A combination of attributes make vegetable gardening a national hobby with both young and old. For an ever-increasing number of individuals seed catalogs and the thoughts of spring gardening provide a happy escape from the winter doldrums. Vegetable gardeners unanimously agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their peak of maturity have quality. seldom found in vegetables purchased from commercial markets. From Spring to late Fall, a well-planned and maintained garden can provide a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutritional value of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to preserve some of the surplus vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area. Not to be overlooked is the finger-tip convenience of having vegetables in the backyard; this in itself justifies home gardening for many individuals. In addition, vegetable gardening provides excercise and recreation for both urban and suburban families. Although your initial dollar investment for gardening may be nominal, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires manual labor and time. Neglecting jobs that should be performed on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.