Mid-Shore Life

By Elizabeth Beggins

Last year, as people grew frightened of their peanut butter, and recession gripped the nation, thousands of Americans made the decision to get back to basics by growing their own food.  Seed companies were inundated with orders from enthusiasts ready to get their hands dirty in their new, or newly expanded, backyard gardens.  Perhaps you were among them?  Or maybe you only got as far as your good intentions.  Those new to vegetable gardening are often daunted by the perceived magnitude of what lies before them when, in fact, vegetable gardening is actually quite simple.  That is, if you remember a few important truths. 

First:  Most vegetable plants need at least six hours of full sun a day.  If you don't have a single location which offers that, consider several smaller sites. Interspersing your landscaped areas with edible plants can create suitable growing spaces, as can planting in containers.  Different kinds of plants prefer varying levels of light.  Summer crops, like tomatoes and squash, prefer more sunlight, but others, such as leafy greens and certain beans, are more shade tolerant.

Second:  Just as you wouldn't expect a newborn baby to thrive on a diet of Sunny D and pretzels, you can't expect your vegetables to grow up to be big and strong in poor soil.  Vegetables need nutrients, and, for the most part, they need to get them from the ground in which they are planted.  The most effective amendment for substandard soil is compost, which is the dark, sweet smelling, end result of a lot of decomposed organic matter.  If you want to make a garden happen this spring, you might benefit from "importing" purchased compost and/or soil from a nearby supplier (ask around among your gardening friends).  But, creating your own compost from chopped fall leaves, your friend's old manure pile, and some of your own kitchen wastes, will serve you well as you go along.

Third:  You are merely a facilitator for what nature wants to do - well, naturally.  Put down the Round-Up and the "blue miracle" growing solution, and let soil microbes and earthworms work their unique magic.  The less you tamper with their environments by adding manmade chemicals, the better off they'll be, and the happier your garden will be in the long run. 

Fourth:  Face it, not all land is created equally (yes, we're still discussing dirt).  Much of the Midshore is low lying, clay riddled, and prone to poor drainage.  A simple way to get a leg up on soggy soil is to start your garden in raised beds.  Most people do this by building a small, bottomless box, approximately 8-12" high - using untreated boards, recycled lumber, or cinder blocks -  then filling their box with good soil.   However, if you feel overwhelmed by that level of commitment, you can simply pile your soil into a mound for starters.  Just be forewarned:  experience has taught me that if you use an unframed mound, someone may accuse you of burying bodies in your yard!

Fifth:  Aside from good soil, vegetables need abundant water.  The most conservative and efficient method for watering a small ground plot is a a soaker hose.  Container plants require the most frequent waterings (which can mean daily in the heat of summer), as do seeds and young seedlings.  Raised beds dry out more rapidly than ground level gardens.  Effective watering means that the moisture soaks in deeply enough to reach the plant's roots.

Once you have selected and prepared your growing site(s), the fun really begins.  Perusing a seed catalog in the dead of winter is a bit like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach; it's easy to get carried away and over buy.  Even so, growing vegetables from seed opens doors to a greater number of varieties than one can find in purchased transplants.  Some plants, like cucumbers, beans, and radishes are simple to grow from seed.  You may want to find a seed buddy with whom to share, since most seed packets have larger quantities than a beginning gardener can use in a season.

Johnny's Selected Seeds (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/) and Seed Savers Exchange (http://www.seedsavers.org/) both have good reputations as seed companies, but of course, those are only the tip of the tip of the iceberg.  You can also find seeds locally, at garden centers and other stores.  Certain crops are better purchased as transplants, especially for beginners.  Check garden centers large and small, and ask at the farmers' market for information on reliable sources.

Gardening is meant to be enjoyable.  Relish even small successes and chalk the rest up as valuable learning experiences.  Truly, there are few accomplishments in life more gratifying than learning to grow your own food.

Elizabeth Beggins (beggins4@verizon.net) is a freelance writer and avid locavore, with over a decade of experience as a market gardener on the Eastern Shore. She believes that our health depends on a keen understanding of what we eat, and that our food choices are vital to sustaining ourselves and our planet.

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