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You are here: Home / Vegetable & Herb Gardening

Vegetable & Herb Gardening

Vegetable & Herb Gardening for beginners and beyond.

Vegetable & Herb Gardening

Years ago a company named Ecoscraps reached out to us and asked us to plant a vegetable and herb garden with their products.  We knew NOTHING about a vegetable garden but, it seemed like a great idea. 

My husband and son built a raised bed and we planted a few things.  The tomatoes are all that really worked for us.  But, we were thrilled.  

Ecoscraps has a full line of products, by the way.  They recycle food waste nationwide and re-purpose it into organic, natural and sustainable garden soils and plant food.  You can read more about our first gardening venture here.

The next year, I took the garden over and planted things in the spring and fall and added on more garden space around that raised bed.  Things didn’t go very well – from squash bugs and spider mites, to grasshoppers and snails, to too much rain and not enough rain… and the weeds… oh, the weeds.  My back couldn’t handle it all!

My oldest son texted me a picture of a friend’s raised garden beds one day… they looked like something out of a magazine, mine looked like…. a child’s sandbox with broken toys.  I actually cried when I saw it, because I was so frustrated with my gardening experiments look.

Then my daughter started seeing ideas online (read: Pinterest lol) and sharing them with me, and they seemed doable and seemed to solve my problems.  So, the next year I tried those ideas to see which worked best for our purposes and so it began – my love for learning and growing.

I bought a few planters for the front porch, I planted herbs there so, Hubby (who does most of the cooking) could just step out on the porch and pick just what he wanted to use for each meal.  We love that. 

I have some very strange looking setups elsewhere in the yard – my neighbors laugh each time they see a new experiment I have set up!  lol  But, you would be jealous of them (my neighbors) – I swear to you – they throw anything they want in their yard anywhere and it grows… they don’t weed, they don’t feed… nothing!  PLUS, it’s CLAY soil… It’s incredibly annoying lol

I will be sharing all of my gardening “experiments” and what I learn with y’all in hopes it encourages someone else to give it a go.  It’s certainly relaxing and helps me clear my head on stressful days.  The fresh air and sunshine I get from checking on them 3-4 times a day (that may be overkill, but, I enjoy it) is healthy, too!

You’ll find all of the posts as I add them to the site right here, I hope you enjoy my journey as much I as am:

Cheap No Grass Backyard Ideas (Or Front Yard) (1)

Cheap No Grass Backyard Ideas (Or Front Yard)

Benefits And Effects Of Weeds In Your Garden (3)

Benefits And Effects Of Weeds In Your Garden

How To Get Rid Of Earwigs (1)

How To Get Rid Of Earwigs

Vegetable Container Gardening Ideas For Indoor Or Outdoors (1)

Vegetable Container Gardening Ideas For Indoor Or Outdoor Gardening

Composting Outdoors For Less

Backyard Composting PLUS FREE Printable

Lavender_ Propagating, Growing, Harvesting, & Uses (1)

Lavender: Propagating, Growing, Harvesting, & Uses

What Are The Best Hydroponic Vegetables_ (1)

What Are The Best Hydroponic Vegetables?

Container Vegetable Gardening Must Haves To Get Started NOW (2)

Container Vegetable Gardening Must Haves To Get Started NOW

Garden Trellis Ideas

Garden Trellis Ideas

How To Grow Food Year Round From Your Own Family Food Garden (1)

How To Grow Food Year Round From Your Own Family Food Garden

No Till Gardening_ What You Need To Know

No Till Gardening: What You Need To Know

Perennial Salvias (Sage) Care (1)

Perennial Salvias (Sage) Care

Wood Ash In The Garden Everything You Need To Know (1)

Wood Ash In The Garden Everything You Need To Know

Shade Loving Plants Perennials & Container Plants (1)

Shade Loving Plants Perennials & Container Plants

Tools Used For Gardening_ A Beginner's Guide (1)

