GARDENING - good for soul and wallet

I am not sure about everyone else, but gardening is my therapy!  There is no amount of money or no therapist good enough, to take the place of nature.
Whether I am tending flowers, veggies, or just digging out weeds - my soul is touched and healed.  I can absolutely lose myself in the great outdoors.
I can be sad, depressed, unhappy, or just plain lonely - and I get some respite looking and playing with God's beautiful flowers and His scrumptious food that is pleasantly growing in my yard.

Growing a garden is great for the frugal wallet as well.  No where can you buy fresh food that tastes as good as it does, when you walk out your door and pick it.  You just can't get any fresher.  If you have never grown a garden, I hope you try to grown SOMETHING this year - you just won't believe how wonderful it tastes!

I hear so many people say they can't afford to grow a garden.  You can't afford NOT to!  It costs so little,  It is an absolute miracle (to me) what one little seed - that becomes a plant - can produce.  I single zucchini seed will give you zucchini all summer.  A single tomato seed will yield pounds of tomatoes! 
Most things I grow I 'direct seed'.  That means you put the seed directly in the soil to start your plant.  About the only things I don't direct seed is tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and cabbage.  Everything else grows so quickly and is easy to start.

I hear I have no room to grow a garden.  Do you have a patio or balcony?  Do you have a flower bed?  Do you have a driveway?  If the answer is yes - you have room to grow 'something'.  You can plant in pots, buckets, barrels, you name it.  Plant a tomato or pepper amongst the shrubs or flowers.  Most anything can be planted in a big pot (just make sure it has drainage).
All you have to do is make sure it gets sun and water , and 'feed' it once in  while.
You can actually 'feed' the plant with your kitchen waste for FREE.  Coffee grounds are wonderful as they actually add phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and copper to the soil.  You can blend up egg shells, banana peels, etc. and add to your pots for fertilizer. 
Catch rain water - and even your watering will be FREE.

If you find heirloom seeds or plants that are heirloom (they do cost a little more), you can save your own seeds for next year and the year after.  Heirloom plants are from seeds that have not been modified one bit for generations and generations!  They are the REAL thing!!!!!  If you save seeds from those plants you will always know what you will get.  If you save seeds from genetically modified plants - you will never know what the seed will produce.

Plan what you want to grow.  It may be just salad food - like lettuce, onions, tomatoes, radish, carrots (all are easy) or it may be more involved. 
Spend very little on seeds or a couple plants.  Find some containers or make room in your yard.
GROW, GROW, GROW!  You won't be sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you only grow what you can eat fresh - that is fine.  You will be enjoying fresh produce all summer.  Grow a little more and you can freeze or can some for the winter.  Just remember:  FRESH IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!   You will know exactly what you are eating and where it came from.

 I hope each of you grows a little something this year.  Being somewhat self -sufficient feels so wonderful.  You can work in the great outdoors and enjoy all the nature the good Lord provides, and soothe your soul, and you can provide great nutritious food for you and your family for little or no money.
Sounds like a WIN - WIN to me!!!!!



The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield to harvest.
Psalm 85:12

Happy gardening.
Now if you will excuse me, I am going out to play in the dirt!