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By Mary Giambalvo Q We would like to reduce our carbon footprint by planting a garden. How do we start?
Cay and Bill P. - San Luis Obispo A One positive note in all the recent negative economic news is that the kitchen garden is once again in vogue, even to some whose idea of harvesting food is foraging through produce aisles for carrots trucked hundreds of miles using barrels of oil.
We are blessed to live in a climate that allows us to garden year-round. Why not take advantage of it to generate some of our own food? Not enough room, you say? Not enough time? Too expensive? For the next four months, this column will address every aspect of planning, starting and maintaining an economical and environmentally sound kitchen garden, from one pot on the patio to a plot devoted to feeding a family.
There is a kitchen garden suitable for every person of every age, including those who never dreamed they would tend a plant of any kind. Beware, it is addicting, but it is rewarding. Every seed we plant gives us more independence and self-reliance.
One cannot serve a food, saying “I grew this” and not smile broadly.
Next week, we'll answer the question, “How much space do we need per person to feed ourselves?” Stay with us on this kitchen garden journey. University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are here to help every step of the way. Together, we will green up our planet and lade our tables with excellent food, one carrot at a time.
Few simple pleasures top putting food on the table that comes from one’s own soil, whether it’s from a small pot, a flower bed or a broad sweep of former lawn.
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