When I was a little girl, I spent a lot of quality time with my family. And not just my immediate family, but grandparents too! Many of them are, or were, avid gardeners. I have learned so much about gardening simply by observing them when I was a young child. This is a great reminder to me today to always invite and involve my children in my gardening!
Here are the Top 5 tips I have learned from my family about growing fruits and veggies in my backyard garden.
1. Soil Quality Matters.
•Make sure to use high quality, organic fertilizer to supplement your soil.
•No matter what climate you reside in, always top your soil with great quality, organic wood chips to help regulate temperature and moisture.
2. Water on a Schedule.
•Whether you water by hand, or by drip system, try to water at the same time each day…preferably in the early morning or evening, when the sun is not directly overhead.
3. Speaking of watering, it’s the roots that need it, NOT the leaves!
•Watering leaves can cause damage to the plant, such as sunburn spots or mold.
4. Read the planting recommendations.
•Each plant will have instructions such as “full sun,” “partial sun,” or “shade only.” Apparently, it is important to pay attention to these!
•You can use a hoop house to create warmth with clear plastic if that is what you need, or put shade cloth over the hoops if you need a little less sun!
5. Protect your plants from birds once they begin to flower, BUT make sure bees and other pollinators can still get to the flowers!
•no pollinators = no fruit
•I recommend bird netting or chicken wire that’s removable (so you can get in to harvest and pull weeds).
In addition to the above five tips, I have three more that I’ve learned from the biggest gardeners in our family. I will share them here because I want you to have ALLLLL the gardening tools (no pun intended). 
From my Mom: I learned to invest in a good pair of garden clippers/shears. It makes pruning and harvesting a breeze! She takes them every time she goes into the garden.
From my paternal grandfather: I learned that tomatoes do best when held up inside a tomato cage. He had an elaborate step garden full of tomatoes, and they were the juiciest I have ever tasted.
From my maternal grandfather: I learned that onions and strawberries do best in long rows, while raspberries and blackberries do best when trellised with plenty of space to roam. He has the greenest thumb I’ve ever seen, and he can make just about anything grow!!
Here is one last bit of advice, but this time, it’s directly from my heart. Think about using your gardening time to not only tend to your plants, but also your heart. Let the fresh air, sunshine, and dirt in your hands rejuvenate your soul, nourish your heart, and bring you a deep sense of joy. To remind you, click here to get three save-worthy photos with a few of my favorite gardening verses. You might like to cut them out, and put them on card stock, and 
put them around your house where you’ll see them!
Jeremiah 29:11
Genesis 2:15
1 Corinthians 3:7