Where to learn?

[IA_Seth]

Ok, let me preface this by saying I live in Iowa, in the city, and consider myself fairly able with plants in general (I have several plants around the house and have kept a plant from my grandmother's funeral alive for 10 years now)...but I know nothing about gardening. Sure, I've helped my dad and some family friends back when I was younger, but now that I'm old and forgetful I don't really know much about it.

Where did you all learn how to garden?

I don't have a yard, so I plan on doing a container garden. I have a spot that gets pretty good sun that should allow me to put up a 5' x 3' container at the largest. Should I build the container? How deep should it be? Are there store-bought ones I could use? What plants would do best in a container?

I am looking for something to supplement my food and that I could can and store well. I am a big fan of black-eyed peas and other peas/beans, I like tomatoes, and always loved it when my dad grew Kalarabi (or however it is spelled).

Basically I am clueless, looking to start this spring, and could use some help getting going in the right direction...anyone out there able to help me?

[NMDemDist2]

1. i'm in the same boat. I think I should be starting seeds already

but not sure

my new place has a good bed the old owners used that has been well amended and I have a 4' octagonal fiberglass bathtub I want to start as an herb garden

I'm planning a trip to the library this week to see what I can find.....

[Kolesar]

2. Get The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith

I bought it one year ago and I could not put it down. It has a wonderfully clear vision on how to do raised bed gardening. We had excellent results. The "companion planting" section was too brief to cover the topic adequately, but IMHO that is an "advanced" topic.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gardeners-Bible-High-Yield-Gardening/dp/1580172121

From Publishers Weekly
A committed organic gardener, Smith is a proponent of staggered planting in raised, wide and deep beds that provide conductive root systems and produce abundant harvests. He explains his system, from optimum siting and soil preparation (he prefers broad-forking over rototilling or double-digging) to companion planting and compost ("The path to the garden of your dreams leads right through the middle of a compost pile"). For beginners, he takes the mystery out of such subjects as hardening off ("like a little boot camp for vegetables") and deciphering the shorthand used in seed catalogues. An abundance of photographs (most of Smith's own garden) visually bolster the techniques described, while frequent subheads, sidebars and information-packed photo captions make the layout user-friendly. The book concludes with an alphabetically arranged listing of vegetables and herbs in which Smith offers advice on every aspect of cultivation, as well as a selection of the most flavorful varieties. Smith doesn't necessarily break new ground here, but his book is thorough and infused with practical wisdom and a dry Vermont humor that should endear him to readers. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

[TygrBright]

3. There's a bunch of good container gardening books around...

...and I would try yer local library first, they're likely to have some.

I learned by playing in the dirt. And reading books. And trying to think like a plant. Plants all need water, light, something to "eat" and something to support their growth. Different plants need different amounts of each of those things. You can sort of tell by looking at a happy one: "Wow, those cukes look happy! What kind of light are they getting? Where do the vines run? How much water does their soil hold?" and so on... Be nosy. Experiment.

Read seed catalogues and nursery/garden catalogues. Read seed packets. Ask friends. Watch gardening shows on the teevee. But most of all, don't be afraid to put some dirt in something that has a hole in the top, and TRY SOMETHING. Even if it doesn't work, you'll learn from your failures.

Heck, I learn more from my failures than my successes (except where delphiniums are concerned.)

Stick your fingers in the dirt. Go out and LOOK, often. At different times of day. Where's the sun now? And now? And now? How much shade does this place get in the morning in April? How about in July? Is this place protected from the wind enough? Too much? Go out when it rains. Go out after it rains. Is the water running off from this spot? How fast? Did this spot get rained on at all or did the overhang keep it dry?

It's the only way anyone ever REALLY learns, as far as I can tell.

Now, if you want specific advice about specific things, this forum is a gold mine. Materials for container building, which varieties of what plant do well in your area, when to harvest this or that, etc... Somebody here (several somebodys, probably) can tellya.

helpfully,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

4. i was all set to do a basic row garden but picked up Square foot gardening

at the library and i'm changing my 10x12 foot patch into a square foot garden

along with the 5' tub next to the deck i'll have more space than i'll know what to do with this first year

hehhee