by Cathy Hatch

Created on: February 20, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2009

Spring Gardening

By Cathy Hatch

It sure has been a long, hard winter this year. Things are looking up, however. Spring is just around the corner and with it comes time to start my gardens. With an acre of land at my disposal, I seem to create more space for those delicious fresh veggies I miss so much. There is nothing better than the taste of sunshine packed into every red and juicy tomato, knowing where it came from and how it was grown.

Organic gardening is becoming very popular and for years, I have managed to adhere to the guidelines set for a true organic garden. With the help of a neighbor's horse manure, compost from my own yard, and carefully placed plants, our household has more than enough fresh produce to share with friends and family. Along with that, there is plenty to preserve with a little help from glass jars and vinegar to gobble down during the long, dark winter months. From fresh pickles to homemade sauces and salsas lining the basement walls, the memory of summer lingers for my family and friends.

Gardening is so fulfilling, like raising a child, watching it grow, blossoming and finally giving back the love. It is simple and easy and a great way to teach your own family about the benefits of a healthy diet, free of pesticides and chemically based fertilizers. We continue to ad to our bounty each year and now boast with having a plethora of fresh carrots-you cannot imagine the difference in taste compared to the store bought variety. Not just orange carrots, but yellow ones too. We grow cabbage to make fresh sauerkraut, tomatoes for sauces and salads. I cannot keep my three-year-old nephew away from the cherry tomatoes. He picks and pops them into his tiny mouth, letting the juice run free down his adorable chin. He says they are like eating candy.

When he visits, I marvel at the sight of him making his way through the fresh peas, then to the snap of the green and yellow beans. Later in the season, he picks the sweet green broccoli and eats it fresh and raw.

We start many of our plants indoors beginning in late February. We use growing lights in the basement and transfer them into our sunlit gazebo once the weather proves warm enough. Then, of course, they are transplanted into one of the gardens. I found organic seeds at my local Wegmans but they can also be ordered from a seed catalog. As a short cut, you can buy small plants from a local nursery but I have not found any close by that offer organic plants.

Try gardening and growing your own fresh produce. It doesn't take much room at all. When I was a kid, my parents only had a small lot at home but they managed to grow more than enough fresh veggies for our family and friends. You will not be sorry and you will be giving a valuable lesson, as well as great nutrition, to your own family and friends!

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