In 2008 there was flurry of folks starting gardens and again in 2020—both coupled with a run on canning jars. A gardener needs jars to put up the harvest—so do plan for a garden doing well—if not this year then next year. Buy canning jars and other preservation equipment and ingredients well ahead of canning season. Instagram: Soirée-Leone  Website: soireeleone.com So, folks considered the economy and such and urban gardens popped up in backyards, side yards, and on occasion front yards. DIY or prefab raised beds, bags and bags of “garden soil,” pony packs of vegetable plants, drip lines and timer, and so forth. Often within weeks the garden became a barren, neglected patch. On my walks with the dog to Sunset Cliffs I would watch the excitement and progress with happy (albeit hopped up on nitro garden plants) getting tucked into new homes and slowly (and almost surely) be loved less and less. What the happened? I would stop and talk to the garden. I wanted to leave garden love notes for the owners who were probably at work. Hello Neighbor! I love your little garden. I encourage you to keep it up. Consider mulch and deep hand watering. First season gardens are tough so don’t be discouraged—keep planting, keep watering, keep spreading compost. Replace plants that don’t make it. This garden wants to flourish. Keep gardening! Then sign it with a heart or something. Garden success and happiness, in my experience, relies on starting small, lots of observation, hand watering so that you are in the garden observing and catching things like pest and disease pressure early. Less is nearly always more. At least one gardening book—one that you really like as in the style of the photos and the tone of the writer resonate with the kind of garden you would like to have. Alys Fowler is my personal favorite garden writer and gardener. A garden is a reflection of the gardener. My garden book recommendations: https://www.soireeleone.com/resources/gardening My favorite garden book: Alys Fowler's Garden Anywhere: How to grow gorgeous container gardens, herb gardens, kitchen gardens, and more—without spending a fortune. Chronicle Books, 2009. If you are in the Southeast U.S., I highly recommend: Ira Wallace's Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast. Timber Press, 2013. Rather than planting it all, consider planting what you will appreciate eating and what is most likely to do well with the time you have to be in the garden. In our little garden this year, I’ve only planted squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, celery, and a few other little things. I have one large container with a few herbs. I’ve planted some flowers too and popped in a few perennials. Perennials can be anchors in a garden—they keep keeping on while annuals flourish or alternatively don’t flourish and need to be replaced. Perennials keep you smiling while the other details get worked out. My little garden isn’t much this year but it is rewarding and for the fall and winter garden I will plant more. I used to be sad and miss my old productive garden—then I started to think about how long it took to have a vibrant productive garden. Start small and keep at it. Starting with one 8’x4’ garden is a beautiful thing for a new garden then go ahead and prep additional beds for the next season. Continue building the compost pile and collecting organic matter to mulch. Start a garden. Start small. Look left and right and follow the lead of gardens in your area. Listen to the experiences of gardeners in your area. Gather seeds, cuttings, and starts from friends and neighbors. Peruse books for ideas and inspiration. Read seed catalogs. And most of all, get out there and garden—as often as possible. Producer: Marina Darling Recorded in beautiful Hampshire, Tennessee Try a Podcasting 2.0 Certified app: Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain