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Now’s the time for EVERYONE to get growing! Whether you live in a White House-style mansion (think Michelle Obama!), or a tiny apartment in a city, you’ll be able to grow at least a couple of foods you love and nothing is more delicious than homegrown anything. And, the cost savings of growing your own fresh produce — along with the nutritional benefits — should be enough to motivate anyone to start a garden before Fall.
Starting a garden can be easier than it seems. My favorite gardening find? Earth Boxes. What are Earth Boxes? I first came across them when I bumped into Jo Anne and Alejandro of Two Dog Nursery at my local farmer’s market. They had a bunch of these boxes set up, overflowing with produce. They also showed me photos of the corn, broccoli, beets, carrrot, chard, spinach and much much more, that they’d grown over the last year in the magical Earth Box.
Since I get very little direct sun in my back yard, Earth Boxes seemed like a perfect solution for me — especially since they are on casters…I can push the boxes around in order to follow the small amount of sun as it moved around my yard. Within a few months of starting my Earth Boxes, I had buckets of broccoli, chard, kale and gourmet lettuces. The feature I love most about the box design is the water tank and irrigation system, which saves a tremendous amount of water. You simply top off the reservoir every few days and that’s that. Perfect when the sun’s hot, as it eliminates evaporation.
I took a pair of scissors to them at lunch today and snipped off just the right amount of each kind of leaf for an anti-oxidant packed salad. Just think how much nutrition is in a mouthful of something that is almost still alive. Remember, the moment you pick something, it’s on a ticking clock of its nutrients diminishing. The taste was exquisite and so far superior to those bags of triple-washed-in-chlorine bags from the grocery store; a lot less expensive too!
Ok, so if I’ve sold you on Earth Boxes, let’s move onto essential supplies:
Gardening Gloves: The most fantastic gloves I’ve found to date are Ethel Gloves. They’re pretty, really comfy and durable enough to completely protect your manicure.
Seeds: Have a look through the catalogs at Seed Savers and Heirloom seeds to whet your appetite and get them started either in little pots and then transfer to your Earth Box or plant them in your box. Since Fall will be here soon, you may want to visit your local nursery and pick out some (organic) produce plants that have already been started to ensure a good crop before it gets too cold.
If you decide to go with an Earth Box, you won’t really need anything else. The Complete Kit comes with fertilizers, mulch covers and easy-to-follow instructions so you can have a great garden going before the end of summer!
About the Author
Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of “Gorgeously Green”, “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” and the newly released “Do It Gorgeously
Read more amazing tips from Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com
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