Keep Gardening Fun

If you've got the gardening bug, but are intimated by the variety of plants or a lack of expertise, don't worry. Gardeners love to share their knowledge, so find a friend or neighbor who digs the dirt.

Glenda Lehman Ervin is one such gardener. She says, "the only trick to gardening is to grow the right plants for your area and to keep it manageable. The rest is just a matter of learning by doing." Her family's business, Lehman's General Store, specializes in old-fashioned, high-quality merchandise, including everything you need for a successful garden.

Here are some tips from Lehman for enjoying your garden this year - whether you're an experienced gardener or just starting out.

Rule number one is to be realistic when planning your garden. If you work full time and have family obligations when you're home, chances are good you won't have time to tend a two-acre garden. That doesn't mean you need to give up gardening, though. Just find a way to fit gardening into your lifestyle.

For example, Lehman Ervin and her neighbors are discussing the possibility of a "subdivision coop." "None of us has the time to tend a huge garden, but we all value fresh vegetables in the summer," she explains. So, each family agrees to grow enough of one crop to share with all the others. One family will grow tomatoes, one will grow zucchini, etc., and then they swap so every family enjoys the harvest.

Lehman Ervin will also be growing a "junk store garden" with her daughter this summer. This is nothing more than a planter (in this case a drawer from an old desk) that they will use for a container garden. Those without a yard to garden in can take a cue from this technique. "Container gardening is gaining popularity as people downsize," says Lehman Ervin. Seed companies are even producing plants especially designed to grow in smaller spaces like containers - check out the organic seeds available from Lehman's. Make watering easy and conserve resources by leaving a galvanized watering can from Lehman's where it can fill up with rain water to use on your plants.

Another option for those who can't tend a large garden is to focus on a theme. Concentrate on growing herbs, or plant a salad garden with various types of lettuce and edible flowers. Or take a cue from one of Lehman Ervin's friends, who grows a salsa garden every year; her homemade salsa is a coveted gift.

As with any project, the right tools make all the difference, whether that means a good watering system, the right soil or natural pest control. Lehman's carries a complete line of Wilcox garden tools that feature contoured plastic grips and are made of nearly indestructible stainless steel that won't rust or bend. Gardeners also love Lehman's cypress potting table, the perfect area for transplanting, dividing and potting plants. It can also double as a serving table for outdoor gatherings.

No matter what size your garden, the experts at Lehman's have products that will help it grow. For more information, visit www.lehmans.com.

Copyright © 2006, ARA Content