12 Fail-Proof Garden Crops

Let’s face it: Some crops are just easier to grow than others. If you’re new to growing food, you might want to keep it simple and stick with options that are sure to leave you feeling successful at the end of your first official growing season.

Cool Season Vegetables

Radish. 

Arugula

Snow pea and/or sugar snap pea

Swiss chard

Green onions

Warm Season Vegetables

Tomato

Summer squash

Basil

Beans

Peppers

Tomatillo

Cucumber

See this awesome website Attainable Sustainable for more details about growing these easy for new gardeners plants!

http://www.attainable-sustainable.net/easiest-vegetables/

Seeds Started Today

Today was a productive day!!  I got some seeds started and I am getting excited for them to sprout and then be ready to transplant to the garden!! Today I planted the following seeds: 

1. Sugar Snap Peas
2. Leeks
3. Walla Walla Onions
4. Spring Salad Mix
5. Red Lettuce
6. Lettuce
7. Orange Peppers
8. Detroit Red Beets
9. Spinach
10. Broccoli
11. Cauliflower 
12. Cabbage
13. Celery

I specifically planted these seeds based on my growing season zone, frost dates, and the seeds germination time.  

Seed Starting Schedule

When you are planning your garden and you are trying to figure out when to plant seeds, etc.  This website explains the process step by step!

How to Develop a Seed Starting Schedule:

1. Find Your Last Expected Frost Date. 

2. Set Up a Chart.

3. Figure Out the Sow and Transplant Dates of Each Seed. 

4. Record the Dates in Your Chart. 

5. Keep Notes for Next Year. 

How to Develop a Seed Starting Schedule:

February Garden Chores

Here is what I am planning on accomplishing for the garden in February:

1. Finishing my scaled detailed drawing of the garden areas and what I am going to plant.
2. Buy seed starting supplies
3. Start seeds based on my areas latest frost date (April 23-30) (will be posting these as I go)
4. Getting backyard bird feeders situated
5. Get bluebird houses bought/built and set out by garden areas
6. Build a cold frame(s)
7. Order any seeds that I need/want/am missing
8. Finish building and painting plant holders
9. Finish painting plant hooks for backyard deck fence (bumblebee and ladybug)
10. Checking the week-by-week vegetable gardeners handbook daily!

Feeding the Backyard Birds

Picked up some new bird feeders to add to what I already have.  This is my favorite part of the garden on these windy cold winter days...watching the birds is relaxing and somewhat therapeutic! My favorite back yard bird visitors are the cardinals!!!

Gardening Checklist

I started reading this handbook this weekend and it is amazing! I would highly recommend adding this to your gardening resource library! This book takes your last expected frost dates and then you fill in the weeks based on that date.  I already feel behind but I am working on catching up with all the tasks I need to do for the garden this year. I will be posting about the items I need to do and/or am doing!! I can hardly wait to fill this book with all the anecdotes from my garden this year so that I can continue to learn and grow as a gardener!!!

Genius Cheat Sheet For Gardeners Tells Where And When To Plant Your Vegetables

This is the best infographic around!!! You must use it for the best gardens!!

Find the real sized one at: lhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/30/growing-vegetables-home-garden-cheat-sheet_n_5630136.html

Starting An Herb Garden

I love fresh herbs!  I have a few that I am growing but am planning on expanding my herb garden this year.  Here is a great article that can help you start your own or fine tune the one you have!

http://commonsensehome.com/getting-started-herb-gardening/

No Garden? Here Are 66 Edible Plants You Can Grow At Home In Containers

Here is an extensive
 article about growing in containers if you are short on land space to grow a garden!  Great ideas!!  May have to incorporate a few in the container part of my garden.  

http://www.realfarmacy.com/garden-edible-grow-home-containers/

Native Kansas Plants

While I am planning my garden for this year I have been using this website to help me see what native Kansas plants I want to include.  It is a great resource!

Native Kansas Plants

Garden Ideas and Inspiration

What do you do in January to prepare your garden? One of the things I do is collect ideas on Pinterest. Follow my board!!Grow Food Not Lawns