I’ve been gardening for years now, but this year, for some reason, I am obsessed. It’s always been enjoyable to me, but it has lately developed into a real passion. (If you’re going to be passionate about something, it may as well be something important, right? Food is pretty important.)
I will take a moment here to make my disclaimer–I am not what you would call a foodie, per se. While I love and appreciate fresh, organic food, I am not above eating Cheetos and Ding Dongs. This may be horrifying to some (and probably rightly so), but I’ve got to be honest. Would it be better to cut back on the junk? Yeah. But my point is that I’m not perfect, and certainly don’t expect anyone else to be. However, I do feel that if you eat food, you should have at least a basic understanding of where it comes from…
What truly startles me is when I hear that a good deal of American adults believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows, or when my uncle relays a story of how a woman he talked to saw green beans on the vine and didn’t know what they were.
I’m sure I take for granted what little knowledge I have. Though I’ve lived in the suburbs for most of my life, I’m very fortunate to come from an agricultural family and have access to enough land for gardening. I’m no expert myself, though, and am always trying to learn more. My dream is that everyonewould develop a genuine interest in gardening.
I would encourage everyone to grow something. I know some don’t have the space, but if possible, if you have a little porch or patio, do some container gardening. Try a few herbs. A tomato. Anything! The experience of watching something go from seed (or seedling) to something you can eat and enjoy is amazing but hard to convey with words. Don’t know how to get started? Take a class or ask your master gardener! (You can also ask The Garden Girls andwe will help in any way we can.)
I’m excited about going to Composting 101 on August 7. The class will be taught by Master Gardener Connie Gaston and held at the Wichita Public Library (Main Branch) at 223 S Main. It’s the first in a series of Fall Gardening Classes given throughout August; you can see the rest of the classes here; they are totally free, but they do ask that you register if you plan on attending.
You can also stop by the Sedgwick County Extension Office at 21st and Ridge and they will help with agricultural questions or concerns. In addition to classes, they offer soil testing, have lots of information on their website, and more.
Let’s learn and grow together.
The Garden Girls 