"I'm getting my PhD in urban agriculture, and I've never seen a potted [fruit and vegetable] garden as impressive as yours. You should be in Phoenix Home and Garden magazine!" A neighbor in 2021

​(Glory to Jesus, our creator, for His designs including organic gardening itself which allows us to feed and nourish ourselves as simply as possible with natural materials!)

About ​How to Grow Food Organically in
a Small Space (Read: Mostly Container Gardening) and in the Supremely Hot and Dry Low Desert Climate of Phoenix, Arizona (and of Maricopa County)

First, please note that my website looks best from a computer and is most easily navigated that way, too. Click the first photograph at the start of each row to open up a slideshow with bigger photographs from my organic vegetable gardens. You can learn a lot from my photographs and website content even if you are not yet ready to hire me as a consultant.

If using a phone, wait for the large photos to load so that you can view them easily just by scrolling down the page. Soon, however, I may make the phone version load like the website version so that you can more easily see the sections of content.

I Provide Phone and E-mail

Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden, Arizona
(PLUS NEVADA, TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, CALIFORNIA AND OTHER AREAS WITH COOL TO EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER)
​
and my Private Organic Vegetable Gardening Blog for Customers
​Now Has 275 Posts!

In-person consulting may be available in Phoenix, Arizona
upon inquiry, but photographs may prevent the need.​

 SHARE HERE:

(Please note that consulting is presently only available to those in the United States.)

Plus I Can Give Tips for Growing Food In-Ground

Most of the food I have grown has been in containers (yes, container gardening in the desert!), but at my last home, I also had a ​large raised bed for my organic vegetable garden. I've also done some research on edible plants best grown ​in-ground or that can't fit into my relatively small space. And while I grow a number of newer cultivars called hybrids (NEVER GMOs), ​my preference is usually heirlooms for the stability they offer. 

​For those new to organic vegetable gardening, the best time to begin to grow your own food was several years ago, but now is second best. ​Even if you start with just one vegetable, herb, or fruit tree, you too can learn how to grow your own food in your own Phoenix, Arizona desert garden (yard) or in any other hot climate! Container gardening is one of the easiest ways to begin a vegetable garden, and you may never need a raised bed even if organic hot weather desert gardening--not just cool climate or cool weather gardening--is what you have in mind.

Starting your education and planning for the following year four or more months before spring (October or earlier) is ideal, but with the right elements in place, you can even start some things for a fall harvest in the heat of summer. For example, I'm now successfully starting heirloom tomatoes from SEED outdoors in dry 114 F Arizona weather, and my Phoenix summer garden just became much more exciting as homegrown and heirloom tomatoes provide an array of flavors not found at the grocery store.

Making organic Vegetable gardening consulting more accessible

When I looked into it a couple of years ago before inflation took place, a number of vegetable gardening consulting services began with a roughly hour-long, in-person consultation of about $150 and then cost $50+ hourly after that, and not all of them had an organic focus. Additionally, most did not have a potted/container garden specialization, had not tested as many heirloom tomato cultivars, and did not have the specialization of hot and dry low desert vegetable gardening which has many challenges of its own including too few clouds to soften the sun's rays, too little rain, and supremely dry air.

​One of my goals is to help more people than can be helped with those types of consulting services—through e-mail and phone consulting which works for both locals and those outside of my immediate area of Phoenix, Arizona, plus reducing the amount of time spent driving reduces cost. 

As I have spent hundreds of hours researching answers to my questions and learning through trial and error, it is also a goal to save my customers much time, money, and effort! I’ve documented much along the way for sharing via computer.
​
My experience is with growing food organically—mostly potted and in a raised bed—in a supremely hot and dry, low desert climate (Zone 9B), but I can also help those in climates less hot than Phoenix, Arizona’s 105-118ish-degree summers, and I’ve done some research on plants best grown in-ground or that can’t fit into my relatively small space.

​​e.g., Texas, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and other parts of Arizona

Though supremely hot and dry low desert gardening is what I have the most experience with, I can also help those in climates less hot than Phoenix, Arizona's ​103-122ish-degree ​summers enjoy organic vegetable gardening and growing food for oneself ​only or perhaps as part of a community of family and friends ​who each grow ​their ​own ​types of food and share the surplus.

