Grandma's Kitchen

Salsa and Sweeeeet Pickles!!!

Throughout the day Monday, I worked on cutting tomatoes, peppers and onions to make a batch of salsa.  I was cooking it down and went to go look for pint bottles in my fruit room.  Much to my dismay, I realized that I only had four and I needed about 20 more.  I put the lid on my crock of salsa to keep overnight.  I decided I would deal with this problem in the morning.

Tuesday morning, I texted my mom to see if she had any solutions to my lack of bottles.  She said she was at Grandma's and that Gram was willing to give me some of hers.  So I buckled Toddy in and we drove to Lehi to Grandma's house.

I brought her a little goody basket full of canned goods from this year, which she was tickled to get.  She immediately took me into her storage room to put the bottles away.  It was full of good smells and brightly colored canned fruits and vegetables.  I remember playing hide and seek in there when I was little, but only carefully because it could be pitch dark in there and for some reason there was only a doorknob on the outside of the door.  But the smell is the same still today.



Cute, Cute Grandma

Grandma invited me into her kitchen where she was busy canning peaches.  This is how I fondly picture Grandma-- in the kitchen cooking or canning, with her cute little apron on, and so happy doing her work.  She wouldn't let me help, but told me just to sit down and visit for a while.  I mentioned the table grapes on her counter, and then she insisted that I go pick a bunch to take home to my family.  I jumped at the chance because we all love them so much.

We visited for a few more minutes, and then sadly, I had to go to pick up Dawson from preschool.  I said, "Grandma, I wish I could stay and visit....ALL DAY."  She said "Me too." 

So I gave her a hug and a kiss (even though she didn't have her dentures in) and we were on our way. 

Grandma is 92 years young and still canning her own food storage.  I love my Grandma Huggard and I am so blessed to have her example and legacy of faith.  I am grateful to her for passing down the tradition and responsibility of gardening and canning.

Attention Tree Huggers....

Someday I hope this Weeping Birch will be the
crowning jewel of our backyard

So Fall is a great time to plant a tree, as well as in the Spring.  You don't want to plant during the hottest (or the coldest) season of the year because it stresses the tree out and it will most likely not survive the whole ordeal.

Before buying your tree, do some research on which variety to buy.  You can call the extension service in your area to see which varieties are better, or just talk to someone who has trees like you want and see what they recommend.

For example, we planted a peach tree this spring.  We have been using the peaches from Mike's mom's tree and thoroughly enjoy them, so we found out from 'Uncle Marlow' who actually planted the tree that the variety is called 'Canadian Harmony'.  We found that particular variety at Cooks Nursery in north Orem. 

And despite my Dad's advice not to let the peaches grow on the tree the first year, we did anyway and we got 7 or 8 large, juicy, delicious peaches to eat from it.  Dad, it was worth it.  Sorry little tree.  So the first year or two after you plant it, you should remove the fruit from the tree so that it can focus on establishing a good, strong root system, as well as strengthening the tree as a whole.  But no harm done to our little peach tree.  It survived and did very well for its first season.

When planting any tree, dig a hole twice as big around or bigger than the pot that the tree is in.  This loosens the surrounding soil enabling the roots, which have been cramped and growing in that small plastic pot, to stretch out once it has been planted.  Some people say to amend the soil with compost or other fertilizer, but I have heard that the roots love the composted soil so much that they will not grow beyond into the other soil.  Therefore it is best to use only native soil.



Toddy, keep digging!! That hole needs to be bigger.

 

Look at how deep the tree is planted in the pot from the nursery.  You do not want to bury it any deeper than that.  In fact some of the roots may be showing, but regardless of any temptation to bury them, do not.  Pull the tree out of the pot.  Place it in the hole.  Then lay the handle of your shovel across the entire hole to make sure the tree is level with the surface.  If it is too high, take the tree out and dig it down a little bit more.  If it is too deep, back fill a little before placing the tree in the hole.  Before you finish, make sure the tree is straight.  Stand back and walk around the tree making sure it looks good.

Now you can start filling the hole with soil.  When you have filled the hole half way, water it well letting things settle and soak in a bit.  Then finish filling the hole and water again.  Water the tree thoroughly every day for a week or so and make sure it continues to be watered well at least once a week.

I consider my self to be a bit of a tree hugger, quite literally.  I love all of the trees we have around our yard, which total 23 at last count.  In the last two years, we have had to remove ten trees, much to my dismay.  We replaced several dead aspen trees in our front yard last summer. 

