Local Gardeners- The Greatest Resource

Armed with books, classes, several planting calendars and a well drawn out plan, starting my garden still made me want to run in fear. Not just the fear of killing more plants, but the fear of the unknown. Spotting I can't decipher, an unknown pest eating my precious, and finding that perfect variety to grow in my partially shaded, morning sun container garden.

Luckily, I'm not a pioneer in gardening in the city, at least not this city. There are online communities, local meetups, conventions, and expos that allow me to connect with other individuals in my area. I've also found numerous local bloggers who write about their personal gardening trial and errors.

The people, online or in person, are the greatest resource I have when gardening in my city home. To find local gardeners in your area I recommend checking out:

• Meetup.com
• iVillage's Gardening Forums
• The Bulletin Board at your local nursery, food co-op, or community garden

Don't forget about using Google. By typing in my city and phrases like, "organic gardening", "permaculture", "urban agriculture" and "urban farming" I found a local agriculture club and the local Master Gardener's office. 

Have you found other local gardener's to be a resource? How did you connect with them?