After reading the thread about the new Anderson's exhibit at Imagination Station, it reminded me that one of my New Year's resolutions was to plant and (try to) grow something edible in my back yard. I am clueless about gardening. I don't know when to plant, what to plant, how to plant, etc... I was always lucky to have family and neighbors that supplied me with garden fresh produce :) Now I want to take on the responsibility myself and maybe teach my kids a thing or two. I'm hoping that if they help plant it and grow it, they will take more of an interest in actually eating vegetables. So can anybody recommend a good website for basic backyard gardening in this region?
Gardening website recommendations
Comments ... #
Toledo Botanical Garden has a lot of good information on gardening: http://toledogarden.org/content/tips/
There is also a Herb Society with meetings open to the public: http://toledogarden.org/content/partners/organizations.aspx?idx=EqwS6jo1ynSYPqQGxu6+KA==
I've found that most places that sell vegetables, especially Black Diamond and Andersons, can give you good information about what to grow, what goes well together, etc...
posted by MaggieThurber on Mar 21, 2012 at 07:16:22 pm #
I'm in the same boat, with the desire to start a garden but not a clue about what I'm doing. I've heard great things about sproutrobot.com, but I've not spent too much time on it because I didn't want to pay for the subscription.
posted by WalleyeWinger on Mar 21, 2012 at 07:31:19 pm #
One of my favorites is www.davesgarden.com.
An easy thing to do is to plant a sunflower house (google it) -- the kids can be involved, final product can be used to feed the birds.
Another easy project is to plant the Three Sisters of Native American heritage: just clear off a small spot, plant a few corn, beans, and squash. The cornstalks grow tall and support the beans (plant a vining, climbing type) and the pumpkin vine (or any other squash) will ramble across the ground, shading out the weeds and keeping the other plant roots cooler in summer.
You might consult with a naturalist or volunteer at the 577 Foundation. They have a nice garden onsite, and they don't seem to go overboard with the finicky varieties or the high-maintenance specialties.
If you should happen to read a column by the Blade's garden writer, Kelly Heidbreder, feel free to disregard absolutely everything she says. Much of her advice is outdated, and she never met a chemical she didn't like. She makes everything WAY more complicated than it needs to be.
Good luck and have fun! I'm planting snap peas around my mailbox tomorrow!
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