Bounty Along My Driveway

Green Beans - part of the bountiful harvest from our city-dwelling.

So, I wanted to give the kids something to observe this summer as we come and go about our daily activities of swimming, bicycling, playing in the park, running to catch the “Ice-Cream-Man,” etc. I wanted them to observe the phenomenon of gardening – of actual edible produce stemming from the dirt! Nicholas has some memories of the years we lived in the country and the large vegetable garden that I worked out there. But for the past 7 years, since we moved into the city, we haven’t had any kind of vegetable garden at all. Jennifer and I have worked steadily and increasingly at our annual and perennial landscaping around the house from day 1. But I really missed my vegetables, and I wanted the kids to experience the miracle, too. So, one day, early in the spring, I purchased 4 large pots from WalMart and filled them with potting soil. I had the kids help me distribute seeds of carrots, green peppers and green beans. Then, we cut up some of the sprouting potatoes from the kitchen and buried them in one of the pots. These pots sit along our driveway and get about half a day of full sun. Also, along the back of the building that borders our backyard, we planted pumpkins and sunflowers. Everything is coming up perfectly! We have already gleaned green beans and eaten them right off the vine! The kids thought that was COOL! Yesterday, I reached down into the pot of carrots (which I never thinned as they were sprouting) to pull a couple and see how they were progressing. Just as I hoped, we had half-inch long, Q-tip sized orange morsels growing perfectly! We all took bites! They were warm and sweet and the kids were so impressed. So the lesson is, you can plant vegetables ANYWHERE! This reality was impressed upon me when I was pumping gas recently and I observed several zucchini vines on the fuel island which had been planted in 5-gallon pails. Try it! Get a couple of old pots or buckets and fill them with everyday dirt. Plant a few of your favorite veggies. You’ll have fun! Presently, I’m scouting some areas on the outskirts of our property where I may be able to sneak a few rows of sweet corn. (Won’t the neighbors be surprised?!)

~ by ByTheBlood on July 28, 2008.