It’s almost Victoria Day, and you know what that means: it’s (more or less) time to plant your garden outdoors!
COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of markets and nurseries where we might normally purchase our baby/toddler plants from, but we can still get started on our gardens, as I’ve seen a few stores offer either curbside pickup or shipping to your door. I’m going to keep my “your actions are doubly important now in these times” message to a minimum here because I’m sure y’all know already how where you spend your money now (e.g. Amazon v.s. local gardening store) will contribute to what the landscape’s going to look like coming out of emergency measures as far as which stores are still there and which aren’t (not to mention fostering a sense of community by shopping local and supporting people and businesses which missions you believe in). All this with the huge heaping grain of salt, of course, that this is if you have the luxury to consider alternatives. End plug!
While the original “Victory Garden” refers to “vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks… during World War I and World War II” (Wikipedia), one of the desired effects of these home gardens was to boost morale – something we could probably all use a bit of right now. Not to mention the delicious fruits and vegetables you can grab from your own backyard throughout the summer and perhaps even autumn months after you’ve planted and tended to your garden! So let’s get started with gardening fruits & veggies and greening up our spaces with pet plants (also see Alyssia’s post on home decor)!
Do you relish the idea of growing 24 varieties of chili peppers in your garden? Me too!* Well Niki Jabbour will introduce you to 24 varieties (let’s be real: I know maybe enough varieties to list on one hand before I draw a blank) and walk you through how best to cultivate them in your garden so you can enjoy fiery meals throughout the year (by drying and preserving the fruits of your labour). Check out Groundbreaking Food Gardens** for other food garden designs that’ll have you reaching for your gardening hoe & watering can!