"You Can't Eat a Tweet"

Laura and her Uncle in the garden, 1979

"You Can't Eat a Tweet"

"If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well". I learned this first, from my late Uncle Don at the early age of 5. 
I suppose because I was in the garden when he said this, my passion and inner happiness comes from having dirty hands, making things beautiful and connecting in some way with nature. Its a lesson I have always remembered.

In this picture, I am learning how to plant carrots, "Poke a hole, drop the seed, tuck it in". Carrots were not my favourite vegetable at the time, because they were hard to eat with wiggly teeth. Yet after planting and tending my own crop that summer, the earthy scent of freshly pulled carrots was imbedded into my mind as being a good smell and to this day still brings me back (as does the smell of manure (I know, I know).

Nothing satisfies me more than a finished product which I worked hard to create and complete, especially in the garden. I think one of the biggest challenges facing parents today is getting our kids outside and helping them develop the a healthy understanding and natural curiosity of living things and how we too are apart of nature. Getting my 12 and 6 year olds to "put down their thumbs" and go outside to play is becoming more and more of a struggle. I admit that technology has made my life easier for sure and I can't fault my boys from wanting to have the latest gadgets too, who wouldn't, but I try to limit their at home tech time to weekends, PA days and holidays. Despite our rigid routines, the request to play gaming systems and tech devices, over driveway basketball and climbing trees, still escapes their lips on a daily basis. All  I can do is try my best to keep their hands (dirty) playing with real things as long as I can, because I'm sure their future will be full of shiny, smooth surfaces. 

This spring I will embark on an ambitious project with my boys, building a vegetable garden at the front of our home  (that is where I can capture the sun), in place of a lovely but unused terrace the previous owners had built. My design is one that integrates into our existing landscape (and maintains the ability to act as the "Batcave" from time to time) and will include raised beds, stylized fencing and aesthetic elements that will add to our Curb Appeal, increase property value and provide our family, friends and neighbours with home grown food.

If you were born before 1965 you may know a thing or two about gardening, passed on from your parents or grandparents. I was born in the 70's and am fortunate to have a natural curiosity and love of nature, but most in my generation know very little about gardening and how to grow food or pass on the skill to their children. Gardening is a life skill that is quickly becoming lost and we need to get back to our roots, teach our children and dig in.

Spring is here, so I encourage you to capture the sun, where ever it may be at the front, sides or back of your property, even a sunny balcony will do. Try your hand at vegetable integration in your landscapes, and when you have harvested your first successful crop of homegrown edibles, pass on the flavours and this essential life skill to a child of the tech generation. Remember, "You Can't Eat a Tweet"!
Of course, pictures are always welcome!

Here are my 6 S's for successful vegetable integration in your landscapes:

1. Sun (the sunniest spot is best)

If the sun is not the best in your dream location of the back yard, capture the sun where it shines the brightest. Going through the effort to build a food garden where there is no sun is not only a waste of time, but a waste of resources as well. If you are choosing to grow a crop of something that requires only partial sun, you can always create shade or dappled shade by adding structural elements or layering sun loving crops as garden neighbours.

2. Soil (well composed, compost rich, good drainage)

As the food we grow in our gardens nourishes our bodies, the soil in which it grows nourishes the plants. We are all part of one big cycle, so take the time in the beginning to get the mixture right for ideal soil composition and the type of food you are planning to grow. You will be glad you did and well rewarded come harvesting.

3. Satisfy (feed and water) 

Without water and nutrients your food garden doesn't stand a chance against the sun's harsh temperatures and the infrequency of rain. Capture and store water in a stylish rain barrel, placed close enough to your plants  to make easy work of watering. Ensure that any water you are collecting has a screen or netting to prevent mosquitos from laying eggs. A soaker hose or buried recycled plastic bottles with perforations will release water as the soil becomes dry.
Feed your garden with natural granular fertilizers at the time of planting and every 3-4 weeks following. Choosing plant food that is low in nitrogen and higher in potassium and phosphorous is good for flower production (which means veggies) and strong root systems. Look for something like 5-10-10 (n-p-k) and you will have happy healthy plants.

4. Style (make it yours and make it beautiful)

My memories and early impressions of vegetable gardens is that they always seemed to be in back yards, behind closed gates and out of the way of people, unless they were being tended. I agree that some vegetable foliage is not as neat or aesthetic as some coveted perennials, but there are ways of making your food garden as stylish as the rest of your landscape.
Start with a plan, draw out your current landscape and create a stylized food garden that matches your style. The days of the awkward vegetable patch are over, its time that food gardens take their well deserved place in urban landscaping.
Oh, and don't forget to make a list of veggies you actually like to eat!

5. Structure (the bones of any landscape)

Adding structure in the form of raised beds, pergolas, screens, obelisks, benches, boxes and yes...trees, gives your food garden weight and balance that will enable you to position it wherever you can capture the sun. Make it beautiful and functional and you will not enjoy the produce it grows, but also the increase of useable outdoor space.  

6. Shadow (yours!)

Last but not least, weeds. The best defence against weeds has always been a gardeners shadow. If you do find that you need a bit more pest control there are many natural recipes (like the one shown here) that work very well. 
A well tended garden has less unwanted "natural foliage", fewer pests and yields more crops. If you are integrating your new food garden into your main area landscaping, pulling the odd weed or two should not be a chore. Raised beds are generally easier to keep weed free and much kinder on your back come harvesting. 


Happy digging!