Tips for first time vegetable gardeners

Thinking of starting a vegetable garden? Growing your own vegetables is rewarding in many ways.

Here are some ideas to help you be successful. First, start smaIl.  You're better off to begin with a small plot because it's easier to manage and you're more likely to stick with it. Second, grow what you'll eat. If you don't like tomatoes, don't grow them.

Grow what you're likely to pick, prepare and eat. Third, get into the habit of visiting your vegetable garden at least once a day. Make it a priority.

One way to help you remember your garden needs attention every day is to plant your garden  where you can see it when you look out the window.

Don't be discouraged if you have really poor soil. Build a raised bed. Soil is everything when it comes to growing good, healthy vegetables and a raised bed makes it easy to add the right soil.

Containers are also a good choice for beginning gardeners. Container vegetable gardening allows you to grow your own produce almost anywhere. You can start small and learn as you grow. Two advantages of growing in containers. It's easy to get the right soil mix and you can move containers to the ideal spot for the best growing conditions. Finally, keep a journal. Today's smartphones make it easy to snap a picture of your garden's progress. You can look at the pictures and recall what worked and which things need to be changed. This will help you plan next year's garden.