Third time attempting a vegetable garden — first in Korea, then Denver, then Korea again — and this time we are doing it properly starting with the right seeds and a borrowed window in my brother’s room.One of my New Years Resolutions, or Intentions for 2013, is to plant a successful vegetable garden that actually grows things we can eat. Since it is January and I have too much time on my hands, see blog from yesterday.

I have tried gardening in the past…

• Garden in Korea 2010
• Garden in Denver 2011
• Garden in Korea 2012

I found a site just for Florida gardens written by Bradford County and published through The University of Florida.

The article says for:

January – Plant seeds of English peas, mustard greens, turnips, carrots, and radishes.

February – Sow seeds of English peas, mustard greens, turnips, lettuces and radishes.

                    Start seeds indoors of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra.

                   Start herb seeds indoors in a protected area- basil borage, chives, parsley, summer savory, and

                   thyme. Provide as much light as possible.

So, I ordered some seeds through SeedsNow.com (they have a $0.99 section) I have both heard and read that many seeds you buy through local stores like Home Depot and Lowes aren’t created to necessarily grow the vegetables…hence why in the past my garden has bloomed flowers, but never produced the fruit.

I intend to germinate the seeds indoors in my brothers room (he doesn’t know it yet, but he has a really great window that will definitely aid in the growth of the seeds).

Then, hopefully when it is time to plant them over, we will have a patio in our own place where they will grow and flourish. I will update each month as I order more seeds and prepare to have a really big, fruitful and money saving garden!

The photo was taken from Pinterest and when I followed the link I ended up on tumbler and then, I couldn’t figure out where the original came from… So, here is the Pinterest link for it. 

Related articles

• Planning Your Garden: Knowing When to Plant (bloomfieldroad.com)
• Hanging Garden Seed Starter (spoonful.com)
• Grow an Indoor Spice Garden (apartmentguide.com)
• Growing From Seeds Indoors (urbanfarmgarden.wordpress.com)
• Startng Seeds Indoors (glenns-garden.com)
• New Seeds Received (enjoyingcreating.wordpress.com)
• Planting a special garden for 2013 (sandiessnippets.wordpress.com)
• Grow So Easy Organic – How To Grow Summer Squash (growsoeasyorganic.com)
• Gardening: Make your garden work for you (money-advice.co.uk)

Q: When should you plant vegetables in Florida? A: Florida’s growing calendar is completely different from most of the US. January and February are actually excellent planting months for cool weather crops like English peas mustard greens turnips carrots radishes and lettuces. Tomatoes peppers eggplant and okra should be started indoors in February for transplanting later. The University of Florida publishes a detailed month by month planting guide for Florida gardeners that is an invaluable resource.

Q: Why do seeds from Home Depot and Lowes sometimes not grow vegetables? A: Many commercially packaged seeds sold at big box stores are treated or selected primarily for flower production rather than fruit and vegetable yield. Sourcing seeds from dedicated seed companies that specialize in food production gives you dramatically better germination rates and actual vegetable output. Sites like SeedsNow with their ninety nine cent seed section make it affordable to experiment with quality seeds without a big financial commitment.

Q: How do you start seeds indoors before transplanting outside? A: Find the sunniest window in your home — we commandeered my brother’s room without telling him — and start seeds in small containers or seed trays with good quality potting mix. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged and provide as much natural light as possible. Once seedlings are established and outdoor temperatures are suitable transplant to your garden or patio containers.

Q: Can you grow a vegetable garden on a patio or balcony? A: Absolutely — container gardening is one of the most practical solutions for families who move frequently or do not have yard space. Most vegetables including tomatoes peppers herbs lettuce and even cucumbers grow beautifully in containers given adequate sunlight water and nutrients. It is also significantly easier to manage than an in ground garden for busy traveling families.

Q: What herbs are easiest to grow indoors from seed? A: Basil chives and parsley are excellent starting points for indoor herb growing — they germinate quickly respond well to indoor light conditions and are immediately useful in the kitchen. Starting them in February in Florida gives them enough time to establish before warmer weather arrives. Having fresh herbs at home regardless of where in the world that home happens to be is one of life’s genuine small pleasures.