It is the start of a new year, which means it is time to make our New Year’s Resolutions. Perhaps it is time you make growing a vegetable garden one of your resolutions for 2010. Not only is growing your own vegetable garden a good resolution in itself, but it can also help you to accomplish other resolutions as well. Getting in shape, spending more time with family and friends, learning something new, and eating healthier are all popular New Year’s Resolutions. If some of these resolutions sound familiar, then starting your own vegetable garden might be just for you.

Starting your own vegetable garden will have a positive impact on helping you to get back in shape by increasing your activity level, and giving you a new set of useful skills. You can make the vegetable garden a family project, thus increasing the time you spend with family members. Plus, growing your own fresh and nutritious vegetables will also encourage you and your family to eat healthier foods throughout the year.

Now that you have made the resolution to grow your own fresh vegetables, let’s look at some very easy ways to get you growing in no time.

Start Out Small
Starting small means protecting yourself and gardening in small chunks. Lots of plants are messy, muddy and have thorns, so get some green gardening gloves. If you are growing your first vegetable garden, it is important to remember to start small. It is best to begin with a small garden, and expand it over time as you gain more experience and confidence. I recommend starting with a 3 foot by 3 foot raised garden bed, such as the Forever Raised Bed. This raised bed takes just a few minutes to put together, and will last a lifetime. A raised garden bed has many advantages over the traditional in-ground garden beds. A raised garden bed is easier to maintain, requiring less (if any) weeding, and no digging. They tend to be more organized, take up less space, and are more productive than in-ground gardens. A raised garden bed is perfect for those that have small yards, or live in apartments or townhouses.

Location, Location, Location
I’m sure you have heard the expression, “Location, Location, Location” used quite a bit in the real estate market, but the same is true for growing a vegetable garden. Choosing the proper location can mean the difference between a productive garden, and one that is just a bunch of plants. Most vegetable plants require at least 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight in order to reach their growing potential, so make sure you choose a location that receives this much full sun throughout the day. Also, be sure to choose an area that has good drainage. You don’t want your new garden to be sitting in a pool of water after a thunderstorm.

Getting Started On Your New Vegetable Garden
Once you have a location for your raised garden bed, it is time to fill it with soil. I like to use a good potting soil mix in smaller raised beds. The potting soil mix supplies a good base of nutrients, minerals, and microbes your vegetable plants need to thrive.

It is going to be difficult to start and maintain your new vegetable garden without some basic gardening tools. To get you started, all you really need is a good garden tool set, such as the 15-piece Apollo Garden Tool Set. This tool set comes with everything you need to get a good start on your vegetable garden. It comes with a hand shovel, a garden hose spray nozzle, a knee pad, and much more. The handy carrying case will help to keep your gardening tools organized and easy to store.

Perfect Vegetables for the Novice Gardener
You are now ready to begin planting and growing your first vegetable garden, but are unsure of what you should grow. As stated earlier, you should start off small by picking a couple of vegetables that you and your family are fond of most. There is really no sense growing a vegetable that you do not enjoy eating. There are many vegetables that are very easy to grow and maintain, and would fit nicely in your raised garden bed.

Here is just a sample of the vegetables you can easily grow:

• Tomatoes
• Salad greens (lettuces, watercress, endive, Swiss chard, etc.)
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Radishes
• Green beans
• Okra

This is just a short list of the vegetables you can grow, even in a small-sized garden. As your vegetable garden expands, you can begin to expand the types and amounts of vegetables you are interested in growing. You can also dedicate a portion of your garden for some of your favorite herbs. Most herbs are very easy to grow, and do not take up much space.

Here are a few herbs that you can grow:

• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Parsley

I selected some of the easiest and most popular herbs that you can grow. The possibilities of your garden are virtually endless. It is all up to your preferences!

Make Sure To Feed and Water Your Garden
To make sure your beautiful vegetable plants continue to thrive, you must occasionally feed them and provide water. You want to fertilize your plants once they have reached about three inches tall, if planting from seed. If you bought transplants from a garden center make sure to fertilize them when you plant them in the garden. I prefer to use Gardener’s All-Purpose Fertilizer in my vegetable garden. This is a general purpose fertilizer that will supply the nutrient boost your plants need to produce abundant vegetables during the entire growing season.

After the initial feeding, give the plants another round of organic fertilizer at two to three week intervals. Make sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer container for optimum productivity of your plants.

Make Your Vegetable Garden Resolution Today
With the proper care and love, your garden will provide you with fresh, wholesome vegetables for many months to come. It can also provide you and your family many hours of quality time together. Growing your own vegetables can be a very rewarding and exciting adventure, so be sure to make it one of your resolutions for 2010.

- Guest Blogger: Tee Riddle is an avid vegetable gardener and has been growing his own food since the age of twelve. He is also the main contributor of Veggie Gardener.