Background

I (Shannon) am a master gardener of 7 years but a food plant grower for only a couple. I grew up with plants as my mom was always nursing the dying clearance plants from the store back to health and growing gardens on our beach sand lot. I learned a lot from her and have continued my education and expanded my plant horizons over the years. However my first love was always landscape (read flowers here) rather than "food"scape. I am finding that growing a green pepper can be much more difficult than growing my orchids. Even so I am enjoying finding new places to put food plants in my flower beds.

I (Timothy) remember helping in the garden as a child, holding the row stake line so my dad could mark the rows with a hoe. I remember being bitten by mosquitoes and hoping it would be over soon.  Now once again we are looking at growing vegetables  but this time in raised beds, not the huge garden with long rows like my younger years.  My desire is to keep things as natural and healthy as possible using natural / organic methods.  Being frustrated with the results thus far, I find the use of mass applications of pesticides and fungicides understandable to combat the evil bugs lurking everywhere, as well as keep the assortment of critters out of the garden and to combat the myriad of plant diseases.  Ugh!!

So what makes a dedicated flower gardener and a former child "slave" who was personally responsible for enabling the continuation of the mosquito species decide to pursue food gardening?  Uhhmmm.... That would be God's fault.  Oh wait, He's perfect, nothing is His fault, it is all part of His plan. Here are some reasons why we feel we are on this journey. This is for our health.  Fresh fruits and vegetables contain life. By growing our own food, we can choose the varieties (non GMO and heritage seeds which we can save), we can control the way it is grown (organically), and harvest to eating time (less nutrient loss).  Another reason we are learning how to garden is so we can teach others. Many in our society have wandered far from our agricultural roots and do not know what is involved in growing food and sadly what is healthy food.  We do not know the future and it is good to be prepared and able to provide for your family and neighbors in hard times.

We hope our woes and triumphs will be entertaining and inspiring. At minimum you can always learn what not to do.

Photo from Shannon's Flower Garden