Why I Want A Green Thumb

I started a garden today. I didn't just buy some potted plants and put it out in the yard. I actually bought some seeds and started some seedlings.

I am so fortunate to be the daughter of "green thumb" parents. Both moms and pops have extensive experience in raising and maintaining plants.

I want to grow my own food! Why, you might ask, am I attempting to grow my own food? There are several reasons that I'd like to list for you that will hopefully spur you into action as well.

Reason #1: GROWING my own veggies is cheaper.I was walking through the produce section of the local grocery store and read quite an interesting sign. It said that produce will be very, very expensive in the coming months due to the unexpected frozen conditions in California. Nuff said.

Reason #2: I'm going ORGANIC... I'm attempting to turn some of my eating habits organic. GROWING my own veggies is safer for consumption. The bottom line is that commercialy grown produce is fraught with dangerous pesticides that ARE NOT safe for pregnant women and children to consume... or any mammal with a pulse. That's right! The fruit is good for you but the pesticides used in raising the fruit is not. Hmmm... does that sound right to you? Pesticides probably leads to cancer as well.

Reason #3: I will MAKE my family self reliant. As a nation, we are so addicted to oil. Commercial farming is reliant on oil to produce food. The heavy equipment used to plant and harvest requires oil. The machinery used to sort and clean fresh produce requires oil. The vehicles used to move the fresh produce from factory to distributor uses oil/fuel. You get where I'm going with this? With rising fuel costs, I'm not gonna wait around for the produce departments to go bare. I'm making my family self reliant. We will NOT starve!

Reason #4: Connecting with MOTHER EARTH! I relish the thought of being so close to earth and reaping the benefits of growing my own food. It is the ultimate science experiment to actually watch Mother Nature "do her thang".

I have a general understanding of how it all works. Seed to plant to fruit to harvest. Well, at least I think I do. However, I don't think ONE can get a complete picture of the process without actually doing it.

I listened to my father lecture husband and I on how it all works and pops was just so poetic about it. I was amazed. It was a beautiful thing! I mean he broke it down on how the seed INHERENTLY searches for light and how starting seedlings in the dark is best because of that reason. He talked about the full moon and how it controls the rise and fall of the water on the planet and why it's best to plan during a full moon... because a plants roots will NOT have to reach deep down in the earth to get water -- the water is already waiting. You don't get that wise WITHOUT actually experimenting on the "word"!

I started a garden today. Cabbage. Brussel Sprouts. Bush Beans. Once I get that started and in the earth, I'm tackling an herb garden replete with garlic, scallions, rosemary, basil and cilantro. I'm so excited.