Want to join in on the gardening fun this season, but aren’t sure how? We’ve got you covered. Follow this guide to set yourself up for (delicious) success.
Learn about South Jersey’s gardening Zone
Read this before you get started, it will help you understand what you can and can’t plant in your backyard – plus what you’re signing up for when it comes to climate (and climate change).
Make your list for the gardening center
Your local gardening center is likely going to become your new best friend, so we recommend making a list before your first trip to avoid many return trips after realizing what you forgot as you pull into your driveway.
Plan before planting
Hate to break it to you, but gardening isn’t as easy as saying “I like beets” and then putting beet seeds into the ground. (You have no idea how much we wish this was how it went.) So before you choose what you’re going to plant, make a plan with these tips.
Build your first raised garden bed
You know all those cool, beautiful and sleek looking raised beds you see in gardening influencers’ backyards? *cough* @ToniFarmersGarden *cough* You can have those too – and if you want to go the DIY route, it’s actually not as difficult as you’d think. Just follow these steps.
Set up a sustainable garden
We’re big fans of sustainable practices in our gardens. If you’re going to grow your own food, why not do it in a way that takes care of your backyard too? And if you don’t know how to do that, we’ve got you covered.
Boost your pollinator garden with native plants
Pollinators are maybe the most important part of your gardening journeys. Say it with us: “bees are our friends.” So bringing pollinators to your garden is an important step in the gardening process. We recommend choosing native plants – the native pollinators like them the most – and have a list of them here.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of space
Think you can’t garden because you don’t have enough space outside? Please. You can do a lot with a little space – check out some tips to start your balcony garden.
And bookmark these for once plants start growing!
For all those tomatoes
If you end up having more tomatoes than you know what to do with, first of all, we’re very jealous. Second, make a big batch of Toni’s tomato sauce for some delicious homemade meals through the season.
For everything you’re growing
Nothing says “I’m a pro gardener” like gifting your garden accomplishments to friends, family and neighbors. And trust us, when you grow something for the first time, you’ll want to shout it from the rooftops. But this way, instead of just being loud, you can give your neighbors some delicious ingredients to use in their next dish.
For when you want to show off
And when you’re ready to take your garden gifting to the next level, plan a whole garden party. Ok, sure, this can be a little intimidating. But you can even start small. Choose one or two garden party aspects to use the things you’ve grown in and supplement the rest with your favorite local farms.
