Growing your own produce

In today’s fast paced world, organic gardening provides an opportunity to reconnect with nature and to appreciate simple but intense pleasures. There’s nothing to beat the aroma of garden fresh herbs or the taste of a peach taken directly from a tree that’s never been sprayed with dangerous synthetic chemicals. Organically grown fruit and vegetables taste better and are safer to eat than other produce.

Most commercially grown crops are represented by varieties that demonstrate high yield potential. Taste and nutritional value can be sacrificed to other requirements such as uniformity of size, appearance, and resistance to spoilage. With the current standard of presentation for supermarket produce, the appearance of some organically grown items can be unfamiliar to the novice gardener. Organically grown carrots, for example, appear small in size, randomly shaped and less intensely orange compared to those purchased from the local supermarket. They also need to be separated from their green shoots then gently scrubbed to remove the soil attached to them.

Organic gardening techniques can be adapted to many living situations. Commercial fruit growers require several acres of orchard but the dedicated lifestyle gardener can supply abundant fresh produce for most of the year on a typical suburban plot. Even the smallest urban space or balcony can be put to good use with containers of fresh herbs and an ornamental fruit tree or two.

An organic garden inspires creativity and builds sensitivity to the important rituals of preparing food well and eating accordingly. Fresh, healthy ingredients should be the basis of all meals, especially those prepared for meaningful occasions. Sharing an interest and enthusiasm for organics with friends and relatives is a terrific way to promote ecological sustainability and a healthy respect for the environment.