Utah's Landscaping & Gardening Guides

Do you want to get growing but not quite sure where to start? Our "How to Start a Garden" section will show you the first steps to growing a bountiful garden. Gardening can be rewarding for both the beginner and the seasoned Utah gardener. Whether you grow to unwind from stress or to enjoy more nutritious and flavorful produce, your garden provides a sense of accomplishment and pride. We are a Gardener's Resource for Utah Landscaping & Gardening.

Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive and sustainable garden. Managing soil health allows Utah gardeners to work with their garden and not against it. Find gardening resouces to help improve your soil in Utah garden. Soil is so much more than dirt. Soil is a living ecosystem—a large community of living organisms linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Every teaspoon of soil is home to billions of microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, and earthworms that play important roles.

Gardening in Utah can be very difficult without experience. Find out which vegetables are easiest to grow in Utah for beginning gardeners. A Quick Reference Guide to Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Vegetables in Utah and the Mountain West. Valuable resources which will assist in making your garden successful this year. Planting a vegetable garden is an enjoyable experience. With careful planning and preparation, you can have a good harvest. See individual fruit, vegetable and herb pages for more information on growing specific crops in your home garden.

Know your growing zone for Utah and the Mountain West! Growing zones help gardeners understand which plants can survive their region’s climate. Planting zones or growing zones are illustrated on a map known as the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The US Department of Agriculture divided out the map of the US in areas which range from planting zone 1A to planting zone 13B. These are areas which range in minimum temperatures from -60 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Find your frost date for Utah and the Mountain West here. A frost date is the average date of the last light freeze in spring or the first light freeze in fall. In spring, we have a ‘last frost date’, and in the fall we have a ‘first frost date’. These dates vary depending on various factors like latitude and longitude, altitude, and weather patterns that change yearly. It is hard to pinpoint an exact date so it is wise to assume that freezing temperatures are possible two weeks before the first frost date and two weeks after the last.

Companion planting is the practice of growing different crops in close proximity to each other. Because some plants have complimentary characteristics and “help” each other out in terms of pest control, soil nutrition, pollination, beneficial insects. A familiar example of companion planting is the Three Sisters trio—maize, climbing beans, and winter squash—which were commonly planted together by various Native American communities due to the plants’ complementary natures:

Sustainable gardening includes the more specific sustainable landscapes, sustainable landscape design, sustainable landscaping, sustainable landscape architecture, resulting in sustainable sites. It comprises a disparate group of horticultural interests that can share the aims and objectives associated with the international post-1980s sustainable development and sustainability programs developed to address that humans are now using natural biophysical resources faster than they can be replenished by nature. Included within this are those home gardeners, and members of the landscape and nursery industries, and municipal authorities, that integrate environmental, social, and economic factors to create a more sustainable future. Benefits of sustainable gardening also include improved access to fresh foods and biodiversity in cities.

Diagnosing a plant problem, whether flowers, vegetables, indoor plants, or anything else you’re growing, is often a challenge since there can be so many different causes. It's like being a detective. Instead of uncovering a murder, you're trying to figure out who or what is bugging your plants. During the diagnostic process you need to ask lots of questions, collect, and evaluate information to figure out a likely cause. A good detective uses their powers of observation and reasoning, and if you want to identify plant problems you'll need to hone these skills.

Regardless of if you are into gardening or not, bringing plants into the home has a way of freshening up your space and adding life to your home.