How to Make Your Garden Grow This Spring – URI Experts Here to Help

URI experts say start small, stay patient—and don’t clean up too soon

KINGSTON, R.I. — If you’ve been thinking about starting a garden but aren’t sure where to begin, you’re not alone—and you don’t need a green thumb to get going.

Gardeners with the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension say spring is the perfect time for beginners to dig in, even with just a few plants or a small container setup.

For Shanelle Haile of Cranston, gardening started as something simple—but quickly became something more meaningful.

After years working in Washington, D.C. and internationally with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Haile found that tending a backyard garden offered a hands-on way to connect with bigger issues like food access and sustainability—right at home in Rhode Island.

It also had a practical payoff.

Growing food with her family, she said, made a noticeable difference in household costs—while offering a sense of control and accomplishment that first-time gardeners often don’t expect.

For those just getting started, Haile recommends one of the easiest entry points: cherry tomatoes.

“They’re resilient and forgiving,” she said. “They’re also a great way to build your confidence as a gardener.”

She suggests pairing tomatoes with beginner-friendly companions like basil or marigolds—plants that not only grow easily but also help attract pollinators and keep pests away.

For further advice on planting or to consult with a URI Master Gardener, contact the URI Gardening and Environmental Hotline at 401-874-4836 or [email protected].

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URI Cooperative Extension programs offer environmentally-friendly, science-based programs for garden and food enthusiasts of all levels. The next cohort for Food Recovery for Rhode Island takes place in September. URI also offers a Home Horticulture Certificate and the Master Gardener training, which both start at the end of January. Applications open in August for the 2027 sessions. To get on the Cooperative Extension email list for program announcements, email [email protected] or call (401) 874 -2900. 

Photo, top: URI Cooperative Extension gardeners can offer novice growers helpful suggestions and advice. (URI Photo / K. Curry)