There are many good reasons for growing a vegetable garden in Mississippi.

• A garden offers the opportunity to enjoy vegetables at their freshest. Sometimes only minutes elapse between harvest, preparation, and eating. Most fresh vegetables available at the grocery store travel about 1,800 miles between producer and consumer, and this travel often occurs over a period of several days. There’s a lot to be said for “homegrown” freshness.
• In recent years, many people are growing vegetables to save money on their grocery bill.
• A garden can be a wonderful place for children. They provide opportunities for play, learning, and having fun.

Regardless of motive, gardening can be as simple or as complex a project as you make it. As the interest in all aspects of gardening has increased, so has the need for more information and education. Careful planning can make gardening easier, more productive, and more enjoyable. In planning your garden, it is important to consider a few basics.

The answers to most questions for the beginner can be found in Extension Publication P1091 - The Garden Tabloid. Links to different sections are listed below.

The Garden Tabloid - Extension Publication 1091:

• Grow Your Own Vegetables
• Fall Gardening
• Garden Plan
• Garden Soil
• Harvesting
• Herb Gardening
• Insects: Identification and Control
• Mulching
• Organic Gardening
• Planting
• Pollination
• Storing Vegetables and Seeds
• Tomatoes - Staking
• Vegetable Diseases
• Vegetable Varieties
• Watering
• Weed Control

Also available in PDF format for easy printing.

If you've never grown a vegetable garden before, read what others say on the "Growing Vegetables" introduction page. This page also contains tips for the beginner...what and where to plant, size of garden, etc. Find additional answers to most garden questions by searching.