Posted on 03/21/2011 5:51:03 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Eager to join the grow-your-own-food movement and don’t know where to begin?
Tried your hand at gardening with less than satisfying results, while your neighbor’s front yard overflowed with beans and cabbage?
With the start of the traditional gardening season just around the corner — and four-season gardening offering never-ending opportunities — the time is ripe to formulate a plan of action that nurtures mind, body and spirit.
Here’s a pack of tips to help you plant the seeds for growing your green thumb:
1. Cultivate your inner gardener
Gardening is about so much more than simply growing vegetables, flowers or herbs. Part of its magic is discovering what gardening brings to your life, where it takes you and the many metaphors it unfurls. But be warned: Gardening has been deemed a gateway to numerous obsessions, raising backyard chickens and vermicomposting in your basement among them.
Allow space in your mind, as well as in your gardens, for surprises — an unexpected moonflower, or a volunteer tomato seedling or 20. But also think about what you’d like to get out of gardening aside from groceries, and let it evolve.
2. Don’t try to do it all, at least not all at once.
Nothing will discourage you more than becoming overwhelmed — by the amount of work required to prepare your plot for planting, the number of weeds that just won’t stop multiplying, and endless other garden chores. If you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing — the feel of the soil, the warmth of the sun, the physical workout, the clearing of the mind — make some adjustments.
Consider starting small. Instead of setting out to grow everything from asparagus to zucchini, take square-foot gardening to an extreme and plant a single square-foot garden with just one tomato plant, and add on next year. Or you can container garden, though you’ll have to water more to keep the soil from drying out and choose varieties best suited for pot dwelling.
If you really want to go all out, do it!
3. Decide what you want to grow.
If you never want to have to buy another tomato, you can easily grow enough to freeze, can, dry and eat fresh in season.
You’ll need more than a square foot of growing space, but you can get a lot of mileage out of varieties that are uber-productive as well as tasty. Tommy Toe cherry tomatoes are big and bountiful and can be frozen whole, then popped under the broiler to top pasta. Ditto for Principe Borghese, a variety traditionally used for sun-drying, that can also be dried in an oven or dehydrator.
High-yielding San Marzano paste tomatoes virtually melt in a pan, not to mention your mouth. Freeze or can sauce, or freeze tomatoes whole to add to winter soups, stews and pot roasts. Jaune Flamme and Peach Blow Sutton are also especially delicious and productive.
Don’t forget Genovese basil for pairing with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, as well as for making pesto, which also can be frozen for pasta and pizza.
4. Read seed catalogs, many and often.
Even if you don’t start your own seeds — though you’ll be missing half the fun — you can glean a wealth of information about the incredible number of varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs available, as well as when and where to start, transplant, nurture and harvest them.
Some good ones to start with are Seed Savers Exchange (seedsavers.org), Johnny’s Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.org) and Richters Herbs (richters.com). Look for sellers that have taken the Safe Seed Pledge not to knowingly sell genetically modified seeds.
5. Grow heirloom seeds.
Along with helping to preserve our food heritage and the genetic diversity of plants, these seeds have a story. Cherokee Trail of Tears beans were carried by the Cherokee people on the winter death march of 1838-39 that left a trail of 4,000 graves. Unlike hybrid seeds, the seeds of these open-pollinated varieties that have been passed down through generations of gardeners can be planted the following year to produce the same delicious vegetables or edible or decorative flowers.
6. Grow (almost) instant gratification.
Give your gardening ego a boost by reaping quick and easy rewards. Start by planting fresh seeds (old ones may disappoint) for lettuce and other salad greens as soon as the soil can be worked. They’ll pop up pretty rapidly if you keep them moist, not soggy, and before you know it you’ll be snipping baby greens for fresh salads and sandwiches.
Keep them watered and they’ll keep on coming after you cut them. Choose heat- tolerant heirloom varieties or give them a somewhat shaded spot where they won’t wither in full summer sun. Keep planting more seeds for a continual supply of organically grown (no chemicals) greens.
Some types are pretty enough to use as edible landscaping. And don’t forget to grow edible flowers (again, no chemicals!) — including colorful nasturtiums, pansies and calendulas — for salads and garnishes.
7. Have the most fun for $40, or so.
Get a jump on seed starting in your very own walk-in greenhouse. Farm and Fleet sells one for about $40, less if it’s on sale. It won’t last forever but should give you a season’s worth of enjoyment.
You might want to take the cover off if strong winds are forecast, especially if it’s not staked down.
Farm and Fleet, Jung Garden Centers and others also have more costly and sometimes sturdier options, or you can piece together your own creation with old windows and screens your neighbors are getting rid of.
