The best part is anyone can do it. Even if you live in an apartment or have absolutely no gardening experience whatsoever, cultivating some of your own vegetables is practical, fun and inexpensive.
Roger Doiron of Scarborough, who heads the nonprofit grow-your-own advocacy group Kitchen Gardeners International, says, “We’ve seen a surge in interest in kitchen gardens and our own work over the past couple of years. We offer a free electronic newsletter every month and saw our subscriber list grow by 70% over the past year alone. I think there are a lot of things driving this new interest in home gardening. People are tired of reading stories about unhealthy, unsafe and unaffordable foods and want to take some control over what they’re eating and feeding their families.”
Doiron says first-timers only need to do a few simple things to get started. Most important is to get a soil test. Kits are available from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension (call 780-4205 for $12 test) and the results will tell you what soil amendments (if any) you need to add and warn you about toxic contaminants, such as lead, that are often present in city soils.
Next, pick a spot as close to your door as possible that gets at least six hours of sun a day. Then you need to select your seeds or seedlings. Check your nearby garden center or buy from one of the state’s three major seed companies: FedCo Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Pintree Seeds.
“I recommend that people start with the things they really like to eat,” Doiron says. “It wouldn’t be summer without tomatoes, so they’re a must for most people.”
One of the easiest places to start is with salad greens. If you want those tomatoes (and who doesn’t?), you’ll need to buy seedlings at this time of year (otherwise they won’t bear fruit before the first frost). Carrots, peas, radishes, potatoes, beans and squash can still be started from seeds in May.
“I grow a garden because I love food and want to enjoy fruits, vegetables and herbs at their peak of flavor and ripeness,” Doiron says. “I love the fact that I can ‘go shopping’ for veggies and culinary inspiration in a well-stocked produce section in my own backyard. There’s nothing like the freshness of foods harvested just minutes before eating.”
Gardens for apartment dwellers
Community Gardens
Most towns and cities have a community gardening program, where you can rent a plot and grow your own vegetables. Call your town office or city hall for details.
Container Gardens
Even if all you have is a windowsill, you can grown your own salad greens and herbs. If you have a sunny patio or front step, plant things like tomatoes, blueberries or beans in a container. Be sure to use high-quality organic soil and compost and water frequently.
Winter Cache Project
People who volunteer for or contribute to the program get a share of stored food in the winter. Every Sunday during the growing season the organization coordinates work parties at a farm in Cumberland and then in the fall volunteers can, freeze, dry, ferment and store the harvest. FMI visit http://wintercacheproject.org.