Grow something yummy!

Living in a suburb, I am often struck by the effort some people go to get their lawns free of stray dandelions, wild strawberries and the like. If you are one of these people please don't be offended, everyone has their own idea of lawn perfection, yours just isn't mine. You see I have a problem, I seem to want to be a farmer. Nothing would please me better than to have a huge veggie garden in addition to my flower beds, fruit trees and fledgling raspberry patch. My dad laughs affectionately at me and says that I won't be satisfied until my whole yard is one big garden. While I protest and swat at him, I must secretly admit he is probably correct in his assumption.

Every year I add a little more garden and I seem to be drifting towards a more equitable ratio of flowers to edible produce! This year in addition to my star flowers, zinnias and statice, I somehow thought, "Hey, there is a spot in the front of my bed that's empty.... you know what would go there...Brussel sprouts!" I'm not fibbing a bit and from the road the bright colors camouflage my craziness. Some people might scratch their heads and be concerned for my sanity. I hope you do not feel this way because, I am here today to convince you to join me in my love of growing veggies.

"Why?", you might ask should you do this? I propose that growing something you can eat gives a satisfaction that is soul deep. I also think that almost everyone can grow something. Whether it be an herb garden on a window sill, a tomato plant in a hanging pot or a massive garden plot that would make me jealous!

This morning my first cherry tomato was ripe and I washed and ate it. It was so very good that the thought of all the ones that are almost ripe makes me smile even now. (Mmmm a nice crunchy salad with a creamy dressing, my tomatoes...maybe a little cheese crumbled on top...) If I still haven't convinced you to try to grow your own veggies, I am slightly disappointed. (It really is fun!) However, maybe I will have at least motivated you to talk a soil loving buddy into sharing something they are growing. I'll bet they will be happy to accommodate your wish. The only thing better than growing food is sharing it with friends!

If you are worried about what might be in your soil, consider container gardening or raised beds. This method is also good for individuals without yards. For more information on growing veggies in containers, please check out this site by the West Virginia Extension Service at: http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/homegard/cntanegrd.htm.

There is also an excellent book called, Back to Basics by Readers Digest that will help you grow veggies indoors or out. It is one of my favorite books. As a child I used to look at the pictures and dream. There is a great deal more in the book than just gardening and if you are interested in the way your great great great grandparents lived, this book should be on your shelf as well. There are many editions, you can probably pick an old version up for a few dollars. Check out Amazon.com if you are interested or your local library.

Good luck!