Years ago a Canadian friend from Toronto told me a story from her neighborhood: A Polish immigrant family moved to Scarborough and managed to shock everybody by upsetting suburban harmony. The reason? They destroyed the perfectly manicured lawn and planted onions, cabbages and tomatoes.
Our tomato plant
This was in the early 1990s. No one really though that much about starting an urban garden, but today with pesticides and the GMOs more prevalent than ever, many people are thinking of at least converting their backyards into small gardens.
Using egg shells to start the seeds
Those who live in apartments are cultivating herbs, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and edible flowers on their balconies. Those who do not have balconies, can easily grow herbs on their window sills. And most raw food lovers grow their sprouts and microgreens at home, even if they cannot grow anything else. The trend is rising and this is good so.
Small harvest from a backyard garden
We started a vegetable garden in our backyard, but the weather wasn't very kind to us. Still, we have a wonderful tomato plant and bushes of basil. And this already is something. It makes us smile every time we pick a tomato or share our basil with a friend. Simply to know that we are eating clean, organically grown food makes us happy.
Fall is not the best time to start planting, but you can at least begin planning for the next year. Visit a gardener or a farm to learn as much as you can about vegetable gardening, or sign up for a workshop if you find one in your vicinity. You will not regret it.
From the backyard - freshly picked cherry tomatoes
Fall is not the best time to start planting, but you can at least begin planning for the next year. Visit a gardener or a farm to learn as much as you can about vegetable gardening, or sign up for a workshop if you find one in your vicinity. You will not regret it.
By Dominique Allmon
Dominique Allmon©2014