Gardening

Why to grow 🦋🐝🧑‍🍼

If you haven't already tried growing things, I think it’s worth an attempt.

🌱 There's something pretty magical about planting a seed and having it turn into a living thing. (I’ve often wondered whether it could be therapeutic for would-be-parents and it also has some of the delights of those little mystery animal sponges that come out of capsules when you soak them in warm water. I also think that caring for something/tending to something is a powerful force for good in the world, with positive internal and external effects.)

Then there are the normal reasons:

• creating habitat for beneficial insects like bees and butterflies
• growing food you can’t get at the grocery store or that wouldn’t taste as good from the grocery store
• creating beauty in the landscape (or kitchen tables) around your home/school/work/neighborhood

🎁 I also think that veggies, cut flowers, baby plants, and seeds are all wonderful things to share with friends and neighbors. They’re somehow especially touching due to the amount of care invested in your plants. If I ever give you a melon from my garden, I hope you feel the specialness of that gift. And know that if you share bulbs or tubers or cuttings from your favorites, I will always think of you when I tend to those plants 🪴 (a lifetime ago a friend made me a tiny succulent garden in a beautiful glass bowl and I treasured the gesture long after the plants had died).

What to grow 🌻🥒🍅🌷

I particularly like growing plants that are edible (bonus points if they're things I can pop in my mouth while gardening, e.g. cherry tomatoes or snap peas). Plants that totally overproduce like zucchini, or herbs that you can just trim now and again.

But even regrowing my scallions in water glasses on the windowsills for my next batch of 🥬Fermented Kimchi: easy, healthy, delicious is pretty delightful.

Pictured here on the right is the vine that produced the best melons I’ve maybe ever tasted. If you’re only going to grow one variety, grow “Sarah’s Choice” (it’s a cantaloupe). I also think the best (and most prolific) cherry tomato might be “sun gold” but I’m not as confident that I know the cherry tomato landscape well enough. I’m also trying “black cherry” and the magical GMO purple tomato (gifted by a friend) this year.

See also 🎣Advice: Consider adopting a bin of composting worms to live under your sink.

Here’s a guide to when to plant.

Some plants overwinter (“perennials” often die back to the ground and regrow from the crown of their root system) so you don’t have to plant them anew each spring. Here you can check your area’s “hardiness zone” which will help you understand which perennial plants should be able to survive the winter in your location:

2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

planthardiness.ars.usda.gov

NPR made a cool explainer when the zones were updated recently:

The USDA’s gardening zones shifted. This map shows you what’s changed in vivid detail

There's a good chance your zone shifted when the USDA updated its plant hardiness map in 2023. Zoom in on what that means for your garden.

apps.npr.org

A lot of edibles (and cut flowers) are annuals, so knowing your last and first frost date tells you how long your growing season is. Some plants mature quickly, some take so long that you may need to give them a head-start indoors so that they will produce before they’re killed by the first frost. (Some cold hardy annuals can be sown in the fall and will basically hibernate all winter but have a jump-start when it warms up in the spring—not just a timing advantage, but you’ll get bigger, healthier plants that developed under their preferred conditions.)

Don’t forget about perennial trees and shrubs and even flowers or veggies (like asparagus). Older generations in my family planted carefully selected fruit trees in the 1970s and ‘80s and ‘90s and somehow I’m still harvesting them all these years later. 🍏 

How to grow 🪴🚜

If you don’t have a yard, you can still grow things in containers.

Learning 👩‍🏫

📚 If you’re just starting out with vegetables, I think I’d recommend checking out “The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible.” I have it along with a few others from the library, but this one is the best “just starting out” one; as an example, when talking about raised beds, he assumes that you’ll be slicing out some of your lawn, whereas other books (that are more aimed at “market gardeners”?) think you might be interested in constructing a mobile chicken coop that you can move 100ft every week to evenly fertilize before the planting season 😅 The other advantage is that he dedicates a couple pages to each likely vegetable or herb you might be interested in growing, giving facts like germination and preferred growing temperatures, trellising, pest management, harvesting, recommended varieties, etc.

