There comes a point during harvest when you have had your fill of whatever vegetable is taking over at the moment. Whether it’s beans or zucchini, one more bite and you or your family might swear it off forever, even in spite of the delicious garden fresh taste. To prevent waste and to prolong your harvest into the winter months, freeze vegetable for up to six months.
Growing herbs is a most practical pleasure. Herbs not only have many culinary uses, but each one also has a certain beauty and delightful aroma. Many people begin their love affair with gardening by planting a small patch or pot of these easy to grow plants. At Civano Nursery we carry an extensive selection of seeds and plants.
Start small, with an area about 6 by 9 feet, so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Look for a level, sheltered site that’s sunny for at least four to six hours a day, and close enough to a faucet or rain barrel so that watering won’t be a problem. Of course you can always add an irrigation system later, for now though let’s just keep it simple.
When you plant your garden, try to make a space where your child is free to experiment and grow things. From an early age, children can be involved in the cycle of the year, from planting seeds indoors or in a cold frame in the early spring and transplanting the seedlings to the garden when the danger of frost is past, to tending the garden and watching the fruits and vegetables grow, all the way to harvest. For young children, there is something marvelous about going out to the garden and bringing in a basket of lettuce, scallions and tomatoes that they helped to grow — getting children to eat vegetables is rarely a problem when they have grown, picked and washed them themselves.