For decades, we have been counseled by General Authorities to plant a garden. Believe it or not, this is not outdated counsel. Last year, the Church Newsroom featured an article on "Planting the Seeds of Self-Reliance," highlighting the important counsel from our Church leaders to plant a garden. Check out the article here. A couple years ago, some of my friends lived in a house with a small yard and decided to plant a garden. These seven guys hauled in dirt, grew seedlings in their living room, and planted enough vegetables and herbs to feed the neighborhood in a relatively small 10'x7' plot in their yard. My roommates and I benefitted from the seemingly unlimited supply of fresh zucchini, summer squash, peppers, basil, thyme, and rosemary. That summer, I grew to be hooked on using fresh herbs in my cooking, but after moving to Manhattan I realized that purchasing fresh herbs for every meal at the store was fairly expensive. So I purchased a small basil plant for the same price as a bunch of cut basil and put it in my Manhattan windowsill. One little basil plant was enough to satisfy the (rather significant) basil needs of all three roommates living in my apartment last summer.
Some of you may be in a position to dedicate a portion of your yard to a larger garden. If you have a yard, we highly encourage you to do that. On the other hand, many of us either live in apartments or townhomes that have very limited outdoor space (if any at all), or we are busy enough that the idea of planting and caring for a large garden is overwhelming. This year, the Needhams are following in the footsteps of Elder L. Tom Perry who said, "There have been very few years in my life when I have not been responsible for a garden. Even now as a city condominium dweller, I still plant and harvest a garden each year. . . . Each spring as I look over an insignificant, small seed and place it in a well-prepared seed bed, I marvel at how much it will produce." So, how does one go about planting a garden while living in tight quarters? We recommend you read the article from the Church Newsroom and also offer these suggestions:
1) Now is the time! Spring is here and it is the perfect time to start some seedlings indoors. The recommendation in our area is to plant seedlings outdoors between late April and mid-June. Given that we've had a warm winter, this is the perfect time to get started on a garden. Don't miss your opportunity for a full harvest!
2) Survey your space. Do you have a yard? A balcony? A sunny windowsill? Everybody has room to grow something. What you choose to grow will be affected in part by how much space you have.
3) Decide what you want to grow. You can grow lettuce, spinach, squash, radishes, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beans, etc.! Many of these vegetables can be grown in containers on a porch or balcony. Some plants can be grown indoors in a windowsill. If you have a yard, consider planting a fruit tree. (Seriously, being a California girl I miss the fresh produce, but the Connecticut/New York region has the best apples by far!)
Think about what your family likes to eat and what food you will actually use. Realize that one or two small plants can easily feed a family of four (or more). You may want to consider teaming up with another family to have a food swap because you may be growing enough for more than just your family but don't have space for the variety you would like.
You can find more information online about different vegetables and how to grow them. Also, it can be helpful to just go to the store and read different seed packets. After a little Google-searching and looking at the seeds at Target, we decided to grow yellow summer squash, zucchini, sweet peppers, and sweet peas (not for eating). We also have a basil plant we picked up from Stop 'n' Shop. Burpee is a gardening company and has a lot of resources on their website: click here.
4) Gather your materials. You will, of course, need seeds. The seed packet should tell you roughly what size container you need to plant your seeds. We are starting out by planting our seeds indoors until they become seedlings. Many stores have seedling kits. If you do not have ready access to dirt, you may also need to purchase some. Before buying pots, think about whether you could use old containers like soda bottles, milk jugs, and similar items. Think about whether you will really need to purchase a shovel, watering can, etc. So far, we've been able to tend our pre-garden without purchasing these items. Save money by purchasing items on an as-needed basis. Target, Stop 'n' Shop, Costco, and probably Walmart and Home Depot (though I haven't checked) are all places to find basic gardening supplies at good prices. Seeds cost in the $0.99-$1.50 range for a packet.
5) Involve your family. Gardening is a great way to teach kids about responsibility, faith (see Alma 32), and self-reliance. The Church magazines have some fun activities for kids related to gardening. For example, click here.
6) Decide and begin! It's easy to think that something is a good idea and then get side-tracked. The great thing about starting a garden is that it does not require a day-long or week-long commitment. We started our garden by spending less than an hour at Target one night picking out supplies, and then spending an hour on Sunday afternoon planting our seeds. We quickly check our plants every day or two to see if they need more water. Gardening does not have to be all-consuming! The hardest part is starting.
Other considerations. Here are some general things we have learned from online reading.
- In order for the vegetables to grow, your plants need to be pollinated. If there aren't enough bees in your area, you will need to do this yourself. Find out which flowers on your plant are the male ones and which are the female ones. Then use a small paintbrush to take the pollen from the male flower and brush it on the female flower.
- Some plants do attract bugs. One website suggested planting radishes as a natural way to get rid of the bugs attracted by squash plants. Another website suggested planting marigolds to ward off nematodes.
- This website has been valuable for knowing what size pots are required for each type of vegetable.
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