The gift of gardening in any space

Gardening is an activity that satisfies the soul, but it can also be a great way to be creative and find inspiration while feeling the warm earth and watching the tender shoots of plants reach the warmth of the sun.

Container gardening is a fast-growing trend and if you’re short on time, soil, or money, then this is the notch that will fit you. A great looking, versatile and fun planter idea is to grow a “salad basket.” A cherry tomato plant is the center point of your basket. Any pot or box that offers drainage can be used. After your tomato plant, then fill the pot with lettuce, kale, chard, baby green onions, and parsley. If you like other vegetables in your salad, include them. The best part about your “salad basket” is that while you cut and enjoy the harvest, you simply encourage your plants to produce more. You will always have the freshest

Salad ingredients available at your fingertips. The colors are beautiful for summer, and the taste, well, warmed by the sun and grown in the gentle summer breezes, watered by nature’s gentle rains, and with a little extra watering and weeding from you, you’ve got a basket made. in the heart of any salad lover.

Many people like to use herbs for cooking and even baking. If you take a pot and fill it with rows of your favorite herbs, then you’re ready to try whatever new dishes come your way. The center point of your pot should be the dill, as it grows to a height that it will not overpower your other plants. It will then produce fine, feathery dill to use in potato salad and serve with chicken. If you surround your dill plant with rosemary, oregano, sage, basil, and even mint, it has a wide variety of fresh herbs and is far better for cooking than any dried herbs you might have around the house. You can use other herbs and in the fall, when many are to be sown, the colors, fragrance, and utility continue to give. When fall comes, you can plant some of the herbs in window pots and you can continue to enjoy their wonders during the winter months.

Children and gardens seem to go together. If you have an old red wagon that has lost its usefulness, you can poke holes in the bottom for drainage and fill it with quick-harvest items that will delight any budding gardener. From some strawberry plants to cucumbers to tomatoes, ask your local nursery what grows quickly in your climate and then plant some seeds in rich potting soil in the old red wagon. Your child may experience seeing a simple seed that produces

First sprout then bloom into a plant with all kinds of healthy treats to pick up when ripe. Not only will your child start enjoying healthy snacks from their own plant cart, but they will also be able to share with the family and even proudly produce that bowl of strawberries for Sunday breakfast. You and your child will enjoy the experience and, well, the great taste of the products and the beauty of the wagon are just a bonus.

Gardening isn’t just for those with a lot of land. It can be enjoyed if you only have a patio, porch, or balcony. Even if none of these are available to you, then a bright, sunny window with planters filled with “goodies” will bring pleasure and beauty to any home.

Regardless of how you like to garden, the most important thing is that it is fun and can be shared.

something to think about

© Arleen M. Kaptur

May 2008

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