What to Plant in a Small Garden Space

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I am often asked "What do I plant if I only have a small space?"
Obviously, a lot of variables will effect the answer. So today, I'm giving you some points of consideration when planning a small garden.
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[@tess5564]

This is my classroom year and I want to say how much I truly appreciate your encouragement to do what you can where you are. It truly has brought such a wonderful way to look at life to me.

[@VACatholic]

'Don't Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good'

[@jaedtobey791]

“Turn that Waiting Room into a Classroom” 🙌🏼

[@gratefulvivi3894]

I thank God for you, Jess! This is is exactly what I needed to hear. I am currently starting my first raised beds (two little 4' x 12' rows), having the hardest time deciding what to plant and how much. I cannot over emphasize how valuable your experience is to me. Thank you so much for sharing. This is an answer to prayer! Blessings to you and your family.

[@mickibabe5495]

That sounds like a perfect size!!!

[@simaogarcia2419]

Red mustard, and collard greens great plants to select also, adeus

[@gratefulvivi3894]

@@simaogarcia2419 Thank you for your suggestion. I will give them a try.

[@emilyss7560]

I have the same size beds! I want to plant heavily on tomato and cucumber.

[@kannonkeanu4516]

InstaBlaster...

[@taylorkettler7106]

seriously cannot get enough of this channel

[@kirataffy]

I have been watching you for about 2 years and love the lessons and encouragement. I have gone back to rewatch shows. I appreciate you

[@aruralmother2895]

You may only have room for a small container garden... for now! But we never know what the future has in store for us, so gain the experience and knowledge now. It very well may pay off greatly down the road. 😊💛

[@SimonHaestoe]

:) or just go crazy and grow in containers (which you carry from window to window, to follow the sun, several times a day). Wgixh I of course havent done.. ehm...

[@cltinturkey]

Great suggestion! I had terrific luck this year with my containers and some things grew even better in them than in raised beds. They also helped me control the critters and minimize insect damage. We have a few kid wagons, and I put the container in those. Easy to work at that height and move around as needed.

[@HalleluYahfarm]

That's exactly what I'm doing lol. I've been inspired to just get growing 😉 thanks to Jess and got a homemade cheaper green stalk and some 5 gallon buckets for growing some tomato plants etc

[@susanprice3454]

I want a LOVE BUTTON for this one. Great advise.

[@tinahopkins8520]

I so miss having my garden like I used to when I was younger. I'm now 67 with bad legs and feet from diabetes so I just can't do what I used to. Just I love watching you do what you do because it just brings me back to what I used to be able to do. Just have a lot of fun right now because you just never know what's in the future. But I do love more than just the gardening that you do. I absolutely love watching all the animals your chickens, your goats, your pigs, your dogs, etc. I so wish that I could just come over and love on all the animals. I live in Georgia so that's a little impossible to do. I just love your whole family. I am just so grateful to be able to watch you guys. 🐓🐓🐓😍😍🐔🐔

[@mahnamahna3252]

I hope that you have, or will be able to have a patio garden, or raised beds (as in waist high) to be able grow some things

[@rebeccah1292]

I love the idea of having a garden for the children!!!

[@samerwin2503]

Another small gardening channel I enjoy is Epic Gardener!

[@michellerose6721]

Started gardening 2015- 11 brandywine tomatoes and 8 bell peppers crammed in a 4x10 foot bed. No pruning AND I used overhead sprinklers. I got ONE tomato before blight wiped them out! BUT... that was the BEST tomato I had ever eaten. Gardening has me hooked for life. Just start.....you won't regret it!

[@chomama1628]

Michelle Rose overhead sprinklers will cause tomato blight. They don’t like wet leaves. Hope this helps. 😊

[@katherynhauser2439]

Start small! Aim small miss small! Thank you Jess!

[@roxanasolomon2150]

Absolutely love your kind words and the way you encourage everyone to simply grow a garden!! We need more of you girl!! Love and hugs from Augusta, Georgia

[@brandirene8372]

Last year I could only really garden in containers. My husband built me a raised bed, but we had a huge flowerbed that was landscaped with some of your average garden plants like heavenly bamboo and those huge grassy iris... and so much landscape rock. Your channel, along with calikim, self sufficient me, and garden answer built my confidence so much. I spent all of fall and winter removing the landscape rock, removing the plants I didn’t enjoy, amending the soil with compost, worm castings and chicken manure. I now have a much larger space to garden and I am so excited! Now I need to figure out how to keep my chickens from digging up my seedlings in that garden ☺️ thanks for all you do I love love your channel and your sweet family!

