Hi to Every Gardener…Past, Present, and Future!
I am Jim, the lifelong gardener…and, all my life I have grown many different vegetables, fruits, and herbs in backyard gardens, raised gardens, and container gardens.
There were times I had a luxury of space, fertile soil, and plenty of time to invest. And…then…there were other times when all or none of these extravagances were to be had.
To successfully grow my own vegetables I have adopted a number of techniques, learned from my family, friends, and fellow gardeners, to grow healthy, tasty vegetables…from “Asparagus to Zucchini”…not to mention tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, corn…and on and on.
My network includes many other gardeners from all walks of life. We continually share information about the best gardening techniques, germinating seeds, planting, fertilizing, bug and disease control, harvesting, food preservation, etc.
This website fulfills my desire to pass on to you the knowledge I have accumulated to help you truly enjoy the satisfaction of producing your own food.
So…now…about my gardening journey…
I grew up in the Midwest and, as early as I can remember, my dad had a backyard garden. The soil was so black and nutrient rich that it looked and felt like potting soil. So, everything we planted would grow enthusiastically.
Tomatoes were our main crop; We had Beefsteak tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes. We had red, pink, and yellow tomatoes…some were seedless…some were acid free.
We also grew pickling and slicing cucumbers, green beans, peas, corn, and peppers, as well as a number of root plants like potatoes, carrots, onions, and radishes. We even grew watermelon and kohlrabi (of all things).
The only drawback was that the growing season was not very long. We couldn’t plant until late April or early May and, all harvesting had to be finished before the first frost…which could happen as early as late September or early October.
I Was Born to Shovel Dirt
My family didn’t have an expensive gas or electric rototiller made especially for home gardening devotees. So, yours truly, was always tasked with turning the soil by hand…shovel full after shovel full…loosening the soil over the entire growing area. My dad explained to me that this was part of the gardening experience reserved for me exclusively to help me appreciate the food we produced. Somehow, I never bought that theory at the time but, in reflection, I realize that, in fact, all that work did give me a greater appreciation for what I consumed from our garden. But now, I sure do appreciate tilling my garden with a cultivator/tiller!
My grandfather had a dairy farm and my summertime weekends were spent milking his cows and working in the several thousand square foot garden he maintained to provide food for his table and for my grandmother’s daily summertime canning ritual.
Upon coming of age, I moved on to other life choices…working my way through college…living in and close to the big city…finally getting married to the most wonderful and supporting lady I could have ever asked for.
Through all these twists and turns, I was always growing some type of produce…somewhere…somehow. In the smallest apartment I ever had (a lot less than 500 square feet and no outdoor space), my closet was full of flower pots and grow lights that produced several types of vegetables. Needless to say, I found some unique ways to store my clothes since there was absolutely no room in my “garden closet.”
I am here to help you become a terrific gardener…
I will be doing my best to help you grow great vegetables, fruits, and herbs by offering personal experience, relaying technical information, and passing along unique tips discussing the pros and cons of gardening.
My wife’s interest is food preservation and she plans on talking about the many methods available, including freezing, canning, dehydrating, and freeze-drying.
Feel free to ask questions and make comments about any of the information on this website…and, one of us will try to respond as quickly as possible. If you don’t see the information you are looking for, let us know and we will see what information we may have to satisfy your quest for the perfect garden or for preserving food from the garden.
We truly enjoy gardening…and volunteering helpful information on a variety of subjects to enhance your food growing experience. We will also review a host of products and solutions…and offer recommendations that will enhance your skills.
If you have any stories about your gardening history, please share them in the comments section or by email: jim@perfect-vegetable-garden.com.
Good luck! Get dirty! And, Happy Gardening to all!
Great website Jim Beam! I want to follow in your footsteps! P.L.A.N.T.!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Don! You must have visited my “Gardening Basics” page, https://perfect-vegetable-garden.com/gardening-basics.
P.L.A.N.T. can really give you the basic outline and keep you on the right direction for a garden full of healthy, tasty veggies!
Thanks, for stopping by!
Jim
Gardening and growing my own veggies is definitely one of the things I would like to do in the near future. Your site offers lots of useful information for anyone new to gardening. The only thing standing between me and my veggie patch is having a garden that actually gets some sun and soil that is not frozen solid most of the year.