But the saddest tree for me to take out was the Globe Willow that was growing in our back yard.  Last April, after a late snowfall, the tree split under the weight of some heavy snow and about one third of it came down, landing on our roof, luckily causing little or no damage.  We left the rest of the tree hoping it would be ok.  However, by the next Fall (of 2010), we could see all the way through the trunk of the tree and we realized that the tree was splitting.  We knew that if we didn't bring it down, that the harsh winter and weight of snow on the branches certainly would. 

My Dad, the work horse

As you can see from the pictures we took, Dad rented a boom lift and he and Micah came over to take the tree down.  Micah had been living at home with the parents and was also jobless, and was therefore able to come and help us out.  What a good brother.  What a good memory of him.  He actually brought Kimmy with him too-- sad that I did not take a picture of them together.  It was a big job.  And sad to see the tree go, along with 80% of the shade in my backyard.  But it had to be done.

After Micah died, Mike's family was so kind and thoughtful knowing that Micah had helped to take our tree down.  They gave me a card with lots of money in it to pay to replace our fallen tree.  With that money, we were able to buy a Weeping Birch tree, along with the peach tree and a crabapple tree, all of which we planted in the backyard.  The Weeping Birch was planted in memory of Micah.   Love ya little brother!!!

Hug your trees and hug your brothers

 


 

Critical Corn Care

After the rainstorm the other night, I walked out into the garden to quite a devestating surprise.  Half of my corn crop was down on the ground.  I consider every square inch of my garden precious.  And to put a full quarter of my garden into growing corn on the cob only to have it wasted by one little storm is frustrating, to say the least.  I even considered, if only for a minute, not planting corn next year.  But even as we were feasting on the delicious harvest of corn tonight at dinner, Mike said, "This is totally worth it."  Obviously something's got to change or get better, so that this valuable garden space is not wasted again.

So I did some research and found out there are some things I can do to improve not only the durability of the corn stalks, but also the ear size and corn taste.  I will start from the very beginning.

Before we even start planting our garden, there is much we should be doing to improve our soil, thereby improving the year's quality of harvest.  Putting compost into the garden soil each year is the best thing we can do to improve soil condition, making it the ultimate place for growing delicious vegetables.  In the spring before we plant, use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen (16-16-8) and work it into the soil as we till the garden.  This step is necessary to growing large, full ears of corn, and is also good for the rest of the garden.  Also, as we rotate our crops, reducing threats of diseases and pest problems, plant corn in areas where previously was grown beans or peas, which actually put nitrogen back into the soil as they grow, thereby benefiting the corn planted in the same spot the next year.

Corn grows quite tall and therefore should be planted on the north side of our garden so as not to shade the rest of the things we have planted.  I have even heard that rows should be planted going from the east to the west so as to maximize the sunlight, but I have not tried out that theory. 

Corn can be planted as soon as the threat of frost is gone, which for this area is around Mother's Day, or the middle of May.  We must plant at least three rows of the same variety together so that they have good pollination.  After the plants come up, they should be thinned to about eight inches apart, taking out the smaller or weaker plants. 

This year I have planted my corn more compactly, following after the pattern of the Square Foot Gardening method, that says that we have learned to space things so far apart in rows because of the traditions that farmers have passed down to us.  However, most home gardeners do not have a horse or a tractor or any other farm equipment that needs to get in between these rows.  So we place rows closer together, or, as I have done this year, we double plant our rows, thus maximizing our gardening space.

This is the new thing I have learned:  When planting, prepare the row like normal, spacing it 30 to 36 inches apart.  Then make a four inch deep planting furrow.  Plant the seeds 3 or 4 inches apart and cover them with about one inch of soil.  Because the planting furrow was four inches deep, you still have a small furrow down your row.  When the plants have come up, thin them to until they are about eight inches apart.  When plants are about 6 inches tall you then pull in dirt from the surrounding furrow to fill in around the corn stalks.  The plant will then put out extra roots in the mounded area called 'prop roots' or 'brace roots'.  These will strengthen the stalk of corn so that it will not blow over in the wind. 

Another important step when planting corn has to do with pest control.  Now I do not like to put any kind of poison in my garden if I can help it.  But I also do not like bugs in my corn.  When the corn plants are around eight inches tall, sprinkle Sevin dust down into the tops of the plant.  This eliminates pest problems before the ears of corn ever start growing.  Also spraying the corn silk with Bt helps control the earwigs and other bugs that get down inside the ears of corn. 