Some of the many foods I have grown (mostly in containers) that are photographed in this section follow: cherries, sweet peppers, a first blackberry, cherry tomatoes, melons, guavas, buttternut squash, a vegetable that is similar to green beans, cactus fruit, kiwano melon, figs, kumquats, tomatillos, sage, carrots, a super sweet squash, a delicious spinach substitute, thyme, carrots, beets with mild edible leaves, olive tree, and nopales which are prickly pear flesh of the tastier and more tender cultivars, and kale.
​
To make the most of my desert climate, I am now adding cacti to my desert garden--types that are grown for the fruits and/or the flesh.

I want to say here that I'm quickly becoming a tomato lady (I was growing 70+ varieties in the spring of 2022) after having tasted some fantastic homegrown tomatoes and some of the best of the many varieties of heirloom tomatoes that people have treasured for decades.
​I most love very sweet and very tangy tomatoes with complex flavors or even the fruity notes found in some varieties, but I also adore the very sweet tomatoes with mild to medium acidity. That said, I've even found great acidic varieties for those who prefer almost no sweetness.

 Click on the photographs from my own Arizona organic vegetable gardens if you want to learn how to garden in a hot climate or even a super hot and dry desert like Phoenix, noting that only about ten on the whole website are photos of food from other gardens or a store. You can learn a lot from my photographs and website content even if you are not yet ready to hire me as a consultant, 

VEGETABLES AND OTHER Food-Bearing Plants I'VE GROWN
In MY SMALL SPACE SO FAR ARE LISTED BELOW
Vegetables, Fruit, Grains, Herbs and Spices, Seeds, and Nuts

I am adding photographs by food category in the blue section just below this one,
 and please note that a few of the flowers are not edible but are for attracting pollinators and beneficial insects.

• Apples
• Aromatics like lavender, patchouli, and geranium
• Armenian cucumbers
  
• Arugula
• Asian vegetables like bok choy and napa cabbage
• Asparagus
• Beans
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Boysenberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cacti for their fruit and/or flesh; prickly pears are one example
• Carrots
• Catnip for cats
• Chamomile
• Cherries
• Citrus: key limes, limes, kumquats, lemons, mandarins, calamondin
• Corn
• Cotton
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion greens
• Eggplant
• Elderberries
• Figs​​

• ​​​​​​​​Flowers to attract bees & other pollinators​
• ​Garlic
• Gherkins
• Goji Berries​​​​​​
• Goldenberries
• Grains like oats, barley, 

           sorghum, and Job's Tears

• ​​Grapes including muscadines
• ​Green beans--pole and bush
• Green bean alternatives
• ​Green onions
• Guavas
• Herbs and spices like parsley, sage, oregano, fennel, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, basil, spearmint, lavender, cilantro, bay leaves, celery, dill, caraway, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, lemonbalm, fenugreek, and mushroom herb
• Hibiscus calyces for tea
• Hot peppers
• Jujube fruit
• Kale
• Kiwano melons
• Leafy vegetables like chard, collards, mustard, orach, and shungiku
• Lettuce
• Louffa/luffa sponges
• Melons incl. watermelons​

• ​​​​​Millet seed for birds
• Moringa ​​​​
• Mulberries
• Nasturtiums
• Neem tree
• ​​​Okra​​​​
• ​​​Olive tree
• ​Papaya
• Passion Fruit
• Peanuts
• Peas--snow peas, snap peas, and shelling peas
• Pepino melons
• Pomegranate tree (my last landlord kept it, but I cared for it for two years)
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins, squash, zucchini
• Radishes
• Some rare fruit trees
• Spinach
• Squash
• Stevia
• Strawberries
• ​​Sunflowers
• Sweet peppers
• Sweet potatoes
• Tamarind
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Yerba mate 

ORganized by Food Category
Photographs of Some of the Food-Bearing Plants
 ​That I Have Learned to Grow 
(Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, Spices, Grains, and Peanuts)​
In my Desert Garden (Technically Two Gardens over 5 Years)
​

Apples

Arugula

Asian Melons

Barley

Basil

Bay Leaves

Beans

Beets

Blackberries

Black Goji Berry Plant

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cactus/Cacti
For Edible Parts Including Fruit

Caraway Seeds

Cantaloupe-Type Melons

Carrots

Catnip

Celery

Chamomile

Chard

Cherries

Cilantro

Citrus Trees

Collard Greens

Corn

Cucumbers

Dandelion Greens

Dill

Eggplant

Elderberries

Elephant Ear

Feijoa aka Pineapple Guava

Fennel

Fenugreek / Methi

Fig Trees

Galangal

Geranium

Geranium leaves are edible, but they're mostly used for fragrance.

