Economic recession, increases in fuel and food prices and national concern about obesity and childhood nutrition – reasons many people are growing their own vegetables and fruits. Of course, having a natural green thumb is a gardener’s asset, but you don’t have to have a green thumb to be successful. Here’re our tips to get growing in the garden.
Start small – Growing plenty of delicious, nutritious vegetables and fruits doesn’t require a lot of land. Container gardens and simple herb pots in a sunny, kitchen window are easy, good starts to producing your own food.
Try square-foot gardening, an easy-to-create design based on 4-foot by 4-foot squares that maximize your garden production. The system is an easy-to-maintain and inexpensive way to practice your gardening skills. Plus it’s a fun activity that can involve the entire family.
Include edibles in your landscape. The veggies in your flowerbeds will increase your food harvest and add color, texture and interest to your garden.
Start simple - Choose plants that guarantee almost fool-proof success like radishes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, green beans, squash, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. Native plants are hardy and acclimated to the region’s soil and climate. Instant gardens on how-to and makeover programs and staged pictures in magazines often seduce us into buying plants not suited to the soil or climate of our area. Check your cooperative/county extension office for best selections for your region. Much can be learned by participating in nature’s wonder, and you’ll enjoy the pride and pleasure of nurturing a seed to full maturity and harvest.
As your success grows, expand your garden to include more varieties and plants that require more attention.
Learn from the pros - Master gardener classes, free community workshops and cooperative/county extension offices will answer your questions and often provide information sheets or reference sites for beginning gardeners. Get to know your local nursery or garden center employees. They can help with plant selection and followup advice.
Learn by doing - Trial and error is part of gardening. Even experienced gardeners sometimes have less-than successful seasons in the garden. Gardening is a work in progress – just like life. Mother Nature challenges us with extreme weather, too much or too little water, insects and plant diseases, but experienced gardeners learn from each other and practice patience and perseverance. Our mantra is “Just wait till next year!”
Teach the children in your life to garden - Gardening is a great legacy to pass on to the children in your life. I was blessed with a great-grandfather, a grandmother and mother who shared their garden wisdom and experience with me. My great-grandfather shared folklore and flower stories with me; my grandmother demonstrated the confidence that anything she planted would grow and my mother allowed me to have my own flower bed in the front yard when I was a child so I could experiment with seeds and bulbs. My husband indulges my love of plants by digging new beds for me and my detours to visit nurseries, garden centers and botanic gardens. Now my sons are beginning to see their thumbs turn green as they start gardens in their backyards.
Encourage schools to include a teaching garden that can also produce food for nutritious school lunches.
Good luck! – With a little success, your neighbors will be green with envy!
