This is the second year that my dad and I have planted a garden together. Last year, we came up with increasingly inventive ways to eat the massive amounts of zucchini we grew, but we lost our entire tomato crop to late blight. This year, we’ve harvested exactly three zucchini, but we have pounds—and pounds!—of tomatoes. If I have learned one thing in my two short years of being an amateur gardener, it’s that advance planning and research is absolutely essential to the success of my plants. In fact, that’s one of the things I love best about gardening—it’s always a learning experience!
The Free Library has been an invaluable resource for cultivating my green thumb, and it’s not too late to give gardening a go yourself! You can still plant seedlings now for a late-September harvest, before the first frost hits in mid-October (here in Philadelphia, at least). Plus, many vegetable plants can withstand frost and actually improve in flavor, like collard greens. Our catalog has literally hundreds of gardening resources. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Burpee: The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
Vegetable Gardening: From Planting to Picking - The Complete Guide to Creating a Bountiful Garden
For those with limited space:
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces
And a few ideas for what to do with your vegetables once you harvest them:
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