Gherkins

Goji Berries

Goldenberries

Grapes

Green-Bean-Like Gourd

Green-Bean-Like Vegetables

Green Onions

Guavas

Hibiscus Calyces for Tea

Hot Peppers

Jujube Fruit

Kale

Kiwano Melon

Lavender

Lemongrass and Red Malabar Spinach

Lettuce

Lettuce Substitute or Salad Additive

Millet
as Bird Seed or for Sprouting

Mint/Peppermint

Moringa Tree
with Edible Leaves

Mustard

Nasturtiums

Neem Tree

Oats

Okra

Olive Tree

Oregano

Papaya

Parsley

Passion Fruit

Patchouli

Peanuts

Peas

Pepino Melons

Pomegranate Tree

Potatoes

Purslane

Radish Greens

Rosemary

Sage

Sorghum Grain

Spinach

 Spinach Substitutes (Five Excellent Ones)

Starfruit Tree

Stevia (Natural Sweetener)

Strawberries

Sunflowers

Sweet Peppers

Sweet Potatoes

Tamarind Fruit Tree

Tatsoi

Thyme

Tomatillos

Tomatoes

Turmeric

Turnips

Watermelons

Winter Squash (Pumpkins, Butternut, and Hard-Shelled Kinds)

Yerba Mate Tea

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

​And a Video

of my Organic Vegetable Gardens

​One long slideshow of many types of mostly food-bearing plants is below.

​I have had my own organic vegetable gardens in the low desert of Phoenix, Arizona (Zone 9b) and of Maricopa County for ​5 years, and below are many photographs from my two organic vegetable gardens (one using a raised bed and containers while the other is almost completely potted). I have grown over 100 varieties and types of edibles/food--with more varieties ​being trialed now--of vegetables, ​fruit, ​culinary herbs, grains, seeds, peanuts, cacti, and 'medicinal herbs' (that's what they're called, but I believe that God designed *all* of his foods to create healthy bodies and that there's a spiritual component to health)--in this supremely hot and dry desert. If you have your heart set on desert vegetable gardening or even just want to look into what it would take to succeed, I'd love to help you plan your desert vegetable garden or even just learn how to garden in the desert!

A WALK THROUGH my
ORGANIC Vegetable GARDEN (A Container Vegetable Garden)
on april 17, 2021

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO GROW Organic FOOD
BUT SCROLLING IS NOT EASY for you RIGHT NOW

Screen captures from my organic vegetable gardening website have been made into a slideshow here.

Seven oRGANIC vEGETABLE gARDENING

for those who want to grow food
and perhaps trade some of that food
​with family and friends ​who grow foods of other types

*Applicable to All Consulting Options
​
1) One private blog post (kept at the top of the blog for easy access) contains consulting ideas/topics to help those who don't have questions ready.

2) I will let you contact me when you're ready with questions each month, but please know that minutes don't accrue if you decide to forego reaching out for help in any given month. 

3) Please note that it is easiest for me to submit responses by computer/e-mail. So, this is what I prefer most of the time.

​4) Please don't everyone wait until the last day or even week of the month to submit your questions--the sooner the better!​

5) If you've not already read the following pages, please do. They give a lot of preliminary information. 
Getting Started Growing Your Own Food Organically
Terms of Service
​

VEGETABLES AND OTHER Food-Bearing Plants I'VE GROWN
In MY SMALL SPACE SO FAR ARE LISTED BELOW
Vegetables, Fruit, Grains, Herbs and Spices, Seeds, and Nuts

I am adding photographs by food category in the blue section just below this one,
 and please note that a few of the flowers are not edible but are for attracting pollinators and beneficial insects.

