Mom wasn’t a farmer, but she could grow a mean head of cauliflower. One of my fondest childhood memories is spending countless hours out in the garden with my mom. Picture big 80s hair and the original mom jeans with patched up knees.  I remember planting marigolds in the vegetable garden and my mom telling me that they helped to deter pests. She taught me that nothing is better than eating fresh veggies from the garden (I think then I really only liked carrots and peas). As a kid, I did love the idea of eating stuff that we grew ourselves. Things I learned working in our garden I share with customers at the store now. For instance I remember training cucumbers up trellises to conserve space in the garden. While I didn’t totally appreciate all the vegetables way back then, I sure do now. There’s nothing quite like the taste of sweet, tender carrots with dirt still on them or popping a cherry tomato in your mouth as you got your knees covered in dirt.

Urban Gardening

More and more people are starting to pass on the family tradition of gardening. Urban gardening has increased steadily as more families incorporate gardens in their homes. There’s something truly special about growing your own food and reaping the benefits of your hard work in the garden.

Great Time to Get Started

It’s a great time of year to start cucumber seeds right in the ground and plant your tomato plants as well. Also, don’t forget about carrots and lettuce! Carrots are planted by seed and take 2-4 months to harvest. Lettuce is a great vegetable to plant as it doesn’t take up a lot of space and it can grow among many other types of flowers and vegetables. Start rows of lettuce every 10 days to ensure you always have having to eat throughout the summer.