momtolgd Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 We would like to start planning ahead for having a vegetable garden this summer since we are in our own home now. I also want to get an idea of some more perennnials that we can plant. I just don't know where to start. What books and websites can you recommend? My MIL is good at this stuff, but she is 1 1/2 hours away, so I need to really learn more about it on my own. Does anyone know about these ones (2 are specific to Ohio)? Square Foot Gardening: A New Way To Garden In Less Space With Less Work Guide to Ohio Vegetable Gardening The Gardening Book for Ohio I need some help developing a green thumb! :D Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Gardenweb.com is an invaluable resource for any gardener. I would highly recommend it! I'm sorry I can't help with the books you mentioned as I haven't read them. My favorite and I think most comprehensive gardening book (the one I turn to again and again) is Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening I'm sure others will have better rec's! Good luck to you, gardening is a wonderful pastime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 You need to buy heirloom varieties of seeds! Ok, that doesn't really answer your question or anything, but heirloom seeds are one of the most exciting things I know about so I just had to put some exclamation marks here about them. You Americans have even more varieties available than we do here. You know you want to be able to make tri coloured potato salad! Rosalind Creasy's books are quite inspirational too. You should be able to find those books you mentioned at your local library. We obviously don't have the Ohio books, but do have the square foot gardening book. You should also see if you have a local branch of the seed savers network. They often have a small library of resources to borrow. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancora_Imparo Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Check your local Master Gardener program. They are local volunteers with a passion for gardening. If you contact your local chapter, they might be able to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I get my seeds yearly from Pinetree Gardens. The website is: http://www.superseeds.com You can order a catalog. They are very reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Square Foot Gardening: A New Way To Garden In Less Space With Less Work Guide to Ohio Vegetable Gardening Both are excellent. Do you want to go with a traditional style garden, where a plot of ground is dedicated to vegetables each year? Or do you want to incorporate a few vegetables in your flower beds? What are your favorite fresh/cooked vegetables? Are you adventuresome with veggies, willing to try new things or variations on the old? Do you have a lot of room? Sunny, shady, mix? Has there been a garden there before? Do you have a tiller, or will it be all by hand? There aren't a lot of perennial vegetables/fruits, asparagus, strawberries & rhubarb come to mind. Asparagus requires thorough prep work, but will reward you with 20+ years of picking with annual maintenance. Strawberries are very rewarding, and a planting will last 3-5 years. Do you live in the southern or northern half of Ohio? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtolgd Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 (edited) Both are excellent. Do you want to go with a traditional style garden, where a plot of ground is dedicated to vegetables each year? Or do you want to incorporate a few vegetables in your flower beds? We are looking at doing a traditional style garden, possibly building it on the ground instead of digging. What are your favorite fresh/cooked vegetables? Are you adventuresome with veggies, willing to try new things or variations on the old? Do you have a lot of room? Sunny, shady, mix? Has there been a garden there before? We would especially like to grow various tomatoes and peppers, and try some other things like cucumbers and green onions. We are starting to branch out on our veggies, but not too far yet! We have a good size back yard that is fenced in with tall pine trees along the back, so not a lot of room but not too small either. Our total property is about .25 acres but that includes the front yard also. Mostly sunny, but there is also a garage to contend with as far as some shade goes. No, there has not been a garden here before. Do you have a tiller, or will it be all by hand? It will be all by hand, unless we can get dh's parents to bring their mantis on a 80 minute trip! :001_smile: There aren't a lot of perennial vegetables/fruits, asparagus, strawberries & rhubarb come to mind. Asparagus requires thorough prep work, but will reward you with 20+ years of picking with annual maintenance. Strawberries are very rewarding, and a planting will last 3-5 years. Sorry, when I said perennial I was thinking flowers! But strawberries could be interesting! Do you live in the southern or northern half of Ohio? Is there a difference in regards to gardening? My replies are in blue. Thank you. Edited January 7, 2009 by momtolgd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithseed Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Also, I would recommend davesgarden.com Also there, they have the Garden Watchdog, which will steer you toward good companies, and away from bad ones. They also have a forum specific to Ohio gardening, and beginner gardening. (I'll stop before I sound like a commercial!) I second looking into heirloom seeds. Ask away- there are several on here who garden who would love to help! ~Faithseed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtolgd Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 What are heirloom seeds? And would you recommend as a new gardener that we start with seeds or buy plants already started? