Your climate will have some bearing on how you plan your vegetable garden.

For example, vegetables grow best if they're protected from strong winds. So if you live in a windy area, plan your garden in a place where there is shelter from wind, such as beside a building or along a fence line.

You also need to make sure that your vegetables will get enough sunlight. This is especially true if you're having to locate it somewhere to shelter it from the wind.

Vegetables will grow best where they get sun for at least half the day. If your garden is in your backyard and your house throws shade there for most of the day, it's not going to be the most productive location.

Also keep in mind how the vegetables will affect each other's sun exposure. If you plant tall vegetables next to short ones, the tall ones are going to throw shade once they get to a certain height.

Ideally, the rows in your garden should be run north and south to minimize the shade from one row to another.

If your vegetable garden is close to your house and easy to get to, it's a lot easier to run out and pick some herbs or harvest some fresh vegetables for the dinner table.

You'll also be more likely to get out there to take care of your plants on a regular schedule. You'll be more likely to weed, water and maintain your plants if you can get to them easily.

You might even find yourself out there several times a day, doing a bit each time.

Creating firm walking paths around your garden, with easy access to everything you've planted, will also make it easier to get out there whenever the mood strikes.

There's nothing worse than having to prepare yourself for a muddy trek through the garden if you just want to grab a few vegetables for supper.

Unless your garden's huge and you've got a heck of a lot more time than most people, you probably can't grow half the stuff you'd like to.

That's why good planning is an essential part of vegetable gardening. It helps you to decide how much space and time you can give to your garden as well as what kinds of vegetables you really want to grow (and eat - there's nothing worse than having way more than you can possibly use).

Whether you're starting from scratch or working with an existing garden, spend some time with a pencil and paper before you pick up a shovel or order your seeds.

Draw out a rough garden plan to see what vegetables you're going to plant this year, and where they're going to go in your garden.

Over the next few days, I'll be writing about some of the things that you should consider when planting your garden, such as convenience, size, ground preparation and the climate, as well as how to choose what vegetables to plant.

If you want to be notified when I post new articles, you can subscribe to my news feed or subscribe to my email newsletter over on the left of this page.

Cultivating your own fruits and vegetables can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. Seeing products of your hard work will continue to draw you toward gardening. As a gardener, you know that different seasons offer ideal climates for different types of produce. How can you preserve the fruits and vegetables you grow so that you can enjoy the “fruits of your labor” throughout the year? There are two main aspects of preserving your fruits and vegetables: canning and freezing. The following methods that will preserve your crops throughout the year:

• Canning. Canning is a method that heats the food to a temperature that kills the decaying action of enzymes, bacteria and other microorganisms that may have spoiled your food. There are a few different types of canning.
o Boiling Water Bath Canning is recommended for processing food with high acid content such as tomatoes, pickles and jams. A boiling water bath canner reaches 212 degrees F, killing bacteria that would spoil your food. The processing time can be anywhere from 5 to 85 minutes. You can find charts that will educate you on the appropriate bath time for different types of food and container sizes. Again, there are sources available that will give you step-by-step instructions to this canning process.
o Pressure Canning is recommended for low acid vegetables, meats, mushrooms and some soups. This process requires you to put your jars in a pressure cooker for a predetermined amount of time that will kill the bacteria that causes food decay. The pressure cooker will heat the food between 240 degrees F and 250 degrees F. This process can take anywhere from 20 to 100 minutes and obviously requires a pressure cooker.
• Freezing. Most foods can be frozen. Keeping your food at 0 degrees F will inactivate the growth of microbes that cause spoilage in food. It does not kill these bacteria, instead causing them to lye dormant unable to multiply which would cause the growth of mold and other food borne bacteria. Not all foods will retain its tasting quality after a freeze. Lettuce, cream sauces and mayonnaise do not freeze well. Some foods, like spinach, require you to blanch the food before you can freeze it. Blanching is when you boil the product and then cool it down and drain the water out. If you did not blanch spinach and some other vegetable, they would not freeze well. Remember that if you freeze an item for extended periods of time, the food will loose its original nutrient qualities.
• Pie Fillings. If you have produced ample fruit, creating pie fillings and freezing that may be an avenue you choose to go down. Pie fillings will use large amounts of fruit and can be frozen for up to a year.

To effectively can and freeze your foods, use resources available in books and on the web to help you preserve your food in the most appropriate and safest manner. It is important to remember that if you are canning at high altitudes, special instructions may apply to keep your product fresh.

