Last year was the first time I truly committed to designing and creating a small garden. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that I wanted to grow fruits and vegetables my family and I would enjoy. I spent a lot of time at local stores. I hunted for gardening tools, supplies, and starter plants that were on sale. Looking back, not trying to grow everything from seed was a smart decision. It made the whole process much more manageable.

Here are some pictures from my garden last year. I plan to share more photos and lessons I’ve learned. I’ll also share how I’m working to avoid repeating some of the mistakes I made. If you have any tips to simplify the issues I’ve shared, please feel free to pass them along!

This was the first tomato plant in my garden. It produced so many tomatoes. I managed to make pasta sauce. I shared some with my neighbors. I used the rest in plenty of stews and salads. One lesson I learned the hard way was the importance of checking the weather before planting. I’m in a Zone 7 gardening area. I didn’t realize that until I joined a Facebook group. This group helped me understand when to start my seedlings and when to transfer them outdoors.

The apple tree I germinated and transplanted is still growing and thriving. I’m hoping to get some fruit from it in the next year or so. The idea for this tree came after enjoying a delicious apple one day. I saved most of the seeds and then researched ways to germinate them. As an experiment, I prepared just one seed, and I’m so grateful it worked. Now, I have a few more seeds in the process of germination.

It was my first time trying my hand at landscaping, and it turned out better than I expected. I do wish I had used weed barrier fabric—that was a rookie mistake I won’t be repeating this year. I’m still working on removing the rocks from this part of the garden. I’ve realized they are not the best choice. This year, I plan to try red mulch and see if that helps the plants thrive.

These were my green bell peppers and habanero peppers, and they yielded much more than I anticipated. I even dehydrated some of the habaneros for later use—and I still have some left! I bought these peppers from a local store. I only had to prepare the garden bed and then transplant them. I made sure they got plenty of water, sunshine, and fertilizer. Still, I’m still figuring out the right fertilizers for my garden. I tried using egg shells and kitchen scraps, which worked well. This year, I plan to start composting to guarantee my fruits, vegetables, and plants get enough nutrients.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you do come back! I have a lot more to share. Leave tips if you feel incline to do so.

-Lulu