[@genevievegreene1595]

Hi Jess. I am spending the day in bed with chest pains so this video is a gift. My first garden was a 4 by 4 ft plastic tub and a few buckets. I planted hot peppers, okras, herbs and one tomato. The tomato grew wild and didn't bear but then someone gave me a cherry tomato plant and just when I thought it was never gonna happen it exploded with tomatoes. My space is bigger now and I have planted it with trees and watermelon, okras and squash. Peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and herbs in half-barrels. I hope I can get out there tomorrow.

[@dianesanders5705]

Something I always plant in my small garden, are herbs. They take up very little space, are easy to preserve and produce a lot. And, they can be expensive.

[@dystopiagear6999]

Many herbs also provide benefits to the vegetable plants and soil around them. Companion planting is a beautiful thing :)

[@mikkibates7854]

Rosemary is a really fun and easy one to plant. Mint is lovely, but in its own pot- because it can REALLY spread.

[@wendyburston3132]

And you can share. I planted one Sage plant last year. This year as everything died back I saw that there were at least three plants.

[@halfwaythereatcampdowning6831]

Funny cabbage story for you- we planted 4 cabbages in great soil with composted manure and mulched around them with staw to keep the leaves clean and the soil moist. We harvested the lower leaves of them a few at a time and the cabbages just kept blooming like big roses all summer and we just kept eating the big leaves off the bottom. We probably had three to five meals a week with them as sides or fermented right up till frost. It was awesome.

[@deniseclay3681]

Jess, you are such a good teacher and so encouraging! Love your vlogs. Been watching you for a couple of years now. Last year we put in our first cattle panels in our garden because of you. 😊 I've learned so much from watching your garden tours, and listening to all your tips for growing a garden. Last year was also the first time I really planned a layout for my plants or seeds, looked at last and first frost dates, planting by the moon and things like that. I love gardening now! Thank you for the encouragement to just try. It's never a fail....just a learning experience. God bless you, Miah, and your beautiful family.

[@dshoneycomb96]

My husband and I are starting our first garden. We’ve been discouraged because of where we live / not having a lot of space, but have decided it’s something we desire to do and feel God is leading us to do as well. This whole world of gardening can be very overwhelming yet full of excitement, learning and experience. So thankful that you have so much to share for beginner gardeners you have such a peaceful and encouraging way about you Jess and I really appreciate you ! Thank you for your videos my dear sister in Christ 🧡

[@kirkb2286]

One thing I do also is find out what my neighbors eat and plant extra for them ...your reward from doing this is immeasurable

[@jodihodge7909]

I just wanted to say that your channel has meant so much to me for the last week. Spending time walking through your garden has lifted my spirits daily when I needed it. Can I plant a garden and grow food right now? No, I can not for many reasons but instead what you have brought to me is something else. You have said, see, look - here is life, see the small things grow into big things - and the spirit that you do that with - it's a miracle to me you made these 2 years ago, last year and they are bringing me hope and joy today. That means something, it's meant something to me and I thank you. I bless you.

[@tatianka30006]

What happens when you watch a Roots and Refuge video right before bed? ..you dream about going back in time to tell young Jessica how awesome her life is going to be: "Hi, I'm from the future!" Hahahahaha We had a small space a couple of years ago while we were looking for our house. I would definitely vote summer squash/zucchini as a must for a small garden - they produce and produce and produce! We ate zucchini or squash every single day from when they first started producing until we moved to our new house in September, and I also dehydrated some to put in soups over winter, and I also froze some zucchini bread fro winter.

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

I love this so much. I don’t know that she would have believed you

[@marinigrey4913]

@@RootsandRefugeFarm yeah great idea i still have time to put in about 2 zucchini plants in my garden... Just gotta find a way to work them into my small garden..

[@Alexis_9339]

Never thought of dehydrating for soups!

[@bobboomer3755]

My wife is a fine example.. She would not eats beets, until she had some fresh from the garden. I have to plant some every year now. Thanks for your channel, enjoy very much.

