Garden Squares

It is February which means it is time to plan what to grow this year. Here are a few relatively easy suggestions to promote healthy home and body care.

• tomatoes – nothing in the store can compare to home grown!
• basil
• mint
• loofah – Yes, you can grow loofah. I do not know who started the rumor that loofah sponges come from the sea!
• marigold – pretty and good for pest/rabbit control
• winter squash (including pumpkin)
• lettuce
• garlic – tasty and also good for pest control (plant near the lettuce)
• various peas and beans are easy too – I do not grow them though due to family allergies.

Looking for extra-credit? Add:

• lavender
• roses
• lemons
• carrots
• potatoes
• chamomile
• sage

If you start now (or real soon), you can get many of these going from seed, a much more economical investment than starting with plants. Of course, one fruitful tomato plant will more than earn its keep and that of the other plants as well.

On a tight budget, and who is not these days? Try container gardening by reusing household containers (yogurt, milk cartons, those blue mushroom baskets…). If you have never gardened, the important part is to just try it! But, start small – even a few basil leaves or a tomato or two can be counted a victory! A few seed packets and a big bag of potting soil should be expense enough to get started.

Check out the local library for some great books on seed starting tips, organic gardening advice, and container gardening ideas. Here are some resources to get you started:

Mail-order seeds – The Oldest Seed House in America – D. Landreth, loofah seeds from Local Harvest

On gardening – Square Foot Gardening website and thanks to Amazon, I am able to show you some of the books that I found helpful by creating a personalized Gardening Bookstore. However, I still strongly recommend that you check out your local library for these and other great books!