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

Whether you're looking for gift ideas or just hoping to expand your garden resources, here are my top eight favorite tools and books I've used in and for my garden.

Links to all the books and resources are found here: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2018/11/06/my-8-favorite-garden-tools-and-gardening-books

Even beginning gardeners understand how critical healthy soil is to the life of their plants. But how do you know what's going on underneath your mulch? Without a soil test, you're just guessing, and you might even attempt to fix problems without knowing the root cause.

A soil test is a critical but overlooked component to understanding the home in which your plants live. In this episode, I'll go over the basics -- why you need to test your soil, when to test, how to test, and what to do after you receive your results.

Click here for the full blog post with the information presented today.

If you're on your second year of gardening or beyond, this action plan will help you get started on your garden planning so you can have your best season yet!

BONUS LIVE TRAINING! Details at http://journeywithjill.net/headstart -- Don't miss it!

Full blog post: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2018/10/08/how-to-get-a-head-start-on-your-garden-planning/

This time of year many of us are gearing up for a big garden clean-up. We want to put our gardens to bed for the winter, preparing for a fresh, blank slate in the spring. But is a fall garden clean-up really best? Today I share why you might want to skip some of those clean-up tasks, what happened in my garden when I did, and how you can decide what should stay and what should go.

Click here for full show notes and blog post.

Gardeners are learners, and each year we are given the opportunity to learn new lessons. Here are five lessons I learned from my summer garden this year, where you'll learn the results of some neat experiments I got to perform in my garden this season.

Show Notes and Blog post: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2018/09/11/5-lessons-from-my-summer-garden/

Garlic isn't one of the most-talked-about crops for beginners to grow. Why is that? There are so many reasons for beginners particularly to include garlic in their garden plans, and in this episode you'll hear three of them. BUT, growing garlic isn't for everyone, and there is one reason it might not be the best fit in your garden.This episode will help you decide if planting garlic this year is right for you.

Show notes & blog post: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2018/08/28/reasons-grow-garlic/

Free Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet: https://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet

What is a Garden Zone and what purpose does it serve in the home garden? Unfortunately, garden zones are frequently misunderstood. In this episode you'll learn what a garden zone is, what it tells you, and more importantly, what it doesn't.

For show notes, the US plant hardiness map, and links to find your average last and first frost, click here.

Planting and growing a fall garden can be just as rewarding as a summer garden. You just need a bit of preparation. Here I share easy ideas and tips on how to get started, when to plant, and how to grow vegetables in the fall.

Read full blog post here.

Most of us, even if we have a small garden, will harvest more than we can consume fresh. Unless you want to give it all away, you will have to decide whether to let it go bad or preserve it. In this episode, Pioneering Today's Melissa K. Norris gives us the basics on how to get started in home canning.

Get the show notes, resources and blog post here.