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Gardening Overviews

Food Gardening Guide: National Gardening Association: http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse
“Whether you're growing basil, blueberries, or bok choy, the Food Gardening Guide will give you all the information you need to succeed.” Find advice about planting, fertilizing, pests, and read about the featured food crop of the month.
How to Plant Vegetables: Sunset Magazine: http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/how-to-plant-vegetables-00400000040732/
Find articles and videos about how to plant and grow vegetables. For example, here is a video about how to plant tomatoes: http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/how-to-plant-tomato-00400000039317/
Horticultural Myths: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/index.html
Linda Chalker-Scott, Extension Urban Horticulturist at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, plays "Mythbuster" by scientifically testing the truth behind common gardening tropes. For example, are coffee grounds really good for plants?

Gardening is like house painting. It's all prep.

Soil Testing: http://www.sfvictorygardens.org/soiltesting.html
Here are specific instructions about how to get your soil tested.
Soil 101: The Victory Garden: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/grow/primers_projects/soil.html
This is a primer on ameliorating the soil in preparation for gardening, courtesy of PBS's long-running television garden show.

Drip Irrigation Tips: http://www.snwa.com/html/land_irrig_drip.html
Who knows more about saving water than farmers in the deserts of southern Nevada? Get tips for getting the most out of precious imported liquid from this Southern Nevada Water Authority site.
How Do His Veggies Grow? The No-Dig Way: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-hm-nodig12-2008jun12,0,241591.story
In this article from June 2008, Lisa Boone profiles Pat Marfisi, who has mastered the Australian art of growing vegetables on a lasagna of alfalfa, straw, and compost, with a schmear of bone meal in between. He hardly ever has to water his plants.
Update: What To Do the Second Year: http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-sequels28-2009mar28,0,3890846.story
Boone updates the previous story with tips for how to keep the Australian method working in the second year.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-336/426-336.html
Diane Relf wrote this instruction sheet for the Virginia Cooperative Extension in which she details exactly how to grow food in containers. “Vegetables grown for their fruits generally need at least five hours of full, direct sunlight each day,” she cautions, although she concedes that the requirement can be fudged by placing reflective materials around the plants.
Victory Gardens: Raised Beds: http://www.sfvictorygardens.org
The City of San Francisco has made it a priority to help its citizens to grow food wherever they can. To that end, they have put up this site with very specific instructions on how to build a successful raised bed garden.
EarthTainer: http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/
Use these instructions to make a self-watering container using Rubbermaid tubs. Or, buy an "Earthbox" (http://earthbox.com); or an "Organic Tomato Success Kit" from the Gardner's Supply Company, below. (http://www.gardeners.com/-/VegetableGardening_TerrificTomatoes,37-852RS,default,cp.html)

The opportunity to buy tools may be the most fun reason to garden. But where to get them? Here are some resources.

Gardeners’ Supply Company: http://www.gardeners.com
Find everything for the gardener from tumbling composters to Botani-wipes. There are gardening advice articles here, too.
Smith & Hawken: http://www.smithandhawken.com/index.jsp
Their stuff is pricey but it sure is delightful.
Mailorder Gardening Association: http://www.mailordergardening.com
Browse the MGA database by category to find exactly the right supplier for your gardening needs.

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Last updated April 9, 2009