Great site, Jim!
Hi Daniela,
There are some cooler climate vegetables you can grow now such as lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and beets to name a few. And, they all do well in a shaded area where there is not much direct sunlight.
Also, you may want to consider using a greenhouse if you live in a colder climate. You can warm the plants 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit – or more! Check out my greenhouse reviews for some plant growing structures that might pique your interest!
Jim
Hi Jim,
I really love your profile. So interesting to know how healthy it is to grow veggies, fruits, or anything else in your own garden. I have a garden too, and I am very passionate about it.
I see so much informative information on your website about growing plants and many other interesting gardening subjects. And, I also see you have done some extensive research on every aspect of growing healthy plants as well as tips – and great reviews about many gardening tools and equipment that I am already considering to purchase!
After reading about Jim’s Garden Adventure, 2017, I can’t wait to see what adventures you have in 2018!
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline,
I appreciate the kind words and I hope that my many tips and tricks, as well as my insight derived from gardening since I was a young-un will give you the confidence and tools you need to be successful in your garden this year!
Don’t forget, Spring will soon be here – so get that soil test. Then, your dirt will be ready to give your plants the nourishment they need!
Jim
Hi Jim,
Very interesting and actually relaxing and pleasant website to go through.
Congratulations since I know that you must have put in many hours to get there.
I am not that much of a gardener but I can plant a few flowers every spring in our yard (in the city) and also some bushes…..and they normally grow well. Now, when I need help or advice, I will know where to ask my questions.
Thank you for being there and have a great summer.
Jules
Hi Jules,
Glad you like my website. There is a ton of useful information here in The Perfect Vegetable Garden for home gardeners – from the newbie to the master.
You’re right, though – I have put in a lot of hours. It just doesn’t seem like it because, it’s a labor of love. Gardening is my passion – part of my soul – and, I try to encourage everyone I meet to give it a shot and see how much pleasure it gives them. To me, there is nothing better than providing home grown food for my family table!
Happy summer to you, too. Get to growin’ and you’ll be knowin’ the same satisfaction that I get when I tender to my blossoming veggies!
Jim
Jim,
Like you, I grew up in a rural area and we had a garden and preserved our food. It definitely helped in feeding a family of 6. When I got older, I moved to the city to go to college, and my gardening days were pretty much over, unlike you.
You have a lot of good information on here that is good for gardeners. Thanks for all the information.
Hi Lynn,
I am happy that you found my website informative. It definitely is a good resource tool for gardeners – from beginners to the most experienced.
I hope you consider at least doing some container gardening. There are quite a few veggies that you can grow – even though you don’t have a nice outside backyard garden!
Thanks,
Jim
Great website Jim!
I have green fingers too, though not to the extent that you do. Your paragraph on the different tomatoes from when you were growing up, reminded me of Baba speaking about shrimps in Forest Gump, just brilliant!
There is much to learn from you – thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Blessings
Louise
I’m glad that you can learn from some of my experiences, Louise! I’ve sure trying my best to let all my readers in on the latest and greatest scoops to be a successful backyard gardener.
That’s what The Perfect Vegetable Garden is all about!
Jim
Hi Jim. I just had to comment. Not sure where you are, but we are Houston natives. Our last several years in Houston, we had a lot of fun growing tomatoes, basil, peppers, and then for later in the year we grew okra. We didn’t know what to do with all the okra, but it turned out our dogs loved the stuff. And they figured out how to knock the plants over a bit so they could reach the okra!
For the past 3 years we have lived in Central and South America. We can have fresh fruit and vegetables all year long and they are incredibly inexpensive. So my gardening days are over. But we did have great success growing huge green onions from a small cutting. I have a great picture if you let me know how to send it.
Well, now, Steve – them are some pretty smart okra-lovin’ dogs! I have to tell ya!
With all this talk about growin’ ‘mators, herbs, peppers, and onions, I’m startin’ to git that spring gardening bug already!
Are all those cheap veggies you were getting in Central and South American coming from a local farmer’s market? If not, I would miss the fresh, “just out of the garden” tastes that only come from growin’ your own.
I would like to see your picture. Feel free to email it to me through the email address at the end of this page.
Take care,
Jim