Nature prompt 4th week of January
Home Grown Vegetables Nourish Our Bodies
I’ve planted a garden ever since I had small children. I wanted to provide a healthy diet. Plus teach them how to grow their own food. Fresh vegetables taste much better than those bought in grocery stores. Food picked before eating is richer in vitamins also.
When we lived on an acre of land, I grew enough produce to freeze and can for a year. I don’t think my children enjoyed shelling peas and husking corn that much. But it was a good experience for them.
My mother taught me how to garden. We had to water each plant by hand with a dipperful from a bucket. We didn’t have running water. A hand pump siphoned the water from our well. Our garden saved money when buying food to eat.
Tomatoes are our pride and joy
My daughter and I crave fresh vegetables with our meals. My son-in-law isn’t that enthralled. Currently, I do most of the gardening. My housemates are busy with their respective jobs. That suits me just fine, for I enjoy working outdoors. My fingers love the feel of rich dirt in our raised beds.
I sow seeds in flats around the end of February. They’re placed under grow lights in a small greenhouse for germination. A heating pad keeps them warm. A water tray supplies humidity. When the seedlings are two inches high, I transplant them to larger containers. Back under the lights until the weather passes the last frost date.
I harden the young plants outside to benefit from the sun’s energy. Lettuce plants go into their permanent bed in April. They can withstand cooler temperatures. They’re under hoops with a garden quilt covering at night to protect from frost.
I raise determinate tomatoes for cedar planters.They don’t need as much room. They’re shorter than indeterminate tomatoes. The major disadvantage is the growing season isn’t as long. I raise four distinct varieties as well as cherry tomatoes.
I add cow manure and compost to the soil each season. Then place shredded straw around my plants to conserve moisture. This keeps weeds down and reduces watering time.
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” — Janet Kilburn Phillips
Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches are savored
BLTs are our mouth-watering desire. All three of us love to eat them. Our mantra is,
“Please tomatoes ripen quickly.”
We dine during the summer on our screened porch. A slight breeze feels good against our skin. We can smell and see beautiful roses on our fence line. Birds attracted to many feeders of different seeds offer free entertainment. A hummingbird drinks nectar from our Monarda flowers.
It is heavenly to bite into our tomatoes and crisp lettuce on whole grain bread.
These are the determinate tomatoes that I plant:
- Heirloom Burbank for slicing (Territorial Seed Co.)
- Beaverlodge matures early. (Same company)
- Veranda Red Hybrid for deck or balcony (Burpee)
- Bushsteak Hybrid (Burpee)
- Bush Early Girl Hybrid (Burpee)
- Celebrity Hybrid (Burpee)
Following are reliable lettuce plants that we enjoy.
- Little Gem, small robust heads (Burpee)
- Dynamite, a Butterhead variety (Burpee)
- Black Seeded Simpson (Burpee)
- Burpee Bibb, individual salads (Burpee)
- Iceberg A (Burpee)
- Crisp Mint. (Jung Seed)
“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” — Gertrude Jekyll
Having your own garden takes work, but the effort and time is worth it. Your body will love you. It’s the best exercise in the world. I hope you’re inspired to have a small tomato plant on your deck.
This article is written in response to the Reciprocal Nature prompt, “Vegetables bring joy to life” suggested by Dr. Preeti Singh.
Please read the following articles by these fine Medium writers:
Sahil Patel reminds us to accept and be proud of who we are. We are all precious human beings.
Judy Walker writes about accepting yourself as you are. She advises us to fire the monkey on our back that acts like a weed. In order to be healthy, we need to fertilize and nurture our own spirits.
Aakash Dahal relates his joy about rediscovering the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
I thank the Reciprocal editors Sahil Patel, Dr. Preeti Singh, and Yana Bostongirl for their diligent efforts on our behalf.