[@King_of_carrot_flowers]

If I only had space to grow three vegetables (in the U.K.) I'd grow runner beans, courgettes/zucchini's, and mixed salad greens (cheating). All incredibly productive for the size of their footprint in my garden. I know that neither runner beans or zucchinis are very productive for Jess due to high temps and squash bugs, respectively, which goes show it all depends on what grows well for you.

[@wendyburston3132]

Yes my runner beans saved us a ton of money this year, Tottenham Ontario Canada. They had a slow start because of the bugs but I asked the Lord to bless them (beans not bugs 🤪) and once the flowers were left alone, wow, a pot full each week.

[@catelyngrace6903]

Black and white answers just got me! Your endless advice is absolutely wonderful.

[@heartstonecampground1081]

Looking for “Black and white answers for gray questions...” I’m putting that one on the fridge ;-)

[@Sky-Child]

Wow! I would buy a t shirt of that

[@darleneclark6098]

I've been gardening since I could walk with my Dad. He taught me so much, but I'm still learning new things every year. For instance, this is the first time I'm starting from seed. Tried several times, and never had success. Thanks to you and living traditions homestead I'm having great success so far. My salad mixes are almost ready to harvest. Just transplanted 32 pickling cucumber s and 27 regular cucumber s. I went a little crazy lol😂 didn't think every seed would sprout

[@vynedvyne59]

“Please don’t let the ideal discourage you from reality”. Jess-Amen Sister

[@ramibu239]

We live in town/city so dont have a place for a garden. We live on a lot w/ very well established flower beds & don't really want to tear up the lawn for a garden bed - also, we both have physical limitations to do so. We do however, have a very large bricked patio so a couple of years ago I started vegetable gardening w/ containers (we already had several herbs planted this way). I started w/ a couple of tomatoes (that yielded so many that we had to share w/ neighbors, family & friends!😅) & lettuce. Last year I did radishes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumbers & bush beans. This year I will be adding a couple of bush melons (watermelon & cantaloupe), & I want to try celery. And Jess is right w/ growing up! In a small space it saves room. But for us - w/ mobility issues) - it saves our backs! Being able to harvest from a tall container &/or w/ vertical growth has made it possible for us to be able to get out & harvest some of our own food again - something we didn't think would ever be possible for us!!!

[@avonleanne]

Jess, you are a huge reason I have turned my waiting room into a classroom! I have doubled my space for this year, as last year, i had great success in my little garden, thank you for all the knowledge you have learned. I have really learned a lot and hope to learn even more this year....

[@karenokeane6461]

Wasps have always been a major problem in my area, so last year I filled containers with marigolds, spearmint and lemon balm---all of which are known (from my research) to be potent wasp repellents....they worked like a charm--didn't see one for over 6 months, and other flying insects were greatly diminished---Jessica was spot on when saying it's good to take your household needs/wants into account when planning a garden....My need for natural/effective bug repellent was far more pressing than growing food. Am doing the same this year, and l have in the meantime found great ways to use those plants for recipes...even made Jessica's Lemon Balm/Honey tonic, and gifted a couple of bottles of it this past Christmas. It's been interesting discovering how many plants are actually very useful pest repellents.

[@gardeningjunkie2267]

Wasps eat tons of harmful insects. You might not want them in a food garden, but they're fantastic in an ornamental garden.

[@gritglorygracehomestead9673]

What I don’t understand is why you have ANY dislikes EVER .... I love absolutely every video of yours

[@laurenhaber3412]

"A girl who had success because she tried, that's my story" I love that. I think you do such great service beyond what you imagine Jess, you really touch people. Maybe you are some kind of prophet. Thank you for everything u do, for every time you've tried. : )

[@brianramsey3824]

Gary at the Rusted Garden really hammers home it's not about gardening based on absolutes and more about principles.

[@Cheezyjr]

I have a small patio garden and have grown peppers and tomatoes for a couple years. Last year I had a tough time with disease and pests and was very discouraged (covid didn’t help). I’m so glad I found your channel. I’ve learned so much from you and I have regained my enthusiasm for gardening. I’m starting a variety of veggies from seed this year and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

[@lilygirl5099]

What has held me back so much in gardening is telling myself that I'm not experienced enough for things. Definitely seeing channels like yours where I can see you trying new things, has helped me learn I need to just go for it and learn. Especially because no youtube channel will have the exact same soil, weather, etc as me.