Tools Used For Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide

How To Feed Your Garden Naturally With What You Already Have

How To Feed Your Garden Naturally With What You Already Have

How To Start Indoor Gardening

How To Start Indoor Gardening

Pros And Cons Of Raised Bed Gardening (4)

Pros And Cons Of Raised Bed Gardening

How To Harden Off Your Plants Before Transplanting Into Your Garden (2)

How To Harden Off Your Plants Before Transplanting Into Your Garden

Water Lily vs. Lotus (2)

Water Lily vs. Lotus

Tomato Plants - Propagating, Pruning, And Planting (2)

Tomato Plants – Propagating, Pruning, And Planting

Why And How To Save Seeds From Your Garden (4)

How To Store Seeds And Why

Vertical Vegetable Gardening_ Why It Might Be Right For You (2)

Vertical Vegetable Gardening & How to Get Started

Make Your Own Rain Barrel (1)

Make Your Own Rain Barrel

Understanding Magnesium Deficiency In Plants (1)

Understanding Magnesium Deficiency In Plants

Indoor Herb Garden Ideas! Get Started Today (1)

Indoor Herb Garden Ideas Get Started Today

All About Growing Grass From Seed (4)

All About Growing Grass From Seed

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners Let’s Get Started (1)

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners Let’s Get Started

7 Raised Bed Gardening Mistakes

7 Raised Bed Gardening Mistakes

Fairy Garden Ideas_ How To Make A Fairy Garden (1)

Fairy Garden Ideas: How To Make A Fairy Garden

Getting Started_ Tools You Need For Vertical Gardening

Getting Started Vertical Gardening: Tools You’ll Need

Gardening With Kids From Toddlers To Teens (1)

Gardening With Kids From Toddlers To Teens

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

How You Can Get Rid Of Ants Naturally

How To Make Money From Your Garden

How To Make Money From Your Garden

Heirloom Seeds_ How To Save And Store (1)

Heirloom Seeds: How To Save And Store

Pollinator Garden_ Plants That Attract Pollinators

Pollinator Garden: Plants That Attract Pollinators

Growing Mint (2)

Growing Mint

11 Spring Gardening Secrets (1)

11 Spring Gardening Secrets To Get You Started

What Is The Best Mulch For Vegetable Garden_ (1)

What Is The Best Mulch For Vegetable Garden?

How to Prune Drift Roses

How to Prune Drift Roses

How To Get Rid Of Whiteflies Naturally (3)

How To Get Rid Of Whiteflies Naturally

A Guide To Growing Fall Vegetables Includes What Vegetables Can Survive A Frost Printable Chart

A Guide To Growing Fall Vegetables Includes What Vegetables Can Survive A Frost Printable Chart

Tools Every Gardener Needs

Tools Every Gardener Needs

Spring Vegetable Garden Prep PLUS FREE Printable (1)

Spring Vegetable Garden Prep PLUS FREE Printable

Leaf Mold How To Make & Use It In The Garden (2)

Leaf Mold How To Make & Use It In The Garden

How to Amend Raised Garden Bed Soil For Growing Successfully (1)

How to Amend Raised Garden Bed Soil For Growing Successfully

Canna Lily Care_ Everything You Need to Know (1)

Canna Lily Care: Everything You Need to Know

Black Spot On Roses_ Prevention & Treatment

Black Spot On Roses: Treatment & Prevention

How To Grow Strawberries And Other Berries

How To Grow Strawberries & Other Berries

DIY Vermicomposting With A Worm Bin (1)

DIY Vermicomposting With A Worm Bin

Aphids_ What Are They How To Identify & Get Rid Of Them (2)

Aphids: What Are They How To Identify & Get Rid Of Them

Caladium Plants - From Caladium Bulbs To Caladium Care (1)

Caladium Plants – From Caladium Bulbs To Caladium Care

Tomato Hornworms_ How To Prevent & Deal With Them In The Garden

Tomato Hornworm: How To Prevent & Deal With Them In The Garden

Planning & Planting A Butterfly Garden (1)

Planning & Planting A Butterfly Garden

Kids Garden_ A Beginner's Guide To Gardening For Kids (1)

