Get Growing Write a wish list.

applaud you for picking up this publication and beginning the journey to growing your own food—or perhaps reviving old beds that have sat dormant, or encouraging the plot you already have to produce even more delicious, nutritious produce for you and your family. Now that you know more about the health and safety advantages to planting a garden, I hope you feel ready to get growing. The tips shared here and throughout these pages cover the basics for creating a thriving organic garden so you can start planting or get your green thumb back into shape.

Here are seven steps to help you create a supermarket of fresh organic food in your backyard:

What are your absolute favorite foods that you’d love to be able to enjoy at a moment’s notice? What does your family eat regularly? What are you tired of paying top dollar for at the store? Maybe you find organic tomatoes to be jarringly expensive, or you’re curious how a grocer can charge so much for a few limp, lifeless sprigs of dill or basil?

Also, think about what you simply cannot find at the market but nonetheless want and need. A few years ago, I grew frustrated that I could not find fresh wasabi root at any grocery and decided to grow my own. Wasabi is challenging to grow, but the root is so delicious (and a far cry from the one-dimensional paste of horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring passed off as “wasabi” in most sushi restaurants) that I found the effort more than worthwhile.

As you work your way through the steps that follow, you may find you don’t have the space or sun required to grow some of the plants on your list, and that’s okay. This is just a starting point for creating a garden that truly works for you.

STEP #2:

Size up your space.

Take a good look at where you will be growing and observe the space available throughout the course of a day. How much room do you have for a garden? Is the space available shaded or does it get plenty of sun—and is that morning or afternoon sun? In general, it’s easier to make sunny spots shady than it is to make shady spots sunny, and full sun (six or more hours per day) is best for most plants.

Don’t be discouraged if the space feels inadequate. Know that you can accomplish a great deal with the creative use of containers on a bright patio or raised planters in a tiny, even barren, landscape. Maybe there is a community garden in your neighborhood where you can rent a plot. Or perhaps you have relatives or friends with a bit of space they are willing to let you cultivate.

STEP #3: