Lately in the news I have been hearing about how everyone should reduce their carbon footprint. One of the suggested ways is to buy locally grown vegetables when they are in season. I am going to suggest that you go one step further and grow your own vegetables. If you have a location in your yard that gets six to eight hours of sunlight, you have the perfect spot.
If you want to start small try growing herbs or tomatoes in containers. I have been gardening for many years. Last year, I decided to try raised bed gardens and wished I had done it sooner. I used the book “All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space” by Mel Bartholomew and the magazine Organic Gardening as my guide.
The soil ingredients for an organic raised bed garden are peat moss, compost, top soil and vermiculite, which is a material added to soil to improve plant growth and health. With a raised bed garden you make the garden box a size where you can reach into the middle from the outside to avoid compacting the soil by stepping on it.
Last year, I noticed I spent less time taking care of the garden. I did not have as many weeds to pull as in the past. Best of all, I harvested more tomatoes, green beans and peas in my two boxes than in my larger traditional garden and it was a lot easier to pick them. Even though it was a wet summer last year, my garden thrived because the soil dried out quicker. I also noticed this year that I was able to plant my cool weather vegetables sooner than in a traditional garden for the same reason.
Interested in learning more? There is a lot of great information to be found at Fondulac Library about raised bed and organic gardening.
If you are green minded, want to be involved in your community and would like to find out more about or become a member of the East Peoria Green Team contact Bob Jorgenson at jestpr@aol.com or call 698-0325. Look for us at the East Peoria Flower Sale on Saturday.