[@prestonthompson_]

wow, Jess. First off you’re such an amazing soul and I love you’re channel and your passion. been enjoying watching you for quite some time. I’ve been gardening for the past 4 years now and have really been thinking of making a channel myself as gardening really is something I feel is deeply embedding in my life and personality. You and MIGardener have definitely been my biggest inspirations so just want to let you know to keep doing what you’re doing and keep being who you are! happy growing and happy (almost) SPRING!!

[@donnas867]

Where is the love button? I so needed to watch this today, as I am struggling with a small garden, wishing I had room for a full scale large garden like when I was a kid. Thank you!

[@angelaevoe597]

It amazes me how well you explain gardening and how knowledgeable you are...like you think of everything...I’m a new subscriber and I’ve been blown away by just how much you know about gardening...such an inspiration 🥰🥰🥰

[@dystopiagear6999]

THANK YOU for explaining *how* and *why* to consider what's really worthwhile planting, especially in terms of upfront cost and return. Soooo many self-proclaimed experts are out there telling people they must go buy a 20-gallon container that costs $15+ and fill it with several $3 bags of store-bought potting soil to grow one tomato plant... spending $30+ on one container/plant for just a few pounds of maters simply doesn't make any sense to beginners. Other than perhaps lack of time, it seems the number one thing stopping people from getting started in gardening is the cost, and those "experts" telling them they have to spend hundreds of dollars just to get started planting a few seeds or starts are not helping one bit.

[@jamiehankins1058]

ive been watch ur channel for nearly 2 years now to do and to educate my self to do and honnor my daddys passion of planting food now hes in heaven and whale watching one of your videos ur from conway and if just out side star city i was like OMG! finally some one near me makes planting soooo much better so thank you so much for your videos Jess i hope i can make my daddy happy by loving his love of growing things

[@M3Honestly]

I live in the same zone but in a much drier climate, last year was my first "real" garden and summer squash did so stellar but cucumbers were a bust. So for anyone just starting out in a dessert climate, grow squash!! I literally had two zucchini and two yellow squash plants and they produced SO MUCH!

[@Chanel95-d6u]

You’re amazing Jess! Such great straightforward advice, all done in such a friendly way! Thank you.🌱

[@frugalmomofmany]

We used to sell produce at the Farmer's Market in a larger city. I remember once when a lady had no idea what okra was because she thought it was black when it was ready. 😂 She had only ever seen the yucky stuff in the store that is already beginning to turn dark. Okra is my absolute FAVORITE food. I am so excited to finally have a garden again after having moved a few years ago. We're finally ready for it, and you're giving me so many good ideas! Thank you!!!

[@faithbuller4086]

Great way to encourage a potential gardener!

[@GrammaDebsStorytime]

Jess, I really enjoyed watching you in this video...I could just see the excitement and passion you have for the garden! I am going to share this on my FB garden page

[@Michelle-go5nv]

Yeah...so just found your channel. Currently binge watching. Love you.

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

Welcome!!!

[@OGKenG]

No, Jess. Chicken keepers are actually better known as... ...wait for it... ...Chicken Tenders

[@revonda5204]

LOL!! 😂

[@rachelhall4808]

Chicken tenders!!!! 😂😂😂

[@maryjemisonMaryjay1936]

Ken G. Chicken Nuggets

[@tmcruz825]

Chicken tenders is what my mom calls my husband and I.

[@dreamleaf6784]

Thanks for this little nugget

[@SuperKingslaw]

Nice commentary Jess. That recommendation on Radishes, Beets, and Greens is Golden! Thanks.

[@MELODYMUNRO]

I visited my community garden to see what, how and when they were growing stuff - lots of good info and nice people; willing to share their passion and knowledge.

[@yvonnedavid91]

Your are very inspiring to the hobby style gardener as well.

[@mancavegamingandgardening9901]

Solid advice as always Jess! You really never know what type of audience to expect when starting a KZbin channel. I'm a foul-mouthed suburbanite from WI that loves PC Gaming....this channel is so far from that, and its one of the first videos I look forward to in my daily KZbin binge. Keep up the awesome work, GG.

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

I love having you with us!

