I never thought the day would come when I would consider planting my own garden. It's not that I don't appreciate nature. It's just that I've been an urban dweller for most of my adult life. But with kindergarten on the horizon for my twins, a big move to the suburbs is imminent. It wasn't an easy decision. Yet now that we've taken the steps to make it a reality, I've started to think about our new backyard and how fun (and relaxing?) it might be to make it look pretty and maybe even grow some of our own food. Luckily, for a novice like me, there is no shortage of resources to help me get started, especially apps to consult on my smartphone while the kids and I enjoy the great outdoors.
By the way, I'm far from the only person seeking gardening advice on the Web. Searches on Yahoo! for "gardening tips" jumped 284% this week. Queries for "vegetable garden" are up 183% and "vegetable seeds" spiked 458% in the last seven days. In terms of vegetables, Yahoo users want to know most about growing tomatoes. But blueberries and corn also are generating a lot of interest right now, too.
It can feel daunting to tackle a subject you know nothing about. As I mentioned, I'm a gardening beginner. Frankly, I killed the last houseplant I owned. So here are a few apps that caught my eye that I think could provide a good foundation for other aspiring green thumbs like me. Let me know what you think!
Herbs+ - $2.99 (iOS): Simple and clean design gives user useful information on how to plant and care for forty different herbs, as well as cooking tips and medicinal uses. Got me really excited to start growing my own basil this summer!
The Essential Garden Guide - $1.99 (iOS & Android): Great primer for planting fruits and vegetables in your garden. It's easy to navigate and also offers very in-depth content on the history and background of various species. This is also a fabulous website - www.essentialgardenguide.com/
Garden Pro - $1.99 (iOS): This is a great visual reference tool. Lets you instantly access information for 750 flowers and plants. This seems like a very useful resource while you're shopping at a nursery or admiring someone else's garden. For each flower/plant, there's a chart that shows its season and how much light and water it needs to grow, plus a guide to pests.
Pests in the Garden - $.99 (iOS & Android) - Provides illustrations and troubleshooting tips fro dealing with the most common garden pests in the US. Ew!
Are you planting a garden this spring? What are you planting? Did you consult technology to plan your garden?
Share you stories with me! - Heather Cabot, Yahoo! Web Life Editor
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