Beech Tree News Network

Gardening has been on my mind lately. I like flowers and vegetables, but I grow only what I am willing to water daily. I searched online for companion plants for tomatoes and squash and found marigolds were listed for both. Since I like marigolds, I hope to include them with these vegetables. The combination of flowers with vegetables also makes the backyard prettier.

I have much to learn about gardening and enjoy the advice and tips others are willing to share. Recently, I asked friends and family, “Do you have any gardening experience? If so, what tips or advice would you give?” Their responses are below:

-Unfortunately, I have a brown thumb. I can’t grow anything except children.

-I can’t help you on this one. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t keep a garden alive. But I do love garden veggies.

-No, sorry. I would ask my mamma, but she’s gone.

-Don’t plant too early and let all your hard work freeze! (I’m a terrible gardener. My thumb is gray, at best.)

-I just helped my grandparents many, many years ago. Tip: Watch a YouTube video or read a book to learn how to do something new.

-One tip I can think of that really worked – place an antacid tablet under your tomatoes when planting (I crushed mine up.). It helps with their taste, and they seem to grow better.

-My mother-in-law used to put her hands in the dirt when she finished planting and prayed and asked the Lord to bless her garden. My only advice is don’t let the weeds take over.

-For potted flowers, use Miracle Grow potting soil. Fertilizer is already in it and it lasts all season long. It’s about $12 for the big bag, but you don’t have to buy anything else. Then I let my wife plant the flowers, and we’re good to go. Watering is my job.

-If you want to plant more tomatoes for a late garden when the early garden tomato plants have produced fruit, you can break the “suckers” off that grow between the stalk and the leaves (The suckers need to be 6-8 inches long.) and set them into the ground. Make a hill of dirt, make a small hole for the plant, set the sucker into the hole, pour water into the plant’s hole, and tap the dirt around the plant. They will grow! Also, if you want to plant a grape vine, break off a grape vine limb with several joints on it. Then put at least two joints into the soil, and put a weight on it – like a brick. This will take root at the buried joints.

-Yes, I watch my daddy do it all! I’m no good at it, but dad is. I enjoy spending time with him during the process.

-I grew up gardening with my mother. She gardened and preserved food out of necessity. As an adult, I have continued to garden because I like growing my own veggies. It’s therapeutic to work the soil and spend time alone tending to the plants. I guess the only advice I have is not to over-plant. Putting the seeds into the ground is the easy part. The weeding and harvesting are the real work. A small garden that is well cared for will produce a lot of vegetables. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much so that you can enjoy the garden and not be burdened by it.

-I think anyone planting flowers should know what the soil conditions need to be as well as sun or shade requirements for the plant. Also, make sure the flowers are for the zone area in which we live.

-I don’t have any gardening experience.

-My advice is that a garden needs continual care.

-I have none.

-Nope. But I’d say the best advice I have is to hire some help.

-My advice is to find someone with a large garden and buy from them.

-I’ve only grown plants, flowers and herbs, but they’ve all done well for me. I love it, but I don’t have much time. So, my advice would be that less is more. Start small.

Gardening is not only productive and entertaining, it also gets us outside for a bit of exercise. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said, “Plant and your spouse plants with you; weed and you weed alone” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/gardening-quotes). Gardening may be work, but the results are a pleasure.