So many people seem attracted to gardening every spring, but when the reality of cost, labor, and weeds sets in, the temptation is to give up.  With a few easy tips, you can have a successful, manageable garden at a fraction of the cost.

1. Start small. We all have that neighbor who plants an acre worth of vegetables and then is a slave to their produce for the next four months.  Then they have so much harvest they can barely give it away!  If gardening becomes a burden, you might as well go to the grocery store for your veggies.  Start with one raised bed.  Add a new box or two every year as you learn.
2. Limit your number of crops. Plant lots of one kind of vegetable in order to yield an actual harvest.  Pick three vegetables you love rather than 13 you’ve only heard of.  I remember laughing one year when my husband handed me our entire crop of peas:  13 in all.  Hardly a meal for one, let alone a family of seven!  If you plant something you’ll really use, and you plant enough of it to feed your family, you’ll be more motivated to care for your garden.
3. In almost all cases, it is far better and cheaper to start with seeds than plants.  (Tomatoes are the one exception to this rule.)  Using seeds means you can plant lots and thin later.  If a few plants don’t make it, you will still have a respectable crop.  If you plant too many, you just pull them up and move them elsewhere.  Johnny’s is a good brand for reliable seeds.
4. Invest a few bucks in a soaker hose and a timer so you can go away on vacation without imposing on your friends and relations.  We have ours set to water twice a day.  This means we spend more time enjoying watching the plants grow and less time wrestling with a garden hose.
5. Finally, even if you want nothing but vegetables from your garden, take a few minutes to plant something pretty in every corner.  A healthy, growing garden is always made more beautiful by a flower or two.

Enjoy!