and I have absolutely no idea where to start, what to plant, if I need to do it from seed, what will work in my yard, anything.

I'd like some roma tomatoes, I'd like some herbs.. beyond that, I'm clueless.

anyone else feeling lost?

Ask Val, she is a great gardener! Here is a pic of the raised garden design I copied from Sarah. Last year was my first attmept at gardening and it went well.

I'm feeling lost, too. DH has a green thumb, hell, he even works in the fields, but we just don't have the space/time/energy for something major here at home. That said, he doesn't want to do something here, either. His work gives them a plot to work on together, and he'll take part in that. I on the other hand want to learn and develop a green thumb. I'm planning on having a squarefoot garden this year. We'll see how it goes.

I want raised beds.. I hadn't thought of using bricks like that.. very cool :)

I know I do well to hit Val up, but since I don't know her all that well, I just feel like a pest :)

You're welcome to come take a look at my garden space and I have a journal listing everything I planted and how it did. I'll help if I can :)

She won't think you're a pest, I promise!! :)

She loves talking about gardening, IME. She was a huge help to me last year (and this year, in the talk of blueberry-ing). xt, too. HUGE help. And Marina. And, well, the whole simplifying and thrift forum. Ask over there, too - they'll all jump right in!

Last year we did:
tomatoes - grapes did well, large ones died due to drought
basil - went CRAZY - got loads
rosemary - beautiful
sage - beautiful
mint - beautiful
dill - not so hot
peppers - REALLY SUPER SPICY jalapenos due to drought, bells didn't do well


This year I'm going to do LOTS of berries along our back fence - at least strawberries should grow this year (I think blueberries take a while to fruit) and maybe some raspberries or thornless blackberries.

In the garden area, I'm going to do lots of cilantro since we eat that - maybe still try for some tomatoes this year and bell peppers. The bunnies liked me last year, so I need to find a way to keep them out. The mint will come back, I'm sure, and the rosemary and sage are still out there. I think they come back.

I tend to grow things we eat a lot of or are expensive to buy.

jodi, look up "lasagna beds" for gardening.

that's what we did here for my gardens. you can click on my garden blog link in my siggy to read about my garden last year. it was *very* prolific. we've already started prepping the area for this year's garden.

i'll be planting spring crops in another week or two :D i'm happy to answer any questions i can...still fairly new at it myself but i did an ok job last year.

Tracey - that's what you and xt both did last year, right?

Kristan, we'd love to come over again sometime :) hoping your little one is feeling better, Leila's really super itchy since the scabs are starting to loosen up, but she's getting a lot better really fast now. Seeing how yours is setup might help me figure out mine.

Sandi, I'm blessed in that there are blackberries *everywhere* in our neighborhood.. bushes down near the mailbox and throughout the greenbelt - including up along my fence in the back. There's a raspberry farm right down the hill, which is lovely. Blueberries are prevalent here too - and Val hooked me up with a great place to purchase them last year that's right in the neighborhood where my in-laws are considering purchasing. Strawberries I need to have though, I'm just not sure if the room they'll take up is worth planting them vs. purchasing them at one of the farms 10 minutes from here, kwim? I love having berries :)

my papa had an amazing green thumb. I'm really missing him.

Kristan, we'd love to come over again sometime
Anytime, we're all feeling better finally.

yes. we both did lasagna beds.