[RiotGrrlCynic]

I am hoping to start a garden in my yard. I have no idea what I'm getting into though. What to plant when, how to start, etc. I was just wondering if anyone has a garden and could help me with any tips.

Thanks!

[kaw]

Gardening is a wonderful hobby! However, to start, I guess I recommend that you (a) invest in a decent gardening book for beginners for general tips (a picture can be worth 1000 words!), and (b) stop by your local cooperative extension service and ask for help. They should be able to give you free info about what to plant for your specific climate/growing season, when to plant, how to plant, what sort of pests to protect against, how to protect against them, what soil amendments to add, etc.

Have fun! If nothing else, winter is a great time to plan next year's garden. Even in FL!

Kim

[Get n healthy]

I love having a garden. Its great if you appreciate organic foods. So all summer, i can eat organic for basically free. Cool huh?

But I agree with the previous poster. Since it is fall/winter, now would be a great time to curl up with a good garden book.

Do you have a yard? Outdoor pets? Do you have a place in mind for your garden? What zone do you live in? I live in TN so i am in zone 7. Since you are in florida, you will need to find out what zone you are in. This will tell you what plants grow well in your garden...it has to do with temperature in your area. Some plants need cold, some hot, some dry, some wet. That should be listed in a good garden book.

For a beginner, i would recommend some easy plants to get you aquainted with tending to a garden. My first year, i grew tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and a lot of herbs.

I love my herb garden, i will be using a bunch of my herbs from the garden in my thanksgiving dinner in a few days. Some easy herbs for you to grow are rosemary, basil, thyme.

If you like being outdoors and you like veggies, you will love having a garden. Its not that hard, depending on what you grow. Good luck.

[RiotGrrlCynic]

Thanks y'all for answering. I will definitely go pick up a book or 2.

I have plenty of space in my back yard. I do have 3 dogs, but I have a huge fenced in front yard, so they don't really go out back. most of my backyard is direct sunlight, with a few shady spots.

And apparently I live in zone 8b, yet I'm still trying to figure out what that means exactly.

I'm excited to start, but I know I should probably wait for warmer weather (which, with how its going, will be January or Febuary... hehehe)

Thanks again!