• Apples
• Aromatics like lavender, patchouli, and geranium
• Armenian cucumbers
  
• Arugula
• Asian vegetables like bok choy and napa cabbage
• Asparagus
• Beans
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Boysenberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cacti for their fruit and/or flesh; prickly pears are one example
• Carrots
• Catnip for cats
• Chamomile
• Cherries
• Citrus: key limes, limes, kumquats, lemons, mandarins, calamondin
• Corn
• Cotton
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion greens
• Eggplant
• Elderberries
• Figs​​

• ​​​​​​​​Flowers to attract bees & other pollinators​
• ​Garlic
• Gherkins
• Goji Berries​​​​​​
• Goldenberries
• Grains like oats, barley, 

           sorghum, and Job's Tears

• ​​Grapes including muscadines
• ​Green beans--pole and bush
• Green bean alternatives
• ​Green onions
• Guavas
• Herbs and spices like parsley, sage, oregano, fennel, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, basil, spearmint, lavender, cilantro, bay leaves, celery, dill, caraway, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, lemonbalm, fenugreek, and mushroom herb
• Hibiscus calyces for tea
• Hot peppers
• Jujube fruit
• Kale
• Kiwano melons
• Leafy vegetables like chard, collards, mustard, orach, and shungiku
• Lettuce
• Louffa/luffa sponges
• Melons incl. watermelons​

• ​​​​​Millet seed for birds
• Moringa ​​​​
• Mulberries
• Nasturtiums
• Neem tree
• ​​​Okra​​​​
• ​​​Olive tree
• ​Papaya
• Passion Fruit
• Peanuts
• Peas--snow peas, snap peas, and shelling peas
• Pepino melons
• Pomegranate tree (my last landlord kept it, but I cared for it for two years)
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins, squash, zucchini
• Radishes
• Some rare fruit trees
• Spinach
• Squash
• Stevia
• Strawberries
• ​​Sunflowers
• Sweet peppers
• Sweet potatoes
• Tamarind
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Yerba mate 

A Little Help
With Learning to Grow Food

(OPTION 1)

​​For those with only a little need for one-on-one help,
$110 reserves up to (* see above info.) 1 hour
​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic vegetable gardening consulting
to be used within one month

You certainly don't have to be a beginner to go with this option, but if you have not yet begun gardening, this option can help you decide whether you want to begin growing your own food. Any gardening including organic requires many purchases and a good amount of time especially in the beginning and when problems arise periodically--e.g. with pests, disease, and storms that can require treatment and additional garden cleanup--and knowing some of what's ahead can help you decide the best course of action.

Buy Now

I WANT TO LEARN
to GROW MY OWN FOOD

(OPTION 2)

$160 reserves up to (* see above info.) 2 hours
​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic vegetable gardening consulting
to be used within one month

BUY NOW

I WANT TO LEARN
to GROW MY OWN FOOD

(OPTION 3)

$180 reserves up to (* see above info.) 3 hours
​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic edible/food gardening consulting
to​ be used within one month

Buy Now

I am Ready to Roll, and I Want

​One Month at a Time

(OPTION 4)

$400 reserves up to (* see above info.) an unlimited amount of
​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic edible/food gardening consulting
to​ be used within one month

Buy Now

I WANT TO LEARN
to GROW MY OWN FOOD

(OPTION 5)

$180 reserves up to (* see above info.) 3 hours
​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic edible/food gardening consulting
to be used within three months

Buy Now

I WANT TO LEARN
to GROW MY OWN FOOD

(OPTION 6)

$450 reserves up to (* see above info.) 9 hours
​​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic edible/food gardening consulting
​to be used within three months

Buy Now

I am Ready to Roll, and I Want

For Three Months at a Time

(OPTION 7)

$900 reserves up to (* see above info.) an unlimited amount of
​​​of phone, text, and/or e-mail organic edible/food gardening consulting
​to be used within three months

Buy Now

About my Organic Vegetable Gardening

for those who want to grow food
and perhaps trade some of that food
with family and friends ​who grow foods of other types

I have been gardening organically in Phoenix, Arizona for 5+ years and now provide phone and e-mail consulting for helping you grow your own organic vegetable garden in my area or one that is similar (e.g., California, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, and other parts of Arizona).

