Welcome To Gardening 101
No syllabus, just soil – grab your veggie starters and dig in!
Story by Sophie Cadran
Illustrations by Grace Matson
Where do you buy your produce? Fred Meyer? Grocery Outlet? Trader Joe’s? The Community Food Co-op? No matter where you shop, your food’s journey doesn’t start — or end — on those store shelves. Think about it: before that crisp lettuce or fresh spinach reaches your cart, a farmer has already done the hard work — planting seeds, tending to the crops and harvesting at just the right moment. But that’s just the beginning. After being picked, your produce is washed, packed, shipped (sometimes across states or even countries) and stocked at your grocery store, waiting for you to take it home.
“Food doesn’t grow at the grocery store,” says Sharen Sandell, a certified Master Gardener through Washington State University’s program in Whatcom County — and she’s right!
According to Feeding America, 891,960 people in Washington — or one in every nine residents — face food insecurity. With the rising cost of groceries, gardening offers an accessible, hands-on way to grow your own food and reduce costs.
And the best part? You don’t need a backyard or years of experience to get started. With just a pot, some soil and a little know-how, you can harvest fresh greens right from your porch, balcony or deck. So why not start small this spring? A few leafy greens, a pot of peas — it’s easier than you think, way more rewarding than a trip to the produce aisle and a true demonstration of getting out what you put in.
GRAB A STARTER
Swing by your favorite local nursery and grab some veggie starters. Choose what you love to eat (because let’s be real, no one needs extra kale if they’re not into it). Some great spring vegetables to plant include: kale, lettuce, spinach and peas.
GIVE IT A HOME
Use a 12-inch-deep pot with a drainage hole and start with about 2 inches of small rocks at the bottom for drainage. Then, fill with potting mix and toss in a couple of handfuls of compost for extra nutrients. Make sure your mixture is light and airy
GET SOME SUN
Your veggies need 12 to 14 hours of sunlight daily, so place them somewhere bright like a balcony, porch or additional outdoor area that gets direct sunlight. If your space isn’t super sunny, get creative — you can use full-spectrum plant grow lights or hang up small mirrors and shiny plates to bounce extra sunlight onto your plants.
DON’T FORGET TO WATER
Pot your veggie starter and mist the soil with water every 48 hours. As the weather gets warmer in May and June, increase to daily watering. The soil should always feel damp but not soggy. Pro tip: Avoid watering the leaves as this can damage them.
GIVE IT SOME FOOD
Once your veggies start to mature, they’ll need fertilizer (available at most garden stores). A quick Google search will tell you what ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) your plant needs in a fertilizer.
RINSE + REPEAT FOR CONTINUOUS VEGGIES
For some vegetables like lettuce and kale, once you’ve harvested the crop, they’re done producing. To keep your supply going strong, plant a new starter or seeds after cutting so you always have fresh veggies on hand.
TIPS & BEST PRACTICES
From local gardening enthusiasts, Debbie Riseborough and Sharen Sandell
CHOOSE PLANTS THAT FIT YOUR SPACE – Spinach is compact, carrots need room to stretch, and potatoes, zucchini and squash are great space savers if you train them to grow up on trellises.
CHECK OUT THE DOLLAR STORE – Believe it or not, you can find potting soil, seeds, gloves and tools for just a dollar — I mean $1.25.
BOOST YOUR SOIL WITH EGGSHELLS – Dry eggshells, bake or air-fry them, then blend them into a powder and mix them into your soil. The calcium and magnesium help your plants grow strong! “If you have great soil, you’re going to have great plants,” Sandell said.
DON’T FEAR THE CRITTERS – Friendly bugs are a sign of healthy soil! “If it’s dry and there’s nothing living in there, your vegetables aren’t going to be living in there either,” Riseborough said.
ATTRACT POLLINATORS WITH FLOWERS – Want more veggies? Bring in the pollinators! Flowers attract beneficial bugs that help keep your crops healthy. “We’re so lucky to live in Bellingham because there are so many great pollinators we can introduce,” Riseborough said.
KNOW YOUR ZONE – Bellingham is in Zone 8b, meaning our winters are mild but still chilly. The USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone system helps gardeners know the best times to plant outdoors, so check what works best for your area!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL SEED SWAPS – Why buy when you can trade? Seed swaps are a great way to diversify your garden and connect with other local growers.
SAVE MONEY ON SOIL – Large pots can be expensive to fill! Use sticks and rocks at the bottom before adding soil to improve drainage and cut down on the amount of dirt you need.
MAXIMIZE SMALL SPACES – Short on space? Try hanging pots or train squash and beans to grow up instead of out using long sticks, trellises or chicken wire.
GET CREATIVE WITH CONTAINERS – You don’t have to use traditional pots! Laundry baskets, yogurt containers and plastic food packaging work just as well for growing delicious veggies.
TRY COMPANION PLANTING – Some plants make great neighbors! Pair them up to improve soil nutrients, repel pests or provide shade—think of it as teamwork for your garden.
GIVE YOUR PLANTS SOME BREATHING ROOM – No one likes to be too cramped! Research spacing recommendations so your plants have room to grow strong.
DIY GREENHOUSE HACK – Use saran wrap and chopsticks to create a mini dome over your plants and keep them warm on chilly nights.
STOP THE FLOWERS! – If your plant starts flowering, snip it off — you want crops, not blooms!