  Use mulch to help the soil hold water, protect the nutrient packed soil and prevent weeds.  Weeds will never completely go away, so pull young ones as they come up before they have a chance to become established or set seed.
 
After years of gardening, I still make mistakes and have failures. It’s the successes that keep me coming back for more.  Do what you can to avoid
mistakes.  And when you do make them, get back to basics and learn from them.  When you feel you’re about to give up, remember the words of Alfred Austin:  “There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.”

There are many people that would love to have a  garden, but lack experience or live in an apartment that doesn't provide space for an in ground garden. Luckily container gardening can build up your confidence and be the perfect garden for patios or window sills. Even better, you can successfully grow not only flowers, but vegetables and herbs in containers too!  All you really need is the right combination of plants and lighting, potting soil, containers, hand shovel, gloves and a water source.

Start by deciding what type of plants you want to grow.  Most vegetables and herbs need a sunny location, but there are some that will produce well in a less sunny location. Flowers can require sun or shade depending on the variety.   A small amount of online research will help you make the right choices.  Local garden centers typically sell plants and seeds that will do well in your area as well, making your decisions much easier.  Once you have the plants and/or seeds you want to grow and have determined the right time to plant them, gather your containers, potting soil and garden supplies and get ready to play in the dirt!
 
One important factor in container gardening is realizing that the plants will require more water than those in the ground.  I use soda bottles with holes poked in them to slowly release water into the containers when I’m at work during the  heat of the day.  You can also use mulch on top of the soil to hold in moisture.  Small pots will of  course dry out quicker than larger pots and some plants need more water than others.  Clay pots are very porous and will dry out quickly as well. 
 
It’s also necessary to make sure your containers are sterilized before using them.  If they are used, clean them with a 10% bleach/90% water solution.  If your pots don’t have drainage holes, put some stones and a piece of screen in the bottom. The stones will allow proper water drainage and the screen will keep the soil and stones apart.  This will prevent mold and other fungi (these attract bugs).  Use fillers like old plastic bottles of foam to fill the bottom of large containers to avoid using as much soil (unless what you are planting requires the entire soil depth).
 
If you’re craving flower power, first think about  the containers you have.  Place a tall plant in the center, then lower growing ones around it.  Also place some plants that will drape down the side.  It’s not necessary that every plant be a profuse bloomer or even bloom at all.  Having foliage plants provides a nice contrast.  Some good ideas are elephant ears for the center, then annual flowers as the shorter plants and creeping jenny or sweet potato vine to drape. Morning glories are a great vine that will look beautiful all on its own with a trellis.  For smaller containers, try short growing succulents like hens and chicks or sedum.
 
Vegetable options are virtually limitless.  Tomatoes will grow and thrive in five gallon buckets.  They have deep roots, so they need a large container.  Drill drainage holes and you’re set!  Pole beans are great in pots as long as they have a trellis to grow on.  Lettuce and other greens together make a pretty edible container garden as well.  Chard, lettuce, spinach and chard are shallow root plants, so they work great in shallow containers between 9-12 inches deep.  You can grow just about any vegetable in a container!

Herb container gardens are a must have for any gardener and you can grow all of them this way!  I love having a container full of cilantro to pull from when I make homemade salsa in summer.  Containers with a mixed variety of basil are always a treat too; the colors all meshed together make a gorgeous display and the flavors are great in endless recipes.  Prostrate Rosemary is great draping down containers.

Don’t fret if something you plant isn’t a success, just try again next year even if you plant something different!  Keep notes about your progress so you can better understand why some plants suffered while others thrived.  Most importantly have fun!

_ Winter is upon us and it's hard not to have the winter blahs.  Pick up your spirits and get geared up for spring with my top five frost tolerant crops!

Broccoli :  Packed with nutrients, broccoli grows best in cooler weather.  Start seeds indoors under lights 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost.  They will be ready to transplant into your garden 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost.  It will be ready to harvest in 55 to 80 days.  Broccoli can also be direct sowed, but won't be ready to harvest for 100 to 150 days.

Cabbage :  Its disease preventative properties make cabbage a great addition to any vegetable garden.  Luckily, most varieties can withstand both cold and hot weather.  Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.  Transplant as early as 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost.  While transplants will be ready to harvest in 60 to 105 days, seeds direct sown will be ready to harvest in 80 to 180 days.  Try a red or purple variety and you'll add color to your garden and your plate! 

Carrots :  Carrots grow best when sown directly into the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost.  They are a great choice for succession sowing and provide continuous harvest throughout the season until fall’s first frost.  Direct sow seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost date and carrots will be ready to harvest in 30 to 80 days.  Carrots come in many shapes, sizes and colors, so they are another great choice for a colorful plate!

Chives :  Who doesn't love an edible that's perennial and can withstand a frost?!?!  Chive seeds can be direct sown 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost and will sprout in as little as 2 weeks.  For best germination, sow seeds indoors under lights.   Chives are a great cut-and-come-again plant that can be harvested 75 to 90 days after sowing and 60 days when grown as transplants.  Whether it's plain chives or garlic chives, the cooking uses are endless!

Radish :  As a root plant, radishes are a great cool weather vegetable.  Direct sow seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost.  Another great succession sowing plant, crops can be sown every 2 weeks in spring and fall.  Radishes grown in spring will be ready for harvest in 20 to 30 days while those grown in fall can be harvested in 50 to 60 days.  Be sure to harvest as soon as they are ready as waiting too long can make them spongy and hot

_I don't know about you, but there's something about a big pot of hearty soup on a cold winter day that kicks my gardening inspiration in to high gear.  Thoughts of fresh vegetables in a flavorful broth bring images of tiny sprouts that will grow into mature produce for all my cooking desires, yum!!  During a recent search for a new soup recipe to try, I cam across a Cavolo Nero and Cannellini Bean Soup recipe.  Cavolo Nero?  As I scanned the ingredients, I saw that Cavolo Nero was in fact another name for Tuscan kale.  It has long leaves that have a bubbly look to them and a good strong flavor.  After finding Cavolo Nero at a local farmer's market and making this soup, I must say that Cavolo Nero and Cannellini Bean Soup is delicious and worth cooking again and again.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cavolo nero (also called Tuscan kale), stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 dried red chile, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 8 ounces dried cannellini beans, soaked according to package instructions
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 loaf Tuscan bread (about 6 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toasted

Directions
1.        Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add kale; cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Plunge kale into ice bath. Drain.
2.        Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chile, and fennel seeds; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
3.        Stir in stock, beans, and tomato. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of www.wholeliving.com.