Plotting My First Vegetable Garden

Victory Garden (via)

I've wanted to grow food forever. Okay, slight exaggeration, but about 10 years ago I bought a copy of You Grow Girl. Despite my never really reading it or even buying a bag of soil, the book has survived three apartment moves and in-numerous downsizings. In fact, it even found a shelf mate in A Little Bit of Earth: How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces.

I'm tired of shelving my aspirations. Spring 2013 will be the season my garden finally becomes a reality. So many wonderful resources and inspiration for beginner gardeners have been presenting themselves lately. I'm certain the Universe is plotting for my garden.

• I saw a TED Talk with Ron Finley, a guerilla gardener in South Central LA who says growing vegetables is like being able to grow your own money. I could certainly use more money! My grocery bill has grown three-fold since moving and leaving the Park Slope Food Coop.
• I remembered The Urban Organic Gardener blog and the awesome resources the site provides from people growing food in small spaces including how to start growing vegetables in self-watering containers.
• I recently noticed a poster for upcoming urban agriculture workshops in the window at my job. The Southside Community Land Trust is hosting classes and events across Providence this spring. I'm excited about the Beginning Organic Growers Series 1 Workshop that is happening as part of the Neighborhood Hub Day on Saturday, April 6.
• Our new bokashi is about to bust with pickled food scrap goodness. I think we'll have lots of great compost to work with! We just bought a container and some soil to mix with the fermented scraps since we don't have a yard.
• Last week in Whole Foods Market I ran into a new friend, a professional gardener, who I met in January but hadn't seen since. I remembered she had offered to help me get started.
• The surest sign that this garden will happen is my boyfriend's enthusiasm. He won't let me push it off to next year. He's totally on my back about reading those books I mentioned earlier. He's a supermotivated, get-stuff-done kind of guy so I'm lucky to have him in my corner.

Do you grow any food? Are you thinking about it? If you have any beginner gardener resources to share please leave a comment. Thanks!

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