Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fall Harvest--A Second Chance for a Bad Gardener


I wrote earlier this year that I was embarking on my first ever backyard vegetable garden.  I was all excited about the idea of growing my own food, saving money, and being environmentally mindful.  

Being a "just do it" kind of person, I didn't really do any research.  I went to the garden center, bought my plants, and plopped them in the ground.  I was thrilled when my spinach took off and my cauliflower grew by leaps and bounds.  I was less impressed with my sad basil and underachieving tomatoes (they've since improved their performance!).  

Of course, when it comes to gardening, a little research does actually come in handy.  I learned this the hard way when I discovered that half of my garden was planted too late and in too-warm weather.  I never did get a chance to actually eat the cauliflower I planted (it went to flower), or the brussel sprouts (my most favorite veggie).  Apparently Martha Stewart I am not!

Fortunately, I have a second chance to replant these cold weather crops as the fall sets in.  This time I'm taking my cues from people who know better than me, like Better Homes and Gardens.  Their "Plant a Fall Vegetable Patch" link from the home page lists the crops I need (incidentally, many of them are the same ones I planted in June!), and tips for fall harvesting.  

So, if you were like me, and jumped on the home garden trend this year, but kind of forgot to do your research (who can be bothered with rules when inspiration hits?), maybe these links will help.  And if you are not like me, and know a lot about gardening, please feel free to email me at shillberry@comcast.net to give me some pointers!

This post is part of August's Summer Squeeze series.
Stay tuned for September when we jump Back to the Basics!

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