For flowers, I recommend Cut Flower Garden from Erin Benzakein at/of Floret, and In Bloom from Clare Nolan. For someone slightly further along in their flower journey, I like A Year in Flowers from Sarah Raven (strong UK vibes)—They’re all very giftable books with beautiful pictures.

🗓️ Keep in mind that there are things to do in the garden basically all year, so the perfect time to start is right now!

For veggies, there’s also an adorable Irish TV show called Grow Cook Eat (streaming on Amazon Prime and YouTube):

GIY

GIY is a not for profit social enterprise helping people to grow some of their own food at home, at work, at school, and in the community. Our vision is for a healthier, more sustainable and more connected world where people grow their own food. We inspire and empower people to grow their own by bringing them together in community groups and online to share tips, advice and expertise. Watch our series Grow Cook Eat featuring GIY founder, Michael Kelly, and Karen O'Donohoe, as they take viewers on a journey from plot (or pot) to plate each week.

www.youtube.com

And for more general gardening (or just gardening vicariously via the comfort of your couch): Gardener’s World (a British show sometimes streaming on Amazon Prime), and a recently revised tome by Monty Don: The Complete Gardener.

And of course YouTube is a wonderful resource. Though I think there are better places for the basics. Once you’re thinking about things like “what to plant in zone 6b in August” or tips on scaling up, I think YouTube makes sense. But even if it’s not directly useful, it can be inspiring! (Though use caution wrt what’s realistic for you—you might get hooked on a YouTuber in a totally different climate or with a totally different budget.)

My YouTube gardening favorites 🎥

• Garden Answer (daily ride-along type content; wholesome, zero stress — orders of magnitude more popular than any other landscape gardening youtuber)

Garden Answer

Garden Answer | Fun DIY and Garden Videos www.youtube.com/gardenanswer www.facebook.com/gardenanswer Twitter @gardenanswer contact@gardenanswer.com



www.youtube.com


• the Impatient Gardener (no bulls*** midwesterner with technical chops)

The Impatient Gardener

Hands-on gardening information and inspiration for real-life gardeners. Gardening in zone 5b, but much of the information offered here is applicable to a wide range of zones and areas. Let's garden together!



www.youtube.com


• Northlawn Flower Farm (very mellow and positive)

Northlawn Flower Farm and Gardens

Hi! My name is Danielle. I’m a home gardener who sells cut flowers at a roadside stand. I create gardening videos on YouTube about garden design, planting, budget gardening, garden tours, garden DIYs, and growing cut flowers. I work as a garden writer and photographer specializing in bulbs. I have previously worked in vegetable farm management and I’m a Penn State master gardener volunteer. I hope my cut flower garden will provide inspiration, education, comfort, and joy to everyone. I'm in a wet and humid climate. Zone 7a. Last frost approximately April 23. First frost approximately October 25. 100% Organic/No Spray.



www.youtube.com


• Cranery Gardens (whimsical? newbie with an attitude that I begrudgingly(?) find delightful)

CRANERY GARDENS

My name is Crane. I grow cut flowers in my backyard in New Jersey, zone 7. I make bouquets for my friends, family, and selling some to local people. I also grow all kinds of vegetables and herbs for cooking. I create country cottage style garden for family and sanctuary for wildlife, birds, insects, etc. I am here to share my gardening methods, tips, tricks, hacks for both beginners and seasoned gardeners. I am also here to inspire to garden with love, creativity, positivity, appreciation of surrounding nature, ecosystem, and most importantly the people. Instagram @cranerygardens Facebook @cranerygardens TikTok @cranerygardens



www.youtube.com


• Floret Flower Farm (more highly produced)

