Grow Your Own and Reap the Rewards

A vegetable garden provides great rewards: physical exercise and the food you grow for you and your family.

Do not feel intimidated about planting a vegetable garden because you live in the city. If you have a small yard, you can section off an area for your garden. If you live in an apartment or condominium with a balcony, you can plant your vegetables in planter boxes. Depending on where you live in a city, the space is constrained and you have to consider your neighbors. Vegetables and herbs can be grown in small planter boxes and containers. Remember that vegetables need a lot of sunlight and the container has to be large enough for the roots. It depends on the type of vegetables you plant and what you expect from your garden.

Can't decide between planting a vegetable garden or a flower garden? Vegetable gardens are typically easier to maintain than flower gardens because vegetables are more resilient in different types of weather. Flowers are more delicate and do not adapt to changing temperatures as well.

How will you plant the vegetables in your garden? The traditional method, and the way I learned, was to lay them out in straight, organized lines. We had a quarter acre garden. My grandfather decided on what would be planted and where it would be planted. He generally placed plants that would be harvested at the same time in rows beside each other so that the soil between the vegetables that were not ready would not be ruined. However, some people prefer to plant alternating rows of different types of vegetables so that when one type is about to be harvested, the rows of vegetables in between are not yet in season.

Another method of planting is to use beds rather than the traditional rows. The beds have to be small enough so that you can reach in and pull out the weeds that will grow alongside your plants. You can plant in raised beds. This will allow heat to be kept inside longer during cold weather it is a good drainage system around the beds.

A third method of planting is to plant vegetables, flowers, and herbs together in a way that is aesthetically pleasing.

Soil preparation is an essential step in raising a successful crop of vegetables. It does not matter if your garden will be a large plot in the backyard or if you use planter boxes. You have to determine if the soil is the right mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Clay particles in sand retain water longer and absorb water faster. Sandy particles in soil make the water flow through it easily and let in air so the roots can breathe.

The ideal mixture is 40% silt, 40% sand, and 20% clay. Test your soil by scooping up a handful and forming a ball. It should not be so hard it crumbles when you poke it, but it should be sticky enough to retain its shape even if you do not press it too hard with your hands.

So what are the rewards you are reaping? First, you are getting fresh air and physical exercise. Secondly, you will have the greatest experience of eating fresh veggies from your very own patch.

Be patient and take the time to plant the vegetables appropriate for the season and area of your garden.

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