The long awaited season of spring has arrived; at least for most people in the U.S. who are seeing the grass turn green and the flowers bloom. Unfortunately, in some areas of the country, many of us will still have to wait a bit longer for the snow to melt so we can find the ground.

Still, our gardening hopes are not dampened by our seasonal limitations, or our high altitude growing challenges. We fervently prepare: checking out gardening books, planning our garden plots, scanning seed catalogs and ordering seeds in the dead of winter while awaiting the day we can sprout plants under grow lights in preparation for eventually planting our pampered seedlings outside. 

Every growing zone has its own challenges. Some areas are warm with plenty of rain, and have a long growing season conducive to growing beautiful produce and flowers, but those areas may also have a lot of challenges including weeds and pests.

Other areas are dryer and warmer, but with enough water can produce wonderful gardens with a large variety of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. We have a short growing season, so we select plants hardy for the climate with a shorter germination time, but we generally do not have to fight as many pests as some areas (if you don’t count the deer).

No matter where you are gardening, you can find the information that helps you to be successful. Your local library has a lot of information particular to the growing zone that you live in.

You can find books on which plants and flowers grow best in your area and when to plant them.

For our area, “Guide to Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening” by Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough gives valuable information pertaining to weather and altitude as well as the PH level of Rocky Mountain soils.A good read for both the seasoned and beginning gardener in this area.

Some books are very detailed with step-by-step gardening advice. Other books concentrate on how to grow in containers or smaller garden plots, such as square foot gardening. If you think raised beds are a good option for you, check out books that explain how to set up raised beds. There are even books on how to use junk such as old tires, tubs and other recycled containers to garden in.

The delight of seeing your own produce and flowers grow is worth all the effort, so check out the many garden books your library offers and happy gardening!