By Cindy Naas

A small garden can be challenging in terms of the mount of veggies you can reasonably expect to produce.

However, with just a few good choices you can provide your family and even friends with some good fresh produce weekly.

Here is a list of veggies which will give you the most for the smallest amount of space.

1. Cucumbers – that’s right, I listed a vigourous vine as my first choice. My cucumber plants never take up more space on the ground than the size of the plant, because I grow mine up a trellis. By allowing the vines to climb and then tying the vines in places, the cucumbers can be supported and will do really well.

2. Lettuce – you can grow lettuce all Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

There’s not much better in life than curling up with a good book….except for gardening of course!

Combine the two and it’s pure magic. Here are a few of my suggestions for books that can help urban gardeners.

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew

This is a standard for small space gardening. Bartholemew presents his method for laying out your vegetable gardens in square foot increments. The results are a better producing garden with less effort. A win-win situation indeed! See our Urban Garden Casual book review.

Garden Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy

These books both describe experiments and ideas Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

I love trading tips with other gardeners, discovering new plants to try or new varieties of veggies, and where to find the best products for my gardening.

I’m posting a list of my favorites, and I hope that our readers will provide tips in the comments.

I am always happy to discover a great new resource, and I hope you feel the same.

Simplexity: This company sells an algae supplement for people and pets, but they also sell the best Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Basil is pretty much the entire point of summer as far as I’m concerned.

If I could grow only two things in my garden, I would choose basil and tomatoes.

I can make a meal out of only those two things.

Growing Basil

Basil is one of the herbs which needs a lot of water to thrive. Mine grows next to the tomatoes in my garden. However, my in-ground garden is small, but I love basil so much that I also grow it in to oblong planter boxes, keeping it well watered. It likes a more fertile soil than some of the other herbs such as oregano and thyme, and needs a lot of sun.

Harvesting and Storing

Basil leaves should be picked often. During the height of Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Many vegetables are suitable for planting in a container, and sweet potatoes are no exception!

These relatives of the Morning Glory plant are very easy to grow this way.

First, you should get your sweet potato sprouting. If you can, try to find locally or organic grown sweet potatoes, as the ones you find in regular grocery stores are often chemically treated to keep them from sprouting. All you need to do is place the root end (the smaller one) in a jar of water and wait.

They like it hot, so keep it somewhere that is Read the rest of this entry »