You don't have to have a green thumb to garden. I promise. I didn't when I started gardening seven years ago. Gardening is one of those things that you can easily learn as you go. Part of my love for food is eating it. The other part I enjoy is cooking a nice meal for those that I love, having some friends or family over and spoiling them with something exquisite. But another part of my love for food is planting it, watching it grow, and harvesting it. Watching the beauty of mother nature unfold before your very eyes and knowing you provided that substance to you and your family is tremendously rewarding. We've always bought our plants from our local farmer's market, but this year we're doing a little of both, plants and seeds. We bought these cold weather plants and planted them last week. We have radishes, kale, Brussel sprouts, red and green leaf lettuce, spinach and snap peas. I also have some parsley, cilantro, rosemary and mint in pots. There's a lot of great choices that love the crisp spring air right now, and it's a great project to experiment with if you've never tried. You don't need raised garden beds like we have, but if you get into gardening I highly endorse them, and you can find great raised bed kits online. Feeling a little overwhelmed to give it a try? Please don't. If I can do it, anyone can. The best advice I give to anyone starting out is, keep it simple. Start with a couple of your favorite veggies. You don't need to master all crops all at once, and you don't even need to start with a garden bed. You could simply start with a couple of pots. Tomatoes and peppers are two of my favorite things to grow in pots because they do well in that environment. And even though they're not cold weather crops, in a couple of weeks, they'll be making their appearance in your farmer's markets too. Are you reading this and saying, hum, "I don't know Crystal, I'd like to try, but I'm still a little intimidated." My answer to you is herbs. Give a couple of herbs a try. All you need is a tiny space on your window sill or back patio or deck. Rosemary is nearly impossible to kill. Mint is quite hardy too (and delicious in a mojito, just sayin'). Now is the time to tap into your creativity. Try something new. With being stuck at home the way many of us are, we're entering the perfect time of year to enjoy more outside activities. It's also something you can get your kids involved in too. My son, Drew, loves helping me in our garden. So start as small as you like, but give it a try. You never know what it might grow into!
