Beginning gardener in Montana

[Haley11]

Hi all!

I'm new to the forum and new to gardening in general. My husband and I are currently building a house in NW Montana. We have a nice 20 acre plot on some flat, usable land (lots of trees but enough sunny spots for a garden).

Part of the appeal of moving up there is to be able to grow our own food but it's not something I've ever done before. I've picked up a couple of books that are sort of specific to the region (Pacific NW) but I was hoping some other people would have some other advice, be it books or websites, that would help me get started. We should be moving up there in late April in time for a short growing season from May until early Sept. I've read for a novice it's best to start with easy to grow lettuces and beans in your first year and go from there. How ambitious should I be with my first garden?

Would love to hear anybody's tips and tricks!

 

[zigs]

Welcome to Gardening Forums

It is best to start off with some easier stuff you're right. You could get put off if you planted stuff that gets taken out by pests or diseases.

Have a look at some of the videos in here, might be a good start

https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/gardening-programs.1592/

 

[DancingLady]

Welcome, great to hear about another person wanting to grow their own food. You might look into books or information on Inland Northwest, rather than Pacific Northwest. Montana is a very different climate as it is East of the Cascades, so you might not be getting as accurate information as you need with Pacific Northwest books. I know it is definitely dryer over their and probably hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. Good luck with your new garden.

 

[Haley11]

Wow, that's a lot of videos! Can't wait to watch them all.

It's hard to find books specifically dealing with Montana. And more specifically, we are in NW Montana which is still very mountainous. We're right in a banana belt flanked by two mountain ranges so we have kind of a mixed climate, still some coastal breezes but not as dry and open as the rest of Montana. We've got the most mild climates in the state, thankfully!

I'm from Indiana, but currently living in Florida, so this whole move will be a new experience for us. I'm glad I found this forum where I know I'll be able to keep asking my dumb questions while I'm still getting the hang of this gardening thing!

 

[claudine]

Hello, Haley11!
I don't know much about gardening either, I'm still learning, but in my opinion you should experiment and plant many different vegetables and fruits in your first garden. Trust me, it will be a lot of fun Personally, I have luck with tomatoes, berries and radishes. Pumpkins are very easy to grow too.