All the Dirt on Gardening

Our veggie garden is 20 by 20 - on the left are the peas on a trellis, then leeks, wax bush beans, Dinosour kale, Cos and Romaine lettuce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, broad beans on the far right and potato cages in the back. Earth Day is celebrating its 40Th birthday today. Denis Hayes, national coordinator for the first Earth Day in 1970 is the international chair of Earth Day 2010. Hayes is chairman of the board of trustees of the American Solar Energy Society and president of the Bullitt Foundation. Twenty million Americans participated in that original Earth Day celebration. Within three years Congress passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Today, most schools and many towns acknowledge Earth Day through activities meant to remind us that caring for the earth’s resources is important. Small conservation activities include recycling paper, glass, cooking oil, plastic containers and plastic bags. Groups can participate in tree planting proje...

A neighborhood can put its resources together to grow a bountiful garden of salad vegetables, flavorful melons, zucchini and winter squash to serve family and friends. A plot of land, some tools, access to water and some seeds can become a source of pride, as well as building a sense of community. One conservative estimate is that there are over 10,000 community gardens around the country. The push to grow fresh vegetables in World War Two was the last time neighbors put their ideas together to provide nutritious food for as many people as possible. In 1943 the White House lawn, vacant lots in small towns and city parks were put into production. By 1946 half of the nation’s produce was grown in Victory Gardens. Since then, growing has become more centralized. Now agribusiness has removed the soil-to-table experience from most households. The concerns now, are tainted vegetables, increased pesticide and fertilizer use damaging water sources, plus increased transportation costs. In the p...

Ah, rain. Hard on the flowers that are blooming but wonderful anyway. Last year's record drought makes late April rain all the more welcome this year. Take a little break from working outside. Walking or driving on the soil will compact it and eliminate the air pockets needed for healthy plant roots. Photo: Ipheon (Spring Starflowers ) blooming. A German relative explained to me that when new residents move into her town, they are invited to join in one of the many community gardens. It's a welcoming gesture to express the community's openness to new families. In Britain, the popularity of growing in community gardens has left the country without any more garden allotments to share. During World War II, 330,000 allotments were used by patriotic citizens to grow vegetables. The trend moved away from grow-your-own for decades, leaving the land to weeds. but now all are taken again. The Royal Horticultural Society reported that vegetable seed sales have...