I tell people NOT to plant corn in their home garden, because once you do, you can never eat corn from the store or even the stand again.  You will never be satisfied with the lesser quality.  The reason is this:  The sooner you get the corn from the garden into the pot of boiling water the better it tastes.  The kernels are so sweet and tender, they literally pop with juicy flavor as you bite into them.  The longer the corn has been picked, the sweet sugars found in the corn turn into starch, and the kernels get tougher too.  I've heard someone say if you have your water boiling as you are picking your corn, but you happen to stumble on your way into the kitchen, turn around and pick it fresh again.  The fresher the better.  It is mouth-watering and sumptious.  And IT IS totally worth it.

It's Not Too Late to Plant....

Just a quick side note for those of you who have procrastinated planting a garden this year.....   The pioneers didn't get to Utah until July 24th, and they still had time to plant a crop.  Also, now is the ideal time to plant your fall garden... things like peas, broccoli, lettuce, carrotts, beets, and more.  I still need to plant pumpkins too although I think I am a bit late for them.  We'll see what happens.  Happy Gardening!!!

Sunshine Saturday

It has been such a rainy spring that we have not been able to till and plant the summer garden until today.  We were going to try and get it done May 7th, the day before Mother's Day, but Mike went to go get a truckload of compost at the green waste facility where we usually get it and they were sold out.  I guess we weren't the only ones tilling the garden that day.  We weren't ever able to coordinate Dad's truck use with sunny days so, sadly, I did not put any compost into the garden this year.  It did get plenty of leaves early this spring though so that will help.  Mike got the garden tilled and it rested for about a week before we started getting ready to plant.

Today, being May 21st, we finally got our garden mostly planted. I started the day running to Cooks Nursery in Orem to buy plants and seeds.  The place was a mad house.  I got home around noon and started digging furrows.  I totally believe in digging furrows between rows of vegetables for two reasons.  One, for the irrigation water to go down.  And, two, for people to walk in.  I try to keep the soil as light and fluffy as possible by not walking on it.  Mike helped me to dig most of the furrows.  Then the kids and I planted tomatoes, beans, yellow squash, cucumbers, and corn.

Finally by eight o'clock tonight, we went in to eat dinner. (Mike grilled pork chops and bought macaroni salad from the store.)  I had four more half rows still to plant, but from sheer exhaustion, and also because I still had to bathe the kids for church tomorrow, I called it quits.  It will have to wait for the next sunny day.

It is supposed to rain the next couple of days, which is ok now since I have to water the seeds to get them up anyway.  At least if its going to rain, it might as well be for some good.  We have had so much water this year.  I think the snow pack in the mountains this year is 300% of what is normally is.  But for the days that it doesn't rain, I will water the baby seeds and seedlings with my oscillating sprinkler, better known as my rainbow sprinkler.  Until the plants are up and well established, I will continue to water them every day.  Then, gradually, I will reduce the frequency of waterings to about once a week.  I assume the irrigation water will be coming by then.

I should note that I double planted all of the bean rows and corn rows, and I even stagger planted the tomatoes all in an effort to try and get the most use of the space.  I tried to make the rows wider so that there was more room for more plants.  So really in each row of beans and corn is two rows worth of seeds.  This is an experiment I am trying, adapting it from the square foot gardening method to plant things more compactly.  I still need to finish planting the peppers and I will wait another week or so to plant the rest of the corn so that it doesn't all come on at the same time.

I love the way the garden looks now, with a few little plants and softly raked rows of soil.  Soon little baby seedlings will poke their way through the soil to see the sun.  Planting and taking care of a garden is a very spiritual experience for me.  It is like a partnership with God.  He creates the seeds, the sun, and the earth, and when I bring all of those things together, life begins.

Delicious, Sun-Warmed Strawberries

Parker's bowl of juicy strawberries.

When we bought our house four years ago, one of the biggest attractions for me was the backyard, which included a gardening area, as well as an already growing strawberry patch, raspberry patch and grapes for juicing. 

Every year my strawberry patch has given me different results.  I planted June bearing 'Fragaria' strawberries in late June 2007.  We might have gotten a handful of strawberries that year, but then for the next couple of years, the crop was plentiful. 

Mom says that she remembers coming over for dinner and seeing a big bowl of strawberries on the table that were just picked and ready for eating.  I think I bottled some strawberry jam in 2009, but mostly we just love to eat them fresh, warm, right out of the patch, or on waffles with whipped cream, or strawberry shortcake is always a favorite too.  (My mouth is watering.)

