Our Favorite Resources for Backyard Gardening - Starting a Vegetable Garden in Zone 6

Updated January 15, 2024

Prior to starting Heirloom Soul Florals in 2018, I spent six years as an edible garden educator. I had several jobs working in the urban agriculture sector, from leading groups of volunteer gardeners on non-profit urban farms to teaching families how to grow organic edible gardens in their backyards. To date, I have grown in over 175 different garden spaces, including two cut flower farms that I have run and operated on my own.

After growing in so many different microclimates and soil conditions; in-ground grounds and in raised beds; on city rooftops and 1-acre fields; on both urban food farms and my own rural flower farm… I’ve accumulated an incredible wealth of gardening experience. I get lots of questions about where to purchase plants, what books to read, and what is the best tool for any gardening task you could imagine.

So here is a round-up of my favorite gardening books, tools, soil amendments/fertilizers and online sources for seeds & plants! I hope you find it helpful.

read our other related guides

10 Things This Flower Farmer Loves Having in the Field

What’s in my Flower Farming Toolbelt

What’s Needed for a DIY Seed Starting Setup

Regenerative Agriculture Books & Podcasts

best gardening books for the backyard gardener

Gaia’s Garden: A Home-scale Guide to Permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Doug Tallamy

Vegetables Love Flowers: Companion Planting for Beauty and Bounty by Lisa Mason Ziegler

Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land: Lessons from Desert Farmers on Adapting to Climate Uncertainty by Gary Paul Nabhan

How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons

Milkwood: Real Skills for Down-to-Earth Living by Nick Ritar & Kirsten Bradley of Milkwood Permaculture

Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds and Other Animals that Keep your Garden Beautiful and Thriving by Frederique Lavoipierre

best books for farmers or gardeners growing on a large scale

The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution by Andrew Mefferd

The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Growing Guide for Ecological Market Farming by Jesse Frost

Building Soils for Better Crops by Fred Magdoff

The Lean Micro Farm by Ben Hartman

For the Love of Soil: Strategies to Regenerate our Food Production Systems by Nicole Masters

The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier

The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon

best gardening tools

A.M. Leonard Soil Knife & Sheath - My number one gardening tool I always have on me. I use this hori hori-type knife in lieu of a trowel… nearly every plant I have put in the ground has been planted using this soil knife. It has been going strong for 8 years through heavy use! The serrated edge allows you to cut roots under the soil line. It’s an invaluable tool that I could never do without.

Stirrup/Scuffle Hoe - My favorite method of weeding large areas is using the stirrup hoe on a hot day. The open metal end shifts as you run it back and forth just beneath the soil line, uprooting weeds as you go. No need to bend down!

Farm Fork - I love this little fork for incorporating a new layer of compost onto my garden beds in the spring. My no-till method of soil prep is made incredibly simple with this tool! Also great for turning your compost pile and digging dahlias at the end of the season.

Felco Pruner & Sheath - Pruners that will last your lifetime if properly taken care of. The sheath is absolutely necessary so you can carry your pruners everywhere while in the garden!

Pruner Sharpener - Necessary for keeping your sharpest tools sharp.

Victorinox Harvest Knife - Sharp, serrated knife perfect for harvesting heads of lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, etc. I definitely recommend getting the sheath case too, for proper storage and safety.

Watering Can - This type of watering can is my favorite for fertilizing plants and watering in new seeds. Its wide mouth “rains” down on the plants and the adjustable handle makes the job so easy.

Tub Trugs - I always have a few of these tub trugs on hand. I drag it behind me as I weed the garden, throwing the spent weeds in the trug. They hold more than a bucket and are easier to carry than a rubbermaid tub because the plastic is flexible yet very heavy duty.

Soil Blocker - Soil blocking is my preferred method of seed starting. Click here for a tutorial on soil blocking and links to other seed starting materials.

Drip Irrigation Kits - I buy drip irrigation supplies from Dripworks.

Irrigation Timer - If you have a large garden with drip hoses or drip irrigation, automating it with a timer is the easiest way to set yourself up! This Melnor timer is the one I use on my farm. A single valve timer would work well in any backyard garden.

SOIL AMENDMENTS & FERTILIZERS for the garden

Compost - Learn how to make your own in this in-depth blog post, or source local organic compost from your municipality or a garden center.

Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculant - Every plant in your garden should be accompanied with a dip of mycorrhizae inoculant! You will learn how important this is by reading this blog post or one of my favorite books, Teaming with Microbes!

Liquid Fish Emulsion - An organically-derived fertilizer that is great for vegetables and herbs. This brand in particular is my favorite.

Kelp Meal & Alfalfa Meal - I recommend prepping your garden in the spring with both Kelp Meal and Alfalfa Meal. Read more about how I use these amendments on my flower farm here.

Mulch - Leaf mulch or straw are my preferred source of mulch for vegetable gardens, leaf mulch being the best option. Woodchips are recommended only for perennial plants like raspberries, blackberries, and garden roses. Learn more about mulching your garden and learn how to garden like a forest here.

Cover Crop Mix - I like this mix sold on Amazon. Learn all about what cover crops are and how they can improve your soil health naturally.