Ready to grow your own food but not sure where to start? This helpful guide on how to start a garden for beginners goes over everything you need to know.

Learn the best watering methods for your vegetable garden. Discover how often, when and how much water to give your vegetables for optimal growth.

How deep should I plant my bean seeds? How far apart do peas need to be? Our plant spacing guide has the info you need to plan your garden.

If you’re interested in gardening but don’t know where to start, then read on! We have 28 gardening hacks that will change the way you garden forever.

Read this great list of the easiest vegetables for beginner gardeners. Beginners have more fun gardening when they grow plants successfully.

Are you a beginning gardener? Here are 11 gardening mistakes commonly made by beginners- so you can avoid them and grow a better garden!

Use this list as a reference for our best gardening tips and advice for beginners and everyone! Learn how to make gardening easy and fun.

In order to have a successful garden, you need to make sure you have good and healthy soil. Follow these simple tips to improve your foundation.

We start everything from seed here in our zone 5 gardens. This is our zone 5 planting schedule and when to start seeds indoors in zone 5!

Prep your garden for spring with these helpful tips. From cleaning up to fertilizing soil, ensure your garden is set for a successful season.

These simple tricks will transform any garden.

Here is a list of what seeds to start indoors and what to direct sow outdoors in growing zones 2 - 4 of Canada or other similar cool gardening climates.

Some people think that we can't grow vegetables in the shade. It is true for some vegetables like squash, peppers, and tomatoes because they need…

Even if you're not ready to plant your garden, there are many tasks you can do to prepare. Here’s our checklist.

Learn how often to water your garden and how to tell when your plants need water. Plus, grab our free printable plant watering chart!

In this blog you can check 101 Gardening Tips that actually work for beginners and advanced gardeners to help to take your gardening from good to great.

You can have a vegetable garden in the city! Here are the best urban gardening methods you can use to grow a garden right on your back porch.

If you're asking "how can I be good at gardening?" these gardeding tips and tricks are for you! These gardening tips are for absolute beginners.

Before you start gardening, you need to make sure that you are going to have the time to take care of your plants. Growing your plants requires tending loving care, and there are lots of things…

If you're asking "how can I be good at gardening?" these gardeding tips and tricks are for you! These gardening tips are for absolute beginners.

Are you looking to start a vegetable garden? Starting a garden comes with a little leg work. Here are some key tips on preparing garden soil, building a raised garden bed, and the best soil for your new vegetable garden.

Are you starting a vegetable garden for the first time this year? Or have you had difficulties in the past? Here are ten tips every beginning gardener needs to know for a successful Victory (or survival) Garden this year! One of my best gardening memories as a child is being able to pick a big, ju

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Preparing your garden beds for planting vegetables is important for healthy and highly productive crops. Learn how in this step by step guide.

Gardening 101: How to plant a garden, even if you've never grown anything before! Here's what you need to know to get started this season!

Awesome gardening tips to make your garden the best it can be. These hints, hacks and tips will make gardening easier and more enjoyable.

there are many reasons why saving bees is of paramount importance. From the pumpkins to almonds and apples among others, we have everything to thank bees f

ESCAPE THE MISTAKES! Experience is the best teacher when it comes to gardening. Most people have learned the best gardening practices “the hard way”. It takes time to find out what works and what doesn’t. Avoiding mistakes will help keep your motivation high, especially if you are new to gardening. Here are common mistakes people …

Perennial vegetables - crops you can plant once, and harvest year after year - are relatively rare in the plant food world, but save you tonnes of money!

Follow our companion planting chart and plans in your vegetable garden to attract pollinators, increase yields, natural pest control and more.

O’Toole’s is proud to be a local, family owned garden center with over 40 years of heritage. We offer high quality garden products at affordable prices.

Think you have too much shade in your garden? Think again! With this handy list of partial shade vegetables and tips, you'll be growing more than you ever thought possible!

In this blog you can check 101 Gardening Tips that actually work for beginners and advanced gardeners to help to take your gardening from good to great.

Gardening wisdom differs on precisely which essential gardening tools every new gardener needs, but here are our top ten we use in our garden and orchard.

See this awesome list of easy to grow vegetables for beginner gardeners and learn which plants are best to start growing first!

Make the most of your time in the garden by doing these 6 tasks every day. Make this practice a habit and they will become second nature.