Kids Garden: A Beginner’s Guide To Gardening For Kids

How To Rescue Over Watered Plants (5)

How To Rescue Over Watered Plants

How To Grow Potatoes (1)

How To Grow Potatoes

How To Harvest Worm Castings From Your Vermicompost (3)

How To Harvest Worm Castings From Your Vermicompost

Tools For Keeping Critters Out Of The Garden (3)

Tools For Keeping Critters Out Of Your Garden

How To Grow Basil From Seed To Harvest And More (1)

Basil Growing & Plant Care From Seed To Harvest & More

Container Vegetable Gardening For Beginners Indoors Or Outdoors (1)

Container Vegetable Gardening For Beginners Indoors Or Outdoors

Squash Vine Borers How To Prevent, Protect, and Get Rid Of Them

Squash Vine Borer: How To Prevent, Protect, And Get Rid Of Them!

Growing Vegetables In Potting Soil Bags (2)

Growing Vegetables In Potting Soil Bags

All About Fertilizer For Plants And Organic Fertilizer

All About Fertilizers

13 Gardening Supplies To Purchase Online (1)

10 Gardening Supplies To Purchase Online Check Them Out

How To Use Confrey In The Garden

How To Use Comfrey In The Garden

Rosemary_ Everything You Need To Know (1)

Rosemary: Everything You Need To Know

What Are Soil Amendments_ (2)

What Are Soil Amendments?

7 Tomato Plant Problems And Solutions (1)

7 Tomato Plant Problems And Solutions

10 Upcycling Ideas For Your Garden (1)

10 Upcycling Ideas For Your Garden

Must Have Indoor Gardening Supplies For Your Indoor Garden (1)

Must Have Indoor Gardening Supplies For Your Indoor Garden

How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Plants

How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Plants

7 Vegetables You Can Grow Indoors In Winter

7 Vegetables You Can Grow Indoors In Winter

How To Prevent Sunburned Plant Leaves (3)

How To Prevent Sunburned Plant Leaves

7 Herbs That Grow Well Together In Pots And Containers (1)

7 Herbs That Grow Well Together In Pots And Containers

13 Vegetable Gardening Tips And Tricks (1)

Vegetable Gardening Tips And Tricks

7 Homemade Bug Sprays For Indoor Plants (1)

7 Homemade Bug Sprays For Indoor Plants

Why You Should Always Grow Marigolds In The Garden (5)

Why You Should Always Grow Marigolds In The Garden

Easy Raised Garden Beds (4)

Easy Raised Garden Beds

What Vegetables Grow Well In The Shade_

What Vegetables Grow In Shade? No Sun? No Problem!

How To Get Your Garden In Shape For Spring (1)

How To Get Your Garden In Shape For Spring

Indoor Gardening Ideas For Vegetables And Herbs (1)

Indoor Gardening Ideas For Vegetables And Herbs

Homemade Bug Sprays To Keep Your Plants Happy And Healthy (1)

Homemade Bug Sprays To Keep Your Plants Happy And Healthy

7 Tips and Ideas To Prepare Your Garden Soil

7 Ideas And Tips To Prepare Your Garden Soil

Basic Home Gardening Tips, Tricks & Ideas (1)

Basic Home Gardening Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Mulching Plants Everything You Need To Know (2)

Mulching Plants Everything You Need To Know

How to Grow Berries in Containers (1)

How to Grow Berries in Containers

How To Dry Herbs, Freeze, And Preserve Garden Herbs To Use All Year (1)

How To Dry Herbs, Freeze, And Preserve Garden Herbs To Use All Year

Garden Soil_ How To Build It Right (1)

Garden Soil: How To Build It Right

All About Square Foot Gardening (2)

All About Square Foot Gardening

How To Deal With Tobacco Mosaic Virus And More (1)

How To Deal With Tobacco Mosaic Virus And More

Gardening Books Gift Guide

Gardening Books Gift Guide

Best Self-Watering Planters

Best Self-Watering Planters

Tools For Watering Your Garden Better - Must Have (3)

