With spring here, I am excited to announce that we have started planting in our garden. I love the idea of creating life with my own hands and then nourishing my body with my hard work. This year, I have started my own composting bin and have made a little rain barrel (well it’s a bucket with a screen attached to the top.
The jury is still out on the makeshift rain barrel/water collector. I am hopeful because it was easy to assemble and it was a lot cheaper than spending $100 for one. The only problem I can foresee is the water evaporating from the exposure to the sun. I hope to minimize that by using it as soon as I can after a storm. This weekend I hope to get some pictures up.
Compost is, in my opinion, the best natural fertilizer there is. Since we were renting, I didn’t feel comfortable designating a spot in the lawn for a compost. Yet, it was a project that I really wanted to start. So I took a moving bin and punched holes in the side for ventilation, then filled it with compost made by the city. I have separated a bit of it to use in the garden and keep in current the current form and have an active bin for scraps and brown waste, such as, dried leaves. There is so much to learn when it comes to composting and I feel this is going to be an ongoing experiment with lots to learn.
When getting the garden ready, I was amazed to find that the spinach we planted last fall lasted through the winter. Those are tough little buggers. I sure hope eating them will give the strength needed to endure the yucky hot summer. We have also planted lettuce, radishes, beets and we will soon be transplanting our tomato vines to the outdoors.
Starting a garden can be somewhat intimidating. If you don’t know how to start or just don’t have the space or time to commit, check local listings to get involved in a community garden. Through volunteering at a community garden, I have met amazing people with lots of knowledge and experience. It was also a fresh source of vegetables when I was living in an apartment. I also enjoyed meeting new people and found it a good way to get involved in the community.
Here are some resources that I have found useful in my gardening adventure:
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