Before I address this, let's step back just a bit. If you're someone who expects calamity but isn't gardening, thinking you'll buy food for storage, then you'll garden when that runs out, you may be in for a shock. You're not going to become proficient at survival gardening in one season, no matter how optimistic you may be. Gardening should be part of your survival strategy now, in addition to anything else you may be doing. There's still time this season to plant some salad greens or vegetables that will be ready this fall.

If you start with a big garden, thinking you're going to feed your family all the produce you need, you may be disappointed. Chances are you'll only be able to grow enough to supplement what you ordinarily eat. Enjoy every bit of it, no matter how much or meager the result. The miracle of producing food from seeds is remarkable and rewarding. There's nothing like that which you've grown yourself.

While gardening can be fun, especially if you get the family involved, it's also work. Are you prepared to deal with weeds, big and small animals and other pests, and changing climate conditions? How much do you know about your soil and the nutrient requirements of the plants you're growing? Do you know how to can or freeze the extra produce you're raising? In a nutshell, how well have you planned and prepared for gardening? Are you prepared for failures?

If those questions sound negative, and if the task of survival gardening seems overwhelming, then let's turn negatives into positives. Though it may take a few years of experience at gardening before you have the confidence and skills you may wish to have, don't be discouraged. You can do it, and if you've started this year, congratulations. You have no reason to regret anything you've done this season already. Gardening is truly a process of discovery, filled with hopes, dreams, and even a little adventure. Old timers will tell you they learn new things every year. So, make mistakes. Learn from those mistakes and move on. Capitalize on failures. If your carrots didn't make it this spring, replant or try something else in that space. Don't give up.

There's much about gardening that attracts us to it. Without getting philosophical or mystical, once you've started, you'll be drawn in and will desire to learn all you can. Do so. Talk to more experienced gardeners. Buy gardening how-to books. Subscribe to gardening magazines. Take a Master Gardening course from your local university extension center. Utilize the plethora of resources on the Internet, including gardening blogs and forums.

One very good set of online resources is a group of e-books on Mittleider Gardening, made available by the Food for Everyone Foundation. Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider created the materials from the unique wealth of experience he gained helping people grow gardens all over the world for over 35 years. He wanted practical instructional material that would be easy to understand and use, and would work for gardens in any soil or container. The methods taught were designed to work great for everyone, no matter where they were or what their gardening experience was. Dr. Mittleider has adapted the best features of several major methods of gardening, including organic, conventional, and hydroponics into one simple, rewarding, highly efficient, and enjoyable gardening experience.

There are Mittleider Gardening books and manuals on growing in virtually any kind of soil or climate, regardless of space limitations, as well as one specifically on successfully growing tomatoes. If you're a first time gardener, discover how to give your plants what they need and help feed yourself and your family by doing so. Don't worry about failure. The only way to fail at survival gardening is to simply do nothing.