Vega-Tables

Not me.  Yet.

Often when I mention to people that I love to garden, they immediately start talking about their tomato plants or vertical lettuce gardens.  These are areas I have minimal experience in, as I have tended to lean more towards aesthetic or wildlife gardening - flowers, bugs and birds.  I have dabbled in vegetable gardening, even worked on an organic farm in Wisconsin for a summer, but am still daunted by the idea of nurturing a successful, food-producing garden. 

We happen to have a peach tree in our backyard (it really belongs to my landlord).  The birds often get to the peaches before we do, and I asked a gardener friend recently how to save a few peaches for myself.  He had elaborate schemes to keep birds away from the tree, and out of the yard entirely.  I love the birds!  I plant certain things just for the birds!  In fact, the past month or so a family of phoebes has been dining out back every evening.  I don't want them to go away for the sake of a few peaches!  When most gardeners find a tomato worm on their plants, they toss it over the fence.  I cheer it on and tell it how pretty it is. 

But I do love being able to step out back, pick a tomato and toss it into the skillet. Or to chop some young lettuce and drop it in my salad bowl.  There is a sense of freedom that goes along with sustaining yourself from your own backyard.   So this year I have planted a handful of food-bearing plants, and hope that through a little practice and some luck I can eke out some lovely food, and hopefully develop a symbiotic relationship with my wilder neighbors.

Here are some links to some helpful articles on various urban farming practices:

Best tomato cages

Creating a no-dig garden (I've been wanting to try this low-water method for years.  Still haven't.)

Inspiration 

More inspiration

Or just go to a Farmer's Market


Photo above by Gardener's Supply Co.