Spring is in the air.  The March winds will soon give way to April showers.  The nights will grow warmer, the birds will fill the trees with their morning songs, and the local area will once again come alive with the colors of the season.  That means that it is also the time of year to start thinking about planting a garden.

It doesn’t have to be much.  A few windowsill containers can qualify, just the same as a half-acre plot tilled up in the back yard.  And if you don’t have the land?  Odds are your town (or one close to you) operates a community garden in which you can “rent” a plot to grow on during the season (heck, even my little town of Clear Spring has one).

According to National Gardening Association, 35% of all American households will put out some sort of garden this year[1].  That’s 42 million people overall.  Younger households (ages 18-34) are seeing the largest increases in participation – up 63% since 2008 – and community garden participation is up even higher – up 200% over the same period.  That’s a lot of folks getting down and dirty, and good for them.

With today’s emphasis on knowing the source of one’s food, environmental impacts, and health benefits, the surge in local and backyard gardening should come as no surprise.  Anyone can do it – all one really needs is some dirt, some seeds (or young plants), a source of water, and some patience.  With those simple ingredients, even a novice can be on their way to growing their own fruits, herbs, and vegetables.  It’s a great way to get outdoors, learn some new skills, and in the end – reap the rewards at the dinner table.

Whether its planting a blueberry bush, cultivating some weird or exotic variety of carrot, or even harvesting wild greens from a walk in the fields, there’s something that can peak almost anyone’s interest in gardening.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I enter every year full of good intentions, but I usually end up making excuses and not getting around to it.  I’m hoping this year will be different.  My plan is to put out a few containers on my back patio.  I’d like to grow some salad greens, spring onions, radishes, some basil, and maybe a tomato plant or two.  Nothing fancy, but it’s always rewarding to cut my own herbs for that kitchen recipe or whip up a fresh salad for lunch – right from the back yard.

There’s still time to get ready, so roll up your sleeves and plant something!

 

Do you plant a garden?  Tell me about it in the comments below!

 

[1] Sinnes, A Cort.  “Food Gardening in the U.S. at Highest Levels in More Than a Decade”.  Garden.org.  April 2, 2014,  accessed March 10, 2017.   https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/3819/