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Momtolgd, It sounds like you have a great place to garden - the fence should keep the critters out. Comments on other recommendations on other posts: Ditto on Garden Watchdog on the Dave's Garden website. It's very useful to check out companies and plant varieties before you order. And, unlike much of the DG website, the Watchdog is free. I love Pinetree Seeds! Other seed companies I like: Baker Creek, Johnny's, Parks Seed, and Fedco. Heirloom seeds are usually older varieties that can be propagated by saving their seed. Seed from hybrid plants (kind of the opposite of Heirloom) will not grow up "true to type" or like the parent plants. Your seed catalog will usually specify if it is a hybrid (often by saying it is "F1"). Seed saving can be an advanced skill; perhaps concentrate on just growing stuff now. A good resource for saving seed is Seed to Seed by Ashworth. Many folks believe that veggies grown from heirloom seed have better flavor and other desirable characteristics. I've grown both heirloom and hybrid veggies and believe both have merits. Baker Creek carries ONLY heirloom seeds, most other companies sell a mix. GardenWeb website - this is pretty good. You can get lots of enthusiastic advice, some of it is useful, some of it is not. I prefer books, but I really like the winter sowing forum. The WS forum has great advice and wonderful FAQs. You can grow many fabulous perennials easily and cheaply from seed using WS techniques. Start saving your milk jugs! The All-New Square Foot Gardening. Mel Bartholomew's self-praise gets on my nerves. I also strongly disagree with his dogmatic raised bed recommendations and his practice of lining them with non-biodegradable landscape fabric. OTOH, he's inspired a lot of folks to garden who otherwise might not try. My favorites: Magazines: Mother Earth News (try the library) Organic Gardening Fine Gardening - good perennial combination ideas. See if your library has it because it's not a keeper like Mother Earth (IMHO). Books: Try to get these from the library to see what style you prefer. Rodale's Garden Answers: Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs. It's only available used, but if I were to pick just one veggie gardening book, this would be it. Very clear instructions. Gardening When it Counts by Steve Solomon. A survivalist gardener's reference. This taught me how to grow onions from seed. The Organic Home Garden by Patrick Lima. This slim volume is fun to read and very informative. The Garden Primer (new edition) by Barbara Pleasant. I prefer reading her Thursday-morning gardening column (The Cook's Garden) in the Washington Post to her book, but it's a solid reference. The Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman (Barbara Pleasant's husband). This book taught me to grow veggies in my garden for most of the year. Warning: It will make you want to get a coldframe or hoophouse. Also recommended, to a lesser extent, his New Organic Grower. Perennials: I recommend picking a few at a time, starting them from seed or buying them fairly young (not big and expensive), and filling in with cheaper annuals grown from seed. A definitive resource on perennials is Tracy DiSabato-Aust's The Well-Tended Perennial Garden. She gardens in Ohio, so that's a good fit for you. You might find Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeyer interesting; although I find it a little frustrating that many of his "perennials" are actually annuals in a temperate climate. I like the book, though. Toensmeyer is a good writer, and very enthusiastic. Other Tips: Call your agricultural extension office and ask about first/last frost dates. Ask neighbors and friends (especially older folks who have gardened for years) when they plant things and how, what kinds of pests are a problem, etc. I hope your gardening is successful! Remember - plant what you will eat. I've lovingly tended Swiss chard and turnips only to find out we didn't like them. Do not start out too big! If your garden is too large, you will not be able to keep up with it and become discouraged. And finally, I want to encourage you in your hand-digging. All of my 1000 square foot garden was dug by hand, by my dc and me. It can be done, but not quickly! If you want to get a head start, think about mulching with cardboard and/or a thick layer of newspaper NOW to kill the grass and make it easier to dig in the spring. You will need to put something on top of it to hold it down; manure, compost, and spoiled hay are good choices. HTH, GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 What are heirloom seeds? Heirloom seeds (generally speaking) are seeds from varieties of fruits and vegetables our fore-parents might have grown which, while often tastier (understatement) than current industrial varieties, are rarely grown on large farms today. I agree 100% with Rosie, it makes sense to grow delicious and unusual varieties at home, rather than try to reproduce the same items you can purchase in the store. You might check out the Gardenweb forum online. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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