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Time to discover the long lost art of gardening!
- Spring 2009 -
I've said it for years - "I'm going to
plant a garden." But year after year went by and no garden.
There were always other things to do. But now that the economy was
changing and I had to figure out how to cut costs, I thought, "this is now
the time to start the garden." Now all I had to do was convince my
husband to help me get a gardening area plotted in our backyard, which
thankfully wasn't that hard. He seemed to be on the same page that I
was about this new undertaking!
Being able to grow our own food has become
a long lost skill. We as a society are totally dependent on others
to provide our food! When I began to think about this, it amazed me
that we have handed the responsibility for something so vital to our
existence over to others!
So now more than ever, it is time to learn
how to garden! I encourage you to find a spot and plant at least one
vegetable plant this year. Become familiar with sun patterns and
become responsible for watering and tending to plants. Tomatoes are
good plants to start out with. All you need is a pot with good soil,
a tomato plant, and a sunny spot to set them in. Give the tomato
plant about 1" of water every time the soil feels dry to the touch.
For those who are more adventurous and who
sense the urgency, get as large of a plot of ground ready with good top
soil, peat moss and compost, and plant as many vegetables as you feel you
can tend to. Don't forget that once the big job of getting the soil
ready and planting the seeds, or seedlings, has been accomplished, you
need to keep the plants watered and the area around them weeded. It
is a project. You'll have to make time and the discipline yourself
to care for the plants. There are many things to master and this
first year will be a learning experience. But there is no better
time to start than right now!
So, I encourage you to 'put your shoulder
to the plow' and get those plants into the ground (or pots) as soon as
possible. This is the time of year to get your garden going.
Decide that this is the time to become more self-sufficient in this vital
area!
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