DibbleA first vegetable garden does not need to be complicated. You need a sunny spot, decent soil, a short list of crops, and a sense of timing. Get those four right and the plants do most of the work.
1. Pick a sunny spot
Most vegetables want six or more hours of direct sun a day. Watch your yard for a day and find the brightest patch. If you do not have one, lean toward leafy greens and herbs, which tolerate a little shade better than fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers.
2. Start small and choose easy crops
One raised bed or a cluster of large pots is a great first season. Grow a handful of crops you like to eat. Good beginner picks include lettuce, radishes, bush beans, zucchini, and tomatoes. They grow fast, forgive mistakes, and give you a real harvest.
3. Learn two dates
Your last spring frost and your first fall frost set the whole season. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost. Warm-season crops wait until after it. Find your frost dates and your hardiness zone, and the planting dates fall into place.
4. Plant, water, and keep notes
Follow the seed packet for spacing, water consistently while plants establish, and write down what you did. Notes from your first year are the best teacher for your second. This is exactly what Dibble automates: it builds the calendar, sends the reminders, and keeps the journal for you.
New to your area? Open Dibble, enter your ZIP, and pick a few crops. You will see your start, sow, transplant, and harvest dates right away.
