The first garden lasts forever

As a child, I was so lucky to have known what a carrot looked like growing in the ground. Both my parents and grandparents had suburban kitchen gardens. It was not a hobby or a passion for them, it just made practical sense. “We have some space and some sunlight, we should use it.” I took it for granted—that delicious food comes from the backyard.

Along with the rest of society, I followed the path of “progress,” which led more and more toward technology and further from the meaningful tradition of growing vegetables. I did enjoy a vibrant, creative, urban life but I eventually needed to return to a place where I could put my hands in the soil. Growing vegetables is a necessity for me now. It connects me to the world, brings me stability and provides delicious and nutritious food for me and my wife (a chef by trade).

“Vegetable gardening actually creates time.”

My current garden started as potted herbs and one small raised bed (built from stones found on the property). In this bed was the number one kitchen garden necessity: tomatoes!! I quickly learned the concepts of “square-foot gardening” as I wanted to maximize my yield from this tiny plot. In this tiny bed, I eventually got a season’s worth of tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, garlic and basil.

Over time I was able to expand, little by little, adding more beds as my passion for growing increased. While the prospect of producing all of our household vegetable is still a dream, I am now able to produce a year’s supply of tomatoes, beans, onions, garlic, potatoes, peas, and enjoy fresh garden vegetables from March until December.

Organic gardening and the “No Dig” method

Many years have been dedicated to studying organic gardening methods, and specifically the “no-dig” methods popularized by such figures as Charles Dowding. These methods are not really trendy, they are more like the way vegetables have been grown for thousands of years—before the tragic practice of chemical agriculture. These organic methods, like my ancestors gardens, are just practical and make good sense. They make use of available resources that would otherwise be wasted. The method allows for simple startup of a new garden, and easy maintenance of existing ones. Most importantly, it produces vegetables in their natural state, with all of their intended nutritional value. Unlike most commercial vegetable growing, there is no harm caused. We care for the soil, the soil feeds our vegetables and we reap the benefit of nutrition, sustainability, and joy.

Pass the knowledge on

Of course growing and eating ONLY local, organic vegetables is something that is of great environmental and economic benefit, but it also has tremendous cultural and emotional value. This is the part that I love teaching—that vegetable gardening “grounds” us. When there is a physical connection to the ground and to the food we eat, there is stability. I believe that enjoyment and deliciousness are key factors—perhaps the most important factors—to nutrition. There is nothing more delicious and enjoyable than home grown vegetables. It is my dream that everyone gets to experience the simple, practical joy of having their own kitchen garden.

“Vegetable gardening grounds us.”