Why Grow Veggies?

I was telling my niece about all the vegetables I had just planted in my gardens, and she said "you are trying to be eco-friendly by growing your own produce." I kid you not. She is 10.

It got me to thinking, though, about all the many reasons why. And why did I buy a house on an acre lot? Yes, I want to be eco-friendly! But, I have other reasons. I never cease being amazed by God's creation, watching the plants grow, and, yes, the deer and other critters wreaking havoc on them. (I just wish they'd leave a bit more for me.) Nothing beats the taste of something just-picked. Some things don't make it into the house. I love the smell of the earth. And, the act of planting and harvesting ties me to my parents and grandparents and the memories of working and playing in their gardens when I was little. So, with a whole acre of my own, I can plant whatever I want! Flowers and veggies and trees galore! And then, during the drought periods, I can water for hours on end. (It is relaxing for the first hour or so. Really.)


So, here is this year's raised bed, breaking through. Lettuces in the front, radishes to the left, beans (yellow and green) in the middle, corn salad and zucchini on the right, tomatoes across the back. And, the garden tiki standing guard over the sprouting. Beans are new to me this year. But, I could not resist the "bean tower" in the catalog. The beans are growing pretty fast already--I can't wait to see if they climb the tower all the way to the top!

Yet to sprout in the ground-level bed are watermelons, patty pan squash, carrots, and cow peas. Meanwhile, the peas are flowering behind the rhubarb and horseradish in their bed beyond the raspberries and blueberries. And there is swiss chard just planted in a big pot in front of the garage. I should be well-fed. Especially with the CSA share included!

I do hope we don't have another drought this year. But, I now have a great sprinkler collection, so I just have to move the hoses around occasionally :)