​My complimentary blog for customers has much content (275+ posts) for helping to reduce the amount of consulting time that is needed. One blog post (always found at the top of the private blog for easy access) contains consulting ideas/topics for those who don't already have questions ready. In-person consulting may be available in Phoenix, Arizona upon inquiry, but photographs may prevent the need.​

Regarding hours, in general I offer the hours of 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday through Sunday, but I can sometimes be flexible (later or earlier) and especially if consulting by e-mail or text.
​​​

*Applicable to All Organic Gardening Consulting Options
​
1) One private blog post (kept at the top of the blog for easy access) contains consulting ideas/topics to help those who don't have questions ready. 

2) I will let you contact me when you're ready with questions, but please know that minutes don't accrue if you decide to forego reaching out for help. 
​
3) Please note that it is easiest for me to submit responses by computer/e-mail. So, this is what I prefer most of the time.

​4) Please don't everyone wait until the last day or even week of the month to submit your questions--the sooner the better!​
​
5) If you've not already read the following pages, please do. They give a lot of preliminary information. 
Getting Started Growing Your Own Food Organically
Terms of Service​​

​AND WHY GROW MY OWN FOOD

Ornamentals clearly benefit the planet (producing oxygen, consuming CO2, reducing pathogens and pollution, creating the coolness of shade, providing a habitat that nurtures our diverse ecosystem, and feeding the bees that help to feed us are a few reasons that come to mind), but if you ask me, food is too infrequently planted in our yards. 

Edible plants provide many of the benefits of ornamentals and tend to be ornamental themselves; plus, of course, they provide food. They can also nourish us better than what’s available from stores if fertilized sufficiently and consumed quickly. (Vitamin C levels, for example, tend to drop quickly after harvest—in some foods more quickly than others.) Beyond nutrition and food production, it is vital that we be good stewards of the planet and our resources including water consumption; dual-purpose plants help us accomplish those goals. This combination of attributes is what I believe makes edible landscaping a far superior use of resources!
​
But there are additional reasons that motivate me to grow my own food and help others grow their own food. One is that pollen from GMO fields can be carried by wind and insects to non-GMO fields, making it harder for organic farmers to obtain organic certification for crops started with last year’s seed and making it so that a much larger percentage of God’s edible creation could someday become contaminated with laboratory created, GMO genes. Plants that contain fruit fly or other non-plant genes are something that would never be found in nature as the two cannot mate. Someday many more commercially available foods and even seeds may be GMO. If I haven’t already obtained pure seed and begun growing my own food, then what? Not only that, but some are observing that GMO foods have less nutrition and seem to be incapable of reaching sufficient levels.

We live in an imperfect world, and there will always be some variables that are flat out beyond my control (e.g., smokers transferring third-hand smoke to my garden), but risk reduction is always wise if you ask me.

With my own organic edible garden, I can take control of a number of the variables that affect the quality of my food. I know what I put into the soil or onto the foliage, what I didn’t (the bad stuff like unnecessarily strong/toxic pesticides), and I can consume my food within minutes of harvest--in some cases, for far higher nutrient density--instead of days, weeks, or months after harvest. My food is often prettier (e.g., okra that has not browned) and tastier or more tender partly due to the cultivar (e.g., eggplants that aren’t bitter or tomatoes with the amount of sweetness and acidity that I prefer). I can grow food that is not easily found in stores, I can harvest small amounts at a time (e.g., for a parakeet), and it won’t be touched by numbers of hands by the time I bring it home. But while I do grow mostly in plastic containers (some types of plastic are better than others), I can choose a better hose (even storing it indoors when not in use) and minimize the transfer of its plastic chemicals (and metals from some hoses) to my garden. For those with a bigger budget, it would also be possible to filter out some of the undesirable components of tap water.

But there are additional reasons for growing organically. A big one for me is that it reduces dependence on laboratories as it uses the simple system that God put in place for feeding ourselves. Another is that organic gardening involves a slow breakdown of organic materials by microbes and more to supply the plant what it needs in small bites while minimizing run-off that is common with water-soluble fertilizers. It’s not only loss of nutrients through run-off that concerns me but that the dead zones in our oceans and temporary red coloration in other bodies of water are caused by the deadly algae that proliferates to a large degree in response to excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemical waste ending up there from commercial agriculture and other industries. God’s systems may be slower in some ways, but they work for us, for plants, and for the planet.​

your own food ORGANICALLY
(Yes, organic Vegetable gardening is possible even in a hot, low desert!)

Though focused on super hot, arid climates like the desert I live in, much of what I share in my blog and consulting service can also be applied to edible gardening in more temperate climates.

