First Harvest…

So, I garden. I love gardening. To me it is the most elemental cycle of life when I can press a small seed into the moist earth with my finger, and with little, or sometimes no tending, it springs forth something that lives and grows and becomes something I can pluck from the earth to sustain life with. Food sustains life. The cycle that God created is amazing to me. It really makes me appreciate the grand design God made.

The first thing I do when I get home each day is pat the doggies on the head and then head straight out to my little plot of homestead in this urban place I call home. Here in AZ we can garden pretty much anything, nearly all year round.

I plant in late September for winter harvests, and then again in late February for summer harvest. I planted what you see in my garden the last week of September.

My favorite time of day is inspecting the yard to see what new little surprises have sprung forth while I was away working in my corporate cubicle all day.

Today, to my dismay, seven little, green caterpillars munched hungrily on my mint ravaging it to nubs. But then, as I made the way to my fenced garden, I see two little bobbins peeking out from the earth, shiny, and red and happy, waiting for me to pluck them from the earth!

My first harvest of the season! Two French breakfast radishes may seem like a small harvest to some, but it just means there is much more to come very soon!

I have a philosophy of food being from its source...and while I know not everyone shares that same philosophy, I really encourage everyone to try to grow something. There is something amazing about watching the cycle play out, and being a part of it that is wonderful.

My Top Two Picks and Tips for Beginners are:

• Radishes
• Sunflowers

They can be grown in pots, in the ground, or even in paper cups! I like these seeds, by Botanical Interests. They germinate very quickly (in only a few days) and produce very quick results, thus giving you gratification and confidence to keep it going!
Follow directions on the seed package, and grow them indoors if your climate is too cold, and keep them near a very sunny window.