With every passing year, we move further away from the time when people grew most of the food their families ate. Our busy, modern lives and more compact living conditions have drawn us away from the soil and into supermarkets. How many people today even know the taste of a tomato, cucumber, or carrot picked ripe and eaten right there in the garden? If you don’t, you’re missing out on a real treat.
While we all know that vegetables are good for us, how many of you consider them a favorite food? If not, maybe you have just never tasted one fresh from the garden. It’s easy to fix that by growing your own. With a tiny investment and little bit of time, you can make and maintain a vegetable garden space almost anywhere.
What’s in it for you, other than better-tasting food? First of all, you’ll save money. Once you’ve purchased seeds and maybe some potting soil if you’re container gardening, you’re essentially done spending money. Picking and eating your crop is free.
Another benefit is exercise while working in your garden, even if it is just a container on your patio or back porch. Planting, watering, and weeding uses muscles as you bend, twist, reach, and lift. Whether you’re breaking a sweat or not, movement is still good for you. Many people find gardening reduces stress and improves their mood.
Getting Started
Soil conditions and amount of daily sun are important considerations in locating your garden space. Many parts of Lewis County feature hard-packed clay soil which is difficult to garden in. Vegetables need fertile, well-drained soil – everything clay is not. You may have to add fertilizers and organic matter to improve the soil structure. An alternative is to build raised beds on blocks with efficient drainage and fill them with good soil.
Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Locate your garden away from shade sources such as buildings or trees. When you plant, put shorter crops on the sunny side so taller crops don’t cause shade and everything gets the most sun possible.
How large of a garden do you want? Part of that answer comes from how much sunny area you have. However, don’t overdo it the first year. Start with a realistic size that will be easy to maintain without infringing too much on your time. Starting too big is an easy way to get discouraged and never garden again.
What is good to plant? The first consideration of course is to choose vegetables you like to eat that thrive in our local climate. Next, decide what your main interest is. Do you want to grow your own favorite vegetable? Or, do you want to grow vegetables to save money at the store? As an example, maybe you would plant tomatoes and leaf lettuce versus potatoes and carrots based on cost at the store. A third consideration is how much room the plants take up in the garden. If you have limited space, stick with plants that grow up rather than spread out.
Resources
With its rich agricultural heritage, Lewis County is home to a wealth of in-person resources at local nurseries and garden centers. Their greatest advantage is they know what works here. They can advise what grows well, how to prepare your soil, and how to tend your garden for maximum yield in an environmentally friendly way.
The Washington State University Extension program offers tried and true advice for any kind of garden you want to plant. You can download a comprehensive 29-page Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington guide at http://bit.ly/2JlNTgJ. Crop-specific guides are also available at http://gardening.wsu.edu/vegetable-gardens/. For more help locally, connect with the Lewis County WSU Extension office at https://extension.wsu.edu/lewis/.
Gardening is a great family activity. Parents and kids get quality time together. Kids learn patience waiting for their crop to grow and the benefit of working toward a goal when they enjoy the results. Plant a garden this spring, enjoy great food this summer, and pass on home gardens producing fresh, healthy, great-tasting food to future generations. Follow us on Twitter @LCPHSS.
