Select plants that are described as hardy, disease resistant, good producers, thrive in this region
( and limitations) the second and third years. Having said that, I think that if you are going to make the effort there should be enough area that your ability to succeed is not limited to the survival of two tomato plants! A four-foot square is, in my opinion, a reasonable minimum for a starter garden and even a 4’ x8’ or 4’ x16’ rectangle can be easily managed by a physically healthy, first time gardener.
PLANT CHOICES
The power of success is such a helpful momentum builder in most endeavors for most people. I believe this to be true for gardening. Select plants that are described as hardy, disease resistant, good producers, thrive in this region, etc. In addition to general descriptions on package( seed package or plant label) concerning ease of growing, hardy, disease resistant, etc., also check for watering requirements, sunlight requirements and soil conditions.( You can scoop a shovel full of dirt into a brown paper bag and take it to your neighborhood plant nursery or garden supply store and they can run an inexpensive, or free, analysis and help you understand which plants your soil is suitable to grow and what additives( if any) might be needed to grow other plants you might have in your plans.) I have been going to Dan West Garden Supply in Memphis( they have more than one location) for decades for this kind of help and
Select plants that are described as hardy, disease resistant, good producers, thrive in this region
advice. They are great and have been instrumental in teaching me, as well as helping me succeed, with many gardens. Find a good gardening supply store with helpful staff like Dan West Garden Supply and you will be miles ahead. And don’ t be afraid to ask them anything about your garden; there are no stupid gardening questions( well, not many) if they‘ yield’ helpful advice about your garden.
You can become more adventuresome in subsequent years but give yourself as many practical advantages as possible your first year or two. That said, I do believe that since you have chosen a garden of edibles rather than( or in addition to) ornamentals, your plant choices should include mostly plants that produce edibles that someone in your household or close friends enjoy eating. That is part of the joy of gardening. A beautiful, successful garden full of cabbage will not be nearly as enjoyable if no one in your family, or circle of close friends, likes cabbage! I really enjoy growing eggplants.( I even like to eat them- prepared certain ways). A few years ago, a professional and personal mentor( and dear friend) and his wife invited me to help them with their garden and I encouraged the inclusion of several eggplants in their two 4’ X 16’ beds. Eggplant foliage is deep green and its shape is distinctive. The stalks are strong and rarely need staking and they yield beautiful
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