Why I grow my own food

Garden-fresh food

Freshness has always been a key element of how I like to cook.  I like to start with food that is as close to its natural state as possible, and then use garlic, onions, tomatoes, herbs, grating, roasting, sautee and steam to bring out the flavours.  Mmmmmm!  Nothing tastes better than garden-fresh produce and, naturally, there is no place better to start than in your own garden.

Last year, I grew multiple crops in my lawn-turned-edible landscape, including yellow and purple potatoes, carrots, globe artichokes, swiss and rainbow chard, two different varieties of kale, heirloom and San Marzano tomatoes, pole beans, runner beans, walla-walla onions, green onions, eggplant (just one!), many different types of lettuce, arugula, red cabbage, green cabbage, beets, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, blackcurrants, grapes (one bunch) blueberries, rhubarb and Turkish figs (lots of them!)

With the precious help of my friend, Ryan, I conditioned the soil using a truckload of horse manure and dark, rich compost from my bin as well as Gaia Green organic fertilizer here and there.  Ryan is passionate about every aspect of Mother Earth and is a wealth of knowledge about optimizing food production through healthy, mulched soil full of organisms!  We planted a mix of seeds, over time, and watched as they grew.  We thinned seedlings, sometimes twice, occasionally thrice,and each time I added excess baby seedlings to the compost bin I felt a pang of sadness but was comforted by the thought that in the bin they would be with other living organisms.

Although it had been three years since I had first turned my lawn into an organic edible garden, I had not had such a healthy, bountiful, and delicious crop as I did last year, with Ryan’s help, and using only natural products.  It helped that the weather co-operated too.

I planted lots of edible flowers too, borage, calendula, lavendar and not only did bees (the real ones, not pesky wasps) come visit, but we had lots of butterflies, hummingbirds and no pests.

Planting an organic garden in 2010

It will soon be time to start the vegetable garden again, so I’m planning what I will plant this year.  I will sow everything the same, with the exception of carrots (hate throwing those babies away!) and beets (I forget to dig them up-probably because I don’t enjoy them!)  I’m also looking for ideas as to what else I should grow and welcome your suggestions for the West Coast climate.  Please don’t suggest zucchini though … I grew them one year and my dear hubby grew tired of eating cakes, salads, antipasti pasta, etc. … all with zucchini!  Also, I love peas, but so do the squirrels, so it’s a constant race as to who finds the tender pods first!

Nothing tastes better than the organic food grown in your own garden.  And it sure tastes even better knowing that there are no harmful pesticides or fertilizer by-products.

So … what shall I grow this year?  If your suggestion results in a positive crop, I will publish a photograph and a recipe using that item.