[@monabrown5710]

Great video. I started gardening when I was 14. Its been a 44 year adventure. I'm always learning. I currently live in the city and because my backyard is small and taken over by 2 huge Great Danes, I am mostly gardening in containers right now. You've inspired me to plant earlier in the season. I like to grow plants that are known as the "dirty dozen" because when commercially grown, they use such horrible pesticides, etc. So I do grow carrots..in containers. I will plant 50 seeds in a container and then harvest some as baby carrots and leave some to get larger and more mature. Win-win. I just love the flavor of home grown over even commercially grown organic. I think it's very cost effective to grow herbs..they are so expensive in the stores. LOVE your videos! Happy gardening!

[@suesweetpea7]

I AM DEFINITELY NOT AN EXPERT GARDNER AND COULD USE ALL THE HELP I CAN GET ESPECIALLY SINCE I HADN'T GROWN ANYTHING FOR OVER 25 YEARS LET ALONE IN FLORIDA. I HAVE NO PROBLEM GROWING FLOWERS OR OUTSIDE BORDER BED PLANTS BUT VEGETABLES HAS BEEN ANOTHER STORY. I AM GROWING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS AND RAISED BEDS THIS SEASON AND I AM PRAYING I HAVE SOME SUCCESS AND SO FAR EVERYTHING I HAVE PLANTED HAS COME UP AND DOING GOOD SO FAR. I DID MESS UP MY FIRST RADISHES I PLANTED THEM TO CLOSE AND THEY DIDN'T BULB, THE GREENS WERE BEAUTIFUL JUST NO BULBS SO STARTED ANOTHER ROUND WITH MORE SPACE BETWEEN EACH PLANT.

[@jekalambert9412]

Your videos are always packed with practical well thought advice. You are so much appreciated! Thank you and bless you for doing what you do.

[@Cidtalk]

Absolutely amazing advice. I love that you have found your focus for your channel. I appreciate all your videos, even if I don't watch them all:) I support your goal of educating, and I think something you have created is also community and togetherness in a world that is increasingly divided. I'm sure the scope of different people who watch and learn from you is mind boggling...which is a credit to you, who you are, how you are, how much you care.

[@kiarakeeper2154]

I'm starting my first garden, because you inspired me! I rent a house, so planting in the ground, I could probably do, but I don't have the desire to improve the land when I'm only going to be here a short time. So I'm trying out container gardening. And I'm only starting with two vegetables.

[@shannonessig5959]

It's addicting. My first garden started with 3 big plastic tubs-- the kind people use to store their out of season clothes or christmas decorations in. Drilled holes in the bottom, bought some Kellogg patio plus soil and a couple of plants. Peppers, zucchini, herbs. By the end of the summer... I had 3 peppers, 8 chiles, 5 tomatoes, 2 okra, 3 squash, a lot more herbs, and moving into fall, I was prepping to plant beans, greens, and roots. Good luck and have fun.

[@willow8094]

@@shannonessig5959 that's awesome ! Gardening pulls you in and is fun

[@dystopiagear6999]

I *love* to hear about people starting out with a couple buckets or tubs! In my hometown many of the sellers at the farmer's market are renters who grow all the produce they sell in containers, because they're not allowed to tear up the lawn. But they've built up to where it's an important part of paying their bills. Get started and see where it leads you!

[@lindasmith106]

Haybale gardening is an option

[@pvp6077]

@@dystopiagear6999 Wow, seriously? Most of the sellers from my local farmers market are out-of-towners; commercial family farms from a few hours south where the growing conditions are better (the joys of living in Canada) but they only go one day a week to different town markets (ex Sat in Toronto, Sun in Kitchener) so there's always one really busy day and the other market days (we have two weekend and one weekday market) are fairly quiet. It's never occured to me to consider selling homegrown produce or products there, being a renter, but I'll have to look into local bylaws and see if that might actually be a viable option here, because that would be a great next step to work towards with my garden

[@Monkchip]

What a big help in planning for small areas and 🐕 .

