Get to Know Our Affiliate Gardeners and Their Brilliant Gardening Tips and Tricks Are you getting as excited as we are for spring planting? To celebrate the next gardening season, we wanted to let you know about some awesome gardeners. Their content is full of gardening tips and tricks for both new and seasoned gardeners. Get to know them (and why we love partnering with them). Epic Gardening Kevin Espiritu started gardening in 2011, when he lived in a condo. He wanted to garden but didn’t have a lot of space, so he got creative with homemade hydroponic contraptions. In 2013, he started his website and now reaches millions of gardeners in 100+ countries. Check out the video Kevin did where he set up his Eco Garden System and see what he planted (he loves peppers!). Kevin also has an excellent daily podcast that’s only a few minutes long but chock full of tips; listen in to some of his latest episodes for spring inspiration, like 3 Easy Seed Starting Tips. Things Green We were so fortunate to meet Master Gardener Nick Federoff and film a full episode of Things Green with him. Based in Los Angeles, Nick has been talking about gardening on the radio Saturday mornings since 1986 and hosts Things Green on PBS. His radio show reaches people across the entire country, and Nick travels coast-to-coast trying to solve gardening issues. Check out his Facebook page for gardening tips and live streaming of his radio show. The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Using the motto “Grow with us,” Joey and Holly Baird are committed to helping the average person learn how easy it is to grow their own food. The married couple live near Milwaukee, WI and plant all over their property in everything from the ground to straw…
read moreThinking about starting a raised bed vegetable garden in 2019? Our affiliate gardener Jessica shares 3 things she learned from her first raised bed garden.
read moreMaking vegetable garden plans isn’t hard, especially if you consider these 5 important things first! When the sun is shining on a cold winter day, it’s easy to close your eyes and imagine being in your garden again. Now that you’re thinking about getting back in the soil, how about making some vegetable garden plans? There’s no better winter activity if you love growing your own plants. In fact, once you have your vegetable garden plans in place, you can start your seedlings indoors – another excellent winter activity for gardeners – and move on to other things like doing an inventory of tools and supplies. Now, grab your graph paper and pencil (or, if you prefer, you can use the Eco Garden Systems Planner) and let’s get planning. Here are 5 important things to consider when making your vegetable garden plans: 1. Garden Size How big do you want your garden to be? If you have a lot of space, this leaves you with many size options. But maybe you have a smaller space and have to get more creative (an Eco Garden is perfect for smaller spaces – plus you can double the per square foot production). If you don’t have a lot of time, start with a smaller garden. You would be surprised at how much you can grow in a smaller space, especially when employing strategies like square foot gardening. 2. Garden Location Where will you put your garden? Some things to think about: Sun: Make sure your plants will get at least 8-10 hours of sunlight each day. Pick a day when you are at home and watch where the sun hits your yard the most; don’t forget to take notes and make it part of your garden plan. Water: Is your garden going to be…
read moreAll flowers are beautiful! With the thousands of varieties that can be purchased it is hard to pick just a few; however, there are certain types of flowers that can be very beneficial to a vegetable garden. There are many different types you can incorporate into your garden that are not only pretty, but repel insects, encourage pollination and are edible! When planting these flowers in a raised or elevated garden one thing you need to consider is space. Some of these flowers can multiply and expand, eventually over taking your garden; in raised and elevated beds try to plant dwarf varieties or bush varieties that won’t exceed a certain amount of room. Here are few of the most talked about vegetable garden flowers and why they are good companions in-ground or elevated gardens. Nasturtiums Nasturtiums are an easy annual to grow with edible flowers and leaves. Nasturtiums have a peppery bloom that can be put in salads and added to other dishes. They are good companion plants to cucumbers, squash and broccoli. When planted next to these vegetables they will trap aphids and repel squash bugs. Nasturtiums add a colorful beauty to the garden, have a nice fragrance and come in bush and vine varieties. In raised beds, they work well on the edge of the garden growing out and over the garden bed. Marigolds Marigolds are another simple flower to grow and maintain. They are one of the most popular flowers to grow among your vegetables because they repel bad bugs and attract potential pollinators. Known for their strong fragrance, marigolds deters nematodes and the aroma confuses pests if planted in or around your vegetables. Because they are a bush annual they work well in raised beds without taking up much space. Marigolds are especially beneficial planted next…
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