best plants for beginning gardener

[keljonma]

LHA: I thought of these books today...

Kitchen Harvest: A Cook's Guide to Growing Organic Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs in Containers by Berry, Susan, Laurel Glen Pub., 2002

100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden by Carolyn J Male, Workman Publishing Company, 1999

 

[lorihadams]

Thanks! I tried to go to the library Friday and they were closed for Lee-Jackson day...who woulda thunk it? Gonna try to go back this week and check out a few things...got a seed catalog from Southern Seed Exchange and there are a lot of really interesting varieties that have done well in our region (southeast, mid-atlantic states). Too many choices!!!

 

[Okiemommy]

Never heard of a Lee-Jackson Day....you must be from the south?

 

[lorihadams]

Yep, Virginia...south kind of....

 

[Iceblink]

I grew potatoes in those big plastic 5gal. buckets. My yields were pretty good considering. I also grew blackberries and zucchini in buckets. I really liked the system because I could move things around, and create a sort of 'fence' to keep the chickens out of the rest of my container garden.

If my chickens were into flying it wouldn't have worked, but they weren't so it did.

 

[clstratton]

Somebody mentioned contacting your local ag agent. I have to second that. I'm a local Master Gardener (though I am far from knowing everything. Really, really, really far) and your local county extension office should be very helpful in suggesting plants and varieties that will do well in your area. And they might do soil testing too. Just do a Google search to find them. I have found it next to impossible to find them in the phone book, unless you know exactly what to look for (luckily I have our local number memorized ). But you can grow tons of stuff in containers. I gave a presentation on container gardening last year and was surprised at all the things you can do with them. Just make sure you have drainage holes And don't forget about fruit. I think several people have mentioned strawberries and blueberries. Tophat blueberries are supposed to do really well in containers. And you can do strawberries well in containers too. I have found squash to be especially prolific in our area. I had two volunteer spaghetti squash in my compost pile last year. I never watered them, and they were one of the best plants in my garden last year. Too bad DH doesn't like them. And zukes produce like crazy here (I'm a Zone 4) so you might want to go easy on those, if you do them. Try pumpkins again. I've done them pregnant twice (well, I've only done a garden when preggers, but this year things will change, since I'm doing one, and not preggo) and the pumpkins did decently well both years. At least enough to decorate for the (now) four of us. Good luck. Sorry this was so long. Can you tell I'm passionate about growing things? I just wish I were better at it.