While it didn’t feel appropriate to call this blog post part of the “Right to Capture” series, the theme is similarly linked by reducing your overall cost of living, and/or carbon footprint, using techniques that have been around for centuries. This blog post focuses on an ancient favorite: the Home Garden!
The worlds very first ‘home garden’ — think hunting and gathering humans — is thought to have been developed around 9000 BC, according to gardenvisit.com (The World’s First Garden, according to BBC). While the tools used to build today’s home garden may have changed drastically, the practice of growing flowers and (fruits, and) vegetables really hasn’t.
Returning to a previously helpful site, check out the City of Arlington website for some great ideas about planting edible home-gardens: Here – I mention edible, because if you’re treating the soils and pests naturally, you’ll get better produce! The first few steps really outline my own personal philosophy on maintaining a healthy home garden, so I’m adding it the excerpt below for reference:
“Step 1: Plant Healthy
Build and maintain healthy soil. It is important that you know your soil. Homeowners should order or purchase a simple but reliable soil test to find out what essential nutrients are currently available in their soil and to determine what additives may need to be added to provide the environment for a healthy landscape. For more information about soil testing procedures and prices go to soiltesting.tamu.edu. If you use fertilizers to add nutrients look for products that contain natural organic or slow-release fertilizers. Your yard is made up of a community of beneficial organisms that can help maintain your landscapes and the improper use of fertilizers can damage beneficial organisms in the soil which are essential for healthy soils and plants. Composting helps certain soil types hold nutrients and water, loosens clay soils which allows air and water into the soil and strengthens root growth. It also feeds the beneficial organisms so they will feed and protect your plants. Mulching stabilizes soil temperatures, prevents weeds, conserves water and helps feed soil for healthier plants. For more information on local Composting classes visit City of Arlington Recycling and Garbage. Plant Native – Planting with native or adaptive plants will provide beauty all year round in your garden.
Make sure your plant selection is appropriate for your region. Develop a placement plan that uses native plants and drought tolerant species to decrease maintenance requirements. Seek the advice of a Texas Master Gardener, local nursery or local garden club about what plants or grasses are right for your landscape and soil type.”
Click the following link for the City of Arlington, Integrated Garden and Pest Management system: Here.
The additional steps outlined in this article are useful so please do continue on using the links provided above, but also note that you’ll likely need to read about what plants are local to your area, and when it’s best to plant them — along with some trial and error — as you get started on your own home garden! For example, while I’m by no means a green thumb yet, this year I’m experimenting with winterizing my tomato plants in hopes of re-using the same plant that grew tomatoes for us all summer long. I’ll keep the blog updated sparingly as we winter the winter together this year, though so far I’m planning to keep the tomatoes inside in the southern-facing window(s) of our home just in case we experience any fluke freezes this year!
Keep in mind also that there are a ton of ways to garden outside of adding a garden box to your backyard! There is also hydroponic and/or vertical farming (featured left) — which is a particularly helpful option to those with smaller yard space or for people living in apartments. Additionally, vertical gardens can be really effective in helping you offset not only your cost of veggies year-round, but also are effective in managing the adverse effects of poor weather, since they’re slightly more mobile than your typical raised bed.
For those of you advanced gardening students that are ready to move on to the full farm-to-table lifestyle, please continue to read on this week for more tips!
