It is time to get back to basics. It is time to take a little risk. We are in the middle of this supposed "Green Revolution" where we are trying to be better at caring for the environment. These are tough challenges with money being a major hurdle to getting started with the use of alternative energies. So, what do we do? We try to buy organic produce or buy produce from local growers. These are great ways to be involved in the Green Revolution, but how about YOU becoming the local grower?
Like I said, getting back to basics, our roots, is what its all about. We used to be people who farmed the land. Now that the majority of us are stuck on a small plot of land or an apartment complex where farming is not possible anymore. Or is it? Well, we have changed our vocabulary, given it a new name and very few people actually grow a portion of their food at home.
Gardening as we know it today works very well on my 55 X 125 plot of land. I use no pesticides, a small amount of fertilizer and the water & sun do the rest. Do not stop reading now because you do not have time to grow plants, do not know what you are doing or do not have the space. All of these are just excuses.
Here is my recommendation - Start small, take risks, read up and enjoy!
Starting Small- Maybe you do not want to take up too much of your yard. So clear out a small plot maybe only 2 feet by 5 feet. Then you can just start out with some simple crops. Tomatoes and peppers are great for first timers since they grow easily and produce lots.
Taking risks- You do not need to know too much. Try something different and see what happens. I never grew lettuce in my life. This year I bought a pack of romaine lettuce seeds, planted them in rows and within a few weeks I was eating lettuce. And a few weeks later I was having salad daily for lunch. I knew nothing about how to grow lettuce, but just gave it a shot and it worked out. Not all risks have a fairy tale ending and that is where "read up" comes in.
Read Up- When in doubt about what is going on out there in the garden, read up. The internet has a lot of reliable information when it comes to gardening. Here is my example. Excited by the prospect of growing zucchini in my backyard last year, I bought some small plants in the spring planted them and they took off! I was psyched. The plants grew like crazy, started flowering and then.......nothing. I would get very small zucchini that quickly turned yellow and died. I came to find out on the internet that the female flowers only open very early in the morning and then close. I might have had a pollination problem. It just so happens that it is easily fixed with a small paintbrush and an alarm clock. I had to get up early in the morning, rub the paintbrush bristles on the male flowers (pollen producers) and then transfer that pollen onto the female flowers interior parts. Very risqué, being involved in plant sex! Well, anyway it worked and I have now come to see the same things happening with my new risk of the year - pumpkins!
Enjoy- Do not let this be a job. Sure you will sweat, but little by little or year by year you will see advances in your skills. I have a few things that are bit frustrating now in my 4th year out there gardening, but I like to look at the positives and keep on going. Forget about the rabbits eating all my cucumbers and enjoy the abundance of tomatoes & peppers and learning how to make salsa! They are tasty, homegrown and instill a sense of pride in me for being grown on my own plot of land. Now get off the computer and get planting!!!
