Even though we didn’t really have a backyard garden at any of the homes we have rented or owned we usually had a little garden of some sort, mostly flowers but the odd tomato plant.

I have always had plants indoors, some of which did quite well outdoors during the heat of summer. My wife on the other hand had one plant when I met here and it was a gift from her mother.

Now we are learning how to have a garden that is bigger than anything we have attempted to this point in our lives.

Container Gardening

I wish we had learned more earlier because now we know we could have gardened in large flower pots and other containers. This way we could have moved them to the best places for them as the summer moved forward and sunny areas became shaded areas.

We just didn’t really think of having a container garden.

Our original plan to dig a garden this year was coming along fine until a close friend of my wife, who has show gardens, told us that it took her ten years to realize that container or even raised beds for gardening were so much easier to maintain.

That started me thinking about my health and how much more I would get done if I wasn’t tired so easily because of heart issues. She saved us a ton of work that we don’t need to do. Thanks Judy.

So our plans have been tossed out the window and a new plan is brewing. Just in time I might add as the snow that just one week about was still over two feet deep in our backayard is all but gone and we would have been digging.

We just learned how to have a garden in our backyard that will cost us less to create and require less bending and lifting.

The fact that I have been out of commission for just over 4 years with health problems has me more excited than a little kid at Christmas.

Learning to be a backyard gardener even has a few of my guitar playing friends interested. I had one guitar friend that was going to prepare our garden for us but now she is looking at doing the same thing.

We currently have a couple of planters that are about 10 feet long by 3 feet wide and about 3 feet deep with an edge I can sit on to work. Those will be the same type planter we will use in other parts of our yard for both flowers and vegetables.

I plan to document what I do and learn in a journal and on this site so others can learn how to have a garden in their backyard without all the trial and error we were going to be going through.

I love summer and when it finally arrives here on the east coast of Canada we don’t waste too much time getting into it. We have our dream house now and spend a lot of time in the backyard, but it’s not quite what we want just yet.

We have a lot of things to do during the nice summer months. Things like so many others associate backyards with, like family picnics, BBQs, swimming, and outdoor sports. Even though we love all that fun stuff there was something missing in our new backyard and that is growing a vegetable garden.

You might say why bother but I was raised on a farm and we grew almost all the food we needed to get through the long cold winters and I miss that. Buying everything from the grocery stores seems so boring and things just don’t taste the same do they. Take the time to learn to garden and you will be amazed at what happens.

I truly believe the benefits of growing a garden real out-weigh any work involved in gardening. Check out the benefits to backyard gardening and determine if growing a garden is for you.

There are many design ideas for your garden, even designs that limit the bending over that so many find difficult. Raised garden beds work great for people with limited mobility.

Just because I said a veggie garden doesn’t mean it really has to be a veggie garden. If you prefer flowers then you go with flowers. We already have a backyard filled with beautiful flowers so we want to go to the next level with veggies. A flower garden really turns heads. I even take a camera with me when I go for my walks because so many people have lovely flower gardens.

Vegetable gardens are a perfect way to save some money on food and to impress all your friends. Many vegetable gardens are composed of potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and beets. We tried the tomato thing last year now we know we don’t need to plant so many tomato plants. If you are able to successfully grow these foods, you and your family could enjoy them as a tasty treat or part of a meal.

It may sound like a contradiction but I think the best benefit to backyard gardening is the relaxation. Gardening requires a fairly large amount of work when done correctly it just doesn’t seem like work. In fact, my mother and father were gardeners and I could tell that gardening was a great way for them to relax.

As a kid I didn’t think it was too relaxing because my pace didn’t seem to be fast enough for Mom and Dad. I was much more willing to go play in the hay or chase cows.

In your garden you can work at your own pace and take breaks as you feel you need them. The lack of stress doing gardening this way has a big payoff in great food and even a longer life with less stress.

Even though I didn’t care for gardening as a kid I did learn things that help me today so don’t be afraid to get your kids in on the fun of gardening. I just remembered how much I did enjoy eating out of our garden, Mmmmmm.

So give backyard gardening a try. You can start with tomatoes like my wife and I did. The size of your garden is totally up to you so don’t push it to the point that you don’t relax any more.

Long before summer arrives my mind starts planning a season of gardening pleasures. I was talking with a friend just the other day about having a garden in their backyard but they said it is just too small and their dogs would just destroy it anyways. Well I am happy to announce my friends now have a new home with so much room for their dogs, cats and gardening. They will be able to put a fence around their new garden to keep out unwanted visitors, like their precious dogs.

When summer eventually arrives, many individuals enjoy spending time in their backyard, it’s so much more enjoyable that being stuck inside. For most summers means picnics in the backyard, barbecues, swimming, and outdoor sports. While all of these activities are nice, there are not the only things that you can do in your backyard. In fact, there are a number of other popular backyard activities that you may never have given much thought to. One of those activities involves growing a garden.

When it comes to gardening, there are many individuals who wonder why they should even bother. Growing a garden may take a lot of time and hard work; however, there are a number of benefits to gardening. To determine if growing a garden would be the perfect backyard activity for you, you are advised to fully examine these benefits. After that examination, you should be able to decide whether or not gardening is an activity that you would enjoy.

One of the many benefits of gardening is that you can design your garden however you want. There are a large number of individuals that choose to grow flowers, plants, or vegetables; however, you do not have to choose just one. If you desire, you could have your garden be a collection of plants, flowers, and vegetables.

You may also find that the type of garden you choose will have a number of benefits. For instance, plant and flower gardens are often beautiful. If you choose to grow plants or flowers, you may find that they help to improve the appearance of your backyard. Vegetable gardens are a great way to save money on food. Many vegetable gardens are composed of potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and beets. If you are able to successfully grow these foods, you and your family could enjoy them as a tasty treat or part of a meal.

Perhaps, the greatest benefit of gardening is the relaxation. Although garden requires a fairly large amount of work, there are many who feel as if it really isn’t work. In fact, there are many gardeners who say that gardening is as great way to relax. This is because you can work at your own pace. In addition to being relaxing, a garden will be your own creation. If are able to successfully grow a garden, you may be pleased with the results and proud of yourself, as you should be.

If you plan on using your garden as a source of relaxation, it is possible that you may prefer gardening by yourself. Even though you may enjoy gardening by yourself, you may also find benefits to including your family in the process, especially if you have young children. There are many children who enjoy helping their parents in the garden. If your child would like to offer you assistance, you could purchase them their own supplies. Most online retailers, toy stores, and department stores carry a selection of age appropriate gardening accessories.

In addition to purchasing gardening accessories for your child, if they are interested in gardening with you, you will have to purchase your own. Gardening supplies include a wide variety of different items. These items, such as hoes, weeding forks, shovels, and knee pads, can be purchased from most retail stores. You may find that a number of these supplies are available for an affordable price.

With the ability to create your own unique garden, improve the appearance of your backyard, grow your own food, and purchase gardening accessories for an affordable price, you are encouraged to at least consider this popular backyard activity. You may find that it is perfect way to spend your summer.