Tools For Watering Your Garden Better – Must Haves

All About The Hügelkultur Raised Bed

All About The Hügelkultur Raised Bed

Winter Gardening_ Tips And Ideas For The Colder Months (2)

Winter Gardening: Tips And Ideas For The Colder Months

7 Tips For Growing Boston Ferns

7 Tips For Growing Boston Ferns

Seed Starting Indoors_ Must Have Seed Starting Supplies (1)

Seed Starting Indoors: Must Have Seed Starting Supplies

What is Hydroponics

What is Hydroponics And How Does It Work?

7 Homemade Plant Sprays For Your Outdoor Garden!

7 Homemade Plant Sprays For Your Outdoor Garden

Keeping Critters Out Of The Garden (3)

Keeping Critters Out Of The Garden

How Nutrient Deficiencies Affect Your Plants (1)

How Nutrient Deficiency In Plants Affects Them

Tips For Growing Vegetables And Herbs At Home (1)

Tips For Growing Vegetables And Herbs At Home

How Much Potting Soil Do I Need For My Container Gardening_

How Much Potting Soil Do I Need For My Container Gardening?

Flowers You Should Be Growing In Your Vegetable Garden (5)

Flowers You Should Be Growing In Your Vegetable Garden

Making Your Own Winter Garden Plan (2)

Making Your Own Winter Garden Plan

Biennial Plants, Perennial Crops, And More Gardening Terms Explained

Biennial Plants, Perennial Crops, And More Gardening Terms Explained

All About Sedums (1)

All About Sedums

7 Garden Chores To Do Before Winter (1)

7 Garden Chores To Do Before Winter

How To Care For Gardening Tools From Cleaning To Sharpening (1)

How To Care For Gardening Tools From Cleaning To Sharpening

Using Flowers As Natural Pest Control In The Garden (1)

Using Flowers As Natural Pest Control In The Garden

Best Gardening Apps Get Started Today (1)

Best Gardening Apps – Get Them Today

Tips For A Successful Tea Garden (2)

10 Tips For A Successful Tea Garden

Garden Markers And Plant Label Ideas (1)

Garden Markers And Plant Label Ideas

Ways To Garden Without Breaking Your Back

Ways To Garden Without Breaking Your Back

Ways to Protect Outdoor Plants in the Winter

Protecting Outdoor Plants In The Winter

How to Compost In The Winter

How To Compost In The Winter

How To Get Your Garden Ready For Winter

How To Get Your Garden Ready For Winter

Hydrogen Peroxide In The Garden_ How & Why To Use It (2)

Hydrogen Peroxide & Root Rot In The Garden And More

Propagating Plumeria Guide (2)

Propagating Plumeria – A How To Guide

How To Identify And Control Potato Beetles

Potato Beetle: How To Identify & Chemically Free Control Them

Hummingbirds And How To Attract Them (1)

Hummingbirds And How To Attract Them

Wine Bottle Watering Ideas (3)

Wine Bottle Watering Ideas

Backyard Small Garden Ideas Or Front Yard, Patio, Etc... (1)

Backyard Small Garden Ideas Or Front Yard, Patio, Etc…

How To Grow Garlic Chives (1)

How To Grow Garlic Chives

Garden Path Ideas (4)

Garden Path Ideas

Growing Thyme_ Everything You Need to Know (2)

Growing Thyme: Everything You Need to Know

Downy Mildew Diagnosis & Treatment (1)

Downy Mildew Diagnosis & Treatment

7 True Low Light Houseplants (1)

7 True Low Light Houseplants

Creating An Indoor Herb Garden (1)

Creating An Indoor Herb Garden

Gifts For Gardeners (3)

Gifts For Gardeners

How To Start A Hydroponic Garden (3)

How To Start A Hydroponic Garden

Cabbage Looper_ How To Deal With This Garden Pest (1)

