Vegetables

C ontainers are the answer for the vegetable gardener short on space or sunlight, or one caught in a tug of war with hungry critters. "You can grow everything but corn in a container," said Kerry Michaels, who writes about container gardening online at About.com. Michaels has grown tomato plants in recyclable grocery bags and old laundry baskets and lettuces in yard-sale colanders. But she says the introduction of self-watering containers has made all the difference.

Seeds or seedlings? Those eager to join the vegetable gardening revolution this season have a decision to make. Are you going to grow your vegetables from seed? Or will you purchase seedlings from your local garden center or a farmers' market? If you are going to grow your own seedlings, it is just about time to get started. The advantages include savings, pride and choice. You can grow exactly what you want, in the numbers you want and you don't have to count on somebody else's idea of variety.

Question: I am ready to choose seeds to start my garden. Can you give me some examples of resistant varieties for spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, green beans and squash? I can't wait to get my hands in the soil again! Answer: Our online publication "Recommended Vegetable Cultivars for Maryland Home Gardens" will give you plenty of suggestions for those vegetables and more at www.hgic.umd.edu under Publications. Our publications can help you plant outdoors or start vegetable transplants indoors, for example Planting Dates for Vegetable Crops in Maryland.

The number of home gardeners jumped by almost 40 percent last season, but nearly half of them won't be back this year. Most probably found vegetable gardening too much work. Or, because it was a pretty poor gardening season, they didn't have much success. So, in a series of columns, I'm trying to get rookie vegetable gardeners off to a solid start. Last week, we talked about siting the garden, and my advice was to consider constructing a raised bed and filling it with bags of compost.

Question : Some family members jumped whole hog into gardening this year — vegetables, flowers, you name it. I’d like to get each of them a gardening book that is comprehensive but easy for beginners. Can you recommend one? Answer: Our Maryland Master Gardener Handbook is tailored for Maryland and D.C. residents. The thick spiral bound newly-updated edition covers everything from plant nutrition and landscape design to lawns, trees and shrubs, vegetables and fruit.

Pizzazz Tuscan Grille, the latest tenant in the Pier V Hotel dining space, is a restaurant I want to love. And you will, too. It has all the right things going for it. First of all, the food is Italian - a cuisine that seems to be surviving better than many in this recession. The nice thing about Italian food is that it always seems wonderfully indulgent, even when it's the budget version. And at Pizzazz, you hardly notice that this is what the owners call "new Italian," with an emphasis on healthful ingredients, organic when possible, grain- and vegetable-heavy and meat-light.