1. Veggiegardeningtips.com. This website boasts “gardening tips, organic techniques and ornamental plants for growing incredible vegetable, fruit and herb gardens.” This easy to access site contains ample gardening advice in an easy-to-read manner. There is great commentary from other gardeners and a plethora of advice ranging from basic gardening techniques to trapping a ground hog that is destroying you harvest. This website also has several products available to aid you in your gardening quest.
2. Growingtaste.com. This site is easy to follow because of its outline format. You can easily find the subjects that will most likely apply to you. There are also several links that may assist you in finding the specific material that you need. Links to cooking websites help you to best use your bounteous crop. An ample bookshop contains any gardening information that you could think of.
3. davesgarden.com. “Gardening at Dave’s Garden” is the title of this webpage. Although this website contains information about all types of gardening, it is still a valuable resource. This site has reader forums and encourages ideas and tips from its readers. They provide a “Garden Watchdog” element that reviews mail-order garden companies and has readers rank the quality. This website also offers a free membership that will allow you to publish you idea on gardening.
4. kitchengardeners.org. Another valuable website! The focus of this website is to create self-reliance. To promote providing for your own consumption. This website contains lists of helps from polling beans to creating tomato cages to decreasing your carbon imprint. As you search this site you will see a mailing list that you can subscribe to that will provide you with more information. There is also a section that allows you to post pictures of your harvest and “show off” your gardening skills.
5. backyardgardener.com/veg/. The Backyard Gardener is an online store that offers the reader product and endless information. This website is organized into lists that make information easy to find. They have seed purchase available along with over 35,000 gardening products. This site isn’t only product. They have a plant encyclopedia and how- to instruction. They also have several links to hone down your search to your specific need.

If you are a vegetable gardener or thinking of becoming one, there is ample supply of advice and instruction is available on the internet. You will find a gardening community eager to guide you in your endeavors.

There are several recipes and strategies for making this autumn favorite. Here are a couple of recipes that may tickle your taste buds.

1. The first recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds came from www.FabulousFoods.com from a contributor by the name of Cheri.
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp. melted butter or oil (olive oil or vegetable oil work well)
• Salt to taste
Options To Taste:
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Seasoning salt
• Cajun seasoning blend
Preheat oven to 300° F.
While it’s O.K. to leave some strings and pulp on your seeds (it adds flavor), clean off any major chunks. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and seasoning of your choice. Spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

2. The following recipe was found at www.make-stuff.com and has some variation from the first recipe.
• Wash the seeds and pat them dry.
• Soak for about an hour in soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (you might want to try a batch of each just to see which you like better).
• Sprinkle w/ garlic powder if desired
• roast on cookie sheet @ low heat 225-250°. After 1/2 hr, turn the seeds over and continue roasting for another 1/2 - 1 hr. Test by biting into one - they're done when they're crunchy.
Some variations, soak in butter instead of the soy or wooster sauce. Sprinkle with a few Italian spices - oregano for instance. Experiment until you find a flavor you like!

The key to preparing wonderful roasted pumpkin seeds is to clean them and add what ever kinds of spices that you enjoy. Be inventive and include your children. They love to get their hands gooey from the innards of a pumpkin. Have them help clean the seeds and dry them in preparation to cook them. They may have other interesting ideas for your pumpkin seeds. The important part is to have fun and enjoy this traditional fall snack.

It’s almost time to begin planting if you are hoping for fall vegetables. Most vegetables have an exact climate they need to flourish. The following are popular group of fall vegetables:

1. Broccoli is a flowering plant that is basically a green version of cauliflower. It has a thick stalk and flowering ends with wrapping green leaves. This is an ideal fall vegetable.
2. Spinach, any green leafy vegetable will do well in the cool air and soil. Spinach may seem to grow slow but will accelerate in the last two weeks.
3. Onions are a healthy and sturdy fall vegetable
4. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family. They thrive in cool weather and do not grow in well in warm climates. They are a slow growing plant and react positively to the freezes of the winter months.
5. Carrots are another popular vegetable that grows well during the fall. If planted in the midsummer, carrots thrive in the cool weather and produce the much desired baby carrot.

