I have always wanted a big garden. A garden that is full of all kinds of different fruits and vegetables. A garden that produces enough for my family to eat properly preserved garden food throughout the next year.

This has been a desire of mine for a long time. Yet, I always found an excuse not to do it. This year, my husband and I decided we were going for it, no matter what!

So, the research began. We read everything we could on growing plants in pots and raised bed gardens because we knew our soil would not allow for a garden of normal standards. Directly in our dirt was not an option.

We read a lot, talked to a lot of people, and watched a lot of how to videos. And finally we did it. We took the first step. We built our first raised garden bed!

While I would love to have at least one more raised garden bed, the current configuration of our yard, grass, trees, and space for child play doesn't really allow it. Yes, that is an excuse. I want more raised bed gardens, but I also don't want to take on more than I can handle. So one bed this year it is.

My next step was to obtain as many containers as possible for the container portion of my garden. I emptied all the old dirt from my containers and cleaned the new and old containers with a mixture of part bleach, part water.

I was now ready to plant in containers and in my raised garden bed. Which lead to my next research item - what to plant where and when.

I knew I wanted to get my lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash in the ground ASAP, so I started growing the seeds in starter pods. After 2 or 3 weeks, about half of them have sprouted and the zucchini and yellow squash are ready to be planted into a bigger pot. I do not believe any of the plants are ready for outdoor life, but it seems the zucchini and yellow squash have already outgrown their starter pods.

And this is where we are today.

THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE

It's the beginning of April and a lot more needs to be researched, decided upon, and acted upon in the next 30 days in order for my garden to produce well this year.

And so, the 30 Day Challenge was born. Over the next 30 days, I will document how to start a vegetable garden. I will be planting new seeds, both in pots as well as in starter pods as well as transplanting the plants I've already started into pots and beds. There are many things I am still undecided about and I hope to share my insight with you as well as gain valuable information from all of you expert gardeners out there!

Over the next 30 days, I want you to join me in this challenge. Start your vegetable garden. Post your results on my website and within these articles. Share your accomplishments, frustrations, questions. We will learn and grow together.

I hope to inspire others like me who desire a bigger garden to take a chance and just do it. I hope to teach new gardeners the things I learn along the way, what to do and what not to do. And I hope experienced gardeners will provide us with their insight as we take this journey together.