Grow It Yourself Dining

Burpee Seeds reported double sales this year as more and more people are growing their own food which translates into seed sales. Vegetables transplants and fruit tree sales also increased this spring.

Photo: Romaine lettuce in the garden.

At the grocery store today, we saw the profit of our efforts. The snow peas are $5 a quarter pound and the English peas are $6 a pound.

Instead of paying those prices, we pick them off the vines.

Home gardening is risky because it doesn't always succeed but in economic downturns people at least make an effort.

An article in the Baltimore Sun had some of the numbers:

Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving heirloom vegetables, sold 10,000 tomato and pepper transplants to customers in early May, double its usual amount.

The fruit tree folks, Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards Co., is working overtime to keep up with orders.

And the stories continue - click to read the column by Ellen Simon of the Associated Press.

Even if you haven't grown fruits or vegetables before there are some easy ones to try.

The ones I had early success with include: Leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, mesclun mix, Beans such as bush and edamame, Cucumbers of all types and stripes, Eggplant - Asian and Black Beauty, fresh herbs, broccoli and garlic.

It can take a season or two to get it right but growing your own vegetables is just plain fun and worth the time and effort it takes to learn.