It's almost funny how so many people tell me they're "organic" gardeners but after talking for 2 minutes it's obvious that they're not and they had no idea what it means in the first place!

Now I'm not saying that's you but I think it's important we start off on the same page! :)

The Absolute *Only* Definition Of Organic Gardening You Should Ever Listen To

Organic gardening means you don't use any chemical or synthetic fertilizers or pesticides in your garden. (Simple, right?!)

Of course, chemicals do make the job a bit easier but they come at a heavy price: your vegetables and plants will grow unnaturally and - this one's a biggie - your vegetables will *not* taste nearly as good!

There are great organic fertilizers made from vegetable or animal by-products and plenty of creative, natural ways to keep pests away from your garden!

Not Only Does The Food Taste *Way* Better But Organic Veggies Help Fight Cancer (!!!)

Here's the deal: Organic vegetables are much higher in essential vitamins and nutrients. These play a huge role in fighting disease and even cancers!

Plus, if you care at all about the environment we live in, compost usage (which is a really effective key to organic gardening) nourishes your soil instead of depleting it.

It really is "win-win" - you get better tasting, natural food and your garden gets healthier!

The Best Way To Plan Your Organic Garden

Here's the time to really let your creativity go wild. You just need to keep some things in mind if you really want your garden to thrive!

Fool Proof Way To Pick The *Best* Location Every Time

Pick a patch of ground you're interested in and then watch it for a couple days... look at where the sun hits it and how long it shines on that spot.

Sunlight plays a huge part in thriving plants... I know that sounds so 'common sense' these days but seriously, so few people ever do it right!

Decide What To Plant *Beforehand*

After you pick a nice, sunny spot for your garden do not run in and cultivate it... you have to know what you're planting first.

Why? Because different plants require different amounts of sun and even if you think that spot gets "great sun" it might not be right for what you really want to plant!

This is where people say to me: "OK, fine... so how do I find out the sunlight needs of plants?"

And my answer is always the same... "It says so on the seed packets, silly!"... :)

Seed packets will have 3 answers that indicate amount of sunlight: "sun", "shade" and "partial sun".

"sun" means the plant needs at least 8 hours sunlight every day. "shade" means less than 4 hours and "partial sun" means somewhere between 4 and 6 hours.

And Now For The Most *Important* Key To Organic Gardening

Healthy soil is the single most important key to a successful garden.

If you had everything else right - the best location, optimum sunlight and the correct plants but poor quality soil your garden would still suffer!

What Kind Of Plants You Should Choose

Native plants are great choices because they already know how to "live" (and thrive!) in your local climate.

Perennials are big time savers because they come back year after year... no need to replant!

Did You Know That Certain Neighboring Plants Can "Help" Each Other?

Companion planting is when 2 plant types do better when planted near each other....

Here's something you probably didn't know: For instance, when you plant carrots and onions near each other they will repel pests!

How To Attract The "Good" Bugs

Not all insects are bad -- some should actually be welcomed guests in your garden!

Lady beetles are a great example. (If you plant sunflowers and lupine you'll probably see them in your garden!)

You see, lady beetles eat aphids... if you've been gardening for any amount of time you'll know that aphids cause enormous headaches for your garden!

Honestly though, garden design can be as simple or complicated as you make it. You might be the "spontaneous" type of gardener who plants flowers and greenery at a whim and them decides how it looks. (Just don't say I didn't warn you!)

Others will get out a pencil and graph paper to plan out their garden and consider things like plant height, color combination, scent and even soil needs!