There is a lot of care that goes into growing strawberries, especially in preparation in the Spring.

First, I have learned that they need lots and lots of sunshine.  I have had to keep my smoke tree growing nearby pruned way back to enable the sunshine to reach my strawberry patch.

Also, they need to be watered frequently, at least twice a week, and while they are producing heavily, I water them probably every other day.

Strawberries need to be fertilized in the spring.  There is a special berry fertilizer that is good for strawberries and raspberries.  It is 1/3 ammonium sulfate, 1/3 Miracle Grow Azalea food, and 1/3 ironite.  I mix this up and sprinkle it on like I am salting a steak, not too much.

One thing that I have decided to do is to plant some strawberries every year.  The plants are only good for three or four years, then they die or quit giving berries.  But if I plant a dozen or so every year then I should always have a good crop. Mom say Cooks greenhouse off of Geneva and 1600 North in Orem sells pots for $8 full of twenty bare root strawberry plants.  She says that they are not pretty to look at, but that if you buy the plants with leaves and blossoms on they are much more expensive, maybe $1 each plant. 

You can buy June-bearers which (obviously) give their biggest crop in June.  Or you can buy ever-bearing strawberries which give you strawberries all season.  This year I bought the ever-bearing Albion strawberries.  The one advantage to the June bearers is that if you are planning to freeze them or do jam, you get a bigger harvest all at one time.  With the ever-bearers, the harvest is spread out over several months.  I have been told that if every thing is done just right, you can get 150-200 berries off of one, yes one, strawberry plant.  Now I have yet to see results even close to that, but I will keep trying.

After pulling all the dang grass out of the patch, I can plant the bare roots.

After I plant the strawberries, I keep a good watch on them.  They send out runners with baby plants on them, which is how they reproduce.  But if I keep these runners pruned back, the energy of the plant will go into producing berries instead of new plants.

In the last couple of years, I have thinned the patch down quite a bit in the spring.  But I have not had good results in doing this.  I have found that it only creates more room for grass and weeds that love to grow in my strawberry patch.  And they are not invited.   Some of the old plants will need to be removed, but then I will just fill in the spaces with new plants from the nursery. 

After I get everything weeded and planted, I will sprinkle Sevin dust around the entire patch to eliminate pests.  I hate to use poison, but I do not want to share my hard earned harvest with snails, slugs, or sow bugs, which also love strawberries.  If I do this early, before the strawberries start to grow, then I don't have to worry about poison on the berries.  After this, I will probably mulch with bark or even with grass clippings to cut down on the weeds that will continue to torment me throughout the summer.

Wow!!  It sounds like a lot of work, but a bowl full of delicious, sun-warmed, juicy strawberries is definitely worth it.

The Square Foot Gardening Experiment

Dawson and Parker "helping" to mix the special soil.



For Christmas I got a book called "The All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew.  I am so excited to test the method and see if it really produces the harvest promised.

Here's the theory....  With the raised beds and perfect soil (one third compost, one third peat moss, and one third vermiculite), I should be able to get so many more veggies out of my garden.  Supposedly, I can plant all the garden in 20% of the space and still get as much produce, or more.

You should come by and feel the soil.  It is so soft and fluffy.  It will be so easy to pull weeds from this soil if they grow.  Supposedly, I have planted the squares so heavily that the weeds will not have room to grow.

I just have to keep the seeds and plants watered quite frequently.  I am still considering how to do that.  For today, I just watered it with my watering can.  If it gets too burdensome, then I will put a drip line in the box.

There may be one flaw in the whole theory.  Root depth.  We'll see if tomatoes and other things can grow in only 7.5 inches of soil.  (It's deeper than it looks in the picture.  About half of the box is buried in the gravel.)  There is landscape fabric at the bottom, so there is no more room to grow.  The author of the book says that you just need to stake things well and they will be fine.  We will see.  That's why I put my spring garden in the box because most of those things don't need lots of depth for root growth.

Baby seedlings just starting to poke their little heads out of the soil.

My spring garden is in and it is April 12th.  I planted peas, carrots, beets, onions, radishes, mesclun (salad), swiss chard, cilantro, broccoli, and tomatoes.  Ok, the tomatoes are the odd balls.  They are not supposed to be planted until the middle of May, but they are in walla-waters and we will see if they survive the cool spring temperatures.

If this method works, I may just convert my whole garden to Square Foot Gardening!!

