Now is the perfect time for planting a garden in New Jersey

When I was a kid growing up in South Philadelphia, we were one of the fortunate families that had a tiny bit of earth outside our rowhome.

My dad planted roses and anything else that could brighten up that little corner of the city where very little grew. I always thought that was a little strange for such a manly man to be so interested in growing flowers. He also grew a ton of vegetables and fruit trees once we moved to New Jersey.

A few years ago I started getting interest in brightening up my backyard with color, and I've been hooked on it every spring since. It's great therapy and it seems to make me and people around me happy.

Here comes the macho disclaimer....I can build a dock or deck, catch and gut a fish or fix a bike or a wall, but I also like to plant flowers.

Not that there's anything wrong with that! So I strongly suggest you head to one of the many terrific family run garden centers in the great Garden State, pick up some things to plant along with a bag of potting mix and some great advice and enjoy this time of year even more.

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