Floret Flower Farm

We are a family-run flower farm and seed company, specializing in unique, uncommon, and heirloom flowers. Our thriving research and education farm is dedicated to giving flower lovers the tools and information they need to grow the gardens of their dreams. Set in Washington’s beautiful Skagit Valley, our fields are bursting with flowers that reflect the season, from fragrant sweet peas in the spring to magnificent dinnerplate dahlias in the fall and countless varieties in between. Research is at the heart of our operation, and we conduct extensive trials to find the very best cut flower varieties, coveted for their scent, stem length, and ethereal qualities. We source seeds from a small network of specialty seed farmers and grow many of the varieties we offer right here on the farm. Our shop features my very favorite cut flower seeds, as well as tools, supplies, and signed Floret books. https://www.floretflowers.com/



www.youtube.com


• Blossom & Branch (educational, more into sustainability)

Regenerative Gardening with Blossom & Branch Farm

Welcome to our regenerative gardening channel, where we grow our gardens while putting soil health first! Hosted by a fifth-generation farmer running a thriving flower farm, we explore sustainable practices that nurture the land for future generations. From seed starting, to native plants, to cover cropping and everything in between, we share hands-on tips, inspiring stories, and the beauty of regenerative agriculture applied to gardening. Join us as we dig deep into soil science, biodiversity, and the joys of growing flowers and food in harmony with nature.



www.youtube.com

and for specific things:

• Olga Carmondy (my favorite rosarian 🌹)

Olga Carmody

Olga is a Master Gardener. She was born in Ukraine and lives in Connecticut, US, zone 7a. Her garden is peaceful and full of beautiful roses. Olga does it all herself: from composting to building wattle fences, from pruning trees to painting flowers on her house. She loves the beauty and harmony of a well designed garden space. Life is good, let’s garden together!



www.youtube.com


• She’s a Mad Gardener (I love how much preparation she does—definitely like she’s giving a mini presentation)

She's A Mad Gardener

AMAZON Storefront - https://www.amazon.com/shop/shesamadgardener She's A Mad Gardener explores gardening, flower arranging, decor and design, and pretty much anything Amanda thinks she can do ..... because you can do anything you want to do! Lots of how to, DIYs, and tutorials on how to make the world around you beautiful, warm, and inviting. USDA Zone 8a



www.youtube.com


• The Perennial Garden (the danish(?) guy’s calm yet enthusiastic love for the plants is lovely)

The Perennial Garden | Staudehaven

Welcome to our garden! We're Allen and Lars Wildes. In our videos, you’ll find ideas, garden inspiration, and perennial-growing tips from 2 guys (& our son) who have grown more plants than their neighbors consider normal. We’ll give you a look at what we’ve got growing and how we’re keeping our little garden thriving here in Denmark (zone 8). From seed collecting and winter sowing to propagating plants and experimenting with new techniques, we love sharing the journey of turning our cottage gardening dreams into reality.



www.youtube.com

For ornamental gardening/landscaping, here’s a (very informal) list of other people’s favorites.

I’ve bookmarked it to check out the channels that are new to me, both on the list and in the comments.

Six Floret's Growing Resources (I’m kinda in a Floret rabbithole at the moment…)

Soil health is key for everything you do, but tending to it requires a whole different set of learning. The folks at SARE have a guide to cover crops that I’ve found really useful.

Farmers are innovators. It’s like the startup community but without the ego and ambition, and people are reliably trying to solve their own problems (which is generally the hallmark of a good startup). E.g. this brilliant low tunnel design for extending your growing season without a bunch of hassle:

How to Build Low Tunnels That Open and Close Easily

Low tunnels are one of the most cost effective methods for extending the growing season in your vegetable garden in both spring and fall. Follow along as I share everything you need to know to build the best low tunnels with fully adjustable sidewalls for ventilation and the strength to resist wind and snow loads. Here's a list of the equipment used for these low tunnels: - 1/2 inch EMT conduit - 10 foot lengths - hose clamps - https://amzn.to/48xqQHg - aluminum carabiners - https://amzn.to/3PVBMqX - 6 mil UV resistant plastic - https://amzn.to/48Dxuvxv - 1/4" bungee/shock cord - https://amzn.to/3t5uPKP - some 3/4" plywood scraps and a few screws for the hoop bending jig - our wireless temperature sensors - https://amzn.to/3ZEObCS As mentioned in the video, I collected temperature data from this low tunnel this fall to measure its heat trapping and insulating abilities. You can now find a summary of that data on our Field Journal page here: https://www.vegetableacademy.com/post/can-low-tunnels-extend-your-garden-season-into-winter To extend your growing season as long as possible, you'll also need to know the temperature tolerance of each of your vegetable crops which can vary significantly. I teach this subject in detail in my Seed to Table course. LEARN MORE ⇨ Subscribe to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0yd_CtbyqSNAlyQ4fIIpw?sub_confirmation=1 ⇨ Get started with my FREE workshop: https://www.vegetableacademy.com/yt-freeworkshop ⇨ Enroll in the Seed to Table course: https://www.vegetableacademy.com/course

