Vegetable gardening: Food for thought

Planting a vegetable garden is a very “green” thing to do these days. Today, our food is ground, dehydrated, steamed, colored, refined, formed, added to, and subtracted from, until the final product bears little natural qualities. Even so-called “organic” food has been processed to some degree. Fast-food joints and restaurants are now offering a variety of low-fat, no-carb alternatives that still contain loads of sugar, artificial color, and preservatives that cannot be good for us. In the beginning, God did not place Adam and Eve in a grocery store; he placed them in a garden. And in the middle of the garden, he did not plant “golden arches,” but trees of all kinds, trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food (Genesis 2:9). So let’s start planting! It’s not too late! The rewards of vegetable gardening are endless.
Here are some vegetable gardening tips 101 from the Penn State Urban Gardening Program.
Tips for Designing a Vegetable Garden

* Order seeds by January or February.
* Vegetables grow best in a level area with loose, well-drained
soil that provides at least six hours of sun. (8–10 hours is ideal).
* Avoid placing the garden in low spots at the base of a hill.
Such areasare slow to warm up in the spring, and frost often
settles in these places.
* Avoid windy locations; if you must plant in a windy spot, build or
grow something near it to block some of the wind.
* Locate your garden near a good and easily accessible water
supply.
* Choose a spot near your home so it’s convenient to work in
the garden when you have a few minutes.
* Avoid planting near trees and shrubs; they compete for nutrients, and
water may cause excessive shading.
* Group plants by length of growing period. Plant spring crops together
so that latter crops can be planted in these areas when the early
crops mature.
* Don’t plant related vegetables in exactly the same location in the garden
more often than once in three years. Rotation prevents the buildup
of insects and disease.

The Patio Vegetable Garden
* You can grow vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and
even herbs in containers from your own porch, patio, or balcony.
* Almost any container can be used as long as it has adequate drainage.
Plastic containers weigh less and are easier to move around than clay
planters.
* Use well-drained potting soil. Pat-based, soilless potting mixtures work
well because they not only provide good drainage, but they also don't
dry out as quickly as soil. A homemade potting mixture can be made by
combining two parts peat moss to one part perlite, vermiculite, or sand.
* You can use wood or bamboo stakes for supporting vining plants such
as cucumbers, peas and squash. Tomatoes can be either staked or
placed in metal cages.
* Plants growing in containers dry out faster than those in the ground
and should be checked daily for water.

For urban gardeners in Philadelphia who don’t have the space for a vegetable garden; the city Philadelphia offers information on how to start your own community garden.