Easy Gardening Guides

1. Easy Vegetables to Grow in Pots

You do not need a big yard to grow your own vegetables. A sunny patio, balcony, or porch step is enough. Potted gardens are also easier on the back and knees because you can set pots at a comfortable height.

Pick the Right Pot

• Most vegetables are happy in a pot at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide
• Make sure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom
• Use a light potting mix made for containers, not garden soil

Easiest Vegetables for Pots

• Lettuce and spinach - grow fast, pick leaves as you need them
• Radishes - ready in about three weeks
• Cherry tomatoes - one plant in a big pot gives many meals
• Bush beans - no trellis needed
• Peppers - happy in a sunny pot
• Herbs - basil, parsley, and chives near the kitchen door

Simple Daily Care

• Pots dry out faster than garden beds. Check them each morning
• Water until it runs out the bottom holes
• Feed every two weeks with a liquid organic plant food

Tip: put a coaster or saucer under your pot to keep the patio clean, and set larger pots on a wheeled stand so you can move them easily.

2. How to Start Heirloom Seeds Indoors

Starting seeds indoors is a lovely winter project. Heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, which means you can save seeds from your own plants and grow them again next year.

What You Need

• Seed starting mix (light and fine)
• Small pots or trays with drainage holes
• A warm, bright windowsill or a simple grow light
• A clear cover or plastic wrap to keep moisture in

Six Simple Steps

1. Pick a date. Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Check your zone in the planting calendar.
2. Moisten the mix. Dampen it with water before filling pots.
3. Sow the seeds. Plant each seed about twice as deep as the seed is wide. A toothpick helps with tiny seeds.
4. Keep it warm. Most seeds sprout well at about 70 degrees. A spot on top of the fridge works nicely.
5. Give light. As soon as seeds sprout, remove the cover and place pots in bright light for 14 to 16 hours a day.
6. Water gently. Water from the bottom by setting pots in a tray of water, or mist the surface. Keep the mix damp, not soaked.

Before Moving Plants Outside

About a week before planting out, set the pots outside for a few hours each day, slowly increasing the time. This is called hardening off. It helps the plants adjust to sun and wind. Then plant them on a cloudy day, when the soil is warm.

3. When to Plant Tomatoes (by Zone)

Tomatoes are warm-weather plants. They need soil that is warm and nights that are mild. Plant them too early and they just sit and sulk. Plant them at the right time and they grow quickly.

The Simple Rule

Plant tomatoes about one to two weeks after your last spring frost date, when the soil is 60 degrees or warmer. A soil thermometer takes the guesswork out.

Average Last Frost Dates by Zone

USDA Zone	Typical Last Spring Frost	Safe Tomato Planting Window
Zone 3	May 15 - June 1	Late May to mid-June
Zone 4	May 1 - May 15	Mid-May to early June
Zone 5	April 15 - May 1	Early to mid-May
Zone 6	April 1 - April 15	Mid-April to early May
Zone 7	March 15 - April 1	Early to mid-April
Zone 8	Feb 15 - March 15	March
Zone 9	Jan 30 - Feb 28	February
Zone 10	Rarely frosts	January onward

Not sure of your zone? Email us at hello@libertyblooms.store with your town and state, and we will help you figure it out.

Planting Tips

• Choose a spot with 6 to 8 hours of sun
• Set the plant deep, burying the lower leaves. New roots grow from the buried stem
• Water at the base of the plant, not on the leaves
• Stake or cage each plant when you plant it, so you never disturb roots later

4. Low-Maintenance Flowers for Beginners

Some flowers practically grow themselves. These are the ones we suggest for a first flower bed: they sprout fast, bloom long, and forgive mistakes.

The Easiest Flowers to Grow From Seed

• Marigolds - sunny oranges and yellows, bloom all summer
• Zinnias - big, bright blooms in every color; great for vases
• Sunflowers - plant the seeds, stand back, enjoy
• Cosmos - airy and graceful, thrives with little fuss
• Nasturtiums - edible flowers, happy in poor soil

Easiest Flowers to Buy as Plants

• Petunias - color all season in pots and beds
• Geraniums - sturdy, heat-loving favorites
• Pansies - perfect for cool spring and fall
• Daylilies - come back year after year, no digging required

Three Simple Habits

1. Water when dry. Stick a finger in the soil. If it is dry one knuckle deep, water.
2. Deadhead lightly. Snip off faded blooms on zinnias and marigolds and they bloom again and again.
3. Feed monthly. A gentle organic plant food keeps flowers going strong through summer.

Enjoy the process. Flowers are supposed to be fun, not perfect.

5. How to Grow Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas give you big, generous blooms for weeks. They are easier than people think, once you know their three simple needs.

The Three Needs

• Morning sun, afternoon shade. In cooler climates, more sun is fine. In hot climates, protect them from the hot afternoon.
• Evenly moist soil. Water deeply once or twice a week in dry spells, right at the base of the plant.
• Mulch. A 2-inch layer of wood chips keeps the roots cool and the soil moist.

Why Are the Blooms Pink or Blue?

For many hydrangeas, the flower color follows the soil. Acidic soil (pH around 5.5) gives blue blooms. More alkaline soil (pH around 6.5) gives pink. Want pink or blue on purpose? Ask us about adjusting your soil, and we will talk you through it in plain terms.

When to Prune

• Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas: prune right after they finish blooming, and only remove dead wood and old stems
• Panicle hydrangeas: prune lightly in early spring
• When in doubt, leave them alone. Hydrangeas bloom happily with very little pruning

Planting Steps

1. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and just as deep
2. Set the plant in, with the top of the root ball level with the soil
3. Backfill, water well, and add mulch
4. Water deeply twice a week for the first summer

6. Best Time to Plant Spring Bulbs

Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and crocus are planted in fall. It feels odd at first, planting in autumn for flowers in spring, but the bulbs need the cool winter rest to bloom well.

When to Plant

• Plant in fall, 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes hard
• For most zones that means September, October, or November
• A good sign: plant after the first cool nights, when soil temperature has dropped to about 55 degrees

How to Plant

1. Dig a hole about 3 times as deep as the bulb is tall (about 6 inches for tulips)
2. Set the bulb pointy side up
3. Mix a little bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the hole
4. Cover, water once, and let winter do its work

Bulb Planting Chart

Bulb	Depth	Spacing	Blooms
Crocus	3 inches	3 inches apart	Late winter
Daffodil	6 inches	6 inches apart	Early spring
Tulip	6 to 8 inches	4 to 6 inches apart	Mid-spring
Hyacinth	6 inches	6 inches apart	Mid-spring

A Helpful Shortcut

Planting lots of small bulbs is work. Use a long-handled bulb planter so you can plant standing up. See our comfort tools for other helpers.