The Growing Challenge

In an effort to get by ample behind in gear about the vegetable garden this year I have joined the Growing Challenge. The good folks over at Creating Edible Landscapes are challenging gardeners to grow at least one new thing the year...from seed. This year in addition to the north end narrow plot, we are developing the plot on top of the hill for pumpkins, beans and blueberries.

The idea here is simple. GROW MORE FOOD! That's it. Even if your only space is a sunny window, or shady porch, there is something delicious that you can grow. Growing your own food tastes better, it's healthier, takes fewer resources uses less petroleum etc...and if you can buy plant starts or seeds locally even better!

Here is a post of mine from last year about the garden and what we are trying to do with it. We grew three or four kinds of tomatoes, full moon pumpkins ( we are aiming for the big ones this year!) red and yellow strawberries, two kinds of cucumber, pak choy, broccoli, two kinds of hops, two kinds of carrots, zucchini and summer squash, salad greens, rosemary, basil, thyme, summer savory and mint ( for mojitos...), Italian plums, green gage plums, strange apples and watermelon. This year we are adding various pole beans from seed, blueberry canes. We live on a average sized though oddly shaped city plot, with too much hard surface landscape. WE are breaking It up bit by bit, but it takes time, effort and resources all of which a sometimes shy around here.

I think of this as our own little Victory Garden. Each tiny bit of food we grow is a tiny bit that did not have to be transported across the country/county/city in a truck/train/ship that is running on imported oil. Use less oil, use fewer resources, give big government less incentive to invade other countries to secure their oil supply. Plant food fight global warming!