Tag Archives: growing vegetables

Growing Our Own Vegetables

Last summer, I decided to try my hand at patio vegetable gardening. Oh, nothing ambitious, you understand — just some tomatoes.

I signed up for a seminar on growing heirloom tomatoes through Slow Food. I got lots of great information and decided to give it a try. How bad could it possibly go? After all, I have neighbours who have beautiful vines of luscious red jewels in their gardens.

How did my experiment turn out? About as well as my first attempt at chili (read: not well). Apparently, my patio is completely void of veggie-growing sunlight. Instead of the tomatoes my neighbours were enjoying, I got two – yes two – little, hard green tomatoes. Not exactly the harvest I was hoping for.

This year, still determined to grow something, I’m considering renting a plot at the community garden. I was initially concerned that it would be difficult to locate one but a handy website, City Farmer, simplifies the search. The site offers a list of gardens divided by city, each with location and contact information. There are even gardens designated as “organic”.

I must admit, I’m a little intimidated. Will I be able to fill my plot? Will any of it grow? What if more veggies grow than I can possibly eat?

Despite my apprehension, my belief that the simple act of growing our own vegetables helps safeguard the environment, build communities, and connect the grower with their food source pretty much insists that I, at least, investigate the possibility of renting a plot. I will be visiting some of the gardens in my area over the next weeks and deciding where and if I will begin my new experiment this spring.

I’ll let you know how it goes.