youtu.be

Or this object that automatically opens vents on your cold frame or greenhouse as it heats up, no electricity required.

And if growing your own vegetables isn’t for you, try joining your local CSA for getting local veggies (or bouquets!) at their peak with less work, while supporting a more diversified food system.

Further tips 📝 

Watering 💧

Install an automated drip system as soon as you’ve settled on your layout. The pieces fit together like legos (you can start with a kit from a hardware store to make sure you have the correct pressure, filters, and backflow prevention) and there are now hose timers that connect to wifi for easy adjustments.

Your plants will appreciate the consistency, they’ll do better without dealing with wet foliage, you’ll waste less water, but most importantly, you can leave your plants home alone, and they won’t suffer.

For hand watering, I love my watering can—I found it in the color I wanted at my local garden center (and I have subsequently acquired a smaller 2 liter version for inside watering).

See also 🏠Property Management & Maintenance - 💦 Irrigation (watering)

Protecting your plants 🛡

They are at their most vulnerable when they are very young. Be sure to harden off seedlings (slowly acclimating them to the harsh outside world over the course of a week) and consider using row-cover for another week+ to protect from harsh environmental factors as well as many hungry plant predators: mice, insects, rabbits, or grazing birds like quail. You can also use makeshift covers, e.g. plastic strawberry baskets from the grocery store, mesh potluck food protectors; I’ve even used cocktail and tea strainers overnight.

Once your plants are full-grown, they will still face issues: deer, rabbits, squirrels, and even birds that are drawn to the tender new shoots of things like snap peas. And once your plants are producing buds and fruits, they’ll be even more in-demand, often from hungry animals, but depending on your climate, maybe just thirsty animals: rats, raccoons, even more birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and the predators from early-life as well: mice, rabbits, insects, etc.

The best protection I’ve found from grazing birds and squirrels is a kite shaped like a predatory bird. It works wonders as long as there’s a breeze (which is not an issue for my current garden) and the neighbors all love it (which I would not have predicted in advance).

Note: I got mine with a 6m pole, and I’m glad I paid to get the extra 2m of length.

I also got myself a camera that I can (and do) basically put anywhere I want.

Without it, I wouldn’t know what was preying on my seedlings in the middle of the night, and I wouldn’t have had as many delightful nature videos to send to my friends. 🙃

In peak season, I’ve been known to sneak outside at the first motion notification to see how much of a scare I can give a thieving squirrel. 😅

For this particular model: it doesn’t have any ongoing fees, though it doesn’t store anything in the cloud, so if it were stolen, I wouldn’t be able to get footage of the incident unless the perpetrator connected it to wifi without erasing it first—but for my situation there’s no risk of the perps running off with it.

Protecting yourself (against the sun and heat) ☀️ 

Sun protection becomes a much bigger deal when you’re out in the elements regularly, whether you’re actively working in the garden or just going out to check on your plants.

• The best defense is to only go out in the early morning or evening when the UV index is low (most weather apps will track this for you).
• The next best is to create your own shade for your skin, whether that’s a patio umbrella on casters or a wide-brimmed hat and long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

I have a recommendation for 😎The Best Sunscreen (for people who hate sunscreen) as well as a hat company that lets you wear your hair up, but I find that the biggest issue with gardening is how difficult it is to protect my hands.