[@twoturtles7030]

Thank you mam, I think I will work on compost this year and that way be ready for next year, in the meantime support local farmers market. Lots of work, hats off to your dedication. Keep growing and be well.💗

[@villagesteader3552]

Hello and thank you from a wannabe gardener in western New York! Do what you can do now, yes YES. That’s just what I needed to hear. I bought a ton of seeds and now I’m kind of overwhelmed but after listening to you my plan is evolving! I♥️your channel, you and your family have a very special connection that resonates with me. Again thank you 😎

[@cheriemartin3767]

A while back you shared A Slice of Heaven Homestead . I was in awe of how small of a space she was growing in..

[@lauragiannavola9597]

I stumbled across your channel today and love it! I am a fairly new gardener and this year has been the most successful in my small garden (maybe because of no traveling due to corona? LOL) I also live in Arkansas and am excited to learn from your videos. You make this stuff so understandable---thank you!

[@vanessaliceaga578]

I love this video. I have enough room for a decently large garden in my yard but know I’d be overwhelmed. Your explanation of what you’d put in the kids garden was absolutely PERFECT! Thank-you so much!

[@janelleroads6011]

In my suburban home we planted fruit trees and blueberry bushes. Looked nice and gave food.also, Rosemary looks good as a foundation plant, smells great , and good to cook with. I think they might have some medicinal uses as well.

[@jenbriggs1041]

So, I've been binge watching a lot of your videos haha. i just love your energy and your outlook on a lot of aspect in gardening and in life. i cant not agree more with the point you made that store bought tastes so much different from home grown. and i try to encourage everyone to at least try food that they have deemed they dont like because of that fact. My family and i lived in Kentucky when my kids were very young, and when the youngest was just under 2 we had to move from our lush kentucky farm to babyolyn to try to make our dreams come true. (friends let us live with them and we want to build up a place of our own) but growing up there my youngest had NEVER had a store bought tomato and when we moved up here he absolutely refused to eat any tomato from the store. Cant not stress enough how much love and taste and bodily nourishment are in home grown foods. Again, thanks so much for making all these videos! i hope our pathes cross because you seem amazing! and i would love to geek over garden stuff with someone that has the same passion!

[@karentohm881]

You are very wise & a great teacher. God bless you.

[@marinigrey4913]

Thank you for your video's... I, myself have a small garden since I only rent a house its hard to put in place what I would really love to plant. But I am using a 4×10 space out front of my house and I even built a small fence around it with a swinging door to get into it... In that i have some tomato plants some pepper plants (hot and bell) and a couple of bean plants and cucumbers with a home made trellis. The neighborhoods all compliment on how beautiful it is.. At one time I did have a big back yard garden that i was able to even have a grape vine. The first year it didnt produce so much but the 2nd year it came back beautifully... And my kale was a monster plant.. Its main stalk was so thick that i was able to harvest well into cold month's also... Tomato, peppers and cucumbers galore.. I hope this small garden produces as well for its size.. We will let you know by the end of this month.. I'm already seeing the beans and baby peppers...

[@jeanc5199]

My ex set up a big, beautiful suburban garden. When he moved out I let it go. After 2 years I put sod over half so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. It still took a while, last year I finally decided to TRY. I found you while looking for seed starting help and then I learned from you & others. I started some seeds, cleaned out the mess of weeds, built 2 small raised beds because you used them, I grew herbs & carrots & potatos in pots & buckets I found in the shed & tried other things in the ground. I ended up with enough peppers & tomatos to freeze & so much more! Thank you for the inspiration to try, to succeed, & to learn from failure.

[@JefesGarden]

You read my mind. I have a small (4'x4') indoor garden, and I'm still feeling out what will fit, and how it all fits together (under my limited lighting) like a happy little Tetris veggie tent. Indoor is a different beast, but it's all relatively similar. Your garden is beautiful and inspiring. Keep it up! ✌❤

[@hidawayhomestead524]

I started with this little raised bed 3 springs back. What you can't see is the large plot of gravel everywhere else. You can't grow squat in gravel. Now, from the wonders of compost, I have tripled my space and growing! Bless you Jess for everything you do on your channel. Stay safe and God bless you my friend.🌱🐐🐇🐄🐓🌱

[@sharonhendricks9706]

You are such an encourager! I love your enthusiasm and your practicality. Good information for newbies.

[@lindap9079]

Watching you transplant starts, takes me back to my adolescent years when that was one of my chores. Do your (older) children help with the gardening?

