When beginning gardeners start planning their gardens for the first time, most do not know which vegetables will keep producing all season and which will harvest once and finish. 

I know I didn't think about that my first few seasons. But now I understand that some vegetables produce all season and some give a one-and-done harvest. With that knowledge, I am better able to plan my garden to full production all season.

On this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast and in the article below, Emily Leuba from the Crazy Worm Lady shares all you need to know about the fascinating world of composting with worms. 

What can I plant in my garden to keep pests away?

Doesn't every organic gardener want to know this? We don't want to use pesticides, so we want to know what herbs deter pests, what flowers deter caterpillars, and what plants repel specific insects that plague our gardens.

While scientific research on the topic of companion planting for pest management is still in its infancy, blog posts, books, and articles abound with ideas. But what suggestions are based in science and which ones are based in old wives' tales? 

In today's episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I share 4 principles for using companion planting for organic pest control.

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I share my top 21 money-saving tips to growing a frugal vegetable garden. Click below to listen or read the article below to learn my 21 tips to saving money gardening, and when you're finished, be sure to share your own tips so we can all benefit!

 journeywithjill.net/podcast

Before you go out and buy any soil or compost, here are 4 things to think about to get exactly what you need for your garden on your budget. Don't waste your money on something you don't need! If you've wondered, “How do I start a raised bed garden?” Then these tips will get you started!

When we start our first gardens, we're full of excitement and hope. But there's another feeling not far behind: fear. What if we make mistakes without realizing it?

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast and the blog post below, I share five common mistakes I see first-time gardeners make. I made them all myself as a beginning gardener, and I want to prevent you from going through those failures like I and so many others have experienced.

Today I'm going to talk to you about low maintenance crops. These are the ones that won't require a lot of baby-sitting. They're easy to grow and manage. In my opinion, they're perfect plants for the first-time gardener to start with, especially when you don't know realistically how much you will be able to manage in the height of the summer and want something low effort.

Maybe you want to try to start seeds indoors for the first time. Or maybe you've tried in the past with little (or no) success. While attempting to start seeds indoors can prove intimidating, once you get the hang of the basics, it's really not as hard as you might think.

Though I have been starting seeds indoors for several years, I wanted to ask an expert to weigh in on best practices. In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I talked to Kevin Espiritu of Epic Gardening, and he shared with me what you need to start and grow your seeds inside.

Once gardeners get an idea what crops they want to plant, beginning gardeners ask, "Where should I buy seeds?" With a plethora of sources -- local options, online seed companies, and seed catalogs -- it's hard to know the best places to buy your garden seeds.

One thing is for sure: quality matters. Here you'll find the benefits and drawbacks of local seed sources and online seed catalogs, along with tips to help you know how to choose your best vegetable garden crops and where to buy seeds.

journeywithjill.net/podcast

Sometimes we jump into choosing our crops and designing the layout of the garden way too fast. But if we take step backward and work through these three overlooked but crucial steps in garden planning, we'll find not only will the rest of the planning go more smoothly, but we'll end up with a more successful garden overall.

Let's start our 2019 garden season off right!

Resources mentioned:

Complete Garden Planner

Beginner's Garden Shortcut Online Course