<p>Piggle’s mom posting</p>
<p>We have a small backyard. I would like to plant a vegetable garden. We are from North Texas . I am looking to get some ideas on starting a garden. Can anyone recommend good sources for ordering seeds & plants( catalogs, reatil shops )?</p>
<p>If I was to make a garden again, I would do raised beds. I think they are much easier to weed and maintain then a traditional garden and would work well in a small place. </p>
<p>For flowers, I have used Bluestone Perennials. Vegetables seeds I have gotten from Pinetree Seeds. I love John Scheeper’s Kitchen Garden Seeds and the Cook’s Garden Seed Catalog; they have wonderful descriptions and pictures. </p>
<p>I usually check out Gardenwatchdog for company reviews. There are some crummy seed companies and they usually own several other seed companies. And for questions on anything- Gardenweb.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind, I’m just going to sit back and wallow in this thread awhile…the whole idea of gardening sounds as good right now as food after a hunger strike! (just step over me - and any other midwesterners/otherwise who just want to BASK in the thought of gardening!!!)</p>
<p>If you are a neophyte gardener or new to the area, the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service could be helpful. And stores that sell seeds to farmers, as opposed to regular garden centers, can provide good tips as well on planting times, etc.</p>
<p>I don’t know about crummy seed companies. We have used Park Seeds for mail ordering.</p>
<p>this is a wonderful website - and its author shares many of her sources of seeds, as well as offers tons of practical advice:</p>
<p>awaytogarden.com</p>
<p>I recommend seeking out a locally-owned nursery where, in addition to plants and seeds, you can usually get good advice about what type of amendments your soil might need, what varieties do well in your area, when to plant, etc. </p>
<p>It makes me crazy to go into the gardening department at Lowe’s here in PA and see someone spending $40 on a bougainvillea because they don’t have a clue that it will be dead after the first frost and no one working there has the knowledge or inclination to tell them.</p>
<p>I really like Ren</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips. We never had a vegetable garden before- but my husband has a great Rose garden .
Lowe’s and Home depot in our area are not helpful at all. I " inherited this spot" when our tool shed fell after the heavy snow. I may have to spend some time on preping the soil . But after the long winter I am excited to go and do some gardening.</p>
<p>There are many good sources for ordering seeds and live plants, including:</p>
<p>[Burpee[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.parkseed.com/]Park”>http://www.parkseed.com/]Park</a> Seed](<a href=“http://www.burpee.com/]Burpee[/url”>http://www.burpee.com/)
[Stark</a> Bro’s<a href=“fruit%20trees,%20shrubs,%20and%20some%20vegetables”>/url</a>
[url=<a href=“http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/]Edible”>http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/]Edible</a> Landscaping<a href=“nice%20for%20perennial%20fruit-bearing%20shrubs”>/url</a>
[url=<a href=“http://www.seedsofchange.com/]Seeds”>http://www.seedsofchange.com/]Seeds</a> of Change](<a href=“http://www.starkbros.com/]Stark”>http://www.starkbros.com/)
[Low</a> Water Plants: High Country Gardens](<a href=“http://www.highcountrygardens.com/]Low”>http://www.highcountrygardens.com/)</p>
<p>How about the Gardening in Texas board on the GardenWeb forum: [Gardening</a> in Texas - GardenWeb](<a href=“Gardening in Texas - GardenWeb”>Gardening in Texas - GardenWeb) Just be careful not to develop a GW addiction along with a CC addiction… and don’t even think of going to epupz…</p>
<p>Seed Savers Exchange…open pollinated seed.</p>
<p>I do all raised beds. I have a lot of seeds from Italy - there is a wonderful importer in Massachusetts. I have Roman and Venetian broadbeans, “marvelous beans of the Piedment” (a bush variety, yellow mottled with purple - and delicious!), Genovese tomatoes, Florentine eggplants, cauliflower romanesco, Purple Sicilian cauliflower, Parma fennel, escarole biondi, Tuscan peppers.</p>
<p>I also have Raf tomaotes from the Canary Islands, Black Tula tomatoes (from Russian), and a bunch of others.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.growitalian.com/[/url]”>http://www.growitalian.com/</a></p>
<p>I replanted my Aerogarden with basil and cilantro two weeks ago. Does that count? Hey, I’m with abasket here. Desperate for ANY glimmer of a spring sometime in my lifetime.</p>
<p>There are many sources. I have used Parks Seed, the Gardener’s Network and Ed Hume Seeds. Ed Hume was a gardening personality on TV for years in Seattle, so be aware that much of the seeds on his website are best suited for the climate in the Pacific Northwest. He advice, however, is invaluable and applicable anywhere.</p>
<p>I like the Gardener’s Network for their very low prices. Parks can be pricey but they have a large variety of products, though I noticed that at least some of their vegetable seed comes from abroad.</p>
<p>Piggle’s mom :</p>
<p>Do you have raised beds for all the vegetables ? If so how do you make that ?
Anyone tried any container gardening & was it successful ? I am thinking of adding that as well since I have a very small space .
I love all those web sites you recommended . so many choices, so little space!!
Planning a garden itself is addictive.</p>
<p>My boxes are 8’ (or 10’) by 4’. Clear and level the ground. Put down weed guard or 5 layers of newspaper. Build boxes 12" high (we use untreated cedar - more expensive initially, but will last 30 years.) Make sure you brace the corners. Fill with compost, woodchips, and soil (I actually buy a mix of 2/3rds soil 1/3 mushroom compost. Plant.</p>
<p>Keep a good compost pile, and add. Coffee grounds are great. You will experience some settling after the first year, so you will need more soil, etc. then.</p>
<p>Thanks. Any suggestions on oragnic sprays , plant foods which you found helpful?</p>
<p>[Growers</a> Supply Company](<a href=“http://www.growerssupplycompany.com%5DGrowers”>http://www.growerssupplycompany.com) - this site has huge things, but also “hobby size” so you can order a kit to help you make those raised beds.</p>
<p>[Gardener’s</a> Supply Company | Garden Supplies, Gardening Tools and Gardening Tips for Home Gardeners](<a href=“http://www.gardeners.com%5DGardener’s”>http://www.gardeners.com) - this site has more home-scale things and many, many “waterless” containers to make container gardening easier.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to the Texas cooperative extension. Since Texas has so many climates, find your local county link (each county will have its own extension office). They may have classes, written and online resources, help from Master Gardeners, recommended vendors, etc.</p>
<p>[AgriLife</a> Extension Service](<a href=“http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/]AgriLife”>http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/)</p>
<p>Sorry, ignore the Grower’s Supply Company site, it is only for wholesalers. Confusingly similar names!</p>
<p>Here’s the one I meant to add: [Greenhouse</a> Kits, Garden Centers, Hobby, Commercial and Aluminum Greenhouses from Growers Supply](<a href=“Home - Greenhouse Kits, Commercial & Hobby Greenhouses and Hydroponic Systems from Growers Supply”>Home - Greenhouse Kits, Commercial & Hobby Greenhouses and Hydroponic Systems from Growers Supply)</p>
<p>We have a good sized garden, but I have also done some plants in containers, including zucchini. My D wanted to plant it, but I didn’t want to give up that much space, so she planted the seeds in a pot. Great zucchini, less hassle. We did put water crystal things in the potting soil so it held the water.</p>