Homegrown Vegetables, Birdeye

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

If you read my blog, you know I love having a vegetable garden and have enjoyed growing tomatoes since 1998. This year, after reading books and understanding sustainable gardens, I think everyone should try and get there with their own garden. Being able to grow your own food without relying totally on the grocery store, is a very green approach. Just on Monday, I needed a tomato and purchased a few Roma's at my local grocery store, Hay's. They were grown in Mexico and looked like they were picked about a week ago. When you stop and think about the energy it took to bring those tomatoes to Wynne, it goes like this...the tomato is plucked from the vine, put on a truck to a warehouse, then is transported from the warehouse to the grocery store either by truck or airplane, then I drive to the grocery store, buy the few Roma's then drive them to my house. Wow, that's a lot of energy for a few tomatoes and a lot of gas burned and electricity to keep them fresh. Good lord, let's all put out a garden!!

I am proud to say my peppers, lettuce, arugula, basil, strawberries, pumpkins, watermelons, squash, cucumbers and all look really good this year. It takes very little time to get seeds in the ground and patience to wait until you can pick the fruit. You'll love this confession...I had an unusual two foot tall plant that bloomed in April. I had no idea what it was. The plant fell over a few days ago and I pulled it out today and it was potatoes! I forgot I found a bag of Yukon gold potatoes and planted them in March, I think, and am thrilled with the finding today. How funny, to forget that I planted them. So, get it out there and see what happens!

I also plant Zinnia's from seed packets every year in front of my garden to cover up my lack of pulling all the weeds. I don't get them all pulled in a timely manner with work, Chloe, community stuff, church, etc., so I put the flowers out so I can have fresh cut flowers every day in my kitchen! I used 4 seed packets of different varieties of Zinnia's and just look at all those flowers! I have volunteer Zinnia's that come back every year.