As you prepare to plant and cultivate your fall vegetables you may want to keep some of these suggestions in mind:

o Fall vegetables need a lot of fertilizer. Make sure to take good care of the soil you will be planting in. Preparation of the soil can be the determining factor of the quality of your crop.
o Make sure to plant the middle of September. Be aware of your weather conditions and be sure to take appropriate actions that will keep your vegetables safe. The average time for the first freeze usually occurs in October with stronger and fiercer freezes coming in November.
o If you are anticipating a frost, you will need to cover the soil where your vegetables are planted. Nursery’s, along with home improvement stores, may have adequate supplies to keep your garden safe.
o Keep the soil wet before you plant your seeds. Experts differ on the amount of time needed to properly prepare your soil. Some claim you need to begin watering the soil two to three days before planting while some suggest a half hour before planting is sufficient to aid in germination.
o Keep the soil saturated during after your seeds are planted. This will help your seeds germinate.
o Cover your soil with mulch or another material that will keep the moisture in the ground and protect the soil from the elements.

As you prepare to begin your planting for the fall season of vegetables remember that the key is in the preparation of the soil. Make sure that the soil is well fertilized and watered. Keep the ground and budding plants safe from frost by buying protective covers that will keep the vegetables safe from the elements. Planting during the fall months also gives the soil extra nutrients that will be valuable with up and coming crops. As you work with the soil and cultivate your vegetables, you will look forward to your next season and your next grouping of produce.

I came across an interesting article on the Persistence Unlimited blog today about getting a headstart on your summer garden.

Behind on your planting for spring and summer? If you are, there’s still hope. I always get behind on my planting, yet still seem to pull off a good harvest each year just fine.

Here’s the method I use that gets seeds growing in 3-4 days and produces plants “hardened” for outdoor planting in just 2 weeks.

There's some good ideas in that article about how you can get your vegetable garden started in your own "mini greenhouse" - even if the weather's not warm enough to plant your garden yet.

Click here to read the full article on the Persistence Unlimited website: Starting a Summer Garden

Technorati Tags: summer garden, vegetable garden

You try to feed your family healthy foods, but often it's cheaper and more convenient just to reach for the closest sugary snack.  While it requires a little bit of work, growing your garden is a great way to have healthy food available right at your fingertips.  Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing that you grew them all by yourself and that you're providing for your family.

The most common healthy foods grown in gardens are fruits and vegetables.  When planting these foods, choose carefully, especially if you have limited space.  You want to be able to choose crops that will grow well in your area, but you should also consider what you have time and space to grow, and what your family will eat.  You may have perfect soil and space for tomatoes, but it your family won't eat them, there's not much point in growing them.  A garden is a great way to get inexpensive fruits and veggies that you know are fresh and healthy.

You can grow fruits and vegetables in your garden as a way to eat healthier, but don't forget about herbs as well.  You're probably not eating just stuff you can grow on your own, but you can make the other food more flavorful without a lot of fat and calories by adding different herbs and seasonings.  This way you can have great tasting food that isn't so bad for you either.

Foods you buy at the grocery store have been grown using tons of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.  These chemicals may make fruits and veggies look more appealing and will increase farmer yields, but they can also be dangerous to your health.  You can buy from an organic food store, but you'll end up paying a whole lot more.  Growing your own garden is a great way to know your food is safe without having to pay a pretty penny.  Start a compost pile to fertilize naturally and research other methods of safe fertilization and pest control, like companion planting. 

When we consider how healthy our foods are for us, we usually just consider the calorie content, but what about taking into account what it takes to get them.  We all know it takes more work to grow your own veggies than to buy them at the store, but we usually don't take into account all the calories that work is burning.  Gardening is a great workout.  Growing your own fruits, veggies, and herbs can actually help you stay in shape.  That's a lot healthier than picking something up off a shelf. 

Gardening isn't just for pretty flowers anymore.  You can grow a great garden to feed your family tasty, nutritious foods. 

Technorati Tags: healthy foods, vegetables, planting, compost

If you've never gardened before, you might worry that it's difficult. And if you've ever tried a little gardening and perhaps had trouble with it, you might feel that it's not as easy as I'm letting on. I assure you that if you follow a few basics, it is quite easy. Anyone can do it. You just need the right information and a wee bit of patience. Don't let yourself be worried by the questions that plague so many beginning gardeners:

• How do I start a garden?
• What do I need to have in order to grow a garden?
• Are there any tricks of the trade I should know?
• Is it costly?
• How do I maintain my garden once I get it started?
• Will it take all of my time?

Because so many people have questions like these, I've created my simple "Gardener's Handbook". Click here to read more about the Gardener's Handbook

Technorati Tags: gardeners, start a garden