Ready to start growing?
This page collects all my “How to Grow” posts in one place. I will be adding more soon, as well as posts on composting, fertilizing and more. If you’re just starting out, I recommend trying just a few of your favorite crops first. My guides are tailored to USDA zone 7b in southern New Jersey.
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When I was young, green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were one of the few vegetables I would eat. I enjoyed when my mom would assign me the task of snapping off the ends. Today, while my kids wouldn’t eat them when they were little, now as teens they like them. And I’ve grown a respectable amount
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Basil is easy to grow and so great to have on hand fresh! I bought “Emily” basil seeds way back when I first started gardening. And that’s mostly what I’ve grown ever since. Emily is a variety of classic Genovese basil. Start basil inside in early March. Sprinkle a few seeds per plastic cup filled
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I love carrots. I don’t get tired of them. I like them raw, in salads, roasted in a savory way, roasted in a sweet way. Soon as I get some more growing space I will be sure to grow more of them. The timing is tricky though with this cool-weather-loving crop. You need to get
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Tomatoes! Nearly every year, I grow more tomatoes than anything else. Enough to make gallons of sauce and to give them away in free piles outside my house. Indeterminate tomatoes are those that vine and sprawl all over. Determinate ones have neat and tidy bushes. I’ve only ever grown indeterminate. My tried and true tomato
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I have grown onions. Not every year, and not always with great success. It can be done, but it’s not as easy as, say, tomatoes (in my opinion). And since supermarket onions are cheap, it doesn’t always seem worthwhile. But according to my husband, it’s worth it. He always raves about our homegrown onions and
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I purchased some garlic at a nearby farmers’ market recently, and the seller apologized for the price, and explained it was due to the fact that “garlic is so hard to grow in Jersey.” Is it, though? IDK. I have grown it a few times with no problem. Of course, growing 12 plants is not
The Last Harvest of the Year
Last week we had some frigid nights, with the mercury dropping to 17 degrees F. I was still recovering from being sick and figured the broccoli, carrots, etc. in the garden would be OK. But yesterday (Saturday), we were staring down a Winter Storm Warning that promised three to five inches of snow. So I…
Supporting Small Businesses This Holiday
I’ve been sick for just about a solid week now, and I am cranky. I guess I should be happy that I am getting a little better every day and I can breathe out of my nose again, most of the time. Still, Christmas doesn’t care that you’re sick. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, it will…
2025 Garden Totals
The 2025 garden totals are in! I’m pleased; this was a decent haul in a smaller garden compared to 2023. (I didn’t really garden in 2024.) My fenced-in garden is about 8 ft by 6 ft, so 48 square feet. In addition I had some large pots near the driveway for carrots, potatoes and herbs.…
Garden State of Mind 