The temperature in 2018 near my home rose to 118 at the highest and hovered around 110 for most of July. Conversely, the last two summers in Phoenix gave us many 120+ days. Most of the information provided in my organic gardening consulting service can be most easily be applied to a number of parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, and more. If I can grow well in Phoenix, Arizona (a true desert and Zone 9B), you who are in cooler climates with more rainfall can do it even better! 100-degree summers would be a breeze compared to ours as 100-degree heat (perhaps up to 105) is what many people are thinking of for heat-tolerant plants. 
​
Regarding winters, we rarely get freezing weather, and it's usually only for 1-3 hours in the middle of the night. During longer freezes, measures will need to be taken to insulate more of your plants.

For those in a climate like mine, with sufficient knowledge and effort, you truly can grow food (trees with edible foliage, fruit trees, leafy greens, vegetables, herbs, and fruiting plants) organically in even a supremely hot low desert summer! The many sample photographs on this website are of my own organic vegetable garden--herbs, leafy greens, vegetables, and fruit--from May, 2018 onward.

And for those of you with small yards or less (perhaps just a patio), I am well equipped to help you with container gardening. Because my own space is limited, my urban gardening area (once a front yard instead of the usual backyard garden, and it received many compliments from neighbors!) was about 150 square feet with about sixty of that in the form of a raised bed. The rest was in containers. And in my new yard, all but one of my plants are in pots.

Even with my small amount of space, organic vegetable/edible gardening has been well worth the time spent given the knowledge for making it work. But I note that I have also simplified my life in many ways including by not owning a television and by not spending time on elaborate meals. I would much rather spend my time growing super fresh nutritious food than doing many of the things that used to entertain me.​

For those with a budget to consider, the upfront cost of my project was about $1,000 including the bricks for the raised bed, but someone else paid for those. Watering, fertilizer, additional seeds or plants plus soil and containers for them, pesticides, fungicides, and time are the primary other costs. Oh, and the cost of the property with space for growing.
​
My first edible garden was started around March 1st of 2019. It has been said that I have a green thumb, but I say I have a researcher’s nature and patience. I learn what is needed to keep plants happy, I study my plants, and I ask lots of questions. I regularly (every few days, at least--usually while I am watering) take note of what’s going well, what looks a little less than perfect and of the unknowns like new insects. This allows me to catch problems in the early stages and resolve them in time.

Successful gardening also takes nurturance; so, I have to gently warn that if you have many projects far more important than your garden (for the food and education it provides), it will probably fail. This has to be your baby. You are the parent responsible for birthing it and raising it. Nature won't always “do its thing” in your favor--in a desert or anywhere else. The watering amount has to be right, the light, the nutrient levels, the soil type, the temperature, the pruning, the insect control, and more. These things take attention to detail, love, and a good measure of time with more in the beginning as you are learning.
​
The goal of my blog and consulting is to greatly shorten the learning curve for you with details galore! I can cover suppliers, products, raised bed and container gardening, soil, watering, pruning, heirlooms, what to plant and when to plant, productive and fast growing varieties, heat and drought tolerant plants for summer growing, insect and disease management, when to harvest, flavor profiles, plant dimensions, how much to plant, vermicomposting, organic fertilizers, light requirements, and more. 
​
Please enjoy the photos of my garden on this page, and let me know when you are ready to learn grow your own food, Arizona (plus Texas, California, Nevada, New Mexico and others)!​​

I did not set out to grow my own food

My love for God only grows as I continue to learn about his designs, and I’ve become more committed to using them (naturals) in my life the more I learn. But though I’m tremendously blessed by the turn of events, I didn’t set out to grow my own food.

My journey began with the discovery that the electric rate in Phoenix was higher than in Seattle and that my cooling bill in the summer would be far bigger than I’d planned for. It was in asking around for plants that would quickly shade my windows that I fell in love with the idea of growing my own food, but the potted fig trees that were suggested hardly met my original need of shading windows. 

A seed company told me of another fast-growing tree to try, and it worked much better partly because it truly does grow quickly and partly because it doesn’t mind staying in a pot. It is also highly unusual in that it fruits a good deal in less than a year when grown from seed! Most fruit trees take several years to fruit for the first time and even longer if started from seed.