Cabbage Looper: How To Deal With This Garden Pest

Old Fashioned Gardening Tips and Tricks

Old Fashioned Gardening Tips & Tricks

The Best Drought Tolerant Plants_ Shrubs, Trees, Perennials, And Annuals (2)

The Best Drought Tolerant Plants: Shrubs, Trees, Perennials, And Annuals

How To Care For Your Garden While On Vacation (3)

How To Care For Your Garden While On Vacation

How To Get Rid Of Snails & Slugs (3)

How To Get Rid Of Snails

Protecting Your Garden In The Winter

Protecting Your Garden In The Winter

GrowMax

GrowMax Water Super Grow 800

Growing Parsley (3)

Growing Parsley

Cilantro (Coriander)_ How to Grow (1)

Cilantro (Coriander): How to Grow

Early Blight (1)

Early Blight: Identifying & Treating It In Tomatoes, Potatoes, & More

Powdery Mildew Symptoms Prevention And Treatment (1)

Powdery Mildew Symptoms Prevention And Treatment

How To Grow Chives From Seed To Harvest (2)

How To Grow Chives From Seed To Harvest

Garden Edging Ideas (1)

Garden Edging Ideas

Garden Furniture Ideas (1)

Garden Furniture Ideas

How To Attract Birds To Your Garden (1)

How To Attract Birds To Your Garden

Leaf Miners_ How To Identify & Get Rid Of Them (1)

Leaf Miners: How To Identify & Get Rid Of Them

Thrips_ What Are They & How To Get Rid Of Them (2)

Thrips: What Are They & How To Get Rid Of Them

What is Blossom End Rot, What Causes It, and What to Do About It (3)

What is Blossom End Rot, What Causes It, and What to Do About It

Garden Water Feature Ideas

Garden Water Feature Ideas

How To Prune Tomato Plants

How To Prune Tomato Plants

How To Use Egg Shells In Your Garden (3)

How To Use Egg Shells In The Garden

Unique & Creative Container Gardening Ideas

Container Gardening Ideas

Tips & Tricks For Growing Peppers (4)

Tips For Growing Peppers

10 Plants That Repel Pollinators In Your Garden (4)

10 Plants That Repel Pollinators In Your Garden

How To Use Baking Soda In The Garden

How To Use Baking Soda In The Garden

How Much Soil Do I Need_ (3)

How Much Soil Do I Need?

The Best Gardening Tools From Weeding To Edging & More

The Best Gardening Tools From Weeding To Edging & More

7 Plants That Help Repel Pests (3)

7 Plants That Help Repel Pests

Houseplant Herbs To Grow Year Round

Houseplant Herbs To Grow Year Round

How To Find The Perfect Rain Barrel

How To Find The Perfect Rain Barrel

Best Plants to Grow with Kids

Best Plants To Grow With Kids

Are Plant Watering Globes A Good Idea_ (3)

Ways To Water Plants When You’re Away

How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites Naturally (3)

How to Deal with Spider Mites Naturally

7 Tips To Improve Garden Soil (3)

7 Tips To Improve Garden Soil

Fun Garden Decoration Ideas (2)

Fun Garden Decoration Ideas

Low Maintenance Flower Gardening Year Round (1)

Low Maintenance Flower Gardening Year Round

Tools For Watering Your Garden (7)

7 Fall Flowers You Need In Your Garden

How To Keep Critters Out Of The Garden Without Harming Them (1)

How To Keep Critters Out Of The Garden Without Harming Them

How To Grow An Herb Garden (1)

How To Grow An Herb Garden

Hi! I'm Dian, a wife of 20+ years, Mom to 4 grown kids, and "Nana" to 5. I LOVE reality shows & vegetable gardening & talking about both. I am currently pursuing my Master Gardener Certification.... Read more about Dian & Learning To Grow Your Own Food.

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Perennial Salvias (Sage) Care

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Tools Used For Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide

How To Feed Your Garden Naturally With What You Already Have

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Pros And Cons Of Raised Bed Gardening

How To Harden Off Your Plants Before Transplanting Into Your Garden

Water Lily vs. Lotus

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