[@janfitzmorris5259]

Jess, yesterday it was 30 degrees in Kansas. I happened upon your first video and watched most of them for 5 hours yesterday. You and your husband have inspired me. Thank you

[@homesteadingwithPJ]

Awesome video (again)! So helpful! I wish I had this info years ago before I lived somewhere with land to really plant and grow. I discovered your channel about a year ago and it inspired me to actually take action and make my own homesteading dreams come true! I love your honesty and path to making it big on KZbin. I know you mentioned that you imagined your channel being more about chickens or goats but has turned into more gardening focused. I found you originally when looking for ways to make money homesteading and your video talking about eating a super delicious egg with a big golden yolk at a restaurant. I think you said you took drastic actions to get a make a healthier flock of layers. Loved it! That really motivated me to be homesteading for the right reasons. In my case that's creating healthier foods for my family and friends. Please keep making videos. They are great forms of inspiration for my own channel (I'm mostly talking about sheep). I have two ewes getting ready to lamb and I'll have a video out on that as soon as they drop!

[@pamelaticer2469]

Hey Jess found you by watching Living Traditions Homestead Nice addition for my passion to grow. Sorry I only have large stone pots now but had dead space garden on side of house I built from rocks i removed. Built a path and border . Took my compost and mixed in with soils I added and mixed. Grew cantelope and lemon cucumber from seeds in the compost unexpectedly! Then moved to 3 okra and 3 tomatoes and cukes. All in the side dead space on side of house!

[@arios8121]

Tina Rios here! You and MIgardner helped me last summer with my first raised bed! You are so right, learning from a small space first is so helpful and less overwhelming. I learned sooo much. My grand kids love cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, so I grew that. But I wanted them to explore veg. So grew squash, other tomatoes, bell peppers, egg plants. Grand kids did most of picking and ate these. My grand daughter would eat bells peppers right off plant! What I learned, ...aphids can be so tiny you can't see them! Aphids attract ants! Ground squirrels,...grrr! Tomatoes won't set above 95 degees, except cherry tomatoes! How to garden on water restrictions 😢. So I had to explore internet (you and MIgardner), books, master gardeners to problem solve. Thanks for your help! Trying again this year!

[@sheilak4493]

I just wanted you to know God brought your sweet boys before me this morning... praying for protection and that God will place his angels all around...love you

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

Thank you!!!

[@Freakontheway]

Hey dear Jess, thank you for sharing your tips and tricks about gardening in a small space. Although I consider our gardens 'small space', combined they are pretty big, enough to give us food to survive ;) I managed to film and make stop motion stuff from us working in the garden(s)!! Now I need to find out what editing program is liking me, and how I can edit... As soon as I'm 'on air', I will tell you !! I bless you, dear one. Love, Diana, from The Netherlands/Holland

[@camirrawilliamson92]

As someone who has had a small garden for a few years I can say that these tips are on point for sure. You can grow so many things in a small space and its very satisfying. I learned alot my first year. Like that I don't need that many tomato and pepper plants. me and hubby basically just eat them fresh in omlettes and a few dishes, no need to plant 10 of them like I did last year. but I loved the fresh melons and wish I had more, so I'll do more of them for sure.

[@pandorahunter]

Your smile makes me smile. I realized I had been smiling most that video😃

[@melizabethphoto]

Recently came across your channel and wanted to tell you how much I love your videos. Your videos are very helpful and spark lots of ideas. This was just the kind of video I needed to see as I prepare to begin planting in my new tiny garden. Thank you!

[@wendinovak4939]

Thank you for taking the time to explain things in detail

[@Frank-sq1th]

Jess, you are just amazing !! I love watching your videos You are a natural for this type of media !! You and your husband both are really amazing at what you have and continue to accomplish !!! Thank you for being you !!

[@jchny00]

Loved this one. I did the stupid huge garden my first year. Got some food, and tons of weeds! Following year did a lot of corn, lasted a full year. (finally had a tiller) Fast forward 10 years I don't plant near as much, just what my family really eats. I did 1 okra plant last year, thanks to you and got flat hooked! So this year they rank right up there with my tomatoes.

[@mahnamahna3252]

I've had a huge garden before. Moved into the city and now I have a patio lol When there were little ones running around i planted sunflowers in wide rows and let the pole beans climb up and create an arch. Beans were 5he only things the kids "helped" pick that year and they loved running through the rows. My neighbor also hunted and appreciated the doves coming to him that year lol

[@christineporter6940]

Love it.... so true!!! Make use of what you have and learn from real life experience. Thank you!!!

