Gardening 101

               If you are reading this then chances are, you have some slant towards healthy or healthful eating.  Having your own, personal garden is a great way to have an abundance of your favorite vegetables on hand throughout the growing season and to ensure that you are getting your daily regimen of raw vegetables.  If you have ever had your own garden you know that they do take some time and effort to maintain and install.  However with the help of a local handy man with a tiller you may find that it's not nearly as demanding as you remember.

               I have had a garden for the last 4 years or so.  I've been pretty busy with the business  this year so I paid a young man in the neighborhood to turn our garden plot over by shovel.  Then I paid another person to till the garden so all I had to do was plant the seeds and starter plants.  So, for right around $100.00 in outsourced labor and about $20 in seeds and another $20 in starter plants, I have a full-on garden that will sustain me and many of my clients throughout this year's growing season. 

               Considering how much I spend on vegetables alone the return on investment will be easy to obtain.  Not only that but I know that my garden is 100% organic.  Nothing but natural soil amendments, well aged manure, loads of kitchen waste, leaves from my neighbors yards, and the benefits of lots and lots of worms hard at work.  The point here is that gardening has multiple benefits. 

1.  It gets you outside - A garden gives you a reason to get outside and play in the dirt a little.  You can set your own pace and you will be healthier for in the long run.

2.  You get to pick the vegetables - If you love broccoli, plant some, if you love a thick slice of tomato with your sandwich, then grow your favorite tomato (mine is the Cherokee Purple).  You are the boss here.  You also get to experiment with other vegetables that you may be unfamiliar with.  This is the first year that I've ever grown beets.  I had some fresh beets earlier this year and I was blown away by how great they tasted.  They will forever be a staple in my garden!

3.  It gives you a chance to meet the neighbors - A garden always produces more than you expect, especially if you plan it properly.  When this happens, bag up a few beans and cucumbers and walk on over to your neighbors place and knock on the door.  It's a great way to start new relationships and maintain existing ones.  In my neighborhood, one family grows herbs and spices.  I regularly trade vegetables for herbs with them.  They are great people and it helps us stay in contact even when things get busy.

4.  By having fresh vegetables on hand, you are more likely to eat them - The more you eat raw vegetables, the more soluble and insoluble fiber you will consume, as well as the wonderful enzymes that go along with raw vegetables.  Not to mention the vitamins and minerals that are more easily absorbed through eating raw vegetables. 

          Gardening not for you?  No space?  No worries!  Container gardening has come a LONG way in recent years.  There are many, many options at your local big box store (Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco, and others).  Check them out and you too can have the added benefit of home gardening, regardless of how much space you have.

          So, there you have it.  Gardening, while it may be a little extra work, it's also a great way to get out into the sun, play in the dirt, eat your favorite veggies, get and stay healthier, builds and maintains relationships, and allows you to be even more giving than you already are.  So what's stopping you?  Get out there, get dirty, and have fun!

Chef Pat @ CFL