Best Steps for Beginning Gardener

As the move towards knowing where food comes from and self-reliance, more people getting involved in gardening and are looking for the best ways to grow their own food.

Joe Lamp’l, better known as Joe Gardener, host of the PBS show “Growing a Greener World” says it starts with researching the area you live.

“You select plants appropriately suited for that area, but that’s not the only thing. You have to really pay attention to your soil; getting good, high quality soil. That is 90 percent of the challenge is making sure your soil is good.”

You can find information about your region, climate, ideal plants, etc. at many locations online as the Home Depot’s Garden Club website.

Lamp’l said the next steps are determining what you want to grow.

“If it’s an edible garden, my gosh, the choices today are almost infinite. Bonnie Plants, they basically grow everything you can eat, whether it’s an herb or a vegetable or a fruit. You can put them in a container or in your beds and even with [multiple] colors.”

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.