Down and Dirty

You like that title? Well, we are gonna get down and dirty today because it is about time to think about planting a garden. If not in the ground, at least in either raised beds or containers, but it is that time of year! With today's economy being what it is and the price of groceries and other goods on the increase, in my humble opinion we need to be putting in a backyard garden to help defray some of those costs.

Nothing tastes so good as a sun warmed ripe tomato fresh from the garden, just washed, cut open and sprinkled with a little salt! Or the crisp click of green beans being snapped and put into a pot of boiling water! Or how about that juicy homegrown watermelon or honeydew/muskmelon that you have watched emerge from a seed to become this beautiful vegetable or fruit? Or the joy of going out and plucking some mint leaves for your ice tea or basil or rosemary to go into that salad or to flavor the meal you are going to put on the table.

I personally love potatoes and sweet potatoes so I will be adding those to my list of things I want in my garden. I can make an entire meal out of a potato or a sweet potato!

Start thinking now about all the wonderful fruits and vegetables that you can grow in your area and in your back yard. Get the ground prepared and augmented with some good compost and ready to dirty those knees and hands and plant that garden.

You really don't need a lot of room. There are now hanging planters where you can grow strawberries and tomatoes upside down. You can plant potatoes in a bale of straw or even a circle made out of chicken wire and layered with straw and dirt inside it. or even an old feed bag if you are so inclined.

You can do raised beds and grow anything that you want which is great for older folks who might not be able to bend all the way down to ground level.

I will be posting some links to help you with ideas of different types of gardening that you might like to try as well as some companies that offer good heirloom seeds that will produce good old fashioned food!