There is a radical concept that many people throughout the country are beginning to take up. The concept? Gardening. Seriously. I know you’ve heard of this concept before, but have you ever really considered it? Most of my friends are terrified by the idea of growing plants, it can be time consuming and a little overwhelming if you are new to it. I am one of the terrified ones, I have managed to kill a cactus, yes, a cactus and I don’t have tons of time for gardening. However, I have had my successes. I once grew a basil plant so large I couldn’t figure out how to use it all, I also grew two small but usable chili peppers off my pepper plant. I also managed to keep a pothos plant alive for a year before entrusting it to a plant killer friend of mine (the pothos is considered an un-killable plant for people with no green thumb). Miraculously, she killed it. But, this year I am turning over a new leaf-pun intended- and I am going to be a successful vegetable gardener.

Why, after so many disappointing attempts would any sane person try again? Because, I am not sane. But, I am persistent. I’m not beginning my gardening journey in the hopes of becoming any county fair prize winning horticulturist. I am doing it because I’m cheap, and I like fresh food, and I hate waiting until Saturday to visit the Farmers Market. I am doing it to protest corporate carrots grown 1,400 miles away and to protest the unfair wages that workers like the Immokalee tomato pickers earn. I am doing it because gardening is relaxing and gives a sense of being one with the earth and the food we are given from it. I am doing it to combat high gas prices that we pay for when our grapes are flown in from Chile. I am doing it because vegetables and fruits taste better, and are better for you when they haven’t been sitting in a warehouse, and then a truck, and then a store for a week. I am doing it because the student neighborhoods and low rent options of many cities are an ugly place, they will be prettier with street side gardens full of colorful flowers and vegetables. I could probably come up with a dozen more reasons why I want to start gardening but that would take too much time, and time is of the essence when planning a garden.

In this article I'll share with you some of my plans for my garden, and ones you might find helpful in designing your own garden. I’ve found that it can be done for a very, very minimal cost. There are some great incentives for having your own garden. When the growing season is coming to a close you can freeze or can your crops for use in the winter. You can produce enough food for at least one person in as little as 4 square feet using some methods. With the growing popularity of home vegetable gardening there are tons of resources, even many locally.

I know that most readers live in conditions similar to my own; they live in apartments with no yard and sometimes no porch. The lucky ones have a small city plot with maybe 10 feet of growing space. Ten feet is more than enough, I have heard of three and four person families living off a garden this size. If you have an apartment with no yard or porch, don’t give up, you can grow a container garden. All you need for a container garden is a window with adequate light and some small pots and planters. The best containers are glazed ceramic containers with drainage holes. Plastic ones are fine as long as they are monitored, sunlight can eventually deteriorate the plastic. Hanging baskets are a great option; just make sure to line them with sphagnum moss for water retention. When you are picking pots make sure they have a large enough base so that the roots aren’t getting crowded or dried out. If you are growing root vegetables like potatoes and beets make sure to get deep pots so they have plenty of space to take root.

If you would like to plant a window container garden try setting up a table directly under the window sill. On top of the table arrange plants according to their need for direct sunlight, placing the neediest closest to the window. Make sure you line the pots with newspaper to hold the soil and place a tray under the pots so water doesn’t leak all over the table. It is also a good idea to elevate the pots a little bit, about a half inch above the tray so the water doesn’t grow stagnant and cause plant rot. You can also purchase a window sill container that will sit in the window and not use any table space. Try hanging baskets around the window, depending on how much space the plants need you could have several baskets. I would recommend planting the vine plants in baskets because the vines will spill over the edge and give a beautiful jungle feel. You can use these same concepts on any porch and it will add a warm inviting feel to your home. The great thing about container planting is that maintenance is minimal; you almost never incur weeds to be pulled or buggy pests. If you’re a lazy gardener this is a good option.

If you have a 4 by 4 foot space of yard or roof you can easily pull off a garden. There is a method called square foot gardening designed by Mel Bartholomew that has been getting rave reviews by gardeners. The concept is a raised box, 4 feet square with a 1 square foot grid across it. The grid allows you to plant up to 16 varieties and since the box is so small you can easily reach the center for harvesting and planting. Mel recommends you use a soil mixture of 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite. You can easily make your own compost at home, just use kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, weeds and barnyard waste (not dog or cat waste) put it all in a container such as a metal garbage can. Turn the compost weekly and keep it moist, in no time you’ll have homegrown compost and reduce your garbage load. If you need to buy compost to get your garden started just make sure that’s what it is, some places sell compost that is really just mulch or humus. If you use Mel’s recipe you shouldn’t have to use chemical fertilizers because all the plants nutrients are right in the soil. Mel’s book is available online, and in just about any bookstore or library.

When choosing your plants there are several things you should consider. Space is a very important one, some plants require deep soil for rooting or they like lots of room so they aren’t crowded. If a plant needs 12 inches of space then you would only plant 1 plant per spot, if it needs 6 inch spacing you can plant 4 per spot and so on. Sunlight is extremely important, your garden needs to get at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and they will take more. You should make sure there aren’t trees and buildings that will throw shade on your garden. What will you eat? Don’t plant things you won’t eat, it’s a waste of space. Think about how much of it you will eat, if you eat a lot of potatoes but not so many radishes consider growing the radishes in a pot and giving the potatoes extra space in your 4 by 4 garden. Flowers are a good option too, there are many edible flowers that will make your garden look beautiful and you can add them to salads and use them as garnishes.