[@blueraven2345]

Omg, I’m so happy I found your channel. I’m about to plant my first garden and your advice is so so appreciated and gives me the confidence I need to get going. Also,if you experience some success with your first garden you’re much more likely to continue. So many of us don’t have anyone we can ask, so thank you ! 😁💕 Blessings.

[@iartistdotme]

AWESOME video! You are my gardening cheerleader!

[@kendrameza-ochoa1512]

You have been such an inspiration to me. I am looking forward getting started on my vegetable garden during this time of isolation. Bless you for your love of teaching, and your passion to grow as a gardener, and your trust and faith in God. - Much love from Santa Barbara, California❤️

[@PatricesProjects]

Wow Jess, you were spot on! So much valuable, and, coming from an experienced gardener with limited space, valid information. I garden year round, and people come by and want to know what I am growing, so I have the opportunity to tell them so many of the things you just talked about. I have radishes growing between the potatoes I just planted. There is lettuce where the peppers will be when it warms up more. Garlic, carrots and onions are down the center of all of the longer beds. Great examples using the children's garden.

[@cindyj-g4078]

Okay, I haven't even finished watching this video but had to comment n thank you for showing me how to thin my seedlings. No one has ever done that. You're talking and I'm just watching your hands. Thank you. This small gesture is so inspiring in itself. I've just discovered your channel and have inspired my husband to copy your cow panel vertical crop walkway. Thank you so much from Texas, zone 9a, lol.

[@GrammaRosesHomestead]

I just shared this with my daughter. Darn, I hope she pays attention! Love you, girl!

[@hannahrosefl]

I've been reading "High Value Veggies" by Mel Bartholomew and it supports so much of what you are saying!

[@fallenangelwi25]

I am so excited for our garden this year 😍🌱❤️🍅💙🌿❤️!!!!!!

[@cltinturkey]

Such wise words! I disagree on one thing--okra. I grew it one year, yielded a ton, and no one I know eats okra. Don't make the same mistake. Eat what you like, but Jess's advice on the value and volume is so important. Everything tastes better home grown! Herbs and maybe a couple small flowers give good value for money and attract pollinators. Happy growing! I expect to get your book in the next few weeks.

[@j.b.6855]

Starting out small is great advice, and small is relative. I started out last year (my first year gardening) on my patio thinking to start small and learn. Its a small space compared to the rest of the yard. I ended up with 18 wicking buckets. I limited the types of plants, 6 tomato, 6 bell pepper, and 6 cucumbers. It worked out amazingly well and this year I tripled my garden area by wood chipping a large section of the back yard. I will continue to do container gardening. Wicking buckets are amazing, and I trellis up for vining plants. But I will have 2 kiddie pool raised beds thanks to a suggestion in an earlier video here. I rescued them out of the trash last fall. I might turn the larger of the two into a wicking bed using 4 inch drainage pipe. One thing for a small garden with a lot of impact is herbs. With the cost of fresh herbs in the store its a no brainer.

[@andrawilson3705]

I LOVE your channel. It is so fun and relaxing, AND inspiring. You make me want to go plant !! Thank you for your precious smile. God bless you.

[@marcs7847]

I was literally sitting here with my tomato seedlings debating if they were ready to separate and then I saw they looked just like yours. I gave you a thumbs up just for the confidence to work on my garden today. Then the knowledge you give made me made me subscribe. Keep up the good work!

[@christiensgarden3325]

Absolutely fantastic video and it will help lots and lots of people great job Jess

[@lesliebillb3639]

This is a positive comment, but it may not sound like it's heading that way. I started watching not because I do any of what you do. I guess I'm just curious. Normally, I wouldn't have watch this entire vlog. But it came on after another vlog and I was doing something else, so I listened to it's entirety. You are fantastic! I have been considering a vertical garden (using a pallet), as we live just outside of Phoenix. But, I lost my momentum. Then I heard all of what you said. Wow & wow! Now I'm excited all over again. Such well thought out, excellent advice! I'll be back in touch when I succeed in growing some things. We would definitely love to have cilantro & basil. Thank you for some much needed wind in my sails!