By Vanessa Richins

If you were building your own house, you wouldn’t start nailing boards together and hope for the best, would you?

You can avoid some problems in your edible garden if you take time to thoughtfully plan it out instead of just buying plants and putting them anywhere.

1) Measure the plot out

First, start by measuring out the space you have available. There are several ways to do this. You can measure the length of your own foot, then carefully step off the area. If it’s a small plot, use a measuring tape. You may want a contractor’s measuring wheel (I bought one for about $15) for larger plots.

If you are using containers, write down how many you have and how big they are.

2) How will you water?

Think about how you will be watering your crops. It’s harder if you have to carry buckets of water over long distances.

3) Think of what you like to eat

One common mistake gardeners make is Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Support for urban gardening is coming from some interesting places.

Rhonda Abrams, who writes a business column for USA Today, has some advice for the small business owner: “Go out and plant an EDIBLE garden.”

It’s a fascinating piece about the business and life lessons you can learn by starting a garden.

She wrote the column in honor of St. Patrick’s day and going green.  She usually writes about ways that businesses can be more environmentally friendly, like recycling, but decided this year to explain how gardening can help you “go green”

As she mentions, she is new to the world of gardening – she and a friend had a plot in a community garden for the first time last year. She experienced Read the rest of this entry »