almanac

Where to Find Free Seeds

Save seeds from foods you use in the kitchen (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash).

Save onion bottoms with the roots from foods you use in the kitchen.

Host or attend a seed exchange at your local library.

Free Heirloom Seeds – I have gotten some seeds from this website before.

Robin Greenfield Seeds for the People

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. Or start a conversation on X.com/sarahderinger88.

Are you struggling with knowing where and how to start gardening?

Do you find yourself wishing you could grow things all year round rather than being stunted by the growing season?

What are some other resources that you would recommend for learning about gardening year-round?

What are some other resources that you would recommend for beginning gardening or spring gardening?

Where else do you know of that you can get free seeds?

It is almost time to start your garden. Do you have a plan? Are you a newbie to gardening? Do you hope to grow food this year to ensure your family will be prepared for any economic hardships you may happen upon in the new few months to a year? Gardening is a lot of work, but it is worth every minute because you can reap a harvest if you do not give up.

One of the first things you need is land or dirt. Do you have a sunny spot in your backyard available for a garden? Here are some tips for spotting the best gardening plots:

Keep it somewhat close to your house. This will encourage animals not to eat your vegetables if you keep your garden somewhat close to your house because your human smells will scare them away.
Keep it close to a water spigot. Lugging around a heavy watering can gets old pretty fast. By keeping your garden within reach of a garden hose, you will make your gardening and watering a whole lot easier.
Is your ground somewhat flat? If you plant on a hill, which is doable under certain circumstances, it can have erosion problems, especially when it rains heavily.
Is your garden southward facing? This is where your garden will get the most sun, and it will help it grow better.

Another idea to look into while gardening is the Victory Gardens, which was a garden that lots of people created during the World Wars. Because of the impending recession this year, a victory garden may be the right type of garden for your family. Morningchores.com has a great history and tutorial on victory gardens as well as information on square foot gardens for those without much space for a garden.

If you live in an apartment or do not have a great gardening place, you can go with a couple of other options:

Pots – I used pots for some of my vegetable plants last summer, and they made gardening so much easier because I could keep them closer to our house.
Window boxes – I also tried some herbs in my indoor window boxes. These worked out well.
Raised flower bed boxes
Community gardens – If you do not have any other options, you might try to find a local community garden. Even in my rural small town, they have a community garden. I have seen them grow lots of things there, including sunflowers and corn.

There are all sorts of genius ideas that you can try to have your own garden, no matter how much land you have access to.

Then, you need to figure out what you would like to grow. What kinds of vegetables, fruits, flowers, or other plants would you like to grow? I shared what I am planning to grow this year in a previous post if you would like to read it: My Experience Starting Seeds with the Jiffy Tomato & Vegetable Greenhouse: Part 1.

You can order seeds through a variety of places, such as your local Walmart, Tractor Supply, or greenhouse. You can also try getting seeds from a Farmer’s Market or a seed swap. Make sure to check out USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see if the plants your would like to grow is in your climate zone. After that you will need to check on what the best dates are for planting. If you plant too early and a frost or freeze comes, your plants will die or be stunted. Therefore, find the approximate date your area will be completely frost-free before planting. A great chart for finding your planting date is found at Farmers’ Almanac.

You can start some seeds inside early to get a jumpstart on growing season. I have done that with tomatoes before.

Jiffy Tomato and Vegetable Greenhouse, gardening, farming, starting seeds, seed starters, farm life, garden life, Deringer Farm

When it is time to plant them outside, till up the garden or prep the dirt you will use. Dig about 1″ holes (or what your seed packets say), or a seed trench for the seeds. Place the seeds in and lightly cover them up. Give them a little water. Have patience to see results. If it does not rain often, you will have to give them some water probably every other day unless it is really dry.

Here are some other great resources to look for gardening tips, tricks, and tools:

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. Are you starting a garden this year? What are some things you have learned from gardening? What are some gardening resources that you would add to this list? What hardiness zone are you in?

signature: love, sarah