It looks so tidy and organized.  Wish my house was.  Its definitely more fun to garden than to house clean.

My beautiful Spring garden after just one month.  So far, so good.



How To Get Started....

• SELECTING SEEDS or PLANTS- Think about what you want to plant in your garden. Be realistic. What do you enjoy eating? What veggies do you buy in the store that would be cheaper to grow? What will your kids eat? Start simple by planting only a few different things and try something new each year. Pick things that are easy to grow. Seeds can be ordered from a seed catalog or you can simply go to the store or nursery to select the seeds you want. Keep in mind, some varieties are better than others. And some varieties grow better in other climates but not so well here. 
   
• MAKE A PLAN- Lay out your garden on paper. Figure out where you will plant things. There are several reasons for this important step.
  1. Avoid watering problems. Plant Cool weather crops in the same area of your garden so that you can water them more frequently.
  2. Avoid shading problems. Plant tall things like corn or tomatoes toward the north side of your garden so as not to create shade for other crops.
  3. Avoid over planting. Don't plant a whole row of zucchini unless you plan on feeding the whole neighborhood, which is actually fun to do.
  4. Spacing for certain vegetables is critical. For example, corn needs more space between rows than say carrots or beans. Allow pathways for easy access to your vegetables.
  5. Practice crop rotation. Place vegetables in a different spot of the garden from last year. This will help to fight off pests and fungal diseases.
  6. Your garden should be a thing of beauty. Plan rows so they are neat and attractive.
  • WHEN TO PLANT- Cool weather crops can be started as soon as you can get the ground tilled in the Spring, perhaps as early as March. But you must wait to plant warm weather crops until after the last frost, which for us is usually around Mother's Day, or May 10^th. You can also plant a fall garden with more cool weather crops around July 10^th. These will grow and enable you to keep harvesting things right up through October.
    
    
  • APPLYING COMPOST AND FERTILIZER- Growing vegetables takes nutrients from the soil, so we have to fertilize to replenish and invigorate the soil. Make the soil happy and it will make you happy by growing delicious foods to eat.
    
    
  • TILLING THE GARDEN- Two or three weeks before you plan on planting is the best time to till the garden. Apply your compost and fertilizer and then till it into the soil to a depth of seven or eight inches. Depending on the size of your garden, this can be done with a roto-tiller or by hand with a shovel. Tilling the garden also makes the soil nice and fluffy and puts oxygen into it.
    
    
  • PREPARING THE BEDS- Using your garden layout that you designed on paper, figure out where you will create furrows or pathways and where you will plant rows of vegetables. It is easy to make straight rows if you use two stakes at either end of the row and tie a string between each stake. After your furrows are made, then you can use a garden rake and make your planting surface nice and level. 
     
  • PLANTING- (My favorite part!! :) Pay close attention to the instructions on the seed packets. They will tell you exactly how deep to plant seeds and the spacing requirements between seeds. Every kind of seed has different requirements. A good rule of thumb is to plant the seed three times the depth of its size. So if a seed is a quarter of an inch in size, plant it three-quarters of an inch deep. Remember healthy plants need space and should be given plenty of elbow room.
    Some vegetables are better started as transplants. You will have to go to the store or nursery to buy the plants and then immediately put them into the garden. Things like tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers are easier to start from transplants.
    
    
  • WATERING SEEDLINGS- After you get seeds into the ground water them gently with a sprinkler or a hand held sprayer. This will need to be done every day for 15 minutes until the plants are up and established, meaning three or four inches tall. Then gradually reduce the number of waterings until you are only watering them once a week. Transplants need to be watered after being planted into the ground perhaps everyday for a week, but then gradually reduce watering times. 
     
  • REASONS WHY SEEDS DON'T COME UP-
    1. Soil gets too dry.
    2. Packed soil or hard crust.
    3. Cold weather, slow germination, seeds rot.
    4. Fungus diseases such as “damping off”.
    5. Cut worms and other insects eat seeds or seedlings.
    6. Poor, old seed.

