by Benjamin Patri

Created on: February 01, 2008

It's never too early to get a garden going so that you can experience its rewards all summer long!

A Great Way to start is buy all of those plants that take all summer to bear any fruit and start them in small containers. To save on money, perhaps grow them in egg cartons or similar containers and eventually move the plants into bigger container. Garden stores have all kinds of containers that are made specially fo growing plants. I prefer to use cool whip coiners or square plastic containers that are saved throughout the year and for bigger plants, ice cream buckets make a perfect place to get that plant big and ready for transplant into the garden.

Your basement is a perfect place that is out of the way to start these plants. All you need is to set up some florescent lights and give the plants water to keep the soil moist, not soaked. Soaking seeds in a cup of water beforehand for a few days isn't a bad idea either. Wherever you place the plants, make sure it is above freezing temperatures and that each individual plant may have specific needs, so take not of what they are before attempting to grow them and becoming disappointed when the end result is not what was expected. I personally love to start vine plants early, like watermelon in order to get a big juicy melon in the early summer rather than wait till later fall. Also if you want to grow those prize winning pumpkins, start them as early as possible and keep them watered unless you have your own other secrets like talking to them which does work since they need a lot of carbon dioxide which you make more of when being near the plants and are using more energy.

Growing a plant from beginning to end and reaping your rewards is a great way to relax and to spend time when you may need a break from the complications of life. If you are starting a garden for the first time and nothing seems to go right, don't worry, you now know all of the things that don't work and you can only improve on what does. In these winter months when you can't be outside, bring the outside in and start growing and possibly teaching your kids one of the oldest traditions of life.

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