I never thought of myself as a food snob before. True, I have certain tastes and textures that I prefer as much as the next person, but generally I eat pretty much everything (as evidenced by the state of my thighs.) When it comes to fresh veggies, though, I must admit that my garden has me spoiled. My parents had a small garden plot when I was very young, but once we moved to a basement apartment we had no greenery other than a few meager houseplants.   As far as I knew, cucumbers were always green, potatoes were always white, and tomatoes were always red.  I should have known that there was more variety in the world than that limited rainbow!  Now that I have a home of my own, I really enjoy having a garden filled with many varieties of our favorite veggies.  Here is a pic of one section in my garden last year:

Many of my friends have commented that they wish they could have a garden, but…Insert your favorite excuse here.   My question is, what’s stopping you?  There really is NO good reason for not getting your hands dirty and growing some delicious produce of your own if you’re interested in trying it.

Not sure how to get started?  Check out blogs and online gardening sites.  You can even get some gardening books from your local library or visit your regional agriculture department.  I prefer to buy books myself since I refer to them over and over, write notes in the margins, and so on.  If you have limited space, consider starting a container garden.  There are so many plants that are well-suited for containers that you’re sure to find one that works for your space. My favorites are Earthboxes and Smart Pots.   Is your soil less than perfect for a garden?  Find out what simple additions you need to work in.  It could be as easy as sprinkling in some sand or organic fertilizer.   Not sure which plants you should buy? Visit your local greenhouse and ask for advice about what would work best in your garden. Buy some healthy, well-started plants and get busy!  Have pets that might get into your garden?  Use hanging pots — they are attractive, easy, and often very productive.   Afraid you’ll over- or underwater the plants?  Set up a soaker hose system and put it on a timer.  Think that it’s too expensive?  If you’re a budgeting family, planting a garden is one of the best ways to stretch your food budget!  Implement just about any container as a planter, as long as it has good drainage, and you’re on your way.  Composting is a way to provide nutrients to your plants while reducing your kitchen waste.  I’ve even used seeds that I saved from farmer’s market tomatoes and melons, so I didn’t have to buy them.  It’s so easy to stretch your dollars when you’re growing your own food.

Gardening is a great way to spend time outdoors and one of our family’s best ways to make memories.   You get to decide how involved you want to be.  It’s also super fun to plant your favorite foods and grow them on your own.  If I can do it, anyone can!   Today’s a great day to start a garden!

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