Watering Schedule

Spring or Fall Garden

Leaf and Root, Cool Season, Shallow Rooted

Twice a Week 

lettuce, celery, spinach, swiss chard, radishes, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peas

Summer Garden

Immature Fruit, Intermediate, Rooting Depth

Once a Week

beans, corn, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, yams, peanuts, rhubarb, onions, pumpkins

Summer Garden

Seed and Fruit, Warm Season, Deep Rooted

10 days to 2 weeks

tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, butternut squash, hubbard squash, banana squash, peaches/nectarines, pears, apples, plums, cherries, grapes, asparagus

Three Important Things To Consider When Planting a Garden

***SUN***SOIL***WATER***

• SUN: You should choose the sunniest spot in your yard for your garden. All garden vegetables do best in full sun, but some will do quite well if they have at least one half day's sun. Cool weather crops, such as broccoli, peas, lettuce and other leaf crops, will do fairly well in partial shade areas. But heat-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, corn, and beans need maximum sun. Pick a spot on the south side of your house, fence, or yard if possible. You can also use black plastic on the ground around your plants to attract heat, plus it keeps out the weeds.   

•  SOIL: There are three types of soil- sand, silt, and clay. If you have too much of one type, your plants will not do well. The best way to improve your soil is to add organic material each year. There are three ways to get organic material. 
  
  
  1. From the Garden – return everything to the soil. Whatever plant parts are left in the kitchen should be saved and returned to the garden. A compost pile or compost bin can be useful if done correctly.
  2. From the Yard – All available grass clippings, leaves, sawdust and wood chips of any kind should be worked into the garden
  3. From the Nursery – Compost (poultry manure is best) or fertilizer (16-16-8) can be purchased from the store.
  
  
  One thing to consider when planning and laying out your garden is soil compaction. You want to keep your soil as soft and porous as possible in order for roots to spread and oxygen to be able to reach those roots. Furrows or paths between rows to walk in is the best way to keep soil soft and fluffy. Raised beds stay nice and soft because you never step into them. 
  •     WATER: How and When to water your garden is probably the biggest mistake people make when it comes to gardening. Plants need to be watered deeply and infrequently. Deep, but infrequent irrigation allows more air in the soil and promotes a deep, extensive and healthy root system. This is true for the garden, the lawn and most flower beds and shrubs. Cool weather crops (peas, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, etc) need to be kept cool and moist and need to be watered twice a week. Heat loving plants or warm weather crops (tomatoes, beans, squash, corn, peppers, etc) only need to be watered once a week to every ten days. If you don't have the time to worry about watering the garden, water once a week for everything, but remember to water deeply so that plants are soaked for at least an hour each watering. 
  
  
  Only the roots need to be watered. Try to keep the water down on the ground and not on the leaves of the plants. Watering the leaves can cause fungal diseases. If you water the whole garden say with a sprinkler system, then weeds are more likely to flourish. But if you water only the roots of the vegetables you want to grow, then weeds have a smaller chance for survival because they are receiving less water. 
  
  
  How you water your garden is also important to think about. There are many options such as with a sprinkler system, a drip system, using soaker hoses, or using irrigation water. Some are more effective than others. Pick something that works for your garden, something that is cost effective for you.

Why on Earth Should I Plant a Garden?!!

***WHY?***

• 1. Our Prophets Have Asked us to Have a Garden
  
  
  President Spencer W. Kimball said “We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees— plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments … can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 170–71; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).

• 2. Gardening Saves Us Money

The cost of seeds or even small plants is much more economical than dealing with rising food prices in this day and age. The garden should be practical and designed in every way to grow usable food in an inexpensive manner.

• 3. Food Quality

If you have eaten food fresh from the garden, you know that the quality and taste of the food produced in your own garden far excels the quality and taste of vegetables purchased from the grocery store. This is true because your objectives are different from those of the commercial grower, which are more concerned about looks and shipping than taste and quality.

• 4. Food Storage

Many vegetables, such as carrots and beets, will hold in the ground for many months as part of a food storage program. Winter squash, onions and potatoes will keep for 8 – 10 months in a cool dry place, like your garage.

• 5. Family Affair

A very important reason to plant a garden is to have a project in which the family can be involved and work together. Include your children in the planting, watering, weeding, and especially harvesting of your garden and watch them grow right along with your veggies. It is great that the children know where their food comes from and learn principles of hard work and industry. Plus, if your kids are involved in the planting, they are more likely to do the eating of the vegetables.

• 6. Promotes Healthy Eating

It is easy to get your five a day when delicious and nutritious foods are growing right out your back door. Nothing beats a handful of sugar snap peas for dinner or a big bowl of strawberries for a snack.

• 7. Enjoyment and Satisfaction

There is something very exhilarating about the smell of good earth, and the process of bringing delicious food from the garden to the table is very satisfying. It is also fun to have something to give away to friends and neighbors.