During the Second World War, the idea was that this patriotic act of producing one’s own food would aid the war effort.  Today, we need some new victories.  Victories over rising food prices, over processed, mass produced, and low nutrition “food”.  With fuel costs rising and reports of salmonella in tomatoes, people should consider their alternatives.  Trends are moving towards buying organic and buying local.  Why not start a small garden—a victory garden?

How to start?  Start small and maybe even in containers.  Do a little research, what you learn we help you for a lifetime.  While this is an inexpensive and fruitful hobby, it does require a small initial investment ($20-200) and an ongoing time commitment (10-15 minutes a day) mostly watering.

I like to start from seed, because it is cheaper and more fun when you succeed (not all plantings succeed).  Seed packets run $0.10 to $3.00 each.  A few containers need to be purchased or acquired (free to a couple of bucks each).  For container gardening, you need to purchase some potting soil (under $2.00 for 40 pounds at Wal-Mart), some perlite (about $3.00), and some fertilizer (about $3-4 at Wal-Mart).  Add some sunshine and water and you are set.

Tomatoes and herbs are a great place to start.  There is nothing like fresh herbs in your food, my Italian gravy is much better with fresh parsley and basil mixed in.  How about fresh chives on your potatoes or eggs?  I have some nice lettuce for sandwiches and salads.  I have onions, garlic, beans, and peas on the way.  I plan on expanding the assortment next year.  I am also planning a winter garden with a 2’x4’ cold frame I am building.

The tomatoes alone will justify time and expense of my kitchen garden—the supermarket was selling them for almost $4.00 per pound the other day.

While, the summer season is winding down I am already planning my fall and winter plantings-- more on that in a later post.