A Home Vegetable Garden is a Joy

I can't remember not having a home vegetable garden. My parents always grew a vegetable garden, and so did my grandparents.

I recall that my grandparents were vegetable gardening at their home as well as their cottage on the lake.

What could be easier, more satisfying and more cost-effective than feeding yourself with stuff that grows right out of the ground?

For my 50th birthday, my best friend from childhood contributed a piece of writing and photos for a birthday book that my sweetheart Ellen was assembling. It turned out to be a work of art as well as an historical look at my first 50 years. That look included memories of vegetable gardening.

What my friend said was that our household meals always had fresh vegetables from the garden. His comment took me a bit by surprise because I never thought that that portion of my life was noteworthy in the least. But it was, indeed.

We were raised with the idea that a home vegetable garden was a good pastime, a form of recreation, and it provided fresh food during the growing season and wholesome canned goods during the winter. In the summer, our lives were often focused on vegetable gardening.

The noteworthiness of my friend's comments didn't sink in until I realized that many people don't have that experience; some have no idea how or where certain vegetables grow. Do they come from a bush, a vine, a stalk, a tree, or do they grow underground? How would you know if you have no experience with a home vegetable garden?

It struck me as sad for a moment, because I think many folks grow up thinking that vegetables out of a can are normal, or that fresh vegetables from the grocery store define, within reason, the limits of produce. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Only those of us with a home vegetable garden are keenly aware of the joy, nutritional benefits and variety of produce that a vegetable garden can provide.



So, what should we talk about in this area of home vegetable garden discussion? Here is a list for starters.

• How about a small vegetable garden for those of us that live in apartments or otherwise have limited yard space. It doesn't take a large amount of room to grow quite a bit of food. You might even consider container vegetable gardening if you really don't have soil to claim as your own. I've even seen vegetables planted among landscaping of all things. There are lots of alternatives for a home vegetable garden.

• Another topic of great interest is organic vegetable gardening. It seems almost comical to think that we might have to carefully consider growing our food without toxins or poisons, and that we might want to eat, well, just food and not all the other stuff that is harmful to us.

  If done properly, organic gardening is of great benefit to ourselves, the soil, and the environment that we call home. It's hard to think that many of us used to consider poisons the only way to grow food. It doesn't grow that way naturally, so why was this unnatural and unhealthy approach to raising food necessary, and how did it creep into our home vegetable garden?

  I'm not certain, but I know I'm glad to be rid of non-organic methods where I am concerned.

• If we're going to pass on this heritage to others, then we'll probably want to discuss gardening projects for kids. It's always a good idea to get children to appreciate more and varied aspects of life. It's also great to teach them useful skills that will serve them well.

  Among the most important skills is being able to feed yourself and others. I think our children need to know something about a home vegetable garden because it gives them a better appreciation for what others do in the marketplace of produce.

• What about vegetable garden designs? Are they important? They are if you're going to weave in vegetable gardening into your flower gardening or just want to make a more attractive garden. A good design also allows you to access your garden a little bit easier as well.

• Are you a beginner? Don't worry. Vegetable gardening is relatively easy, and I've created vegetable gardening for dummies just in case you believe that you have a brown thumb. It isn't hard, it just takes a little bit of practice and some courage to experiment.

• In terms of vegetable production, let's talk about what vegetables will give you the highest yields. After all, if you're growing food in a home vegetable garden, you'll want to get a good amount for the level of effort expended and the space that you dedicate to such endeavors.

• Wide open garden or raised bed vegetable garden? It's really all up to you. There are benefits of both. Let's take a look at what you can do and how it might fit in with your plans.

• And who couldn't use vegetable gardening tips to help them with their daily task of tending the garden? I think we all can use a few. No matter how many years you've had a home vegetable garden, you learn new things all the time. Some by experimentation and some by talking with others.

Dive in! Vegetable gardening is fun, beneficial and a great form of recreation. Start planning for a home vegetable garden, or expand on the one you already have. Either way, you'll be supporting your own good health and frugality, and expanding your horizons by growing fresh vegetables that are pleasing to the eye, pleasing to the palate, and full of nutrients because you grew them yourself.

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