The Times They Are A Changing

I have been talking about Freedom Gardens (Depression Gardens) and Saving Seeds. Preparedness is my main purpose for reporting in this direction. If our economy continues to descend we can be ready to start our first crop next spring. If the economy juts upwards, great, we’ve built community and have healthy vegetables on our table to boot.

However, what if you don’t have the room to have even a backyard vegetable garden, there are no community gardens in your area and you don’t have the time to start one up? Actually you can be pretty self-sufficient in you tiny apartment. First of all, decide it will be an organic garden. There’s no need for chemical laden pesticides. Besides, if you are going to go through all the trouble of growing your own vegetables, they should be as healthy as possible.

Step 1. Containers. Collect different sizes of containers from friends, garage sales or just start saving the ones you get with food in them at the grocery store. It’s amazing how many we actually just dump in the trash every week. They don’t have to be attractive, but can be if you wish to purchase them. Small containers can such as yogurt cups can be used for starting seedlings. A garbage can is a good size for growing potatoes. However, make sure all your containers are completely clean before starting your vegetable garden.

Step 2. Potting Soil. Purchase organic potting soil or gardening soil from a local nursery. Talk to a knowledgeable nursery employee. Tell them you are starting a container vegetable garden and they will direct you to their best soil for the purpose.

Step 3. Seeds. Purchase heirloom seeds. These are non-hybrid seeds from original plants not ones that have been produced from two parent plants. The importance is that you can save heirloom seeds at the end of the harvest period and most hybrid seeds are sterile or do not produce properly.

However, if you aren’t interested in saving your seeds for planting next year, you can find a lot of miniature sized vegetables in hybrids that are perfect for apartment gardens.

Step 4. Plant. Start your seeds in their containers of soil by following the directions on the back of the packet. It will tell you how far in the dirt each seed should be planted and how far apart. Make sure your containers have good drainage. If you live in a short growing season you can start seeds on your window sill for later transplant in larger containers. When the last frost has gone you may put your vegetable plants out on your balcony or porch area. If you have no such location, you still will be able to grow a nice tomato an pepper plant in a sunny window. Open the window to give it some fresh air and water per seed packet directions.

Step 5. Harvest. When your vegetables are mature, pick them and eat them for dinner. There is nothing like fresh vegetables and they last in the refrigerator three times as long as the ones you purchase from the grocery store. If you have used heirloom seeds and wish to save them, see my article on Saving Seeds.

Container Herb Garden

If you want to try something on the smaller scale, try a container herb garden. Fresh herbs make food taste so much better than the dried counterpart. It may be a new culinary direction for you. You can choose herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, etc. or you can create a “tea garden” with herbs normally used for tea. What a fun adventure to learn how to dry them and use them during the winter. Here is an article on how to construct a Container Herb Garden.

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