But it wasn’t until the third year of growing food organically (I note that my garden was funded by a “starvation” diet and long-term planning: 1. buying seeds, young plants, pots, soil, fertilizer, trellis supplies, and more instead of most groceries and 2. by eating little more than what I’m able to grow), when I’d already moved out of the home with the many windows that needed shading, that I found the perfect solution--an edible vine that laughs at the Phoenix heat! It grew up my wall (trellising recommended especially if shading a window) with ease and speed--to the roof in perhaps less than six months.

This Organic Vegetable Gardening
(Mostly Container Gardening)
Consulting Service
is Brought to you by the Owner of

Greener House Cleaning is an award-winning, one-person green house cleaning service based in Phoenix, Arizona and in business since October 2010. Expertise has selected my company as one of the top 21 out of 364 services they looked at. Read a few of the many reviews below, and click the logo to see more of what my customers have said about my green cleaning work.

(February 17 2021)
5 stars "Jennifer at Greener House Cleaning was the best and hardest working person I have ever encountered for cleaning your home. You will not be disappointed. I recommend her with 5 stars and the highest recommendations imagined, bar none. Responsible and dependable. I wish I could clone this woman. Such a precious gem -- so wonderful and helpful to me in my time of great need."
​HU-851020688, Houzz review (Sonja C in her Nextdoor review)

(February 4, 2021)
"I began using Jennifer’s cleaning service shortly after moving to Phoenix late 2020. I was attracted to her “green” cleaning policy and procedures as well as her favorable reviews. For years I’ve used house cleaning services and all utilize commercial cleaners/chemicals you can buy from a grocery store. I suspected the green products would be less effective but more environmentally friendly and responsible. What I found was completely opposite. Jennifer’s knowledge of the products and methods of cleaning far surpassed any cleaning job I’ve ever experienced. In addition to the most thorough cleaning I’ve experienced, it is eco-friendly. It doesn’t get any better than that! I would without hesitation recommend Jennifer’s cleaning services."
Jason (and Zuzana), Facebook review

(October 26, 2020)
5 stars "Let me start by saying that all my friends know I'm a bit obsessive about my living and workspaces being meticulously clean and orderly. I've had a very difficult time finding a cleaning service that could meet my expectations, and then along came Jennifer. She's the owner of her company and her techniques, skills, punctuality and enthusiasm for her work should be the envy of all other cleaning services. She uses environmentally friendly cleaning products and lint-free towels to clean my house to perfection. Her professionalism comes together with a very kind, pleasant personality. She'll make your house a better, fresher, cleaner place to live in than any other cleaning service I've found so you should contact her right now!"
Nick Ianuzzi in Arcadia of Phoenix, Houzz review

(March, 2020)
"Jennifer is the most conscientious cleaner imaginable. She uses non toxic cleaning agents and meticulously cleans all surfaces. We first used Jennifer to help stage a property we had for sale. I have never seen counter tops gleam and sparkle like that before. We got 3 offers for full price within 48 hours and each buyer remarked about the cleanliness of our condo. Needless to say we only use Jennifer of Greener House Cleaning in our new ACC home. Reach Jennifer at 206-498-2375, your home will never be cleaner and safer."
David S. of Anthem Country Club, Nextdoor review

(October, 2019)
"I wish there were more than five stars to give Jennifer at Greener House Cleaning! Jennifer does immaculate work, and I would highly recommend her cleaning service to anyone who is looking for an extraordinary cleaning job with superb attention to detail. She uses only the greenest products and employs customized 'trade secrets' using all natural methods that can literally transform any area safely and effectively. Jennifer comes prepared with all of her own equipment (which are all disinfected after each job) and ultra-clean, microfiber cloths so that each home is protected from germs and contaminants. Truly, I have never witnessed such expertise in this field and I am continually impressed with Jennifer's knowledge of household surfaces and specialized techniques used to customize the cleaning of each area according to its proper care and maintenance. She also uses essential oils in her cleaning which fill the entire house with a fresh, healthy fragrance! The combination of Jennifer's personal integrity and exceptional work ethic coupled with her eco-friendly, natural cleaning formulas, sterilized equipment, and research-based trade techniques is beyond comparison and worth every penny. A master of her profession, Jennifer has truly elevated house cleaning into a science!"
S. D. in Phoenix (Submitted by e-mail only because privacy is of great concern to her)