I wear gloves when I can, but some tasks are easiest with bare hands, and even if I start out with sunscreen on them, I’m going to end up washing it off in short order. So I’ve found that the safest thing is for me to wear a sunshirt with thumb holes like in my 🤔Advice: If you're thin with long arms, look for shirts with thumb holes — because the fabric covers a significant part of my hands and wrists that otherwise get the worst of the sun’s rays. (I’ve been laughing recently at how wrong I’ve been in thinking that the tan lines for a farmer’s tan are on your upper arms—at least for this farmer, my wrists mark the spot with the highest color and weathering contrast 🙃)

Over the years I’ve also found that my lower back is vulnerable to the sun, especially if I’m out in the fields where I might be crouching a lot—it’s like a human sunset back there with layered burns 🙃. I’ve tried a number of things, but the most reliable solution is overalls. My summer pair are Carhartt (though I’m favoring my thermal Freshley overalls from Dovetail Workwear even when it’s not particularly cold because they’re so cozy); my Carhartts wouldn’t have worked for me if they didn’t have tall sizes, so you may have to try Zappos or elsewhere to test a couple to find something that works for you (and keep in mind whether you want to wear them solo or if you want to layer them over your regular pants). Two other options for helping with burns from crouching: 1. Try a kneeling pad or 🪜The best step-stool (that’s also great for gardening) to sit on. Working on your knees, whether you sit back on your heels or stay more upright can be easier on your body than maintaining a low squat, and sitting can be even better (see the next section on “Comfort” below). 2. Try wearing higher-waisted boxer briefs (which I recommend to everyone as an alternative to traditional women’s underwear) and/or higher-waisted pants, along with a shirt that is long and doesn’t cling/ride up, especially once you start getting sweaty.

Workwear for Women - Floret Flowers

This past season, my trialing obsession grew to include women’s workwear. Finding workwear for women that’s durable, comfortable, flattering, made to actually work in, and fits different body types has proven to be quite the challenge.

www.floretflowers.com

Speaking of sweating, don’t forget to hydrate. It can be dangerous to replace sweat with too much pure water, so I recommend supplementing with electrolytes. I use 40,000 Volts from Trace Minerals, but it tastes gross, so I just add it to 🍊Juice Spritzers. I also use Celtic grey salt when I’m cooking (my blood pressure generally runs low, so I don’t need to watch my salt intake).

Protecting yourself (against biting insects) 🦟 

If you’re out at dusk and dawn, it’s likely that mosquitos will be too. 😣 And I have a couple tips there as well 🦟Mosquito shirt and ♨️Mosquito bite relief: a tiny heater

I don’t live in tick country, but it’s worth keeping that in mind: 🕷️Tick bite avoidance & tick removal

Cleaning your fingernails 💅 

Even if you’re diligent about wearing gloves, if you’re like me, you are probably still going to get dirt under your fingernails and embedded in your cuticles. There are nail brushes, but I find using my electric toothbrush (with an old head) is very effective while also being very gentle on my fingertips (which are often tender after a long day in the garden).

Comfort 🧘 

New favorite gardening object: foldable knee cushion. Significantly more comfortable than the gorilla grips one recommended by wirecutter (that one is dense, almost like a yoga block). This saves my pants as well as my knees.

Knee Pads for Men Women Garden Kneeling Pads Extra Thick Knee Pads Memory Foam Kneeling Pad for Bathing Yoga Knee Cushion Foam Kneeling Pad Garden Pads for Kneeling Knee Cushions for Kneeling

Amazon.com: Knee Pads for Men Women Garden Kneeling Pads Extra Thick Knee Pads Memory Foam Kneeling Pad for Bathing Yoga Knee Cushion (Dark_Green) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

amzn.to

(Note: I found these on a list of the most “worth it” gardening purchases that this adorable PNW flower farming couple made)

I also use 🪜The best step-stool (that’s also great for gardening) as a little seat which is even better for my knees.

See also: 🌱Plant Learnings

↩️ Click here to return to Useful Things ↩️

↩️ Click here to return to Hobbies ↩️