By Vanessa Richins

There’s a vegetable that’s perfect for getting your young kids started in gardening.

It also will go great with your salads and more.

What could it be?

Why, radishes of course.

It’s a great starter vegetable for kids because of the quick turnaround time. In less than a month, you’ll be able to pull out your mature radishes.

There’s two times of the year that are good for planting radishes, since they are a cool season crop. In the spring, start planting seeds as soon as the ground has thawed enough. Since they are so small, they are also a good candidate for container gardening. You can also plant another crop in the fall as the temperatures cool.

Mix some Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Even though I’ve been using the Internet for over 14 years now, I am still amazed by how much information is available for free.

A case in point is Youtube.

It’s not just music videos and Tv shows.

There is a large variety of videos designed to help you grow plants better.

Here are some videos you should check out:

Introduction to Square Foot Gardening

Mel Bartholomew, the author of the highly acclaimed Square Foot Gardening book, gives a brief intro to the world of square foot gardening. This is perfect for urban gardeners everywhere with little room to spare.

• Vertical Gardening Part 1
• Part 2 Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

One of the problems I come across as a garden writer is trying to talk about gardening as it pertains to a whole nation.

I’ve personally lived in the tropical beauty called Southern California, the lush green of Oregon, and tried to balance the heat and chill of beautiful Utah.

Each area had its own set of growing conditions and challenges, which is true throughout the country.

I’ve learned much about other areas through my classes and research.

You can learn about the insider tips for your own area by joining or starting a local gardening club. I belong to one on Yahoo Groups for Utah Gardeners. It’s great because we can talk about our gardens, tell each other about local sales, exchange plants, and enjoy the excitement o Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

You don’t have to be a large scale farmer to sell your produce at a farmers’ market.

If you plan your garden carefully (for example, using as much vertical space as possible to maximize yield), you could possibly have enough for your own use as well as some to sell at the market.

You could sell fresh produce, preserves and more. You can also participate with other kinds of products. I’ve seen breads, cheeses, candies, jewelry, books and more.

Some possible crops that are easier for urban gardens are herbs. Many people would love to buy fresh herbs for their cooking but find prices in stores to be prohibitive. These can often be grown relatively quickly Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

I recently moved into a new apartment and discovered that one of my roommates owned a cat.

One of the cat’s newest hobbies is to jump up on the table where my houseplants are to investigate.

She’s even managed to start chewing on them.

My poor snake plant has a chunk taken out of one spike, and I think the pothos, schefflera and ficus are also under possible attack.

As much as I think cats are nice, I’d also like to have nice, healthy plants. I recently asked for suggestions from my beloved Twitter friends.

Bitter apple or pepper spray:

Several people suggested that I spray the plants with a bitter apple or pepper solution. These tastes horrible and deters the cat from chewing. You can buy bitter apple spray at pet stores. As for pepper spray, you could simply add some Tabasco to some water and spray on your plants.

Aluminum Foil:

Someone suggested that you could Read the rest of this entry »