8. Raise it up.
While you’re out scrounging, look for untreated wood to make raised beds, or invest in new (cedar’s the best). Plan dimensions so you can put a window, or two or three, on top for an instant cold frame to jump start seeds and seedlings — as well as extend your season into the fall. Screens can also be used to foil those pesky squirrels. A raised bed will help you contain your plot, and you can add good soil and compost that will warm up sooner than the ground.
9. Get the poop on soil.
Compost. Compost. Compost. Whether you get it from your backyard bin, worm farm, a friendly farmer or in bags from the store, add plenty of compost to create a rich, loose bed in which to tuck your seeds or seedlings.
10. Pick up a copy of the Wisconsin Garden Journal.
Published by the Madison Area Master Gardeners Association, it will tell you what to plant when. To be safe, wait until at least Memorial Day weekend for tomatoes, peppers and other frost- sensitive plants. It also will give you a place to record your garden activities and results to build on next year, and it supports the crew of master gardeners who provide information and assistance to budding growers.
You can pick one up for $14.95 at Jung Garden Centers in Madison and Sun Prairie. For a list of other outlets, or to order online for a $3 shipping fee, go to mamgawi.org.
Famous last words ...
Don’t even think about striving for perfection. Let yourself go and grow with the flow, and don’t allow perspiration to drown out inspiration.
I do remember her health not being good, but I didn’t see the prayer thread. Thank you for letting me know. Seems that she hasn’t posted in 10 days or so. I will add her to my prayers for sure.
If you click on her screen name in her post at #105 it will take you to her home page, which has links to the threads you were looking for:
here's the link: to her home page
Here’s an idea for water-thrifty container garden thought up by kids.
And if you need a cheap/free trellis, hit the local landfill for used bed springs.
God bless you!
Thanks for the assist.
Oh, one other thing;I used the seed starting info that you posted to me on the garden thread last year and it has worked like a charm. Thanks, FRiend
Gabz!
Been a while, glad to see you around. :)
TSgt
FRiends,
Get your seeds early! I was a Lowe’s yesterday and noticed a run on seeds. I think high food prices are causing everyone to grow a garden this year!
“While your neighbor’s front yard overflowed with beans and cabbage” - Hey, I can’t help it if the wind blew over my garbage can. Maybe “Mr. Perfect Neighbor” should spend a little more time picking up my garbage in his yard.
Howdy!!!!!
It has been awhile, but I was internet challenged at home for over a year.
So, that’s what that guy down the street in “that” house looks like. We used to see a blue glow coming from inside. They can’t fool me. They recently put new siding on the front road side, covered the windows and have the outside lights on 24/7 so the blue light doesn’t shine through.
The cops won’t investigate unless we have proof. Really? None of us neighbors want to be thrown in jail for purchasing the proof.
I hadn’t noticed a run on seeds, but I did notice a price increase in them. I particularly noticed it with Burpee seeds in WalMart. The number of varieties that are now $1.50 that had been $1 last year seems to have nearly doubled.
Many years ago a older friend kept seeing a kid sneaking onto a vacant lot with watering cans. Curiosity got the best of her so she went over to see what was up and found some plants. She thought they were neat looking and brought one home. She pampered it and couldn’t wait for it to maybe flower or make a vegetable or whatever it was supposed to do. One day her grown kids came for a visit and freaked, lol!
Our townie friends used that offer this year. They wanted 3 lilacs for their yard, and had buy something else to make it to $50 for the discount.
We’ll be planting their 25 strawberry plants in our perennial section.
Yesterday, we were at their house so I could prune their fruit trees, then get fed a grilled T-bone dinner.
Bump until I can get to a computer to see all of this.
Our Walmart carries Ferry-Morse which are $2 but if you look around they have cheaper seeds off the main aisle.
Folks that don't have critters have probably overlooked this valuable seed source. The seeds in my feed store are really cheap. $0.60 for a scoop (equal to several of those store-bought envelopes), and peas/beans by the ounce or a pound for around $3.25 and up. One of the great things about the feed store is that they will only carry varieties that are proven producers in your area. My store will special order anything else that I may want.
Most stores will also have a vegetable guide book for your area which will give you seed spacing, planting depth, etc.
For those of us in more temperate climates: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf
If lightening is hitting the garden, it means you have too much iron in your spinach! *<];-’)
Our Lowe’s carries the Ferry-Morse, at least they did last year, I haven’t been there yet.
Our WalMart also carries American Seeds, which were 20cents a pack last year, I haven’t checked those this year. I do remember when those were 10 for a dollar!
I haven’t bought any seeds yet this year, because I have so many left from last year. I had actually misplaced a bag of 25 packs of seeds and only found them last month..........the bag had fallen behind a cabinet, which I rarely ever move. I only found them because I started painting the kitchen.
No better thrill than going out and finding out what you are eating today.
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