(Around August, 2019)
"Jennifer has been doing our floors for the past three years in our gallery in Old Town Scottsdale. She gets on her hands and knees and is always thorough, trustworthy and loyal. Customers frequently compliment our clean floors."
Joyce J. of Troon of Scottsdale, Nextdoor review

(July, 2019)
"Jennifer Everett, sole proprietor and cleaner of Greener House Cleaning, is the most professional, most detail-oriented, most talented cleaner I've ever hired. She cleans and restores things that other housecleaners never touched, like removing 15 years of grease from kitchen cabinets. Before Jennifer cleaned them, I thought we'd have to replace them, but under all that discolored grease was pristine, beautifully stained wood. Pristine is how I describe my house when she's done cleaning it. Check out her website to see Before & After photos. http://www.greener-house-cleaning.com/"
Faryl P in Fountain Hills, Nextdoor review

(January, 2019)
5 stars "After moving to Phoenix and trying out many different green cleaning services, I finally came across Jennifer and Greener House Cleaning. Lets just say I was completely blown away. After initially reaching out for service, Jennifer made sure to find out as much information as possible from what it was that I was looking for in a cleaning service, to what I was displeased with from my last cleaning service, to the specific smells I preferred. I LOVED THIS. 

Her diligence carried over into her work at the home on our during our session, she brought her own products with a custom fragrance she created for me based on my intake information. She cleaned my home like it had never been cleaned before and left it absolutely spotless, hand mopping the tile, and cleaning areas and objects that had been skipped by others. I literally felt like I could have eaten off of the floor, which is perfect for my 11 month old who is constantly crawling around and picking things up lol. (Side note: she was great with my son as well!)

The only thing I will mention is that the diligent cleaning does take time, but you have the option to specify what exactly you want cleaned etc.! My son and I actually left to grab lunch and came back, and I have NEVER left an individual from a cleaning service in my house unattended. However, something about Jennifer's personality made me feel comfortable. My instincts were 100% correct! When we returned she was still working and everything was in place!

I could go on and on. In all I HIGHLY recommend Greener House Cleaning. Great price, awesome customer service, TRUE green products, and amazing cleaning!"
Briana B in Scottsdale, AZ, Houzz review

​Reach me by E-mail or Phone
ABOUT LEARNING TO GROW YOUR OWN FOOD ORGANICALLY

​Please contact me through the form below with questions or comments, or you can e-mail jegrowsfoodorganically@yahoo.com. ​If you don't agree to the Terms of Service, please e-mail me instead of using the form. ​

I can also be reached at 623-498-2375.
​
Regarding hours, in general I offer the hours of 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday through Sunday, but I can sometimes be flexible (later or earlier) and especially if consulting by e-mail or text.​​

 SHARE HERE:

my Two Organic Vegetable Gardens!
​(Glory to God for his designs including organic gardening itself!)

​This is a sample of what I hear regularly, and all are ​approximations
from memory as well as volunteered. I have never asked for opinions.​
 (VISIT THIS page for many photographs.) 

​​
 "I'm getting my PhD in urban agriculture, and I've never seen a potted [vegetable] garden as impressive as yours. You should be in Phoenix Home and Garden magazine!" 

"If I could, I would vote yours Garden of the Year! Seriously, you have it all going on!  (Said in January, 2019) 

"It's like a mini Amazon!" 

"I love all of your plants!" 

"You've done a great job! Seriously, it's all beautiful!"

"I love your yard!"  (waiving while driving by)

"This woman kept her plants alive this summer!" (Bragging to her family as they went for a walk)

"One of our neighbors on October 31 loved your garden and said she wants to come talk with you about your plants."

"I always look at your garden when I drive by, and I've been hoping to catch you while you are outside. I have a plant to give you!"

"Your handmade shade structures held up to four monsoons--some of which broke trees in half or uprooted them all over the city. I watched them through my window, and they kept standing! You did a great job!"

​"I love your garden!"

​"We're just admiring your garden. It's very nice."

My Garden Friend

​​Have you ever heard a hummingbird sing? If not, here you go! This one visits my organic vegetable garden almost daily, sitting on its favorite ​branch most of the time, and now has a family. Hummingbirds help to
pollinate ​some plants; so, I welcome them!

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