New to gardening

Happy New Year, RM, and welcome to the wonderful world of gardening.

First, let me compliment you on wanting to involve your children in this most healthful, most "spiritual" of activities! Plus, you get to eat real food that has not sat in a truck or train for 'n' period.

Now:

1. The "contraption" is a composter. You put leaves, grass, any garden waste into it, as well as table scraps EXCLUDING meat, fat, grease, bones. You cover the composter so the contents will "cook", and keep it moist. After several months, you scoop out of the bottom the most wonderful black, crumbly stuff that you mix with garden soil when transplanting, and/or put around your existing plants.

There are many models of composters, ranging from fancy rotating drums to simple heaps. You can get tons of info on the Web, and also at your neighborhood garden nursery or big box homeowners store.

1. To get input on this question, you need to say where you are located. On most garden groups, people put their "zone"; for example I am in So.Calif coastal, USDA (dept of agriculture) Zone 8, and Western Garden Book Zone 24.

We look forward to heating about your location.

(Remember that even in the most extreme climates, your greenhouse idea can be made to work. Even with little to no sunshine, grow-lights can be used.)

Persephone

found this link;

There's a LOT of composting info on the web.

Carl

I am a passionate advocate of raised garden beds. Just type the phrase "raised garden beds" into Google "images" and you will see pictures of almost every type of raised garden. Also, go to:

Rav> Hello Gardening Experts!

Compost bin? Compost crock for the kitchen? Check out Gardener's Supply

It would take a book to answer that ;-) so I will recommend the excellent Greenhouse Gardener's Companion by Shane Smith

NGAs Kids Gardening

The Garden Gate