The first year I lived in a "real house" I was excited to get a garden started. I just couldn't wait until spring when I could plant all kinds of veggies. While this seems like a good idea, it really wasn't. Being a new gardner, I let my excitement get the best of me. Luckily, part of my family made sure I still had a very nice garden that year.

Here are a few tips I learned:

1. Make sure you have enough room Some plants get bigger than others, and take up more space. Make sure you give certain plants more room than others, and plan enough sunlight for smaller plants. I've had smaller plans die in previous years because they eventually end up in the shadow.

2. Start small Don't plant everything you can find. Ask your local gardening supply store what will work best in your area for beginners. Tomatoes work best where I live, but don't work well in other areas.

3. Start with plants, not seeds Instead of throwing seeds in the groun

d, start off easy buying plants that are already started. They have been started at the right time of year by experts, and are much easier to grow.

4. Know your time limits If you can only devote 10mins per day to your garden, make sure you only have a few plants. Pulling weeds can quickly become a problem, so if you have limited time don't make a big area that will take a long time to weed.

I hope these ideas will help you this spring when you start your first garden!

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