Want to learn the best vegetables for beginner gardening? This list will get you growing food in your garden with ease and without overwhelm.

Are you a beginning gardener? Here are 11 gardening mistakes commonly made by beginners- so you can avoid them and grow a better garden!

How to Select Companion Plants for Your Garden Tower® 2 Planting System Companion planting allows you to select plants that benefit each other in different ways. Moreover, many common garden plants have allelopathic effects. This means they can slow the growth of certain types of neighboring plants! The composting vertical Garden Tower® 2 planting system is the definition of a companion planting system. 50 plants in 4 square feet at six elevations guarantees plant-to-plant interactions at both the stem and root levels. Infographic for Reference Here’s a fantastic infographic for determining which vegetables will thrive near each other and which veggies you need to put a little space between: Infographic courtesy of Afristar Foundation Afristar Foundation develops educational resources for schools, community programs and adult education in the form of posters, educational documentaries and informational booklets. We make use of accessible media to illustrate techniques and principles of sustainability and to spread information in a manner that is fun, colorful and easy to understand. To learn more visit http://afristarfoundation.org/. Tables to Reference for Plant Selections The following tables offer valuable insights for plant selection and design in a Garden Tower® 2 planting system or conventional garden. Determine what plant(s) you would like to grow, check the table to learn which companion plants will help your desired plant thrive and which plants you should avoid planting adjacent to it! Don’t be intimidated, it’s simpler than it looks! Use Firefox browser for the largest text! Common name Scientific name Helps Helped by Attracts Repels Avoid Comments Alliums Allium fruit trees, nightshades (tomatoes, capsicum peppers, potatoes), brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, etc.) carrots carrots slugs, aphids, carrot fly, cabbage worms[1] beans, peas, parsley Alliums include onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, and others Asparagus Asparagus officinalis Tomatoes[2] Aster Family flowers, Dill, Coriander, Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil, Comfrey, Marigolds coupled with Basil seems to encourage lady bugs Onion, Garlic, Potatoes Brassicas Brassica potatoes, cereals (e.g. corn, wheat) geraniums, dill, alliums (onions, shallots, garlic, etc.), rosemary, nasturtium, borage wireworms mustards, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) Brassicas are a family of species which include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cauliflower. Beans Phaseolus Corn (see Three Sisters), Spinach, lettuce, rosemary, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers Eggplant, Summer savoury California beetles Tomatoes, chili peppers, alliums (onions, garlic, etc.), brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, etc.) Hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria, a good fertiliser for some plants, too much for others Beets Beta Vulgaris lettuce, kohlrabi, onions and brassicas Catnip, Garlic, Mint Runner or pole beans[2] Good for adding minerals to the soil through composting leaves which have up to 25% magnesium. Runner or pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth. Broccoli Brassica oleracea geraniums, dill, alliums, rosemary, nasturtium, borage mustards, Tomatoes, peppers Rosemary repels cabbage fly, geraniums trap cabbage worms, same general companion profile as all brassica (cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.) Cabbage Brassica oleracea geraniums, dill, alliums, rosemary mustards, Tomatoes, peppers strawberries, and pole/runner beans Rosemary repels cabbage flies, geraniums trap cabbage worms, same general companion profile as all brassica (cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.) Carrots Daucus carota Tomatoes, Alliums (onions, chives, etc.), lettuce alliums (leeks, shallots, etc.), rosemary, wormwood, sage, beans, flax assassin bug, lacewing, parasitic wasp, yellow jacket and other predatory wasps Dill, parsnip, radish Tomatoes grow better with carrots, but may stunt the carrots’ growth. Beans (which are bad for tomatoes) provide the nitrogen carrots need more than some other vegetables. Aromatic companion plants repel carrot fly. Alliums inter-planted with carrots confuse onion and carrot flies. Celery Apium graveolens Cosmos, Daisies, Snapdragons corn, Aster flowers, these can transmit the aster yellows disease Corn / Maize Zea mays beans Sunflowers, legumes (beans, peas, etc.), peanuts, cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, melons, etc.), amaranth, white geranium, lamb’s quarters, morning glory, parsley, and potato [2] Tomato, Celery Provides beans with a trellis, is protected from predators and dryness by cucurbits, in the three sisters technique Cucumber Cucumis Sativus Nasturtiums, radishes, marigolds, sunflowers, peas, beets, carrots, and Dill Beneficial for ground beetles Tomato, Sage Common name Scientific name Helps Helped by Attracts Repels Avoid Comments Eggplant or Aubergine Solanum melongena Beans, Peppers Marigolds, tarragon, mints Marigolds will deter nematodes. Leek Allium ampeloprasum v. porrum Celery, apple trees carrots cabbage worms, aphids, carrot fly, others Legumes (beans, peas, etc.), Swiss chard Same companion traits as all alliums (onions, garlic, shallots, chives, etc.) Lettuce Lactuca sativa Radish, Kohlrabi, beans, carrots celery, cabbage, cress, parsley Mints (including hyssop, sage, and various “balms”) repel slugs, a bane of lettuce and cabbages Mustard Brassicaceae, Sinapis alba Cabbage, cauliflower, radish, Brussels sprouts, turnips various pests Same general companion profile as all brassica (cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.) Nightshades Solanaceae carrots, alliums, mints (basil, oregano, etc.) beans, black walnuts, corn, fennel, dill, brassica (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) Nightshade plants include tomatoes, tobacco, chili peppers (including bell peppers), potatoes, eggplant, and others Common name Scientific name Helps Helped by Attracts Repels Avoid Comments Onion Allium cepa Tomatoes, brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) Carrots aphids, carrot fly, other pests Beans, lentils, peas, parsley Same companion traits as all other alliums (chives, garlic, shallots, leeks, etc.) Peppers Solanaceae, Capsicum themselves, marjoram tomatoes, geraniums, petunias Tomato Hornworm beans, kale (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc.) Pepper plants like high humidity, which can be helped along by planting with some kind of dense-leaf companion, like marjoram and basil; they also need direct sunlight, but their fruit can be harmed by it…pepper plants grown together, or with tomatoes, can shelter the fruit from sunlight, and raises the humidity level. Potato Solanum tuberosum Horseradish Atriplex, carrot, cucumber, onion, raspberries, squash, sunflower, tomato Horseradish increases the disease resistance of potatoes Parsnip Pastinaca Sativa fruit trees a variety of predatory insects The flowers of the parsnip plant left to seed will attract a variety of predatory insects to the garden, they are particularly helpful when left under fruit trees, the predators attacking codling moth and light brown apple moth. The root also contains Myristricin, which is toxic to fruit flies, house flies, red spider mite, pea aphids. Pumpkin and other Squash Curcurbita spp corn, beans Buckwheat, catnip, tansy, radishes Spiders, Ground Beetles Radishes can be used as a trap crop against flea beetles, Curcurbita can be used in the three sisters technique Radish Rafanus Sativus squash, eggplant, cucumber,[2] lettuce flea beetles, cucumber beetles Radishes can be used as a trap crop against flea beetles Spinach Spinacia oleracea Peas, Beans The peas and beans provide natural shade for the spinach Tomatoes Solanum lycopersicum roses, peppers, asparagus basil,[3] oregano, parsley, carrots, marigold, Alliums, celery, Geraniums, Petunias, Nasturtium, Borage, any type of onion or chives Tomato Hornworm asparagus beetle Black walnut, corn, fennel, peas, dill, potatoes, beetroot, brassicas (kohlrabi, cabbage, etc.), rosemary Dill attracts tomato hornworm. Growing basil 10 inches apart from tomatoes can increase the yield of tomatoes by about 20%.[3] Source: Modified From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants References & Footnotes: Sally Jean Cunnigham (1998). “Great Garden Companions”, ISBN 0-87596-847-3 The Rodale Herb Book, Eighth Printing, c1974, ISBN 0-87857-076-4 Companion Planting Guide, Ute Bohnsack [2] Companion Planting Companion plants by Professor Stuart B. Hill Department of Entomology Macdonald College DGS Gardening companion plant list Cass County Extension Companion Planting List [3]

Every “mistake” made in the garden is a learning opportunity! Whether you're new or seasoned at gardening, read along to discover some preventable mishaps.

This post has been on my heart for awhile and I feel a little bit hypocritical writing it. Hey Kristen, you're a garden blogger--you literally give gardening advice on the Internet for a living. But

In this blog you can check 101 Gardening Tips that actually work for beginners and advanced gardeners to help to take your gardening from good to great.