Several of you have said to me recently, via comment or email, something along these lines. You want to grow some food this year. You don’t know where to begin. You’re overwhelmed. You have a “black thumb.”

I know how you feel. Last year around this time I was determined to plant a vegetable garden, and I was very fortunate to have a dad who already knows everything about gardening, and who was more than willing to help me get started. But I know not everyone has that and it can all feel like there is just so much you don’t know. Let me try and help.

First, know that you are not late or behind. It is February. If you are just thinking about planting vegetables this year, then you are already doing exactly what you should be at this time of year. Now you can start thinking about it more seriously so that when the time comes (ie. when the weather and ground get warmer) you’ll be ready to go.

Work With What You Have

I think the biggest mistake people can make when they envision growing food is believing they can only do so with a huge plot in the back yard. They picture rows and rows in huge raised beds on a sunny acre. But most of us don’t have the capacity for that, nor do you need it in order to enjoy some veggie gardening. Can I just tell you I have no back yard? None. Zilch on the back yard. So when I decided to give gardening a go I had to figure out what I could do instead. The way to do that?

Find the Sun - Of all the components that are necessary to grow a plant, sun is the hardest to replicate, and most vegetables (not all, but most) need at least 6 hours of good sun. So start looking for it. Pay attention to where the sun hits as it rises over your property and how it hits your yard as it passes. What part of your yard gets the most light?

Maybe a small spot on the side of your house is the best option. Maybe you’re limited to the front yard. Perhaps your yard is shady but you have patio, deck, or balcony that gets great sun. Maybe you don’t have a yard at all but you have some really great windowsills that are always bright. It’s possible you really have no spot that gets 6+ hours, and that’s ok too. There are plenty of veggies and herbs that can do fine with less and that’s where you’ll put your emphasis. But you’ve got to get some light somewhere. I mean, unless you live in the deep woods or a cave, right? So just start paying attention to where it is as this is what will guide you to what kind of vegetable garden will work for you.

As you do this don’t disclude anything. Remember what I said about how you don’t need a big ol’ plot in the back? Containers are awesome and you can do so much more than you realize with them. Seriously. And don’t gloss over those areas where you already have plants. It’s really trendy this year to stick vegetables in with your annual flowers and perennials. In fact the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens just had a feature on this very thing, filled with lovely photos of lettuce planted along with pansies and tomatoes among marigolds. This is particularly important for those of you who are worried about what growing veggies will do to the look of your yard or “what the neighbors will think.” There so many lovely ways that food growing can be incorporated into your life, so don’t focus on your limitations right now, focus on the positive.

Find Your Zone - If you are new to gardening of any kind then you have little reason to know what zone you live in. Let’s change that. Your USDA Hardiness Zone refers to the average minimum temperature that your area sees in winter. This is important for a few reasons when growing plants: it tells you what you can grow in your area and when is a safe time to put your plants outside (this is what people mean when they talk about a “frost free date” - each zone has a different date of the last average frost. See, you don’t want to plant a bunch of vegetables outside and then have the temp drop so low at night that there is a frost because that will kill most of what you just planted. So when growing veggies you wait until after your “frost free date” has passed in order to be safe.)

So if you don’t know your zone, go find it now on the zone map at arborday.org. There are tons of sites you can use to do this, but I like this one because you can just type in your zip code rather than trying to stare at the map boundaries and guess. Go ahead and do it . . . yep, I’m still zone 6. The higher your zone the warmer your area is, and the earlier your frost free date will be. So, for example, all a ya’ll who live in Texas will be able to put your plants out earlier than those of us up here in the NE who are still buried in snow.

Ok, now go forth and figure out what you are working with. Spend some time observing where you have some decent sun and look up your area’s USDA zone. Get to the point where you can say to yourself “I’m in zone 5 and I’ve got a thin strip along the back of the house with great afternoon light,” or “That spot in front where I usually put the petunias in the summer could be good, especially in my wonderfully warm zone 7 climate” or “I have some space on the front porch that would be great for containers in my zone 4 abode,” or “Damn, I don’t have a yard at all at my zone 8 apartment, but I’ve noticed that window in the dining room is always so freaking bright it blinds us when we’re trying to eat!”

This will be our starting point when we come back to this little series of mine:) Next up, Field Trips and Day Dreams - this is where it will start to get fun.