Gardening Questions: Give Me Your Best Advice

Oh What A Beautiful Morning. Oh What A Beautiful Day! That song just pops into my head on "spring days" like today. Sure the grass is still "off limits" to the children; too mushy and gross and the streets are a mix of pot hole city and the city beach with all the sand still on them, but there is something about a 50 degree day to give a city girl like me hope that soon...very soon it will be spring.

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I'm going to call this my spring of planting. I'm going to research plants, vegetables and flowers that will make my garden pretty, productive, and plentiful. I'm going to get my fingers dirty this spring/early summer digging up grass, mud, and gunk and getting some beds ready for growing season.

Here's where I need some help. I do not have a green thumb. I don't like to get too dirty. I have a gardening budget that's not huge, but I'm willing to invest in a few good plants. We are thinking of renting a sod cutter to cut out some beds in the backyard (East side of the house) and then there is an area by our air conditioner on the side of the house (south side) that needs some sprucing up too.

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Give your best ideas. Shoot me some gardening book names, plant names, vegetables that grow well and give a good harvest. Please start with the basics.

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Remember last year, I grew one tomato plant? I want more. I want to have couple plants in the ground as opposed to a box. I want cucumbers and some spices too.

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I want flowers that like shade and some that really like afternoon sun.

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We live in Gardening Zone 5-6 so keep that in mind with your suggestions. Doesn't that make it sound like I know what I'm talking about? I don't. Trust me.

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I want to get the kids involved too.

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Few things to remember: I'm not a farmer. I don't have a huge garden plot. I don't have a staff of gardeners that will help me keep it all up. It will be just me and the kids. Heavy Labor and Really Dirty Stuff will need to be done by the honey, but remember he works a real job too, and I have inside projects (painting the kitchen and family room) that he's suppose to work on, too.

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Ready, Set, Give your best advice. For the commenter with the best advice, I promise a "grand prize" of homemade secret recipe chocolate chip cookies. I'll even ship them to you anywhere in the continental USA.

Thanks in advance. My garden/yard thanks you too.