Women's Home Activities

Today’s discussion is about Starting A Vegetable Garden. Spring has sprung and it’s time for planting.  Growing vegetables is a time held tradition in a lot of families. In these tough economic times many families new to the idea of vegetable gardening have decided to offset some of their household expenses by creating their own vegetable gardens. Some have been deemed recession gardens because of this.

These recession gardens have their roots in what was termed “victory gardens” during both World War I & II. Because of rationing and in support of the war effort, many people engaged in this patriot duty for the first time to aid their families. The idea was that you would grow your own vegetables in order to provide food necessary to feed your family and in turn it would help the troops because excess crops could then be sent to soldiers abroad.

People all across the nation began growing potatoes and other vegetables in their home gardens. City dwellers would often try their hand at indoor gardening approaches. Tomato planters along with a few more small vegetable crops were put in garden pots. This manner of growing your own vegetables started showing up on window sills in cities where there was little ground to work with. Nowadays we call this container gardening.

Today we see an up rise in first time vegetable gardeners for other reasons. These new gardeners are raising their own crops for a variety of reasons. Some vegetable gardens are started because of the rising costs of food. Others want the exercise and family bonding time spent together growing vegetables that their families will consume.

There are many health benefits attached to growing your own vegetables too. Growing your own vegetables ensures that you know where your crops come from, what is used when planting and maintaining the vegetables and the nutrients that the vegetables will provide for your family. People are also using the crops from their gardens for another home activity; canning and preserving their own food.

Whatever your motive for starting a garden now is the time and it is a great activity for you and your family to be able to “enjoy the fruits of your labor”. There are two main objectives in Starting A Vegetable Garden:

1.    HAVE A PLAN
2.   HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

STEP 1: PLANNING YOUR GARDEN

All successful endeavors start with a plan. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Make it fit your needs. Here are some things to consideration before beginning:

• Vegetable Garden Design – Decide what type of vegetable garden design you would like to use. You may want to begin your gardening projects with a traditional vegetable garden if you have ample space available. If your space is limited you could start your vegetable garden by trying container vegetable gardening or raised bed vegetable gardening.

• Create a space – For a traditional vegetable garden you should string off an area of your yard where you would like to the garden to be located. Drawing out a simple diagram will help with the layout process and determine which plants will go where.

• Start small – it is probably a good idea to start with a small section. An area about 15 ft. x 20 ft. is enough for first timers getting used to the enjoyment of gardening.

• Sunshine is a must - vegetables need full sunshine for six hours a day in order to allow the plants to mature. Plant your rows in a traditional vegetable garden or place your raised bed garden and container garden crops so that they are getting the optimal amount of sunlight available.

• Plants need water - make sure you will be able to keep your plants thriving by having a water source available close at hand.

• Lay of the Land – while you will want the area where you are planting to be fairly level. You need to keep in mind that good drainage is also important. You may need to make some raised beds for certain types of vegetables, so top soil is something that you might have to add to help things along.

• What to Plant – You may grow your own vegetables from seeds and others that have small live plants that have been started for you. This selection is available to you through vegetable garden catalogs which have a variety of vegetables for you to choose from. Consider keeping in mind that you should plant what you will use. Grow the vegetables that you like to eat so there will be less waste. You know your family best.  Let them help you decide; it’s their garden too.

STEP 2: GETTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB

Now it’s time to get things started. Before you can plant your garden you must prepare the soil. You will need some standard equipment such as a garden rake and shovel.

The land will have to be broken to remove grass and debris from the top layer. The soil depth needs to be at least 6-10 inches. This is a lot to do by hand so having a garden tiller to break the ground is a good idea. Let me tell you about a small garden tiller that I have come across.

Mantis Gardening Products has just what you are looking for. The Mantis Tiller been called the best tiller on the market for good reason. For over 30 years this company has been making gardening easier. Why use the Mantis tiller you might ask? Well at least a million people choose this product because of these features:

• Easy to use, easy to operate

• Lightweight at only twenty pounds yet powerful enough to break through even hard soil

• Folds down for handy storage

• 9 in. width makes it perfect for cultivating between rows to eliminate weed growth

• 5 year warranty plus a lifetime warranty on tine breakage

• Complete tiller package and free shipping

• Mantis Promise states: “Try any product that you buy directly from Mantis with NO RISK! If you’re not completely satisfied, send it back to us within one year for a complete, no-hassle refund.”

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So in wrapping up Starting a Vegetable Garden keep in mind the importance of planning your garden first and then it is important to get the right equipment to help you do the job. Remember, Mantis Garden Products has just what you need for your first time gardening experience.

Before you know it you will be growing your own vegetables. What a great and healthy activity to share with your family. Starting a vegetable garden is a rewarding family bonding activity. Begin to grow your own vegetables this season, you and your family will be glad you did.