OK, before you groan and think, “Gardening, again?” — listen up! It is that time of year to plan a vegetable and fruit garden.
What? Did you say, “It’s too much work”? No, it’s too much fun and great exercise to boot. Or are you a NIMBY (Not In My BackYard)? Well, then put it in your front yard or a side yard or start a patio/deck garden or even a roof garden. Just do it.
Here are some reasons: Your own food is delicious, fresh, organic and richer in vitamins and minerals. You will save energy on trips to the store for your own garden salad, and did I say it was delicious? It will also absorb greenhouse gases while returning oxygen to your environment.
Join up with others in your community to work together to reap collective benefits. There are even recent articles about urban farms raising property values. And hey! You don’t have to do it just for yourself; grow some extra and donate your bounty to a food bank. Oh, did I mention fresh food is delicious?
Gardening is one of the “Lifestyles” strategies in the City of Edmonds Climate Change Action Plan. It says: “The Post Carbon Institute, an environmental organization established to focus on peak oil and climate-change-related issues, has said that one of the most important things we as individuals can do to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and thus to save energy, is to grow our own food.”
You say you don’t have space for a garden or you live in a condo? There are several groups discussing and organizing P-patch plots. Sustainable Edmonds would like to survey current P-patches in the area. If you have, are planning, or know of a P-patch, please send an e-mail to rschool41@msn.com. We would like to post them on our Web site, www.sustainableedmonds.org. You might also check with the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club on their organizational efforts for a community garden.
Lastly, you are now thinking: “But I don’t know anything about gardening.” So go to the library, go online and talk to gardeners. You’re never too old to learn, but if you feel you’re too old to dig, then help the economy and hire your neighbor’s kid. You can still enjoy reaping the rewards of fresh and ripe produce. Did I say they’re delicious? Good luck, good digging and good dining!
Richard Bisbee is a member of Sustainable Edmonds.
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