WNC Gardening

Well, this is year two for our attempt at backyard gardening. Last year was extremely successful...we are still eating on some of the frozen and canned corn and beans! Our little backyard garden has given us valuable experience growing our own vegetables as well as helped us to eat healthier, save money and know that we are doing our part to help the environment (since we aren't eating veggies shipped halfway around the world).

Growing up in the mountains, I always knew people that gardened. My grandparents all had gardens, as did other folks around the community. I helped out in small ways, from picking and preparing corn for freezing to picking and stringing beans to be canned. However, I never realized the satisfaction of putting seeds into the ground, caring for and nurturing those plants and then harvesting the fruits (or vegetables!) of your labor.

I also used to think that gardening was just for old folks. It seemed to me that people gardened because that's what they grew up doing and that's what they were used to. However, I am beginning to understand that those "old folks" understand the value of hard work - that your food tastes so much better when it's your own two hands that have picked it and brought it to the table. I'm also noticing that more young people are getting involved in gardening - whether because of the economy or the eat local movement, it's always nice to have people to share my experiences with.

Another benefit of having your own garden is that you get to control exactly what goes into and onto the food. You have been there from start to finish and have chosen which (if any) fertilizers, pesticides, etc to use. These "old folks" were organic before organic was cool! One day, we'll add to our family and being able to control what we eat will be so great.

Ok, so enough chit-chat, how about some advice? So far this year, I've put out potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, corn, onions, cucumbers and zucchini. That may seem like a lot, but our four beds combined cover about 1200 square feet. This is about double what we had last year. I waited until there was no fear of frost to plant most of the crops (early May for our area) but you can start potatoes, onions and lettuce earlier (early April) since they are more hearty.

I have found that asking people for advice has been the most helpful, whether it was people at the local farming supply store, my grandparents, the local extension office or other farmers. For example, in North Carolina, you can call up your extension office and they'll either help you out or direct you to someone who can. I also like to spend time reading plenty of books. I found that the Guide to NC Vegetable Gardening has been the most helpful, but I also liked all the tips I found in Country Wisdom and Know-how.

If you're thinking about gardening, I say jump in and go for it! What's the worst that could happen? You kill a few plants? I'll try to post some pictures as our garden develops and later on in the fall some tips on canning and preserving. Who knows, this time next year we may have even moved on to livestock...Am wants goats!