A few weeks ago, I asked you to help find the best gardening resources in Chattanooga. There were some helpful responses and my wife and I are even planning to take a class on gardening soon from Crabtree Farms.

If we don’t have success with a garden this year, it’s not for a lack of effort on your part. You had some great suggestions about upcoming classes + the types of seeds/starter plants to buy. Here were a few:

“We always go to the Barn Nursery or Crabtree farms for the best plants in the Spring.” — Brandon R
“For native plants, the best source is Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center…”— Larry M
“Starting from seed is always cheaper than buying plants for other veggies.” — Chris B
“Make a ‘salsa’ garden! Few types of tomatoes, peppers and herbs like cilantro. Very hardy plants and could make a yummy dish too.” — Andy D
“Peppers and Tomatoes... and get an automatic watering setup to make your life easy.” — Sam H
“If you have full sun, zinnias. You literally just rough up the soil, toss some seeds, and lightly press the seeds into the dirt. In two months you’ll have tons of flowers.” — David B.

Gardening 101

The National Gardening Association suggests the best time for “frost-free growing” is a 217 day period between April 1 and Nov. 4. You can start many vegetables inside right now — tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes — and others can be planted directly in the ground later.

The key is waiting for that last frost and then doing your outside gardening thang asap.

Another thing to take note of before you ever plant a seed is the associated United States Department of Agriculture zone we inhabit. It’s also a guide to when you should start planting. (Chattanooga is zone 7b.)

Readers suggested the resources below specifically for Tennessee gardeners:

UT Extension Institute of Agriculture’s 2019 Calendar

This is a bit of a novel, but contains more tips than you’ll ever need about gardening + a handy day-by-day overview of when you need to do certain things. For example, by Friday (Feb. 15) any crops that would be planted in March and April should be seeded inside for transplant during the upcoming season. (That means, you need to start thinking about it now.) This additional guide on planting a vegetable garden is pure gold.

Master Gardeners of Hamilton County

When in doubt go to the experts. No other organization knows gardening in our region like the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County. They offer plenty of helpful articles, including a month-by-month gardening guide + when to plant your favorite herbs. They also provide monthly classes and a path to become a master gardener. (Pro-tip: Mark your calendars for the 7th annual “Master Your Garden” Garden Expo April 13-14.)

Tennessee Valley Wild Ones

It’s always better to consider native plants when building your own garden. Wild Ones offers guides on how to “heal the earth, one yard at the time,” including how to start your own native plant garden + select native plants.

Here are some other great resources/businesses in Chattanooga to help answer your gardening questions:

Some upcoming gardening classes/events to put on your calendar:

🌱 Crabtree Farms Ready to Garden class | Sat., March 9 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | $20 | Join Sara McIntyre, Crabtree’s dirt loving executive director, as she makes vegetable gardening approachable. This class is both conversational and informative. Participants will leave with reference materials, basic gardening knowledge, and newfound confidence.

🌱Plant Natives 2019: Symposium + Expo | Sat., March 16 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | UTC | 615 McCallie Ave. | $65 | The Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones presents its eighth annual Plant Natives 2019 Symposium and Expo. The theme for the weekend of events is "Partnering with Nature." Enjoy classes + workshops.

🌱Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale + Festival | April 5-7 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Free | The annual sale offers gardeners healthy, sustainably grown fruit, vegetable, flower, and herb plant starts for their spring and summer gardens.

🌱Garden Expo at Camp Jordan | April 13-14 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Camp Jordan | 323 Camp Jordan Parkway | $10 | Focusing on gardening and the outdoors, the expo brings together an array of exhibits, demonstrations, educational activities, and vendors of interest to experienced gardeners, gardening enthusiasts, browsers, and children.

More reader suggestions:

“I am not great at "planting" but I feel like herbs are always easy & pretty much care for themselves. They are kind of the cats of gardening in my opinion, ha. If you get lots of sun, maybe cherry tomatoes & peppers. If you have room for something to spread like wildfire Zucchini or Squash. As a non green thumb those are all I have had luck with really.” — Breck S.
“Rosemary, thyme, and dill for cooking. Lil tomatoes and peppers. I have a pear tree at the house that I cannot wait to harvest.” — Jessica W.
“If you want to attract wildlife/birds, plant things that are native to the area. So many people plant flowers and plants that don’t naturally grow in our ecosystem, and the birds don’t know what to do with them so they won’t flock to your yard.” — Meghan H.
“Here's a tip for beginners: always remember "seed to soil". Also, if you're transplanting, sharing perennials from neighbors or elderly family members, always remember ... Weep, Sleep, Leap. It's true. It usually takes a few years for some transplants to show out.” — Gail M.
“Tomato plants do well in landscaping areas as well (we've replaced all our "plants" with food.) But don't want a ton of water. Peppers also do well in a lot of sun. Okra will grow like magic. More than you could ever eat. And cucumber/squash/zucchini will grow faster than you can eat them.” — Justin M.

Thanks for all your comments + suggestions.

— Sean